A Guided mountain gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari
Best Gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari overview
A multi-national travel experience on the Uganda Tanzania mountain gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari will guarantee you an all inclusive Africa’s complete nature and wilderness diversity. Starting from the highest points with golden monkey & mountain gorilla trekking along the river Nile source and water falls through Africa’s most vast and wildlife concentrated Serengeti national park to the lowest altitudes of the Zanzibar island in the Indian ocean.
Arrival & departure: Kigali- Dar-es-salaam
- Day 1- arrive and travel to Mgahinga
- Day 2- golden monkey tracking & craters at Mgahinga
- Day 3- gorilla trekking & nature walks at Bwindi
- Day 4-5- Queen Elizabeth N.P
- Day 6- chimp tracking at Kibale N.P
- Day 7- Semuliki N.P
- Day 8-9- Murchison falls N.P
- Day 10- Kampala city tour and night life
- Day 11- source of the river Nile
- Day 12- transfer to Serengeti
- Day 13-14- Wildebeests at Serengeti N.P
- Day 15-16 Ngorongoro crater
- Day 17- l. Manyara national park & flamingos
- Day 18- Mt. Kilimanjaro & sceneries
- Day 19-21- Zanzibar island to depart
Detailed gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari itinerary
On arrival at Kigali international airport, you will be picked by our guide and drive for 4 hours to either Bwindi or Mgahinga national parks which are homes to 53% of the world’s population of mountain gorillas on the planet and highest population of golden monkeys. An earlier arrival will allow us take you around Kigali city; one of the cleanest cities in Africa with its malls, eco parks, resorts, golf courses, restaurants and lounges, art and craft shops, museums among others (the duration of this tour will depend on time of arrival). Arriving at these mountain gorilla parks you will rest and if time permits have a nature walk on some tracking routes of the park while having the best views and photography of over 350 bird species, 310 butterfly species, 88 moth species, monkeys, elephants, kobs, 51 reptile species among others.
Accommodation: Mgahinga lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing, you will hike the volcanic mountains of the Bwindi to a height of 2,500 meters above sea level in the bamboo forests of the montane region where these unique primates reside. These have orange-yellow like hair color that give them that distinguished golden look. When you reach their residence, you will be allowed to stay around them for one hour. These live in families of hundreds and have a very playful character, they will keep you so entertained.
Looking at them critically, you will notice their facial appearance that the golden monkeys have a nose so different from that of many other primate species. Along the hike, you will also observe other primates like the red tailed monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys, reptiles, Albertine rift endemics and many more bird species.
Accommodation: Buhoma lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Very early in the morning you will embark on a four-hour journey to Bwindi impenetrable forest in Uganda for a morning gorilla trekking. On arrival you will have a briefing on the gorilla behaviors, livelihoods and how to handle their reactions to the human presence. Tracking mountain gorillas into the tropical montane forests will last between 30 to 3 hours before meeting the gorilla family you are assigned to and you will be allowed to follow and spend an hour with that gorilla family. Getting to find the mountain gorillas on a trek in Uganda is a 99% chance backed up by the gorilla population in this region.
Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth game park
Later in the evening, you will set out to the Ishasha sector of the Queen Elizabeth national park best known for its tree climbing lions and one of the only 2 destinations in Africa with lions have having this behavior. These along with many other wild game like; elephants, buffaloes, leopards, kobs, antelopes, wild dogs, hyenas, ostriches, waterbucks and glamour at some of the world’s most unique bird species as the park is the second best birding haven having more than 660 recorded bird species as their home.
Accommodation: Buhoma lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
This gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari will get you to morning and evening game drives to various parts of the park for a lot of wonderful scenic view of the Rwenzori mountains and its slopes, the African big 5; elephant herds, lion families, leopards, hippo herds, hyenas, wild dogs, Uganda kobs, water bucks, antelopes, baboons, monkeys, crocodiles, crater lakes, reptiles, raptors, sun birds and many more awaiting your memorable tour in this game park. Also, you will head out to the Kazinga channel (a river connecting lakes Edward and George) for a morning boat cruise through queen Elizabeth national park.
Kazinga channel boat cruises
At this experience you will have a glance at the world’s largest concentration of hippos which are numbered above 5,000 at the Kazinga channel, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, water bucks, giraffes, kobs, kudus among others also coming in onto the banks of the Kazinga channel to quench their thirst. After the boat cruise, you will embark on a game drive around this channel and beyond into the vast savannah grassland to enjoy more game viewing at more lion and elephant families, ostriches, cheetahs, leopards, raptors and vultures, reptiles, monkeys, wild dogs, scenic views of the ice capped mountain Rwenzori and also once again come across the equator landmark.
Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Kibale national park; known for chimpanzee tracking and for having the highest population & concentration of chimpanzees in world numbering above 1,500 individuals in the park. Afternoon tracking session starts at 14:00 and takes 2-5 hours with a more than 90% chance of meeting the chimpanzees; a forest walk that will come along with numerous sceneries of more than 370 bird species of grassland, forest, swamp and Albertine rift region endemics, 350 tree species and 71 mammal species. Other primates in the park include the L’hoest monkeys, colobus monkeys, blue monkey, olive baboon, red tailed monkey, vervet monkeys.
Accommodation: Primates lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Another day in the wild, you will head to one of the most gorgeous places in this East African region for its remarkable features and as a landmark position between East and Central Africa thus having vegetation and forests of characteristics of both regions. Semuliki national park has hot springs that were a result of geological actions dating thousands of years back; these produce water of over 100°C producing white mist and smoke in the forests. It’s a common for visitors to buy raw eggs and boil them at the hot water point. Semuliki game park is also an intersection of the east African grasslands and the central African tropical forests thus harboring numerous tree species of the west and central African forests and bird species.
Birding at Semuliki national park
Semuliki game park has 435 bird species, 11 primate species and 53 mammal species. Some of these include Albertine Rift Endemics such as the dwarf honey guide and purple-breasted sunbirds; 35 Congo-Guinea biome species found nowhere else in East Africa, including black dwarf hornbill, Nkulengu rail, Congo serpent eagle, Gabon, woodpecker; and other species with very limited ranges such as white-tailed hornbill, capuchin babbler, blue-headed crested flycatcher and the orange weaver. Mammal and primate species include; chimpanzee, blue monkey, black and white colobus, red colobus, olive baboons, vervet monkey, de brazza’s monkey, Mangabeys, stripped jackal, leopards, elephants, hippos, cape buffaloes, Uganda kobs, sitatungas, warthogs, nile crocodiles.
Accommodation: Semuliki safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Today you will head out to sections of the Murchison falls national park to continue exploring this vast grassland and its remarkable wild game. You will have a trek up to view the magnificent Murchison water falls from above and watch the strongest falls on the planet, gashing 3,000 cubic liters of water per second through an eight-meter corridor cascading down a 43-meter height into the “the devil’s caldron” forming a white mist and a signature rainbow producing a loud sound from the powerful force of the water of the river Nile, largest Rothchild’s giraffe herds, elephant herds, lion prides, waterbucks, impalas, antelopes, warthogs, buffaloes, leopards, hyenas etc. with more than 450 bird species recorded in the park.
River Nile boat cruise
After lunch you will then head to the banks of the river Nile for a boat cruise towards the face of the Murchison falls. While on the boat cruise, you will have scene of various water birds like the shoebills, raptors, geese, hippos and a great number of huge Nile crocodiles and many more mammals that approach the river banks to quench their thirst like buffaloes, elephants and the scenes are endless. A boat cruise to the Nile delta as it flows back to the Albertine peninsular is also an experience that obviously unmatchable as you watch the waters of the river Nile anchor the wild and its species.
Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 10 Kampala city & Nightlife
Kampala tour and its streets will get you to various historical administrative, economic and cultural sites and centers that have affected the development of Uganda as a country for example Kasubi tombs, Rubaga cathedral, Namirembe cathedral, Kaddafi mosque, Baha’i temple etc. Food and commodity markets around Kampala are so interesting and have a great reflection of how the county’s population survives; these will get you have some taste on fresh fruits, vegetables grown in the country and street food delicacies. Following this tour on this gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari in the evening, you will have a nightlife experience in the bars and lounges of Kampala city till resting time as you wait for the next day.
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
This is the best section of the river Nile has numerous water falls that have become common water sport points to tourists and adventurers from all corners of the world. Some of the falls include Owen falls, Bujagali falls, Ripon falls, Itanda falls, Busowoko falls that have clean white waters of the river Nile and this point is the most entertaining of the river course throughout Africa offering the best bungee jumping point, water rafting, horse riding at the river banks,, kayaking, water surfing, swimming, canoeing, river boarding, quad biking around the river banks etc. You will also take a boat to reach the source of the Nile where 30% of the water emanates from underground streams and 70% from Lake Victoria.
Accommodation: Whispers of the Nile lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 12 transfer to Serengeti
This day will get you embark on a road trip on the gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari from Uganda across the border to Tanzania all the way to the Serengeti national park in northern Tanzania.
Accommodation: Serengeti safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Heading out to Serengeti national park, the home of the great wildebeests migration. Never disappointing right from the time of entry till exit, this park is one of the largest parks in Africa and in the world and one of those with the highest concentration of wild game per square km in the world ranging from the Africa’s big 5 to the ugly 5 and more than 500 bird species. Don’t miss watching lion prides (world’s highest number of lions recorded on the planet), elephant herds, wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, waterbucks, gazelles, kobs, reptiles, wild dogs, foxes, vultures, eagles, turacos, secretary birds a few but to mention this endless list. Drives around this park will leave you satisfied by its nature and habitats on this gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari.
Accommodation: Serengeti safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Another day will find you at the world’s largest crater and its vegetation that gets look like the “garden of Eden” will leave you amazed with the large number of wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, hippos, elands, kobs, bush bucks, waterbucks, rhinos among others and numerous bird species such as turaco, great kingfisher, abdim’s stork, white-backed vulture among others; along with various features such as Ndutu plains, Gol mountain, Endoro waterfalls, Olduvai gorge, shifting sands among others.
Accommodation: Marera valley lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Today you will be at lake Manyara national park known for its tree climbing lions a behavior not common for lions and huge elephant herds. Lake Manyara that anchors the park’s ecosystem is a soda ash lake and attracts thousands of flamingos for food and residence making it a perfect biding haven. Other wild life in the park include leopards, cheetahs, hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, oribis, hyenas, gazelles, kobs, waterbucks, zebras, and many more numerous bird species.
Accommodation: Lake Manyara wildlife lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
On this day you will head to Kilimanjaro national park for some a whole new adventure. Kilimanjaro game park offers several safari experience such as wild game drives, hiking, picnics and camping. You will have the best sceneries of Africa’s highest snow-capped mountain and its biodiversity that harbors the largest herds of the African elephants along with lions, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, gazelles, kobs, waterbucks and numerous bird species. the combination of both montane and savannah grassland will give you the best environmental sceneries.
Accommodation: Kilima safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 19 transfer to Zanzibar
On this day you will have another road trip from Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar to get to the shiny white sand beaches of the Indian ocean for vacation treats on this gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari.
Accommodation: Golden tulip (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
On this day you will be woken up by a beautiful sunrise from the horizon of the Indian ocean and set out onto the shiny white sands of Zanzibar. Along the safari blue experience, you will be able to engage in various activities during your stay there such as; scuba diving, swimming, kite rafting, horse riding, nature walks, sea creature viewing like sea turtles, dolphins, corals among others, spot fishing, enjoying sea food cuisines and coconut cocktails, beach sports, camp fires etc.
Stone town tour at Zanzibar island
You will have a tour around the ancient slave trade and coastal traditions that have gone through several civilizations like the Arabic, Portuguese and British occupation in the past such as stone town along with activities that have remained unique to the island such as spice manufacturing and trade. This is one of the best ways to end an African safari. On the third day you will head back to Dar es salaam for your departure ending your gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari.
Accommodation: LUX Marijani (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Inclusions
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Golden monkey tracking permits
- Chimpanzee tracking permits
- park entry fees
- Border crossing fees
- Airport transfers
- Bottled drinking refreshments
- Transport 4×4 safari landcruiser
- Government taxes
- Laundry
- All activities indicated on itinerary
- Driver & guide
Exclusions
- Travel insurance
- International flights
- Visa fees & processing
- Extra activities, meals, alcohol/liquor not included on itinerary
- Extra luggage on domestic flights
- Tipping & gratitude
- Souvenirs & Snacks
- Accommodation after the end of the trip
- Any changes to the itinerary
When is the best time for a combined multi-nation gorilla trekking & wildebeest migration?
A combined gorilla trekking & wildebeests migration safari starting from Uganda to Tanzania is best done in East Africa’s summer time/ dry months of late May, June to August and December to February. Catching up with the wildebeest migration on this safari is the timing of late May to June when there are massive Grumeti river crossings and also from December to February when the wildebeests are back into southern Serengeti game park plains. While in the Serengeti plains, you will enjoy sightings of wildebeest birthing season.
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