Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar Safari 16 Days

Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar Safari Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival Entebbe Airport – Kampala

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide who will then take you to The Boma Hotel in Entebbe/Cassia Lodge (Mid-range) for an overnight and dinner. Meal plan Dinner.

Day 2: Kampala – Murchison Falls

Begin the panoramic drive north-west through the famous Luwero Triangle and, travel to Masindi via Ziwa Rhino Project. A visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino trekking is a must. After lunch, drive to Murchison Falls “. Overnight and dinner at Fort Murchison Lodge (Lodge facility) Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park

Begin the day with a cup of African Coffee. Your guide will help you spot Elephant, Lion, Cape buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffe, hartebeest, Waterbuck, Oribi, Bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard. Return to the hotel for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, go for a boat safari upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron”. En-route, marvel at the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over this 17 km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob crocodile. This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. There you leave the boat and start your – quite heavy – hike to the Top of the Falls (approx. 1 hour). See where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Your driver/guide will be waiting for you to bring you back to the lodge. Overnight and dinner at Fort Murchsion Lodge (Lodge facility) Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Murchison Falls – Kibale

All day drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms along Albertine Rift escarpments. Fort-Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. Meals and overnight at Kibale Forest Camp Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Kibale Chimpanzee Trekking – Bwindi Via Ishasha

Early morning trek for chimpanzees. Kibale is the best reserve in Africa to view chimps, a thick jungle with a towering canopy. In the afternoon, drive to the south into Bwindi Forest through the unique western rift valley escarpment and the (southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park) Ishasha sector where you will take on an evening game drive in search of tree climbing lions before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This park is home of the rare mountain gorillas. Apart from gorillas, there are a wide variety of primates to see including the blue and red tailed monkeys. The forest itself is lush and green and there are streams running through it. Dinner and overnight stay at Gorilla Mist Lodge Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Bwindi Gorilla Tracking

After breakfast set off early with guides to track the gorillas. The thrill of your encounter will erase the difficulties of the potentially strenuous trek. Bring jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet. Spend time in awe watching the gorillas go about their activities. Each gorilla safari encounter is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a magnificent green swathe of dense rainforest, so ancient that survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage site, it’s one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth and its unique, precious flora sustains roughly half of the world population of mountain gorillas – believed to number just 720. There’s also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa in which these two apes live together. Time permitting, spend the afternoon on a community foot safari to explore the life style of the people living and surrounding the park. Return to camp exhilarated to relieve the encounter with friends over a drink. Dinner and overnight stay at Gorilla Mist Lodge Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Bwindi – Kampala

After early breakfast, Drive back to Kampala with a visit to Igongo Cultural village to explore and learn the Bahima and Ankole culture. This is the place where the future meets the past. Continue your drive to the Equator crossing with your lunch enroute before you drive to back to Kampala. Overnight and meals at Cassia Lodge Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 8: Entebbe out – Tanzania – Kilimanjaro / Arusha / Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After your morning breakfast, ready to be transferred to the airport to catch up with your flight to Kilimanjaro Tanzania. Upon Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be met by your safari driver guide who will be holding a pager bearing your family name outside the arrivals area. You will be assisted to your vehicle and after briefing, depart for the Ngorongoro conservation area via Arusha. This drives takes about 4 hrs (without traffic or delays on the road). You will arrive at your lodge in the late evening for check in. Dinner and overnight stay at Ngorongoro Farm House/similar. Meals: Dinner) Ngorongoro Farm House is located in Karatu area on a coffee plantation near the gate to the crater floor so it has no views of the crater).

Day 9: Ngorongoro Crater Tour

Breakfast will be served at your lodge. Board your safari jeep, and with picnic lunch descend down the steep walls of the caldera for game drives along the Ngorongoro Crater Floor. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is a conservation area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located 180 km west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area, is recognized as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests. Established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, with wildlife coexisting with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists practicing traditional livestock grazing, it includes the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest caldera. The property has global importance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally threatened species, the density of wildlife inhabiting the area, and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and other animals into the northern plains. Extensive archaeological research has also yielded a long sequence of evidence of human evolution and human-environment dynamics, including early hominid footprints dating back 3.6 million years. Several animal and bird species are found here. Lions, Elephants, Buffalos, Black Rhinos, Cheetahs, spotted hyenas, Impalas, Gazelles and others may be spotted here. Ascend back to your lodge in the late afternoon with the rest of the day spent relaxing and enjoying the fresh weather on the Ngorongoro Highlands from the comfort of your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Ngorongoro Farm House/similar (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).

Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti National Park (Approx 4 hrs drive)

Breakfast will be served at your lodge. Check out by 0800 hrs and depart for Serengeti National Park with en route game drives as you begin the Serengeti BIG 5 safari experience. You will arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. This afternoon, you will enjoy game drives as you try your luck in spotting as many animals with the help of your expert guide. Return your lodge in the late evening. Dinner and Overnight stay at Serengeti Sopa Lodge / similar. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Day 11: Serengeti National Park

Full day spent in Serengeti either relaxing at your lodge or enjoying game viewing activities in the seemingly endless Serengeti Plains as per your arrangement with your guide. You may agree on game drives at 0630 and 1600 hrs respectively or a near full day in the park with packed lunch. (This day, you can also enjoy an early morning Hot Air Balloon Safari over the seemingly endless Serengeti plains, offering you a rare opportunity to view the Serengeti beautiful landscape and wildlife from an eagle’s perspective. This is payable as an extra and must be done in ADVANCE). Serengeti derived from the name “Siringet” which means endless plains in Masai Language hosts the Great Plains where the endless streams of wildebeest and zebra pour south towards Ngorongoro or north towards the Masai Mara during their annual migration. The park is home to the BIG 5 and other species including Hyenas, Cheetahs, Caracals, Serval Cats and several bovine species. It is also home to hundreds of bird species including vultures, Eagles and Marabou Storks. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge / similar. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Day 12: Serengeti / Zanzibar

Breakfast will be served at your lodge. Check out and enjoy en route game viewing as you are transferred to Seronera airstrip for your scheduled flight to Zanzibar (via Arusha) departing at 1100 hrs. You will touch down at Zanzibar airport at around 1425 hrs where our local representative will meet and assist you to your private vehicle, followed by transfer to your beach resort. Evening will be at leisure followed by dinner and overnight stay at Zanzibar Queen Hotel. (Meals: Breakfast, Dinner).

Days 13, 14 and 15: Zanzibar

You will have 3 full days to “get some sun between your toes” as you sun bathe under the African sun and enjoy the white sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean Coast. Optional activities are also available from the resort and payable directly, and our rep can also offer you options that you can book and pay for directly on the ground. Overnight stays at Zanzibar Queen Hotel. (Meals: Breakfast, Dinner).

Day 16: Departure

Breakfast at your resort, check out of rooms by 1000 hrs. We will pick and transfer you to Zanzibar International Airport on time for your flight to your next destination. End of the 16 Days Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar Safari.