20-Day Best of East African Safari
20-day Best of East African Safari offers stunning scenery and opportunities to interact with different species of primates. Continue your journey to Kenya and take in the famous Masai Mara’s expansive savannas and abundance of fauna. Go on to Tanzania, which is home to the magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro and the Great Migration in the Serengeti. Finish your trip in Zanzibar by enjoying the island’s stunning beaches, lively culture, and historic Stone Town. This carefully planned itinerary provides a thorough examination of the many natural beauties and cultural treasures found in East Africa.
Safari Highlights of the 20-day Best of East African Safari
- Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
- Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
- Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking Experience in Kibale Forest National Park
- Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 5: Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 6: Batwa Cultural Experience
- Day 7: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya
- Days 8 & 9: Game Drives and Cultural Experience in Masai Mara National Reserve
- Day 10: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
- Days 11 & 12: Game Drives in Serengeti National Park
- Day 13: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 14: Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 15: Transfer to Arusha for departure to Zanzibar
- Days 16-19: Zanzibar Beach Experience
- Day 20: Departure
Detailed Itinerary of the 20-day Best of East African Safari
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by a Journeys Uganda representative who will drive you to your opulent hotel in Entebbe. Those who arrive early will have the opportunity to engage in different optional activities, such as birding at Entebbe Botanical Garden, a famous birder’s paradise.
Accommodation: Papyrus Guest House
Meal plan: Dinner
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, you will be driven to Kibale Forest National Park, a primate haven. Along the way, keep an eye out for the picturesque landscape and different bird species. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your Eco lodge for check-in and relaxation. There will be optional activities later in the evening, such as birding and community walks.
Accommodation: Guereza Canopy Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking Experience in Kibale Forest National Park
After an early morning breakfast, you will be driven to the park for a briefing about the chimpanzee tracking experience. An experienced ranger and guide will lead you into the lush forest in search of the chimps. Upon locating them, you will be allowed to spend only one hour with these interesting primates. After this exciting activity, you will be driven back to your lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will explore the Bigodi wetland sanctuary. You can engage in a variety of activities, such as birdwatching, a swamp walk, and a community visit. Expect to see a variety of wildlife species and primates.
Accommodation: Guereza Canopy Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
On this day of the 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will have breakfast and transfer to the popular Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Upon arrival, you will be driven to your lodge for check-in and relaxation. You can engage in birdwatching around your Eco lodge or relax and enjoy the services at your lodge.
Accommodation: Buhoma Haven Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Before you begin your gorilla trekking adventure, your driver-guide will pick you up from the lodge this morning and take you to the briefing area. When you get to the briefing location, you will be greeted and provided seats until the briefing begins, during which your driving guide will register you with the on-duty ranger and assign you to a gorilla family. After a while, you will meet your ranger guide and begin your gorilla trekking experience in the Bwindi forests. You will be transferred back to your lodge after this strenuous activity.
Accommodation : Buhoma Haven Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 6: Batwa Cultural Experience
Experience the customs and history of the Batwa people during a cultural experience close to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Visitors can discover their traditional crafts, hunting methods, medicinal plant knowledge, and ancestral forest lifestyle through Batwa-guided excursions. The Batwa community benefits greatly from this immersive experience, which also helps to preserve their traditions and promotes cultural understanding. These pygmies are the original inhabitants of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Accommodation: Buhoma Haven Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 7: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya
After breakfast on this day of the 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will catch your flight from Bwindi to Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
Accommodation: JW Marriott Masai
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Days 8 & 9: Game Drives and Cultural Experience in Masai Mara National Reserve
You can get ready for a full day of wildlife viewing in the well-known Masai Mara National Reserve by eating breakfast in the morning. You will leave the lodge with a packed lunch before spending the entire day in the reserve, seeing amazing wildlife. See the elusive cheetah, Thomson’s gazelle, wildebeest, buffalo, impala, topi, spotted hyenas, zebras, baboons, massive herds of lions, leopards, elephants, and the elegant giraffe. In the evening, you will return to the lodge for dinner, marking the end of your day.
On one of these two days of the 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will visit a Masai community for a Masai cultural experience.
Accommodation: JW Marriott Masai
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 10: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast on this day of the 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will be driven to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. You can also opt for a quick flight from Masai Mara to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, after which you will be driven to Serengeti National Park. Upon arrival at the park, you will be transferred to your eco-lodge for check-in, relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation : Ole Serai Luxury Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Days 11 & 12: Game Drives in Serengeti National Park
On these two days of the 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will explore the famous Serengeti National Park, home to several wildlife species and numerous habitats. You will wake up early for breakfast and embark on game drives with a packed lunch. Expect sightings of the Big Five and numerous other species, such as cheetahs, hyenas, several ruminants, and numerous bird species, such as the stunning Lilac-breasted Roller.
If you happen to travel between mid-June and November, expect to witness a wildlife spectacle (The Great Migration).
Accommodation: Ole Serai Luxury Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 13: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast on this day of the 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will be transferred by road to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a popular tourist destination in Tanzania. Along the way, you will have an en route to the Masai Boma for an exciting cultural experience. Expect to engage in a variety of cultural activities, such as entertaining performances by the Masai, a taste of local dishes, and storytelling, which is a revelation of the history of the land.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 14: Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater
Your guide will pick you up and transport you to the Ngorongoro Crater after an early breakfast. You will spend the entire day on a game drive after descending 600 metres into the crater. Many species can be found at the Ngorongoro Crater, such as gigantic African elephants, zebras, buffalo, elands, warthogs, hippos, and wildebeests. This beautiful park’s abundance of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the elusive leopard, is another major attraction. Explore Lake Magadi, one of the crater’s primary features. Here, flamingos, hippos, crocodiles, and other aquatic birds are frequently spotted in considerable numbers.
Accommodation : Ngorongoro Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 15: Transfert à Arusha pour le départ vers Zanzibar
On day 15 of the 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will be driven to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha to catch your flight to Zanzibar for an amazing beach experience.
Accommodation: Kono Kono Beach Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Days 16-19: Zanzibar Beach Experience
On these final days of our 20-day Best of East Africa Safari, you will explore Zanzibar Beach and engage in various water activities such as swimming, skydiving, snorkelling, community tours, and visits to the Stone City in Zanzibar. Explore the Zanzibar coastal culture and taste the local cuisine.
Accommodation: Kono Kono Beach Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 20: Departure
Following your 20-day best of East African Safari, after breakfast, your driver-guide will transfer you to Abeid Armani Karume International Airport to catch your flight to your next destination. This will mark the end of our 20-day Best of East Africa Safari.