23-Day Uganda, Kenya & Tanzania Grand Safari
Overview
This epic 23-day safari is the ultimate East African adventure, taking you through the highlights of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania in one comprehensive journey . From tracking endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda’s misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to witnessing the Great Migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti, this safari delivers the widest biodiversity range on the continent – from montane rainforests to endless volcanic savannahs . You’ll explore Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, trek chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, search for tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, hike Mount Sabinyo, and experience the rich cultures of the Maasai, Batwa, Hadzabe, and Chagga people. With ample time at each destination, this journey offers an unrivaled depth of wildlife, culture, and landscape exploration across East Africa’s most iconic destinations.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your Serengeti Wildlife Safari driver-guide. After a brief safari orientation, embark on your journey north to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where you can see wild white rhinos . Check into your lodge, enjoy lunch, and prepare for an unforgettable afternoon activity. Head out for a rhino trekking experience – an exhilarating opportunity to come face-to-face with these magnificent creatures on foot. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 2: Shoebill Trek & Transfer to Kibale National Park
Rise early for a 6:00 AM shoebill stork search – a truly special experience. A guided trek and canoe ride through the Lugogo Swamp not only offers the chance to spot the prehistoric-looking shoebill but also rewards you with a beautiful sunrise over the wetlands. After this unique encounter, meet your guide and proceed on a scenic transfer to Kibale National Park, arriving in the late evening. Check into your lodge and enjoy dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Swamp Walk
After a hearty breakfast, head to the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for a briefing on chimpanzee trekking rules and safety. Enter Kibale Forest, home to the highest density of primates in East Africa with over 5,000 chimpanzees . As you trek through the lush rainforest, you’ll also encounter black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and a variety of bird species. Once located, spend one hour observing the chimps in their natural habitat. Return to the lodge for lunch, then explore the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary – a community-run swamp reserve famous for birdlife, primates, and the Great Blue Turaco.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 4: Tea Plantation Visit, Transfer to Queen Elizabeth & Evening Game Drive
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and visit a local tea plantation. Capture stunning photos of the endless green fields and learn about the tea-growing process. Continue your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s most diverse reserve. Check into your lodge and enjoy lunch, then head out for an evening game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. Search for elephants, buffalo, lions, waterbucks, and antelopes as the golden savannah comes alive. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 5: Morning Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Wake early for a sunrise game drive across Queen Elizabeth’s vast savannah. Look for lions, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, and a variety of antelope species against the backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains. Return to the lodge for breakfast and relaxation. In the afternoon, enjoy a 2-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel – a 36-kilometer waterway connecting Lake Edward and Lake George. This natural 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 .
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and drive south to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. The journey takes you through scenic highlands, terraced hills, and local villages. Arrive in the afternoon, check into your lodge, and relax in the peaceful forest atmosphere.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 7: Gorilla Habituation Experience
Today is truly extraordinary! While standard gorilla trekking allows one hour with the gorillas, the gorilla habituation experience gives you an extended four-hour encounter with a gorilla family that is still undergoing the habituation process . This unique experience is only available in Uganda’s Rushaga sector. After an early breakfast, proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing. Accompanied by rangers, researchers, and conservationists, enter the dense forest in search of the gorilla family. You’ll have up to four hours to observe their daily behaviors, interactions, and feeding patterns – a profound and educational experience .
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 8: Transfer to Mgahinga & Batwa Cultural Experience
After breakfast, transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, located in the Virunga Mountains. In the afternoon, enjoy a Batwa Cultural Experience – an immersive encounter with the original forest dwellers of the region. Led by Batwa community members, you’ll walk through the forest learning how these indigenous people thrived as hunter-gatherers. Discover their ancient traditions, hunting techniques, medicinal plants, and deep connection to the forest through storytelling, song, and dance.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 9: Hike Mount Sabinyo
After breakfast, head out with your packed lunch for a hiking adventure on Mount Sabinyo – one of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga range. The hike is a round trip of 6-8 hours, taking you through bamboo forests and montane vegetation. At the summit, you’ll stand at the point where Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo meet, with breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. Descend and return to your lodge for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Day 10: Drive to Entebbe & Fly to Nairobi
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and embark on the long drive to Entebbe (approx. 8-10 hours). Stop at the equator crossing in Kayabwe for photos and enjoy lunch en route. Arrive in time for your flight to Nairobi, Kenya. Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking water
Days 11–12: Nairobi City Stay (Optional Activities)
Spend two days at leisure in Nairobi. Take advantage of optional activities including:
Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage – Visit orphaned baby elephants
Giraffe Centre – Feed Rothschild’s giraffes
Karen Blixen Museum – Explore the home of the author of Out of Africa
Maasai Bomas – Experience Maasai cultural performances
Meals: Breakfast, Drinking water
Day 13: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast, your Kenyan safari guide will meet you for a briefing. Depart for the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve with packed lunches. Make a stop in Narok town for a chance to interact with the Maasai people and purchase souvenirs. Arrive in the afternoon and embark on an evening game drive across the savannah plains. Search for lions, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, elands, waterbucks, gazelles, and leopards. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 14: Full Day in Masai Mara National Reserve
Spend a full day exploring the Masai Mara. The reserve is famous for its exceptional populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, and other big cats. During the Great Migration season (July to October), witness the dramatic river crossings where wildebeest and zebras brave crocodile-infested waters. Enjoy a picnic lunch by the Mara River while watching hippos and crocodiles. The Mara Triangle, west of the river, offers spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 15: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, check out and depart for the Isebania border crossing. Complete immigration formalities and meet your Tanzanian driver-guide. The Sirari/Isebania crossing now features a One-Stop Border Post, streamlining the process . Continue into Serengeti National Park, enjoying game viewing en route as you head toward the “endless plains.” The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is the ecological engine of the Great Migration, supporting vast seasonal movements of wildlife across 14,750 square kilometers of protected savannah . Arrive at camp for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 16: Full Day in Serengeti National Park
Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti. The park is home to over 1.5 million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, and an abundance of predators. Migration patterns shift monthly – from calving in the southern Serengeti (January-March) to western corridor crossings (June-July) and dramatic northern Serengeti river crossings (August-October) . Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives with a picnic lunch in the heart of the wilderness.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 17: Transfer to Ngorongoro – Crater Drive & Rim Walk
After breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater – the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The crater floor is home to an estimated 30,000 animals, including the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino). The best chance to see black rhinos is here, along with large buffalo herds, hippos, hyenas, and over 500 bird species including flamingos at Lake Magadi . After your crater drive, embark on a guided walking safari along the crater rim. Transfer to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 18: Hadzabe Tribe Experience
After an early breakfast, head out to meet the Hadzabe tribe of Tanzania – one of East Africa’s last hunter-gatherer communities. Interact with the locals and participate in daily activities including hunting, wild honey collecting, and traditional fire-making using sticks or stones. This authentic cultural immersion offers a rare glimpse into a traditional way of life that has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Return to your lodge for dinner.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 19: Lake Manyara National Park Game Drive
After breakfast, drive to Lake Manyara National Park – home to the rare tree-climbing lions and diverse habitats. Enjoy a game drive around the park, searching for elephants, buffalo, lions, waterbucks, impalas, and zebras. The park’s varied ecosystems support over 350 bird species. Return to your lodge for dinner.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 20: Tarangire National Park Game Drive
After breakfast, spend a full day in Tarangire National Park. The park is famous for its massive elephant herds, ancient baobab trees, and diverse landscapes. Enjoy a game drive looking for lions, cheetahs, buffalo, and over 500 bird species. Tarangire’s seasonal rivers and swamps attract wildlife in high concentrations. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the wilderness.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 21: Transfer to Kilimanjaro Area – Maasai Cultural Experience
After breakfast, transfer to the Kilimanjaro area for a Maasai cultural experience. The Maasai are one of Africa’s most iconic tribes, known for their distinctive customs and dress. Visit a Maasai village and participate in daily activities. Visit a local school to interact with children, and meet a women’s group to learn how they make traditional Maasai jewelry and beadwork. Enjoy a full day of cultural immersion with lunch provided.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 22: Chagga Culture & Coffee Plantation Visit
After breakfast, enjoy a Chagga cultural experience – meeting one of Tanzania’s other prominent tribes. Visit a coffee plantation to learn the entire process from garden to cup, from harvesting to roasting and brewing. Interact with the locals and enjoy a traditional lunch. Optional: enjoy a donkey ride in the vicinity of the lodge.
Meals: All meals included, Drinking water
Day 23: Departure
After breakfast and check-out, transfer to Arusha in time for your flight. This marks the end of your 23-day East African adventure with Serengeti Wildlife Safari.
Meals: Breakfast, 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
Gorilla habituation permit
Gorilla trekking permit
Chimpanzee trekking permit
Mount Sabinyo hiking fees
Game drives as per itinerary
Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Bigodi Wetland Walk
Shoebill trek and canoe ride
Batwa Cultural Experience
Hadzabe Tribe Experience
Maasai and Chagga cultural experiences
All applicable taxes and VAT
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
Package Excludes
International flights
Entry visas (including East Africa Tourist Visa)
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
