17 Days Big Five and Gorilla Safari – Tanzania & Uganda Combined

Safari Overview: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

Imagine waking to the golden sunrise over the Serengeti plains, a lion’s roar echoing in the distance. Then, days later, finding yourself knee deep in the misty rainforest of Bwindi, staring into the gentle eyes of a silverback gorilla. This 17 Day Big Five and Gorilla Safari is the ultimate East African odyssey, seamlessly blending the classic savannah wildlife of Tanzania with the extraordinary primate encounters of Uganda. You will track lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos across the Ngorongoro Crater and the endless Serengeti. Then you will fly to the Pearl of Africa to trek chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, search for tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and spend a life changing hour with a mountain gorilla family in Bwindi. Between these world class wildlife experiences, you will unwind on the tranquil shores of Lake Bunyonyi and stay in handpicked luxury lodges that offer privacy, gourmet dining, and impeccable service. Africa Exotic Safaris has crafted this journey for discerning travelers who want the very best of two extraordinary countries. From the big cats of the savannah to the gentle giants of the rainforest, this is Africa in all its untamed glory.

Quick Tour Specifics: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

• Big Five and Gorilla Safari – Tanzania & Uganda Combined
• Number of People: Private safari for 2 to 6 guests (ideal for couples, families, or small groups)
• Start/End: Kilimanjaro International Airport (Tanzania) / Entebbe International Airport (Uganda)
• Availability: All year throughout; best for Big Five from June to October and January to February; gorilla trekking year round
• Activities: Private game drives, Ngorongoro Crater descent, chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking, boat cruises, nature walks, canoeing, cultural visits, spa treatments
• Destinations: Tanzania: Arusha, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater. Uganda: Entebbe, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Lake Bunyonyi
• Price: Request a Quote for this Trip

Safari Highlights: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

• Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full day of Big Five viewing, including the endangered black rhino.
• Enjoy private unlimited game drives in the Serengeti, spending as long as you wish at lion kills, cheetah chases, and massive elephant herds.
• Track wild chimpanzees through the ancient rainforest of Kibale, watching their playful and complex social interactions.
• Search for the rare tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• Glide along the Kazinga Channel on a private boat cruise, surrounded by hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, and elephants.
• Spend one unforgettable hour with a mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a profound and life changing encounter.
• Relax on the serene shores of Lake Bunyonyi, paddling a traditional dugout canoe to Punishment Island.
• Stay in award winning luxury lodges with private verandas, plunge pools, and personal butlers.

Detailed Day by Day Safari Activities: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro – Welcome to Tanzania

Your adventure begins at Kilimanjaro International Airport. An Africa Exotic Safaris representative will greet you and transfer you to your luxury lodge in Arusha, nestled below the slopes of Mount Meru. After checking into your suite, enjoy a welcome glass of sparkling wine. In the evening, your private safari guide will meet you for a detailed briefing. A gourmet dinner featuring Tanzanian specialties is served. Rest well, for tomorrow you enter the wild.

Meals: Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Arusha Coffee Lodge (plantation suite) | Mid Range: Mount Meru Hotel | Budget: Planet Lodge (luxury recommended)

Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park – Elephants and Baobabs

After breakfast, you drive to Tarangire National Park, approximately two hours. Known for its giant baobab trees and massive elephant herds, Tarangire offers a spectacular start. Your private vehicle allows you to explore at your own pace. You will see herds of up to 300 elephants, along with zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, and lions. A picnic lunch is served under a baobab tree. In the late afternoon, drive to your luxury tented camp on the park boundary. Enjoy sundowner drinks overlooking the river. Dinner is served around a campfire.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Tarangire Treetops (treehouse suite) | Mid Range: Tarangire Safari Lodge | Budget: Tarangire Simba Lodge

Day 3: Tarangire to Serengeti National Park – Into the Endless Plains

After breakfast, you drive west to the Serengeti, passing through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The landscape transforms from acacia woodland to vast open plains. You will arrive at your luxury tented camp in the central Serengeti in time for lunch. In the afternoon, set out for your first Serengeti game drive. Spot lions resting on kopjes, cheetahs scanning for prey, and large herds of zebra and wildebeest. As the sun sets, your guide finds a scenic spot for sundowner drinks. Return to camp for a candlelit dinner under a canopy of stars.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti | Mid Range: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge | Budget: Serengeti Heritage Camp

Day 4: Serengeti – Full Day Private Game Drive

Wake before dawn for a sunrise game drive, the best time to see predators returning from a night of hunting. After a bush breakfast in the wild, your private guide takes you deep into the Serengeti. You will search for leopards in the riverine forests and cheetahs on the open plains. If you are visiting between June and October, you may witness the Great Migration with thousands of wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River. A picnic lunch is served at a scenic location. Continue your exploration into the afternoon. Return to camp as the sun sets. Enjoy a private dinner on your veranda.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Same as Day 3

Day 5: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater Rim – Journey to the Highlands

After a final morning game drive and breakfast, you drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. En route, you may stop at Olduvai Gorge, the famous archaeological site where early hominid fossils were discovered. Continue to your lodge perched on the crater rim. Check into your suite with breathtaking views of the caldera floor 600 meters below. In the afternoon, relax at the lodge spa or take a gentle nature walk along the rim. Dinner is served as the sun sets, painting the crater walls orange and purple.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (andBeyond suite) | Mid Range: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge | Budget: Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater – Big Five Game Drive then to Arusha

Wake before dawn for an early breakfast, then descend into the Ngorongoro Crater floor. This is one of the best places in Africa to see the Big Five in a single day. Your private vehicle allows you to linger at every sighting. You will see lions on the open plains, elephants with massive tusks, large herds of Cape buffalo, and the endangered black rhino grazing in the grasslands. A picnic lunch is served at a hippo pool. In the late afternoon, ascend back to the rim and drive to Arusha. Arrive at your lodge for a relaxing evening and farewell dinner in Tanzania.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Arusha Coffee Lodge | Mid Range: Mount Meru Hotel | Budget: Planet Lodge

Day 7: Arusha to Entebbe – Crossing to Uganda

After breakfast, you transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your scheduled flight to Entebbe, Uganda. The flight takes approximately two hours. Upon arrival, an Africa Exotic Safaris Uganda representative will greet you and transfer you to your boutique hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria. After checking into your suite, you can relax by the pool or take a stroll through the Entebbe Botanical Gardens. In the evening, a welcome dinner featuring fresh Nile perch is served. Your Uganda guide briefs you on the days ahead.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa | Mid Range: The Boma Entebbe | Budget: Papyrus Guesthouse

Day 8: Entebbe to Kibale National Park – Journey to the Primate Forest

After breakfast, you drive west to Kibale National Park, a journey of approximately five hours. The road winds through tea plantations, crater lakes, and the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. You stop for a picnic lunch at a scenic viewpoint. Arrive at your eco lodge on the edge of Kibale Forest in the late afternoon. After checking into your forest cottage, take a gentle nature walk along the forest edge, spotting red colobus monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys. Dinner is served at the lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Primate Lodge Kibale (forest cottage) | Mid Range: Kibale Forest Camp (safari tent) | Budget: Chimpanzee Guest House

Day 9: Kibale – Chimpanzee Trekking and Community Visit

After an early breakfast, your guide walks with you to the park headquarters for a briefing. You join a small group to track a habituated chimpanzee community. The trek takes two to four hours through beautiful rainforest. When you find the chimps, you have one hour to observe them. Watch as they swing through the canopy, mothers nurse their infants, and the dominant male beats his chest. After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you have the option to visit a nearby community women’s group. Learn how local women weave baskets, roast coffee, and create sustainable livelihoods. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Same as Day 8

Day 10: Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game Drive and Crater Lakes

After breakfast, you drive south to Queen Elizabeth National Park, approximately two hours. You arrive at your luxury lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon, set out for a private game drive in the Kasenyi plains, known for its lions and large herds of Uganda kob. You will also explore the Crater Lake region, a series of volcanic craters filled with water. As the sun begins to set, your guide drives you to a scenic viewpoint for sundowner drinks. Return to the lodge for a candlelit dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge (suite with rift valley view) | Mid Range: Elephant Hab Lodge | Budget: Simba Safari Camp

Day 11: Queen Elizabeth – Tree Climbing Lions and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Wake before dawn for a drive to the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree climbing lions. Your private guide takes you off the main roads to find lions lounging in the branches of fig trees. After a bush breakfast in the wild, continue your game drive. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a private boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Glide past hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, and elephants drinking at the water’s edge. Fish eagles soar overhead. Your captain stops whenever you wish for photographs. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Same as Day 10

Day 12: Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi – Into the Gorilla Highlands

After breakfast, you drive south to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a journey of approximately four hours through the stunning Kigezi Highlands. You stop for a picnic lunch at a viewpoint overlooking the Virunga volcanoes. Arrive at your luxury gorilla lodge in the early afternoon. After checking into your suite, you can enjoy a spa treatment or take a guided nature walk along the forest edge. In the evening, your guide briefs you on tomorrow’s gorilla trekking. Dinner is served at the lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp (suite) | Mid Range: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge | Budget: Broadbill Forest Camp

Day 13: Bwindi – Gorilla Trekking and Celebration: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

Wake before dawn and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Your guide drives you to the park headquarters for registration. You are assigned to a gorilla family based on your fitness level. After a briefing, you join a small group of trekkers and an experienced ranger. The trek can take one to five hours through steep, dense forest. The reward is immeasurable. When you find the gorillas, you have exactly one hour in their presence. Sit quietly, breathe deeply, and absorb the moment. A silverback may rest just meters away. A mother may nurse her infant. After the trek, return to the lodge for a well earned lunch and a hot shower. In the evening, celebrate with a private dinner. Your lodge may arrange a cake and sparkling wine to mark this extraordinary encounter.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Same as Day 12

Day 14: Bwindi – Optional Second Gorilla Trek or Batwa Cultural Experience

Today you have a choice. For the ultimate primate enthusiast, you can purchase a second gorilla trekking permit and spend another hour with a different gorilla family. Alternatively, you may choose a respectful cultural experience with the Batwa pygmies, the original inhabitants of the Bwindi forest. A Batwa guide will lead you on a forest walk, demonstrating hunting techniques, honey collection, and fire making. You will visit a Batwa homestead and learn about their traditions through song and dance. After lunch, you may relax at the lodge or take a nature walk. Dinner is served.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Same as Day 12

Day 15: Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi – Tranquility and Canoeing

After a leisurely breakfast, you drive approximately two hours to Lake Bunyonyi, one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa. This deep, bilharzia free lake is dotted with 29 islands, each with its own story. You arrive at your lake side lodge in time for lunch. Your suite has a private deck overlooking the water. In the afternoon, you take a private dugout canoe ride. Your guide paddles you to Punishment Island, where unmarried pregnant girls were abandoned in the old days. You hear haunting legends and stories of survival. Continue to a secluded island for a picnic. Swim in the clear waters or simply float. Return to the lodge as the sun sets. Dinner is served on your deck with candles.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Arcadia Cottages Lake Bunyonyi (suite) | Mid Range: BirdNest Resort | Budget: Bunyonyi Overland Resort

Day 16: Lake Bunyonyi – Relaxation and Nature Walks

Today is yours to enjoy the serenity of Lake Bunyonyi. After a leisurely breakfast, you can take a guided nature walk along the lake shore, visit a local community project, or simply relax by the pool. For a special treat, book a couples massage at the lodge spa. In the afternoon, you may take a motorboat to visit the Island of Love, where young lovers once eloped. Alternatively, learn to make traditional banana beer with a local family. As the sun sets, enjoy a farewell dinner on a private peninsula jutting into the lake, with lanterns and a three course meal.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options: Same as Day 15

Day 17: Lake Bunyonyi to Entebbe – Departure: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

Enjoy a final breakfast overlooking the mist rising from the lake. After checking out, you drive back to Entebbe, a journey of approximately six to seven hours. You stop for lunch at the Equator crossing point in Kayabwe, where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere. A local guide performs the water experiment demonstrating the Coriolis effect. Continue to Entebbe. Your Africa Exotic Safaris guide transfers you to Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight. As you check in, you carry with you the memory of a lion’s roar on the Serengeti, a silverback’s gentle gaze in Bwindi, and the quiet beauty of Lake Bunyonyi. This 17 Days Big Five and Gorilla Safari has delivered the ultimate East African wildlife experience. Africa Exotic Safaris thanks you for choosing us and hopes to welcome you back for another adventure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Inclusions: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

• Private airport transfers in Kilimanjaro and Entebbe.
• Scheduled flight from Kilimanjaro to Entebbe (economy class).
• Private, custom built 4×4 safari vehicle for all game drives in Tanzania and Uganda.
• Professional English speaking private guides in each country, dedicated to your party.
• Accommodation for 16 nights in luxury lodges and tented camps as per the itinerary.
• All meals as indicated (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
• One gorilla trekking permit per person for Bwindi (second permit optional extra).
• One chimpanzee trekking permit per person for Kibale.
• Ngorongoro Crater descent fee and all park entry fees.
• Unlimited private game drives in Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Queen Elizabeth.
• Private boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
• Private canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi.
• Olduvai Gorge entry fee (Day 5).
• Batwa cultural experience (Day 14, if chosen over second gorilla trek).
• Equator stop with demonstration.
• Bottled water, soft drinks, and house wine with dinners.
• Flying doctor emergency evacuation cover (limited to first aid and evacuation).
• Government taxes and service charges.

Exclusions: Tanzania Uganda Gorilla Safari

• International flights to Kilimanjaro and from Entebbe (open jaw tickets available).
• Visa fees for Tanzania and Uganda (both available on arrival or online).
• Travel and medical insurance (mandatory for all travelers).
• Tips and gratuities for guides, rangers, drivers, and lodge staff.
• Premium alcoholic beverages beyond included house wine.
• Personal expenses such as laundry, souvenirs, phone calls, and spa treatments.
• Optional hot air balloon safari in Serengeti or extra activities not listed.
• Second gorilla trekking permit if chosen (additional USD 800 per person).
• Any item not explicitly mentioned in the inclusions.