17 Days East Africa Primate Trekking And Wildlife Safari
Overview
Spend 17 days exploring East Africa’s premier primate and wildlife safari destinations: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. You will be part of the mesmerizing gorilla trekking experience in Uganda- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri Rwanda, chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe & Kibale National Parks; wildlife viewing in the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya and Serengeti National Park. The long 17 days East African primate trekking & wildlife safari begins from Nairobi and ends in Kampala.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Masai Mara National Reserve- Enjoy Kenya wildlife trip
Welcome to Kenya by your driver guide, get briefed about your 17 days safari in East Africa. Leave the hotel in Nairobi for about 4-5 hours’ drive via the Great Rift Valley area to Masai Mara Reserve in Narok country. Masai Mara N/Reserve is a large reserve occupying 1510sq.kms and famous for wildebeest migration. Get to your lodge early to enjoy leisurely lunch and later, go for evening game drive to see the big game, birds, wildebeests, plus other antelopes.
Day 2: A day in Masai Mara-wildebeest migration & game drives
Lying in Narok country, Masai Mara is a home to a range of wildlife and early morning game viewing will treat you with unforgettable wildebeest migration experience. Enjoy excellent view of millions of migrating wildebeest accompanied by Thompson gazelles, zebras, and also don’t miss the big five game- leopards, lions, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes; birds. The long day game viewing in the Masai Mara will include bush lunch and your wildlife encounter proceeds. Later in the evening, you will add the Maasai cultural village visit.
Day 3: Short game drive Masai Mara & connect to Serengeti N/Park Tanzania
Explore more wildlife in the Maasai Mara N/Reserve on guided game drive in the morning, after, transfer to Serengeti crossing via Isebania and Serari border. Serengeti is one of the largest Tanzania Parks and home to diverse wildlife including the big game, wildebeest, gazelles, antelopes, birds, etc.
Day 4: Serengeti TZ full day game viewing
Enjoy a long day exploring the diverse wildlife species in the Serengeti National Park on a guided game drive- morning and afternoon. Get the best of wildebeest migration experience, the big game- buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions, birds and others.
Day 5: Serengeti- Ngorongoro
Drive to Ngorongoro Crater through Olduvai Gorge. You will have full day wildlife safari in Ngorongoro the world’s natural wonder with extensive intact caldera, abundant wildlife including zebras, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, gazelles, impalas, buffaloes, jackals, hyenas, and more. Evening refreshments, dinner and overnight sleep at the pre-booked lodge.
Day 6: Ngorongoro- Lake Eyasi
After breakfast, leave Ngorongoro Crater for Lake Eyasi a seasonal Salt Lake located on the Great Rift Valley floor just at the Serengeti Plateau base area. Adjacent to the lake, there are Hadzabe people also known for their unique cultures which you explore on a visit to their communities.
Day 7: Lake Manyara NP
Breakfast early morning, after drive to Lake Manyara National Park located on Northern-tourist circuit of Tanzania. The park inhabits lots of elephants, the tree climbing lions, flamingos and more. Enjoy a game drive and after, drop off to Arusha for departure flight to Kigali Airport in Rwanda.
Day 8: Kigali- Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda
Enjoy a hefty breakfast, after set off for Nyungwe 6 hours’ drive. The park is located in the Southwestern side of Rwanda, but you will have a Kigali city tour for 2 hours which includes visits to Kigali genocide site, craft shops/local market then have lunch.
Day 9: Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking
Wake up early, proceed for briefing on guidelines for chimpanzee tracking and to have the park guide to escort you. Tracking chimps in Nyungwe a home to 13 primate species takes at least 2-4 hours and you will have one hour to observe how they behave, taking pictures, etc. Return for lunch, relaxation till afternoon when you will go for a canopy walk taking 2 hours on a suspended walkway. This is part of Nyungwe Igishigishigi hiking trail and you will have sight of diverse primates, birds and floral species.
Day 10: Nyungwe to Volcanoes NP in Ruhengeri
Leave Nyungwe Forest NP to visit Volcanoes NP which is positioned in the Northwestern Rwanda and home to golden monkeys, mountain gorillas, 200 bird species and more. At Volcanoes N/Park, the two activities to do will include gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking.
Day 11: Golden monkey tracking & cultural tour
Assemble at Kinigi to be briefed about golden monkey tracking and guidelines, plus being assigned to park guides. Visiting golden monkeys in Volcanoes NP takes few hours about 2-4 hours including one hour which you will have observing these species, taking pictures and after, you will return to the lodge. Have enough relaxation time, then later visit Iby’Iwacu village a home of ex-poachers living adjacent Volcanoes NP and offers memorable cultural experiences.
Day 12: Bwindi
After breakfast in Ruhengeri Volcanoes NP, leave for Bwindi connecting via Chanika or Katuna border. This will be 3-4 hours’ drive to reach Bwindi NP and you settle at the lodge as you wait the next day’s activities.
Day 13: Gorilla trekking
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 321sq.kms forest park is a home of 4 regions- Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Rushaga where briefing on gorilla tracking rules will be done. You will have park guide allocated to your group, then actual trek starts at 8:00am and depending on your speed, this will take 2-6 hours including one-hour magical encounter. Return to chill at the lodge in the afternoon, then later, you will be accompanied to the Batwa community for cultural experience.
Day 14: Bwindi to Kibale NP (6hours’ drive)
After breakfast, drive to the primate capital of the world- Kibale National Park a home to 1500 chimpanzees plus 12 other primate species. Located in Kabarole district, Kibale will be reached via Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth NP (have a chance to watch the tree climbing lions) then proceed to Kibale via Kasese-Fort Portal city.
Day 15: chimpanzee tracking/Habituation
An early breakfast, after, visit Kanyanchu centre for briefing on chimpanzee tracking rules/chimpanzee habituation experience. For normal chimpanzee treks, expect to spend 2-4 hours and for habituation, either go for half day or full day- where you will follow semi-habituated chimpanzees, watch every bit of their behaviors from morning till the sunsets when new nests have been made for retiring for the night.
Day 16: Return to Kampala
Have breakfast, after, visit Bigodi Wetland for primate walk and the walk will get you primate sightings in large numbers, birds, butterflies, plus many other mammals. Get back to meet your driver, set off via Fort Portal while viewing the beautiful Crater Lakes in this region as you proceed to Kampala- 5-6 hours’ drive journey.
Day 17: Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Entebbe International Airport- EBB for departure flight and it marks the end of 17 days East Africa primate trekking & wildlife safari.
