18-Day Uganda Primates & Serengeti Safari
Safari Overview
This 18-day safari is the ultimate combination of two of Africa’s most extraordinary wildlife experiences – tracking endangered primates in Uganda’s misty rainforests and witnessing the Great Migration across Tanzania’s legendary Serengeti plains. From the dense jungles of Kibale to the “endless plains” of the Serengeti, this journey delivers unparalleled primate encounters and big-game viewing, making it the perfect choice for travelers seeking the full spectrum of East Africa’s wilderness.
Safari Highlights
Chimpanzee habituation in Kibale Forest – spend up to 4 hours with semi-habituated chimps
Gorilla habituation in Bwindi – an extended 4-hour encounter with mountain gorillas
Golden monkey habituation in Mgahinga – 4 hours with endangered golden monkeys
Lion tracking and Kazinga Channel boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Source of the Nile boat cruise and white water rafting in Jinja
Serengeti National Park – 3 full days of game drives across the “endless plains”
Ngorongoro Crater – descend 600 meters into Africa’s Eden
Tarangire National Park – famous for its massive elephant herds and baobab trees
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick Up & Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your Serengeti Wildlife Safari driver-guide. After a short briefing, embark on a scenic 5-6 hour drive to Kibale National Park. The journey takes you through lush landscapes, tea plantations, and local villages. Stop for lunch en route and enjoy stunning views of Uganda’s countryside. Arrive in the late afternoon and check into your lodge. Dinner and overnight.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 2: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing about the chimpanzee habituation experience. This unique activity allows you to join researchers and rangers as they observe and habituate wild chimpanzees to human presence. Accompanied by expert guides, enter Kibale’s lush rainforest and spend approximately 4 hours following a semi-habituated chimp community. Observe their daily behaviors – feeding, grooming, playing, and interacting – while learning about their complex social structures from the researchers studying them. This extended encounter offers a much deeper understanding than standard trekking . Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s most diverse reserve. The journey takes you through the scenic countryside of western Uganda. Stop for lunch en route and continue to your lodge within the park. Arrive in the late afternoon, check in, and relax before dinner.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 4: Lion Tracking & Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Wake early for a lion tracking experience – a unique opportunity to join researchers as they monitor Queen Elizabeth’s lion population using radio collars and GPS technology. Spend a full morning learning about lion behavior, conservation challenges, and research methods. Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, enjoy a 2-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel – a 36-kilometer waterway connecting Lake George and Lake Edward. The Kazinga Channel hosts one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa, along with Nile crocodiles, elephants bathing on the banks, and spectacular birdlife including fish eagles, pelicans, and kingfishers. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. The journey takes you through the highlands and terraced hills of southwestern Uganda. Arrive in the late afternoon, check into your lodge, and relax in preparation for tomorrow’s gorilla habituation experience.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 6: Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi
After an early breakfast, proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing on the gorilla habituation experience. This unique opportunity allows you to spend up to 4 hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family in the Rushaga sector. Join researchers, rangers, and trackers as they observe and habituate gorillas to human presence . Trek through the dense Impenetrable Forest, and once located, spend extended time observing their daily behaviors – feeding, playing, and interacting. This is a profound and educational experience that offers much more than the standard 1-hour gorilla trek. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 7: Transfer to Mgahinga – Golden Monkey Habituation & Batwa Experience
After breakfast, drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, located in the Virunga Mountains. Proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing on the golden monkey habituation experience – a full-day activity that allows you to spend up to 4 hours observing these striking primates in their natural bamboo forest habitat . Golden monkeys are endangered and only found in the Virunga region. After this experience, enjoy a Batwa Cultural Experience – an immersive encounter with the original forest dwellers. Learn about their ancient traditions, hunting techniques, and deep connection to the forest through storytelling, song, and dance. Dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 8: Drive to Kampala
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and begin the journey back to Kampala. Stop for lunch en route at a local restaurant. Continue to Kampala and check into your hotel. Relax and prepare for the next phase of your safari. Dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 9: Drive to Jinja – Source of the Nile Boat Cruise
After breakfast, drive to Jinja, Uganda’s adventure capital. Visit the Source of the Nile – the point where the world’s longest river begins its 6,650-kilometer journey to the Mediterranean. Enjoy a boat ride along the Nile, visit the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, and explore local arts and crafts. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 10: White Water Rafting & Drive to Kampala
After breakfast, prepare for an adrenaline-packed white water rafting experience on the Nile. A briefing and safety equipment are provided before you navigate the rapids. This is one of the best rafting experiences in the world, offering Grade 3-5 rapids. After lunch, drive back to Kampala and check into your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 11: Drive to Entebbe – Flight to Tanzania
After breakfast, transfer to Entebbe International Airport for your flight to Tanzania. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by your Tanzanian driver-guide and transferred to your hotel in Arusha. Dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 12: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, depart Arusha for the legendary Serengeti National Park. The drive takes you through the beautiful highlands of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leaving the highlands behind, descend into the heart of wild Africa – the Serengeti – with its endless plains rolling into the distance. Arrive at your camp in time for an afternoon game drive en route to your accommodation. Dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Days 13–15: Full Days in Serengeti National Park
Spend three full days exploring the Serengeti on morning and afternoon game drives. The Serengeti is one of the most wildlife-rich areas on Earth, home to the Big Five and over 500 bird species. Depending on the season, witness the Great Migration – over 1.5 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras moving in search of fresh grazing . The Central Serengeti offers year-round wildlife viewing, with kopjes (granite outcrops) providing excellent vantage points for spotting lions, leopards, and other predators. Enjoy picnic lunches in the heart of the wilderness. Return to camp each evening for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 16: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater – the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, often called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” . The crater is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world, home to an estimated 30,000 animals including some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhino. Enjoy a full-day game drive on the crater floor with a picnic lunch. Spot the Big Five, herds of wildebeest and zebra, hippos, hyenas, and over 500 bird species. Ascend to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 17: Drive to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park – a hidden gem of Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. Tarangire is famous for its massive elephant herds, with up to 3,000 elephants concentrated along the Tarangire River during the dry season . The park’s baobab and acacia trees create a stunning landscape. Enjoy a game drive searching for elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and over 500 bird species. Tarangire is the only national park in Tanzania to offer night drives and walking safaris . Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 18: Drive to Arusha – Departure
After breakfast, enjoy a final morning game drive in Tarangire before driving to Arusha. Your driver-guide will drop you off at Kilimanjaro International Airport or your hotel, marking the end of your 18-day adventure with Serengeti Wildlife Safari Tour Company.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Drinking water
Package Includes
Airport transfers
All accommodation as per itinerary
Meals as indicated (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Private 4×4 safari vehicle with experienced English-speaking driver-guide
Park entrance fees and conservation levies
Chimpanzee habituation permit
Gorilla habituation permit
Golden monkey habituation permit
Game drives as per itinerary
Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Source of the Nile boat cruise
White water rafting in Jinja
All applicable taxes and VAT
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
Package Excludes
International flights
Regional flights (Uganda to Tanzania)
Entry visas
Travel and medical insurance
Tips and gratuities for guides and staff
Personal expenses (drinks, souvenirs, laundry, etc.)
Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Porters for trekking
Hot air balloon safaris
