17 Days East Africa Safari (Gorillas, Wildebeest, Big Five, & Chimpanzees)

This 17 Days East Africa Safari is a well-crafted tour that takes you to East Africa for a memorable holiday. This grand East Africa Safari tour is designed to allow you experience all the top safari activities like gorilla trekking, witnessing the African Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant), and Chimpanzee trekking among others. The 17 Days East Africa Safari starts in Rwanda and ends in Kenya – but it also takes your through the pearl of Africa for a memorable experience.

For visitors looking forward to combining Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya on their African holiday, this 17 Days East Africa Safari offers the best opportunity. Travelers that are in love with primate viewing, this classic 17 Days Safari offer an incredible opportunity to embark on all the top primate tracking experiences in both Rwanda and Uganda. You’ll visit Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda for Golden monkey trekking and Gorilla trekking before transferring to Uganda. In Uganda, this 17 Days East Africa Safaris will take you to Murchison Falls National Park for wildlife viewing, Kibale National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking. You’ll then fly to Kenya for unrivaled wildlife watching especially the African Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, & elephant) and the Great Wildebeest Migration in Masai Mara National Reserve.

Book this 17 Days East Africa Safari with Acacia Safaris Limited and explore three nations in East Africa. Enjoy the top safari experience on offer here. Emails us, WhatsApp us, or fill in our inquiry form today. Our experienced travel planners will respond to you in less than 30 minutes to get you started with your dream journey.

Tour Summary for 17 Days East Africa Safari (Gorillas, Wildebeest, Big Five, & Chimpanzees)

  • Day 1: Arrive in Kigali
  • Day 2: City Tour & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
  • Day_3: Golden Monkey Trekking & travel to Lake Kivu
  • Day 4: Drive To Kigali & Fly to Uganda
  • Day 5: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park
  • Day_6: Morning Game Drive & Boat Cruise
  • Day 7: Transfer to Kibale National Park
  • Day 8: Chimpanzee Tracking at Kibale
  • Day_9: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park & evening game drive
  • Day 10: Game drive in Ishasha Sector & transfer to Bwindi
  • Day 11: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
  • Day_12: Transfer to Kampala
  • Day 13: City Tour
  • Day 14: Fly to Kenya & Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park
  • Day_15: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve
  • Day 16: Full Day adventure in Masai Mara
  • Day 17: Travel to Nairobi & Fly Back Home

Quick Tour Details 

Duration: 17 Days (16nights)

Availability: All year Round

Eligibility: 15 Years & Above

Destinations

Volcanoes National Park

Lake Kivu

Murchison Falls National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park

Masai Mara National Park

Detailed day by Day 17 Days East Africa Safari

Day 1: Arrive in Kigali City

On your arrival at the Kigali International Airport, you will be picked and transferred to your hotel in Kigali city. Depending on your time of arrival, there is an optional city tour or you can just transfer to the hotel, check in and relax.

You will have dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel in Kigali City.

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: City Tour & Transfer to Volcanoes

Today, you will wake up lazily and have a city tour before embarking on a transfer to Volcanoes National Park. On your arrival in Musanze, you will visit the Dian Fossey Center. You will have lunch on the way, after lunch, you will visit the community cultural Village to enjoy the Rwandan cultural experience Later proceed to your booked safari lodge where you’ll be spending the night.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 3: Golden Monkey Tracking

After breakfast, heat to the park headquarters for a briefing in the morning together with your trekking gear and drinking water and ascend in the forest to track the golden monkeys. While participating in golden money trekking you will also encounter different forest inhibitors. Just like gorillas, golden monkeys are an endangered species. You’ll spend a full hor observing them before returning to the park headquarters.

After lunch you will drive to a scenic lake Kivu bordering Rwanda and DR Congo. After reaching the lake you will enjoy the rest of your evening at the lakeside.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

 

Day 4: Drive Back to Kigali & catch a flight to Uganda

This morning after breakfast you will do either the Kayaking or boat ride on Lake Kivu and drive back to Kigali for your departure flight to Uganda. On your arrival in Uganda, you will be picked by our representative with your name printed on an A4 paper from Entebbe International Airport. You will be transferred to your hotel for Dinner and an overnight stay.

 

Day 5: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, embark on your journey to Murchison Falls National Park. You’ll drive and arrive in the park in the afternoon. Proceed with a hike to the top of the falls. The vehicle leaves you near the falls and you can hike from the top of the falls to the bottom. It is an exciting experience that brings you very close to the rushing whitewater as it squeezes itself through the narrow crevice below.

The resulting mist from the turbulence often produces rainbows. After your experience here, you will be transferred to Safari Lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

 

Day 6: Morning Game Drive & Boat Cruise

Today you will embark on an early morning game drive on the Northern bank where your guide will help you spot a great number of animals and birds. There are opportunities to encounter various wildlife species during the game drive including; elephants, lion, leopards, buffalos, giraffes, hyenas, and various antelope species. Visit different wildlife hotspots during the game drive for better sightseeing opportunities. After the morning game, you will return to the lodge for a lunch break. After lunch, go for a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls.

You will safari upstream by boat to the calm Victoria Nile and the base of the falls. There you can see the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over the 17-kilometer stretch you may also see elephants, waterbucks and Uganda kobs. This is also the habitat for many bird species. After the boat cruise, return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

 

Day 7: Travel to Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will travel from Murchison Falls National Park, driving Southwest through the Albertine Escarpment of the great Western Rift Valley. Drive through Hoima, then Kyejonjo district and reach the colorful and beautiful town of Fort Portal, the capital of the Tooro kingdom, situated in the shadow of the fabled “Mountains of the Moon,” the Rwenzori.

Proceed to your booked safari lodge near the park. Enjoy lunch at the lodge and later relax in preparation for the chimpanzee trekking the next morning. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

 

Day 8: Chimpanzee Tracking

Today after an early morning breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the park headquarters for a briefing session. After the briefing and allocation is done by the park officials, the tracking will start and takes between two to five hours hours, depending on the location of the chimps. You’ll indulge in the forest to search for the chimps. After locating them, enjoy one full hour observing them as they feed, play, and groom each other.

After the trek you will go back to the lodge for lunch. There is an optional visit to the Bigodi Wetland in the afternoon.

 

Day 9: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, depart your lodge and embark on a journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park where your next adventure awaits. This journey takes you southwards through Kasese. You’ll arrive in the park in time for lunch and proceed to your booked safari lodge.

On arrival in Queen Elizabeth National Park, check in at the lodge. IN the afternoon go for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, popular for its diversity, especially the presence of large numbers of hippos. Along the shores, you’ll also spot several other species like elephants. Later return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

 

Day 10: Game drive in Ishasha Sector & Transfer to Bwindi

After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to Ishasha sector for an opportunity to see the tree climbing lions. You’ll also spot several other wildlife species here before continuing with your drive out of the park.

You’ll proceed with your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where your next adventure awaits. You’ll arrive in Bwindi in the late afternoon and drive to your booked safari lodge. Check in for dinner and an overnight stay.

 

Day 11: Gorilla Trekking

Wake up early at around 6:00 am and enjoy breakfast at the lodge. After, depart the lodge and head to the park headquarters for a briefing session. You’ll be given all the necessary information that you need to have a successful gorilla trekking experience. You’ll then be divided into groups of 8 members each and allocated gorilla families to trek.

You’ll then follow the lead of your ranger guide into the forest to search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Trek deep into the steaming Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to search for the endangered mountain gorillas. You’ll trek in the forest for hours before finally locating these majestic creatures in the wild. After locating the gorillas, enjoy one full hour observing them in their natural habitat. You’ll have plenty of photography and filming opportunities while with the gorillas. After your allocated time with the gorillas elapses, trek back to the park headquarters.  Return to the lodge for a refreshing meal and a short rest.

Later, you will be transferred to Lake Bunyonyi where you’ll be spending the night.

 

Day 12: Transfer to Kampala

After your breakfast, you will be driven to Kampala. You will have a stopover at the Equator in Masaka, see where this imaginary line divides our planet into two equal hemispheres. Snacks, souvenirs and photographs may be taken here. Continue with your journey, arriving in the late afternoon.

 

Day 13: Kampala City Tour & relaxation at the Hotel

On this day off our safari, you’ll have an opportunity to explore Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. Visit different cultural sites and art galleries and markets. Later retun to the hotel for relaxation and an overnight stay.

 

Day 14: Fly to Kenya & travel to Lake Nakuru National Park

Wake up and enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Later transfer to Entebbe International Airport to catch your flight to Kenya. Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where our Kenyan Safari guide welcomes you. You’ll then embark on your journey to Lake Nakuru National Park arriving late in the afternoon. On your arrival, you will check-in at your safari lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 15: Morning Game Drive & transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve

After breakfast, depart for an early morning game drive in Lake Nakuru national park, the park is home to one of Kenya’s renowned soda lakes and is world-famous for attracting millions of flamingos to its alkaline shores. Feeding on the abundant algae that grow in the warm and shallow waters, witnessing these legions of fuchsia-pink flamingos is a sight to behold.

There are also plenty of wildlife species in the park including lions, leopards, buffalos, hyenas and hippos among other. Later return to the lodge for a refreshing meal. Check out and drive to Masai Mara National Reserve for your next experience on this safari.

 

Day 16: Morning and Evening Game Drive

After a morning breakfast, depart the lodge with your packed lunch boxes for a full-day game-viewing safari in Masai Mara National Reserve. You’ll explore the Mara plains for opportunities to witness wildlife and birdlife. Expect to encounter the African Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephants) giraffes, hyenas, cheetahs, and wildebeests among others.

Visit various wildlife hotspots in the park. As it near lunch time, take a break for a picnic lunch at a scenic and safe spot. After lunch, continue with your safari in the park. The Maasai Mara Game Reserve offers wildlife in such variety and abundance that it is difficult to believe over 450 species of animals have been recorded here. You will easily see lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopard, many kinds of antelopes, and elephant.  Later return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 17: Travel to Nairobi & Fly Back Home

This is your last day on the safari. After breakfast drive to Nairobi arriving in the afternoon and then drop off at the airport for your flight back home.