Enjoy an evocative journey from the lush Virunga Mountains, the home of the rare Mountain Gorilla, to the grassy plains of the mighty Serengeti. We take in some of the best national parks and lakes, where you’ll come face to face with Africa’s spectacular wildlife, and we relax by the stunning beaches of the Indian Ocean. Go wild with us on this classic African adventure.
Day 1 to 1
Arrive Kampala
Day 1 is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities, so you will have free time to relax and see some of the sights. Kampala is Uganda's bustling capital city, boasting plenty of markets as well as some lively restaurants and bars. We spend an evening here with free time to get a feel for city life, visit the market, try some typical Ugandan cuisine and catch up on emails. You can choose to visit Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where orphaned chimpanzees rescued from poachers and traders are looked after.
Day 2 to 7Queen Elizabeth II National Park - Musanze (formerly Rhuengeri)
In the morning we travel to the famous Queen Elizabeth II National Park, often referred to as the ‘QE2'. Established in 1954 at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains, this park suffered badly during the years of the Ugandan/Tanzanian war and much of the wildlife there was shot. Today, however, the wildlife has recovered and the Kazinga Channel, which joins Lake Edward and Lake George, is famous for having the world's largest concentration of hippos that are easily viewed from a boat on the channel. You have the option of spending a full day in the park both game driving and taking the not to be missed boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
Please note: this part of the itinerary may change - if it is not possible to see the gorillas in Rwanda, we will endeavour to see them in Uganda instead, but this will depend upon permit availability and may incur additional costs. See your separate gorilla trekking notes for more information.
Over the next three days we base ourselves in Musanze (formerly Rhuengeri) for the Gorilla Trek and travel into the mountains to visit the rare Mountain Gorillas. These gorillas are found in the Virunga Mountains, a range of volcanic mountains and rainforest which covers parts of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. On the Rwandan side, there are currently five groups of habituated Mountain Gorillas ranging in number from 7 - 37 individuals. We start our trekking from Kinigi into their mountainous habitat with our guides, who will track their spoor and last movements to find them. The trek can be demanding at times and the weather can be very changeable, but the experience of seeing these magnificent animals in the wild is worth every bit.
It is possible that you may be lucky enough to come within arm's length of these beautiful creatures if they approach you, but you are required to maintain a distance of 5 metres from the animals at all times. Please note that your time with the gorillas is restricted to around 45 - 60 minutes to safeguard the families from too much human contact.
Day 8 to 8Kigali & Lake Bunyoni
It is a short drive from Rhuengeri to the Rwandan capital of Kigali, where we will stop here to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre to learn about the horrific 1994 genocide in which an estimated one million Rwandans died, with twice that number fleeing into exile. From Kigali we head to picturesque Lake Bunyoni, where we will take a cruise on the lake and enjoy a guided visit to a local pygmy village.
Day 9 to 12Kampala - Jinja
We retrace our steps to Kampala for one night and then we make our way to Jinja, where the source of the White Nile can be found nearby.
Jinja is Uganda's extreme sports hub, so it's time to get into some adrenaline-fuelled optional activities like white water rafting on the longest river in the world, quad biking to local villages along riverbanks, and bungee jumping (44m)! You will also have the option to visit an orphanage or do some community work with Soft Power, a local charity committed to improving the educational facilities with Uganda. Your tour leader will be able to give you more information about this.
Day 13 to 15Eldoret - Lake Naivasha
In the morning we leave Jinja and spend one night at Eldoret on our way to Lake Naivasha. From here you can enjoy a boat cruise on the lake trying to spot some of the resident hippo or take a half day trip to the green crater lake for a guided bush walk. From our campsite you will be able to hear and maybe spot the hippo wallowing in the water near by and enjoy the many different species of birdlife found around the lakeshore.
You will also have plenty of free time to explore the near by Hell's Gate National Park which is home to a profusion of game and birdlife. Being mindful of the buffalo you can enter this park on foot and is an ideal place for mountain biking. You might want to visit Elsemere, the former home of the late Joy Adamson, who became famous for her relationship with the lioness Elsa in the film Born Free. At Elsemere you can look around the house and have a cup of tea in the garden while watching the delightful Colobus monkeys.
Day 16 to 18Masai Mara National Park - Nairobi
Today we leave Lake Navaisha and have the option to take an overnight excursion led by local guides to visit the famous Masai Mara National Park, meeting up with the truck back in Nairobi the following day.
Choose to visit Masai Mara and you'll spend the afternoon on an exciting game drive, glimpsing many of Africa's famous wild beasts. The Masai Mara National Park is one of the best game parks in Africa, with large herds of gazelle, giraffe and antelope; these animals attract carnivores such as lion, cheetah, hyena and even the elusive leopard - so the wildlife viewing here is definitely plentiful! Make sure your memory cards are empty and your batteries are charged! You'll camp overnight in the park surrounded by the sounds of the African wildlife before heading back to Nairobi the following day.
Once you have returned to the bright, busy capital, you might choose to dine at the famous African Buffet restaurant “Carnivors”, where game meat is served from Masai spears until you can eat no more and raise your flag in surrender! You have the following day free in Nairobi as well.
Day 19 to 23Arusha / Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti National Park
In the morning we leave Nairobi early and travel south to Namanga and cross into Tanzania, on our way to Arusha, the busy, bustling town with email, coffee shops, banks and many other modern amenities, which will be our base for several days.
During your stay you will have the option to visit the famous Ngorongoro Crater and/or the Serengeti National Park. Both excursions are with local operators in 4WD vehicles.
The Ngorongoro Volcano, before it exploded and collapsed 2 millions years ago, was one of the world's tallest mountains. Today, the crater is one of the most stunning natural wonders in the world, and is approximately 610m deep with an enclosed area of about 260km2. There is a soda lake with flamingos as well as open plains and forest areas. Because the sides of the crater are very steep, the area has become a natural enclosure for a wide variety of wildlife which can be seen in their natural habitats. You'll have the opportunity to get very close to the game here for photos as there are few places for them to hide.
You can choose to do the two day crater only trip with one night camping and then enjoy a couple of free days back in Arusha or go on the three day two night Serengeti and crater trip where you will spend two nights camping, one of which is spent inside the Serengeti National Park, one of the most famous wildlife reserves in Africa. Surrounded by the sights and sounds of wild, rugged Africa, you may spot teeming herds of wildebeest, antelopes, zebra, buffalo and big cats such as lion and cheetah. If you are lucky enough to be in the park around the time of the largest mammal migration in the world, that of the Serengeti wildebeest, you'll see around 1.5 million-strong herd migrating to follow the African rainy season - a truly unbelievable, magical sight.
Day 24 to 29Dar es Salaam & Zanzibar Island
We now head to the big, noisy, bustling port of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean, our gateway to the exotic island of Zanzibar, which we will spend several days exploring. Known as the ‘Spice Island', Zanzibar is famous for spices and produce, and supposedly boasts the sweetest pineapple in the world! In the nineteenth century it was one of the most important trading centres in the Indian Ocean region. We travel to the island by fast ferry which takes around 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on what boat we catch, and will spend our days here in Stone Town and also at some of the islands beaches on the Northern or eastern side of the island.
Stone Town is an old city and the cultural heart of Zanzibar; little has changed here over the last 200 years. It boasts a labyrinth of walled streets, winding alleys, bustling mosques and grand Arab architecture. You can spend many idle hours simply wandering the streets, shopping at the bazaars and admiring the intriguing elephant-proof doors. Or sit and watch the sun set over a cold beer and a sumptuous seafood feast. If food is your thing, make sure you also check out the brilliant night market which serves traditional local fare. Females should note that Stone Town has a high Muslim population so remember to cover up and bring appropriate clothing.
To the north and east of Zanzibar Island lie the island's beautiful, isolated beaches with sparkling blue ocean and golden sand fringed with palm trees. There are plenty of options for you at the beaches: relax and take it easy, indulge with a massage, go diving, snorkelling or swimming with dolphins.
After around four days in this paradise, we will depart in the morning and head back to Dar es Salaam for one more night.
Day 30 to 30Depart Dar es Salaam
Your tour concludes on day 30 in Dar es Salaam.
