20 Days Gorilla Trek and Kilimanjaro Hike Tour | A Uganda Tanzania Safari
The 20 days Gorilla Trek and Kilimanjaro Hike Tour is a Uganda Tanzania Safari that involves a game park safari in Ngorongoro game reserve, Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, Machame Route Kilimanjaro Mountain Climbing, Uganda Gorilla trekking and Chimpanzees trekking coupled with a breathtaking stay on the shores of Lake Victoria-Ssese islands in Uganda. The 20 days Gorilla Trek and Kilimanjaro Hike Tour includes all major highlights for an African safari which include Gorillas trekking and Chimpanzee trekking, adventure in Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Victoria, Kilimanjaro Mountain climbing and wildlife viewing in Ngorongoro,Serengeti and Tarangire national parks.
20 Days Gorilla Trek and Kilimanjaro Hike Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kampala and transfer to Kibale National Park
Enjoy an early breakfast after which you will be met by your guide/ driver who will transfer you from Kampala to Kibale Forest National park via Fort portal to begin your 20 days Tanzania safari and having great views; you will have lunch en-route. When you arrive at the park, continue and go for a visit to the beautiful crater lakes area, you will also get a chance to see the terraced tea estates. Have diner and an Overnight stay.
Day 2: Kibale forest- Chimpanzee trekking & Bigodi Swamp Walk
After your morning breakfast, your tour guide/ driver will lead you to Kanyanchu park headquarters for briefing from the senior park ranger. At 8:00 am you will join the rest of other trackers and transfer to the starting point which is 2 Km away from the park headquarters. Most often chimpanzee tracking goes for 3 to 4 hours.
While in the forest you may interface with primates including the red tailed monkey, L’Hoest monkey, baboons, white and black Colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabey, red Colobus, blue monkeys and pottos. Other animals include forest elephants unique from the common type, giant forest hogs and a striking tree species.
Later you will have lunch at your lodge before embarking on a guided nature walk to Bigodi swamp sanctuary, a good site for birders. Expect to see the Great Blue Turaco and Papyrus Gonolek which can easily be sighted among the other many bird species. There is also an array of butterfly species. In the evening return to your lodge for relaxation and dinner.
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National park
After breakfast, you will begin your journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park the home of gorillas for overnight as you prepare for your gorilla trekking the next day. Along the way you will enjoy nice landscape views and have lunch en-route. Arrive in the afternoon and check in to your lodge for dinner and an Overnight
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You will get up so early in the morning for breakfast and thereafter your driver will drive you to the Park head offices with your packed lunch. On reaching there by 7:30am you will be briefed about what to do and not to do while trekking after which you will be led by the ranger guides through the mist jungle.
Trekking usually takes between to 8 hours or even a full day due to the location of gorillas. When you see them, it will be a great and fun time as you watch them and only 1 hour is permitted to watch them. Also ensure you carry enough water with you, hats, sun glasses, rain coats, and non-flash cameras.
Later after the trek, your driver/guide will transfer you back to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation, dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 5: Canoeing and visit to the pygmis islands and transfer to Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria;
After breakfast,you will embark on an early morning Canoe cruise on the Lake of a thousand islands as its nicknamed due to its 29 individual islands.
The Cruise presents a morning soothing recreational encounter that is worth exploring and is refreshing given the previous long day while trekking gorillas.
Later in the afternoon you will transfer to Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria after having your lunch .This journey will take almost 6 hours and you will reach the Islands late in the evening checking in to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: You will spend the whole day at leisure on the islands. You may go swimming in the swimming pool or decide to relax on the beach side. There are other optional activities like fishing with the locals, quad biking, water bikes, boat cruise, nature walks and bicycle riding on the island. Retire to your room for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Entebbe and later to Arusha
After breakfast you will say goodbye to beautiful Islands and transfer to Entebbe Town via the water with MV-Kalangala arriving in time (11:00AM) to catch your out bound flight.Your driver/guide will transfer you from the docking area to Entebbe town to catch your outbound flight to Arusha for overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Machame camp to begin your Kilimanjaro trek
You will be transferred to Machame Park gate for registration and briefing from where you will begin your 6-7 hours trekking of the Kilimanjaro Mountain through the lush and gorgeous heath lands arriving at Machame Camp (10,000 Feet) in the evening for your Overnight
Day 9: Transfer from Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Today you will continue exploring the heath land and the alpine moorland with magnificent views of the Kilimanjaro Peak for 6-7 hours. You will retire at Shira Camp (12500 Feet) for overnight.
Day 10: Transfer from Shira Camp to Barranco Camp
Today’s 5-6 hours trekking will bring you closer to the peak via the lava tower and it’s a bit strenuous due to the steepening as you approach your overnight stop at Barranco camp(13,800 Feet)
Day 11: Transfer from Barranco Camp to Karanga Valley Camp.
Your 4-5 hours trekking today will begin with a tailspin into the gorge before climbing via the eastern wall where you will enjoy stunning views of the Kilimanjaro Ice fields and an equatorial aberration. You will continue trekking until you arrive at your overnight camp at Karanga valley (13,900 Feet)
Day 12: Transfer from Karanga Valley to Barafu Camp
Today you will start your 6-7 hours trek through the Karanga Valley following the lava ridge all through to Barafu camp (15,500 Feet) for overnight
Day 13: Transfer from Barafu Camp to Mweka Camp
At Midnight, you will begin your summit attempt trekking through the Rebmann and Tarzel glaciers to the rim at stella point. As dawn nears you will summit at Uhuru peak, the highest point in Africa at 19,340 Feet. This will be the climax of your 6-7 hours of strenuous trekking of the Kilimanjaro Mountain as you descend back to Barafu camp. After some bit of resting, you will continue on your tailspin to Mweka camp (9,840 feet, 3-4 hours on the descent)
Day 14: Descend to Mechame park gate and transfer to Arusha for resting and overnight.
Day 15: Transfer to Ngorongoro National park
Today after an early breakfast, you will be transferred to Ngorongoro National park where you will check in your lodge for the days stay, dinner and overnight.
Day 16: Game drive in the craters,visit to the masai village and transfer to Serengeti for an optional evening game drive.
After breakfast you will drive down into the crater together with your guide. Ngorongoro is the largest inactive volcanic crater in the world with an intact ecosystem. The Ngorongoro Crater was created by the collapse of a former volcanic mountain.
The crater has a massive bottom of about 264 square kilometer (about 3 times the size of Paris) with a depth of over 600 meters. During the ride in the crater floor you will see again the breathtaking variety of Africa’s wilderness. African elephants, buffalos, black rhinos, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, lions and dozens of other species await you. Afterwards you will have lunch and visit the masai village and later transfer to Serengeti national park.
After you have arrived to your lodge in the late evening, you will have an optional evening game drive and thereafter have a well-deserved night’s rest
Day 17: Full Day Serengeti game drive
Today is without question one of the highlights of your safari. After a rich breakfast you will start your adventure a little earlier than usual. During a full day game drive, you will experience the Serengeti in its full glory today! The Serengeti is one of Africa’s most complex and intact ecosystems.
Therefore, you can look forward to countless plant species like the characteristic umbrella acacias and millions of mammals like zebras, elephants and antelopes. The Serengeti is also home to the “Big 5” (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). In the evening you will return to Tanzania Luxury Bush camp where you will have a delicious dinner and overnight.
Day 18: Optional Balloon Safari and Serengeti Game drive.
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 5:00 am,(Optional) you will be collected from your lodge and transferred to the launch site near Masai Kopjes. 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, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below.
(Those of you not going for balloon safari will be with driver to catch up with those on balloon safari). After breakfast, you are taken to the rendezvous point to meet with your driver guide and continue with your full day game drives. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 19: Transfer to Tarangire National park and afternoon game drive
After a big breakfast you will transfer to a very special national park called Tarangire National Park and do an afternoon game drive. Tarangire is famous for its diverse landscape with nine different vegetation zones.
The park is particularly known for the abundance of Ancient Baobab trees (the largest trees in the continent) which fill the landscape and dwarf the animals next to them. The river of the park is full of wildlife ranging from a large variety of birds to lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes and, of course, elephants.
The lunch area is fascinating, boasting an observatory with amazing views to the river and wildlife (with good chances of seeing a hunt while having your picnic). You will later continue to your lodge for overnight and dinner.
Day 20: Transfer to Arusha City or Kilmanjaro International Airport depending on your flight schedule.
After a heavy breakfast, you will transfer to Arusha town or Kilimanjaro international airport depending on your flight schedule to mark the end of your 20 days Uganda Tanzania Safari.
END OF SAFARI
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