18-Day East Africa Safari: Uganda Primates and Tanzania Bush

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport you are welcomed by a Bespoke Safaris representative and transferred to your hotel. After check-in, rest and recover from your journey. If you arrive early and feel comfortable, you can take a gentle walk along the lakeside or spend time at the hotel.

Your guide briefs you on the safari, checks your preparations for the coming days and answers any questions. Dinner and overnight stay in Entebbe.

After breakfast you leave Entebbe and head west towards Kibale Forest National Park. The drive passes cultivated hills, rural trading centres, tea plantations and the landscapes around Fort Portal. You break the journey for lunch and refreshments, with time to stretch your legs and take photographs.

You arrive at your rainforest lodge in the afternoon, check in and settle into the peaceful surroundings. The rest of the day is free to relax and prepare for tomorrow’s chimpanzee tracking. Dinner and overnight stay near Kibale Forest.

After an early breakfast you go to the Kanyanchu visitor centre for a briefing by park guides, then enter Kibale Forest in search of habituated chimpanzees. With experienced guides you follow forest trails and listen for calls and movement in the canopy. Once the chimpanzees are found, visitors are normally allowed up to one hour to observe them, in line with park regulations. You watch their social interactions, feeding and movement through the trees.

You return to your lodge for lunch and a rest. In the afternoon you can take a gentle guided visit to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, known for its birdlife, butterflies, vegetation and monkeys, or keep the afternoon free. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

After breakfast you check out and travel south towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. The route passes the countryside around Fort Portal and the crater lakes of the Ndali-Kasenda region. You can make a relaxed stop at a viewpoint to photograph the lakes and green hills, and stop at the equator crossing if it fits comfortably into the route.

You reach your lodge in the Queen Elizabeth area in the afternoon. The rest of the day is left open to relax overlooking the savannah and recharge before tomorrow’s wildlife activities. Dinner and overnight stay.

You begin with an early game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, one of the park’s best-known wildlife-viewing areas. With your guide you explore open grassland and woodland for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, warthogs and other wildlife. The cooler early hours are often rewarding. Lions and leopards may be seen, although sightings depend on natural conditions.

After lunch and a rest at the lodge, you take an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which links Lakes Edward and George. From the water you look for hippos, crocodiles, elephants at the shoreline and many waterbirds, without another long drive. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.

After breakfast you leave Queen Elizabeth National Park and travel through the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree-climbing lions. You take a game drive through open landscapes while your guide looks for lions resting in large fig trees, and for other wildlife. Sightings are not guaranteed, but Ishasha is also a chance to enjoy a quieter, less developed wilderness.

After lunch on the way you continue towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, climbing into the cooler highlands of south-western Uganda past terraced hills, rural settlements and forested slopes. You arrive at your lodge in the afternoon and receive a briefing on tomorrow’s gorilla trek. Dinner and overnight stay.

Today is dedicated to meeting Uganda’s mountain gorillas. After breakfast you go to the Uganda Wildlife Authority briefing point, where rangers explain the trekking procedures, safety rules and responsible wildlife-viewing guidelines before assigning your group to a habituated gorilla family.

You enter the forest with ranger guides and trackers, following trails through dense vegetation and uneven terrain. The length and difficulty of the trek depend on where the gorillas are and on conditions. Once the family is found you normally have up to one hour to watch their behaviour, family interactions and daily routines under ranger supervision.

You return to your lodge for a rest and time to enjoy the forest surroundings. Dinner and overnight stay. Gorilla permits must be booked in advance and are subject to availability.

After a relaxed breakfast you leave Bwindi for Lake Mburo National Park, travelling through the highlands of south-western Uganda and the pastoral landscapes around Kabale and Mbarara. There is time for lunch and short comfort stops on the way, without extra excursions.

You arrive at Lake Mburo in the afternoon and check in at your lodge. Depending on your arrival time and energy, you can take a short sunset game drive in search of zebras, impalas, elands, topis, giraffes and other wildlife, or simply relax at the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast you check out and drive back to Entebbe International Airport. To keep the day manageable the main plan is a direct transfer with a lunch and comfort stop on the way. If your flight leaves late enough, a short guided walking safari at Lake Mburo may be arranged first, but it is only confirmed after checking the flight time and road transfer.

From Entebbe you fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. On arrival you meet your Tanzanian driver-guide and transfer to your hotel in Arusha for dinner and a rest before the northern Tanzania safari circuit. The airport transfer and flight must be coordinated in advance.

After breakfast you leave Arusha for Tarangire National Park, known for its ancient baobab trees, seasonal swamps and large elephant populations. You enter the park for a game drive through its varied habitats, looking for elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes and other wildlife. Your guide explains animal behaviour and how the park’s seasonal water sources shape wildlife movements.

You enjoy a picnic lunch during the safari and keep watching wildlife through the afternoon, focusing on selected areas according to animal activity and the time available. Later you leave the park for your lodge or tented camp. Dinner and overnight stay. The overnight location is chosen to give a comfortable transfer towards Lake Manyara and the Serengeti.

After breakfast you travel towards Lake Manyara National Park for a relaxed game drive of a few hours through its groundwater forest, woodland, grassland and lakeshore. Look for baboons, monkeys, elephants, giraffes and a rich variety of birds. Flamingos may be present when conditions suit, while sightings of the park’s occasionally tree-climbing lions are not guaranteed.

You then continue to Karatu, a highland town surrounded by green hills and farmland. You check in at your lodge in the afternoon, enjoy lunch or refreshments and keep the rest of the day free. If you prefer an even slower pace, Lake Manyara can be treated as an optional excursion rather than a fixed activity. Dinner and overnight stay in Karatu.

After breakfast you leave Karatu and travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards the Serengeti. The scenery changes from green highlands to vast grasslands and open horizons. A brief stop at a viewpoint may be made if time permits, but the priority is to reach the Serengeti without rushing.

You enter the park and enjoy a game drive on the way to the central Seronera region, where you may see zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, giraffes and predators. Sightings depend on seasonal movements, so your guide adapts the route to what is happening in the area. You reach your lodge or tented camp later in the afternoon for dinner in the heart of the Serengeti.

You spend the day exploring the Serengeti at a relaxed safari pace. After breakfast you head out with your guide to look for large herds of wildebeest and zebras, antelopes, elephants and the predators of the plains. The central Serengeti is known for resident big cats, including lions, cheetahs and leopards, although encounters depend on the animals’ movements and cannot be guaranteed.

You enjoy a picnic lunch on the drive, pausing at suitable places to take in the landscape, and keep watching wildlife through the afternoon in areas with promising activity. If the Great Wildebeest Migration is passing through the region on your dates, your guide advises on the best opportunities to see it. You return to camp before evening to relax, freshen up and have dinner.

After breakfast you leave the Serengeti for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, through changing landscapes with more chances to appreciate Tanzania’s scenery. To avoid overloading the day, the plan is a comfortable transfer and an overnight stay near the crater, rather than combining a long Serengeti game drive with a full crater-floor safari.

Depending on the route, timing and your accommodation, you may stop at a viewpoint overlooking the crater. You reach your lodge in the afternoon and have the rest of the day at leisure, to enjoy the highland views and prepare for tomorrow’s crater excursion. Dinner and overnight stay near the crater or in Karatu.

You start early with a descent into Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive across its grasslands, wetlands and woodland. The crater supports zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes, hippos, hyenas and lions, and with luck you may see the endangered black rhino, although sightings are never guaranteed. Your guide explains the ecology of this conservation area.

After the crater visit you return to the rim and continue to the airport for your confirmed flight to Zanzibar. Depending on the schedule, the transfer may involve a drive to Arusha or another departure point, so the flight should be booked to leave enough time for the crater and the road. In Zanzibar your local representative meets you and transfers you to your beach resort. Dinner and overnight stay.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and spend the day at your own pace along Zanzibar’s coast. After days of forest trekking, game drives and road transfers, today is for rest. You can swim in the Indian Ocean when conditions allow, relax by the pool, enjoy the beach or unwind with a book.

If you want to do more, snorkelling, a dhow sailing excursion or a marine visit can be arranged locally, depending on weather, sea conditions and availability. There is no need to book anything. Dinner and another night at your beach resort.

After breakfast you check out of your beach resort and visit a spice plantation. You learn about the plants and traditions behind cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and other spices that shaped Zanzibar’s history and trade, and how selected spices are grown and harvested, with chances to smell and sample products where available.

You continue to Stone Town and check in at your boutique hotel before a walking tour with a local guide. You discover traditional carved doors, markets, old merchant buildings and the cultural influences that shaped the town. Visits to individual landmarks depend on opening hours and the agreed route. The afternoon can be adjusted to your interests, with time for a coffee, shopping or simply the atmosphere. Dinner and overnight stay in Stone Town.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel in Stone Town. Depending on your flight time, you can take a final stroll through the local bazaars, browse handmade crafts and spices or have a relaxed coffee. There is no fixed sightseeing programme today, so the morning stays flexible.

You check out and transfer to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in good time for your outbound flight. Your journey ends with memories of Uganda’s chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, Tanzania’s wildlife and landscapes and Zanzibar’s beaches and cultural heritage.