A Luxury Gorillas and Big Five Safari Journey Through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Serengeti
This luxury Uganda and Tanzania safari holiday combines the best of both Uganda and Tanzania offering a blend of memorable wildlife encounters, luxurious camps/lodges and personalized service. While on this safari journey through Uganda and Tanzania, expect to see gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and then travel to Tanzania for a classic safari experience in Tanzania’s iconic locations including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National park. The safari journey will be tailored with private guides, luxury lodges and personalized service.
This private & Luxury Gorilla trekking and Tanzania Safari tour will give you a full experience of the best of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit and the endangered Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi. The trip begins from Kilimanjaro International Airport and ends at Entebbe International Airport.
The accommodations proposed in Serengeti apply only when you want to experience Eastern/Central Serengeti on your Serengeti part of the trip and these two locations can be visited all year around. If you are specifically interested in witnessing the Mara River Crossing great Migration in Late July, August, September to Early October, the accommodation can be adjusted accordingly and there will be a flight option into or out of North Serengeti. The same Itinerary can be adjusted to include Western Serengeti if you are specifically interested in the Grumeti River Crossing in May, June to early July.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will meet and greet with a representative of Engabi Tours and Travel who will welcome you to Tanzania and then transfer you to your hotel in Arusha town. Your guide will give you a brief on your upcoming safari activities.
Accommodation At: Arusha Coffee Lodge Or Similar
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast
Travel Time by Road: 1 Hour
Day 2: Scheduled Flight to Seronera and Afternoon Game Drive
Your first leg of adventure leads you to Lemala Nanyukie Lodge in Central Eastern Serengeti which is surrounded by rocky kopjes and is shaded by giant acacia trees with views overlooking the Serengeti’s magnificent grasslands, one of the best areas in the Serengeti to enjoy time out of the vehicle on foot tracking game both small and large animals.
You will take either the 7:30am or the 10:00am flight from Arusha Airport to Seronera Airstrip and on arrival you will be welcomed by your private guide who will transfer you to the lodge to check-in. Enjoy an afternoon/evening welcome game drive before returning to the lodge for dinner.
Accommodation At: Lemala Nanyukie Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Flight Time: 1 Hour
Day 3: Full Day Game Drive in Serengeti Plains
Today you will have a full day game drive in Central and Eastern Serengeti with chances to see predators chasing their pray and enjoy their kill. Serengeti is undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and scientific value. You will have game drive in the endless plains of the Serengeti with a chance to see the great herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles or a pride of lions lounging in the shade.
Accommodation At: Lemala Nanyukie Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 4: Hot Air Balloon Safari and Relaxed Evening
Serengeti Balloon Safari is probably the most beautiful balloon flight in Africa and the ultimate Safari Experience which makes you enjoy the most beautiful migration of wildebeests through the endless plain of Serengeti. At earliest 5:00 am you will be collected from your lodge and transferred to the launch site. Here you will meet your pilot, receive a briefing and watch the inflation of your balloon. At dawn you take off rising as the sun rises and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take us. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon, sometimes flying at treetop height and sometimes lower offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below.
After breakfast, you will be taken to the rendezvous point to meet with your driver guide who will transfer you back to the lodge as slowly view more wildlife. You will spend the rest of the day at leisure either spending a quiet day lounging on a sun bed by the lodge’s main outdoor swimming pool or the private plunge pool on your rooms wooden deck or in the spa and other in-house activities and experiences.
Accommodation At: Lemala Nanyukie Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 5: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Game Drive in The Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, you will drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area arriving in time for a descent into the Ngorongoro Crater together with your packed lunch for a full day game viewing. Ngorongoro Crater was formed over 3 million years ago. It is inhabited by a unique ecosystem inhabited by more than 25,000 animals. In the grass steppes and Acacia forest you will find almost every type of animal from the East African savanna. The Big Five (rhino, elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, leopard) and most of the animal species found in the Serengeti, including zebra, hippos, wildebeest, and cheetahs, can be viewed close up. The Ngorongoro Crater ecosystem maintains the historic balance between people and nature in a way that is not possible in other parks. Later in the evening, ascend and head to the lodge for an evening leisure and hot dinner.
Accommodation At: Lemala Ngorongoro Tented Camp
Meal Plan: All-Inclusive
Drive time to Ngorongoro Conservation Area: 2 Hour 30 Minutes
Day 6: Transfer to Tarangire for a short Leisurely Day Game Drive and Night Game Drive
Today, your next stop Tarangire National sleeping at Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge. Sitting atop an escarpment with sweeping views across the perennial Tarangire River and valley below, Lemala Mpingo Ridge enjoys marvelous sunrise views and is the prime position from which to explore Tarangire National Park.
You will depart Karatu at 8:30am and head South through Mto wa Mbu Village towards Tarangire National Park on a 2 Hours road drive. You will arrive the Tarangire main gate by 10:30am and begin a leisurely game drive as you proceed to the lodge arriving in time for lunch overlooking the river valley floor. You will have the rest of the evening for relaxation and you may take a rest in your room or on the outside lounge or enjoy a dip in your private outside bathtub—perfect for soothing the soul and washing away the African dust after a day on safari.
After your dinner at around 7:00Pm, you will prepare for your night game drive and at around 8:15Pm you will meet your guide and the TANAPA park ranger for briefing before heading into the dark in search of active nocturnal with the help of a dedicated spotter using filtered spotlights. You will return to the lodge by 11:00Pm for overnight.
Accommodation At: Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Drive time to the Tarangire Park Gate: 3 Hours
Day 7: Another Day in the Tarangire
Today is your final full day in Tanzania and we recommend that you consider taking it easy. The physicality of the last long days of safari game drives must be wearing on your body so today is the ideal time to dip into the spa, enjoy the swimming pool and other facilities at the lodge.
If you are up for more interactions with wildlife you might opt for another game drive.
Accommodation At: Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 8: Flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport and onward Flight to Entebbe International Airport
Today after breakfast, you will transfer to Kuro Airstrip for your scheduled small aircraft flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will arrive in time for your onward flight to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. On arrival you will be met by your driver guide who will transfer you to your hotel for overnight.
Accommodation Option: Hotel Number 5
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast
Flight Time to Kilimanjaro: Approximately 1 Hour
Day 9: Flight to Kihihi Airstrip and Transfer by Road to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today you will have an early morning (5:30am) transfer to Entebbe International Airport from where you will board your flight to Kihihi Airstrip located near Bwindi. On arrival at Kihihi Airstrip, you will meet and greet with your dedicated driver who will transfer you to your lodge on the edge of Bwindi Forest arriving in time for lunch and later dinner and overnight.
Set on a flat ridge, deep within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Gorilla Forest Camp is a remote and atmospheric mountain sanctuary. The only accommodation located within the national park, the camp boasts an unrivalled location with exceptional wildlife and birdlife viewing opportunities. Eight tents feature queen-sized beds and generous bathtubs that look out onto the forest canopy. Enjoy a cozy dinner to fuel up for the epic adventure you have on deck.
Accommodation At: A&K Gorilla Forest Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Flight Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Drive time to the Lodge in Bwindi: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Day 10: Gorilla Trekking Experience
Today you will dive into your day of gorilla trekking with a drive to park headquarters at Buhoma where park officials will assign you to a gorilla family and you will be introduced to your gorilla guides. There will be a protocol briefing before you head over to your starting point where you will be met by porters. Group sizes are limited to eight guests.
The permit grants you one full hour with the gorilla. Use this time to be in sheer awe of these majestic 400-pound creatures. While the immense size of the silverbacks may be overwhelming, they are known to be quite accommodating to human presence amongst their families. Your guide may even teach you a few words in ‘gorilla’ so you can greet one another!
You set-off from the lodge at 7:00am and briefing will be at 8:00am. You will then start trekking at 8:30am and the experience will end earliest at 12:00Noon and latest 4 Pm though the time of your stay in the jungle cannot be pre-determined as every day is different from that previous.
Please always inform your guide about your health and fitness levels at the briefing point.
Accommodation At: A&K Gorilla Forest Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 11: Flight to Entebbe International Airport and Departure
After a very early breakfast, you will transfer to Kihihi Airstrip for your flight to Entebbe International Airport arriving in time for your connecting international flight marking the end of the trip.
Accommodation: N/A
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
End of the 11 Days Luxury Uganda and Tanzania Safari
Contact Us for information, inspiration or a Safari Quotation
This Luxury Uganda and Tanzania Safari Package is Meant for Who?
This luxury safari journey to Uganda and Tanzania is designed for couples, groups of friends, families, honeymooners, Executives and luxury solo travelers seeking comfort, exclusivity and extraordinary wildlife encounters in Africa.
What is the Cost of This Tour Package?
This package is tailored and therefore the cost of the tour will largely depend on the number of people you are traveling with in addition to lodges and transport modes we have proposed. All these costs are an addition to the mandatory fixed cost of the gorilla permit at USD800 Per Person.
Kindly let us know the number of people you are traveling with and your dates of travel so that our team can prepare for you a customized best quote.
What happens on the day of doing the gorilla trekking?
On the day of doing the gorilla trekking, visitors booked for the experience gather at park headquarters by 7:30am for briefing by park officials before commencing the activity at 8:00am. The activity involves hiking through steep and dense parts of bamboo jungles hence we recommend that you carry drinking water and put on hiking shoes for a better encounter.
When the trekkers finally find the gorilla family, they will be allowed to spend a maximum of 1 hour interacting with the family members and taking pictures
Please note that visitors with infectious diseases are not allowed to take part in the gorilla trekking experience because human diseases like flu can threaten an entire gorilla family and the minimum age for the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda is 15 years of age.
What Else Can You Add on Your Uganda and Tanzania Safari Tour?
Before or After your Gorilla Trekking experience, you can add a chimps trekking experience in Kibale Forest National Park. Golden Monkey tracking or a safari in Queen Elizabeth National park or even add another gorilla trekking experience in neighboring Rwanda.
After the safari experience Tanzania, you can go for a beach stay in Zanzibar or climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
Will You need vaccinations and malaria medication for this Tour?
Yes, you will need to both vaccinations and malaria medication because mountain gorillas share about 98% of our DNA and are therefore incredibly susceptible to human illnesses.
A yellow fever vaccine and a yellow card will be required for this trip since you are crossing borders between Tanzania and Uganda. A yellow card is mandatory for all international travelers arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport though not technically required at Entebbe International Airport hence we highly recommended that you carry it to avoid being denied entry at one point.
Additionally, most of the locations you are visiting are high-risk malaria zones though the high altitude of the gorilla parks in Uganda mean there are fewer mosquitoes than in the lowlands hence a reduced risk. So be sure to pack mosquito repellent!
What Should You pack For this Tour?
It’s important to come well prepared for the incredible safari journey in Uganda and Tanzania and below is our recommended packing list:
- Waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support
- Waterproof jackets and trousers
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Lightweight woolen socks
- Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses for sun protection
- Toiletries such as sun cream, insect repellent, after-sun, bite relief cream and lip balm
- Garden gloves
- A small backpack to carry your water, lunch, extra clothes, binoculars and camera
- Camera with extra lenses and batteries
- Binoculars
- Snacks for extra energy
- A reusable water bottle to limit waste
- Multi-way travel adaptor.
Why Engabi Tours and Travel Is Ideal for Your Safari in Uganda and Tanzania
Planning a Uganda and Tanzania safari becomes easier when travelers work with experienced safari experts. Engabi Tours and Travel designs personalized safari packages to Uganda and Tanzania that suit different travel styles, budgets, and interests. The company helps visitors organize gorilla trekking permits, accommodation, airport transfers, domestic flights, cultural experiences and wildlife activities across Uganda.
Experienced guides from Engabi Tours and Travel understand Tanzania and Uganda’s national parks, wildlife patterns and tourism services very well. Their local knowledge helps travelers discover hidden gems while enjoying smooth safari experiences. Whether someone plans a family safari, honeymoon adventure, photography trip or solo expedition, Engabi Tours creates itineraries that combine comfort, adventure and authentic African experiences. Check our TripAdvisor Reviews to see what past guests say about our services
Contact Us for information, inspiration or a Safari Quotation