The 35 Days East Africa tour is a perfect travel itinerary designed for all wildlife enthusiasts. Look for the big five game in East Africa’s finest destinations including. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), and Serengeti National Park.
Combine your memorable big game safari with primate encounter in the scenic rain-forest parks. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.
Enjoy 7-week long expedition in East Africa while engaging in myriad of experiences such as wildebeest migration. Big five game drive, birding, launch/boat cruise, primate adventures like mountain gorilla trekking. Chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, and colobus tracking.
East Africa tour Highlights
- Day 1: Entebbe to Kibale National Park
- Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking & Bigodi wetland guided walk
- Day 3: Kibale (Kabarole) to Queen Elizabeth Park driving through Kasese
- Day 4: Full day game drive
- Day 5: Drive to Ishasha & connect to Bwindi
- Day 6: Gorilla trekking
- Day 7: Drive for a short time to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 8: Cross from Lake Bunyonyi to Rwanda
- Day 9: Trek Rwanda gorillas & relaxation
- Day 10: Golden monkey tracking plus Iby’Iwacu village visit
- Day 11: Pick up & drive to Kigali airport for departure to Nairobi
- Day 12: Pick up and drive to Lake Nakuru
- Day 13: Birding at Lake Naivasha
- Day 14: From Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara (Narok County)
- Day 15: Game drive in the Maasai Mara plains with a guide
- Day 16: Hot balloon & tour Masai village
- Day 17: Enjoy the Mara River crossing experience
- Day 18: Pick up and drive to Serengeti national park
- Day 19: 1st day game drive along the Northern corridor
- Day 20: 2nd day game drive via the western corridor
- Day 21: Balloon tour & Kurya/Masai community visit
- Day 22: Ngorongoro Crater with en route visit at Olduvai Gorge
- Day 23: Explore Ngorongoro Crater full day
- Day 24: Transfer by car to Lake Manyara
- Day 25: A full day game drive at Lake Manyara
- Day 26: Tarangire National Park safari
- Day 27: Full day game viewing
- Day 28: Tarangire to Arusha & fly to Zanzibar
- Day 29: Stone town tour with a guide
- Day 30: Spice tour
- Day 31-32: Enjoy snorkeling adventure
- Day 33-34: Beach excursion
- Day 35: Depart
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Entebbe to Kibale National Park
Start your trip from Entebbe city to Kibale National Park located in Western Uganda. With your private guide, you will spend at least 5 to 6 hours driving to Kibale. Enjoy the countryside spectacular landscape. Expect to make a brief stopover at the tea plantation en-route to Fort Portal city where you will have lunch break. From Fort Portal city, drive straight to the lodge for relaxation, dinner at leisure and a night stay.
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking & Bigodi wetland guided walk
Following a hearty breakfast in the morning, join several of other visitors for briefing about chimpanzee tracking rules at Kanyanchu Tourist Centre. An experienced guide at Kibale National Park will accompany you on a foot walk as you look for habituated chimpanzee communities.
Return from the 2-4 hours chimpanzee trek and at leisure; settle for lunch at the lodge till afternoon. At 2:00pm, report at Bigodi wetland for a guided swamp walk with the lead of a local guide. This wetland hosts diversity of primates: red tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, vervet and olive baboons and many birds.
Day 3: Kibale (Kabarole) to Queen Elizabeth Park driving through Kasese
A leisurely breakfast early in the morning and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, driving via the stunning Crater Lakes and Kasese. Get the spectacular views of the Rwenzori Mountains and sweeping plains of Queen Elizabeth NP as you connect to your lodge.
Arrive early and check in at your safari lodge/camp. Relax; enjoy lunch till afternoon when you will undertake a guided launch cruise on Kazinga channel. On a boat cruise, keep eyes on the huge Nile crocodiles, hippos plus diverse bird species such as kingfishers, bee-eaters, fish eagles, and more.
Day 4: Full day game drive
Enjoy a combined morning and afternoon game drive through Kasenyi plains. These include African bush elephants, cape buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, spotted hyenas, and birds. The morning game drive excursion will run for 2-3 hours and you will drive back for lunch at your wilderness camp/lodge. Set off for an afternoon game drive to look for more wildlife and taking pictures of your preferred animals.
Day 5: Drive to Ishasha & connect to Bwindi
After breakfast, depart for Ishasha sector located in the Southern edge of Queen Elizabeth NP and embark on a guided game drive. At Ishasha, the main focus will be searching for the tree climbing lions and this will be followed by bush lunch. Proceed up to the lodge in or around Bwindi to check in.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking
At 8:00am, leave the briefing site with an armed park ranger guide and porters carrying your luggage. Take between 2 and 6 hours searching for the family of mountain gorillas in the wild. Upon locating gorillas, stay for 1 hour face-to-face with them, observing how they behave and also take photos. You will retreat from the forest and settle at the lodge until late afternoon when you will have an addition of the Batwa community visit.
Day 7: Drive for a short time to Lake Bunyonyi
You will be picked up right at your lodge and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. This is the deepest of all the lakes found in Uganda and features 29 islands. It is popular as home to many little birds and today, you will enjoy a boat/canoe ride to the Punishment Island to have deep understanding of its unique history.
Day 8: Cross from Lake Bunyonyi to Rwanda
After a delicious breakfast, start driving from Lake Bunyonyi through Kabale to Katuna border while enjoying the spectacular view of Kigezi hills. Arrive early to be cleared by the immigration and later, continue to your lodge in Volcanoes National Park.
Day 9: Trek Rwanda gorillas & relaxation
Get briefed about safety guidelines to follow while trekking with Volcanoes NP gorillas. The park official will assign all visitors habituated gorilla groups and each group to be visited by maximum of 8 visitors. The long day search through the forest begins at 8:00am and runs for 2-6 hours which includes an hour of a close encounter and photography.
Day 10: Golden monkey tracking plus Iby’Iwacu village visit
Report to Kinigi to be briefed about safety rules to be observed on a guided golden monkey trek. At 8:00am with the lead of the park guide, go search for golden monkeys in their natural habitat 2-5 hour but includes one hour for up close and personal with these amazing primates. In the afternoon while at your lodge, enjoy lunch and proceed for a cultural tour in Iby’Iwacu.
Day 11: Pick up & drive to Kigali airport for departure to Nairobi
Enjoy a hefty breakfast in the morning and after, head to Kigali International Airport to depart for Nairobi Kenya. Early arrivals may include a short city tour in the nearby sites in Nairobi capital.
Day 12: Pick up and drive to Lake Nakuru
You will start your day with breakfast and head off to Lake Nakuru National Park, located 155km from Nairobi capital. A brief visit will be made at the Thomson falls and you will continue to the lodge in Lake Nakuru N/P while sighting some wildlife like cape buffaloes. An afternoon game drive will follow after lunch, and expect to come across wild dogs, waterbucks, zebras, giraffes, elands and birds like flamingos.
Day 13: Birding at Lake Naivasha
Set off for a rewarding birding expedition at Lake Naivasha, home to 400 species of birds. The birds at Lake Naivasha for you to look for include kingfishers, pelicans, cormorants plus some water animals clearly spotted on a boat ride such as crocodiles, and hippos.
Day 14: From Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara (Narok County)
With your private driver guide, set off from your lodge in Lake Naivasha and drive safely to Maasai Mara Reserve located in Southwestern Kenya. En route journey comes with picturesque view of the countryside rift valley and once you arrive, check in at the pre-booked lodge/safari camp.
Day 15: Game drive in the Maasai Mara plains with a guide
After breakfast, carry with you some lunch to enjoy in the bush since your day combines the morning and afternoon game drives. Your morning game drive is the perfect time to search for the big five (elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and buffaloes) plus other early risers, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, birds and wildebeests. In the afternoon, park somewhere and have lunch while viewing some wildlife and continue with the second phase of a game drive.
Day 16: Hot balloon & tour Masai village
Leave the lodge and connect to where your balloon excursion will start. Watch from the moment the hot air balloon is set and begin your aerial viewing early enjoy sights of mammals in Masai Mara Reserve including buffaloes, elephants, and others. This will be accompanied by bush breakfast and other bites.
Return and there is an option of taking a guided game drive or be at the lodge relaxing till afternoon when you will go visit the Masai village, explore their traditions, cultures and get entertained by locals dances and music performances.
Day 17: Enjoy the Mara River crossing experience
Start your day with breakfast and set off for long day viewing of the wildebeest migration. The target area will be the Mara River, watch millions of wildebeest accompanied by zebras, plus other grazers. As these mammals try to cross, there will be huge crocodiles hunting them down plus lions. After a magical encounter on the great migration, return to the lodge or camp for relaxation.
Day 18: Pick up and drive to Serengeti national park
You will leave Maasai Mara for Serengeti National Park via Isebania border. You will enjoy lunch along the way and once you get to the park, you will be mesmerized by its sweeping plains as you connect to the lodge.
Day 19: 1st day game drive along the Northern corridor
Start your full day search for wildlife along the Northern corridor of Serengeti in a 4×4 safari vehicle with viewing space for you to see your favorite animals. You will be looking for different animals including elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, lions, and wildebeest. Lunch will be had in the Serengeti plains and you continue with more animal sighting.
Day 20: 2nd day game drive via the western corridor
Begin the second day game drive early after breakfast and today, the main focus will be the western corridor exploring the Grumeti River. Enjoy the powerful river migration crossing and expected animal sights: lions, wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, zebras, cheetahs, and more.
Day 21: Balloon tour & Kurya/Masai community visit
Connect to where your balloon excursion will start and today, you will be enjoying aerial view of Serengeti National Park sweeping plains and its animals such as elephants, buffaloes. Accompanying your memorable aerial animal viewing will be bush breakfast and return for relaxation or continue with another phase of guided game drive. In the afternoon, you will be visiting the nearby community -Kurya or Masai for cultural entertainment and learning about unique traditions as well as their cultures.
Day 22: Ngorongoro Crater with en route visit at Olduvai Gorge
After breakfast, leave Serengeti on a scenic drive to Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and you will be using a 4×4 safari car. The route to Ngorongoro is all safe and along the way, you will be visiting Ol Duvai gorge. Arrive early and check in at the lodge or camp for relaxation and later, set off for a game drive in the afternoon.
Day 23: Explore Ngorongoro Crater full day
With an experienced guide, you will set off for long day search for Ngorongoro’s diverse animal species. Your expected sightings for the day range from rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas and plenty of avifaunal species.
Day 24: Transfer by car to Lake Manyara
Enjoy a hefty breakfast and drive to Lake Manyara NP, home to more than 400 species of birds such as flamingos, pelicans, fish eagles and others. This park shelters a good population of tree climbing lions and today, you will enjoy an afternoon guided game drive.
Day 25: A full day game drive at Lake Manyara
Start your long day wildlife expedition through Lake Manyara National Park with an experienced park guide. Your day animal sightings include giraffes, impalas, zebras, leopards, bushbucks, elephants, tree climbing lions, and bird, especially flamingos in their huge numbers.
Day 26: Tarangire National Park safari
Leave Lake Manyara NP on a scenic drive to Tarangire National Park. Located Southwest of Arusha, Lake Manyara N/P is popular for its huge concentration of elephants, and other wildlife. Embark on a guided game drive in the afternoon and look for animals such as zebras, cheetahs, leopards, and birds.
Day 27: Full day game viewing
After breakfast, start your morning game drive through Tarangire NP with an experienced guide. A variety of wildlife will be viewed including leopards, zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, hyenas, mongoose, dik-dik, wild dogs and others.
Day 28: Tarangire to Arusha & fly to Zanzibar
Leave Tarangire in the morning on 2-3 hours’ drive with your safety guaranteed en route. Catch up with flight to Zanzibar airport (Abeid Amani Airport) and you will be transferred to one of the comfortable hotels in Stone town.
Day 29: Stone town tour with a guide
Spend the long day of visiting and exploring more of Stone town’s historical sites with an experienced guide. Key landmarks to visit include the Old Fort, House of Wonders, Old Dispensary -the morning phase and return for afternoon session to visit Forodhani Gardens Food Market and perhaps taste some of the local cuisines and if time allows, visit the city’s narrow streets.
Day 30: Spice tour
Breakfast at leisure and you will embark on the Spice tour on Zanzibar Island also better referred to as the Spice Island. Get to know variety of spices plus tropical fruits that are grown here ranging from vanillas, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, oranges, chili, and others.
Day 31-32: Enjoy snorkeling adventure
Visit the Mafia Island Marine Park, most popular for its memorable snorkeling adventure experiences. This spectacular Chole Bay -horseshoe-shaped bay measures 50sq.km with a depth of 28m, and you will have 2 days enjoy your snorkeling adventures.
Day 33-34: Beach excursion
You will have two days of beach excursion in Zanzibar. A perfect opportunity for you and your dear one to have great moments together. Relaxation will be in one of the finest hotels/resorts at Zanzibar.
Day 35: Depart
Take a safe drive to Abeid Amani Airport for you to depart back home. Today marks the end of your memorable 35 Days in East Africa.
End of tour.
Plan for the great wildebeest migration by contacting our migration safari companies or inquire with us below to plan for your safari tour with us.
