This 20 Days African Camping Safari in East Africa takes you across four countries: Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya, giving you a chance to explore some of Africa’s most beautiful and wildlife-rich destinations.
Throughout this journey, every moment is memorable. You will discover Kenya’s famous Maasai Mara, Tanzania’s Serengeti, Uganda’s mountain gorillas, and Rwanda’s scenic highlands. Each destination offers unforgettable wildlife encounters, cultural experiences, and incredible scenery.
African Camping Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Meet your driver guide at your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe and start your journey northwest along the Kampala–Gulu highway. The drive is smooth and scenic. Stop for lunch in Masindi town, then continue to Murchison Falls National Park. Enter through Kachumbanyobo Gate and drive through Budongo Forest, where you may see primates such as vervet monkeys and baboons. If your lodge is in the northern sector, cross the River Nile by ferry.
Day 2: Game Drive, Boat Cruise, and Visit to the Top of the Falls
After breakfast, go for a morning game drive in the northern sector. Expect to see giraffes, lions, buffaloes, elephants, and many bird species, including the shoebill. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to the base of Murchison and Uhuru Falls. You may spot hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and buffaloes along the riverbanks.
At the end of the cruise, hike to the top of the falls for about 45 minutes. From here, you can watch the Nile force its way through a narrow 7-meter gorge before plunging down, creating one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the scenic Albertine Rift escarpments. Enjoy views of Lake Albert, the DR Congo mountain ranges, banana plantations, and tea fields. On clear days, you can see the Rwenzori Mountains in the distance.
Day 4: Exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park and Boat Cruise
Have breakfast and head for a morning game drive with your packed lunch. Look out for elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hyenas, and several antelope species. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, a 45-kilometer waterway linking Lake Edward and Lake George. You will see hippos, crocodiles, and many birds along the shores.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha Sector
Depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Enjoy a short game drive as you look for elephants, buffaloes, and the famous tree-climbing lions. Continue to Bwindi, and if time allows, visit a Batwa community to learn about their culture and traditions. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, go to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking rules. You will then head into the forest with a ranger guide to search for your assigned gorilla family. The trek can take between 2 and 8 hours, depending on the gorillas’ location. Once you find them, spend one unforgettable hour observing them as they feed, play, and interact.
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Leave Bwindi and drive across the border into northern Rwanda. Arrive at Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri and check in at your lodge. The park borders both Mgahinga in Uganda and Virunga in DR Congo and is home to gorillas, golden monkeys, buffaloes, and many bird species.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Trekking and Visit to Karisoke Research Center
After breakfast, go for a guided golden monkey trek in the bamboo forests at the base of Mount Gahinga. Spend an hour watching these playful monkeys in their natural habitat. After lunch, visit the Karisoke Research Center, founded by Dr. Dian Fossey in 1967. Learn about her work and ongoing efforts to protect gorillas in the Virunga Mountains.
Day 9: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, drive for two hours to Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes. Enjoy lunch and optional activities like swimming, kayaking, or a boat ride. Later, continue for about four hours to Nyungwe Forest National Park for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Chimpanzee and Colobus Monkey Trekking
After an early breakfast, go for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest, the largest montane rainforest in East and Central Africa. The forest is home to 13 primate species, including chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and colobus monkeys. You will also see many birds and colorful orchids. Spend the day exploring this rich forest before returning to your lodge.
Day 11: Transfer to Kigali Airport and Flight to Arusha
After breakfast, drive through Rwanda’s countryside, stopping at the Nyanza, Butare, and Nyamata genocide memorials. In Kigali, visit the genocide museum or local markets if time allows. Later, transfer to the airport for your flight to Arusha, Tanzania.
Day 12: Game Drive in Arusha National Park
Start your day with a transfer to Arusha National Park. Enjoy a walking safari with an armed ranger to see buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, and warthogs up close. Later, visit the Ngurdoto Crater and continue exploring the park’s landscapes before returning to your hotel.
Day 13: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast, drive to Lake Manyara National Park. The park is small but rich in wildlife and birdlife. In the afternoon, enjoy a game drive in search of tree-climbing lions, elephants, giraffes, and hippos. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 14: Game Drive in Lake Manyara National Park
Have an early morning game drive. Lake Manyara is famous for its flamingos, pelicans, and other birds. You may also see elephants, baboons, and antelopes. Enjoy a picnic lunch and continue exploring before returning to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, drive to Serengeti National Park, known for its endless plains and the annual Great Migration. Between June and September, millions of wildebeests and zebras cross the plains in search of fresh grazing. Serengeti is also home to the Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinos, buffaloes, and elephants.
Day 16: Game Drive in Serengeti National Park
Spend the day exploring the Serengeti. You may witness the Great Migration or see predators like lions, cheetahs, and hyenas hunting in the plains. Other animals include giraffes, impalas, and hippos along the rivers. Return to your lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 17: Transfer to Maasai Mara Game Reserve
After breakfast, drive from Serengeti to Maasai Mara in Kenya. The drive takes about eight hours, crossing the border at Isebania. Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s best wildlife reserves, home to the Big Five and over 450 bird species. Arrive in the evening, check in, and have dinner.
Day 18: Game Drive in Maasai Mara
Enjoy an early morning game drive when wildlife is most active. Maasai Mara is famous for its big cats, elephants, and the annual migration of wildebeests and zebras. You can also visit a Maasai village to learn about their culture, or choose an optional balloon safari at sunrise followed by a champagne breakfast.
Day 19: Transfer to Nairobi for City Tour
After breakfast, drive back to Nairobi and check in at your hotel. In the afternoon, take a short city tour to explore the capital’s landmarks, museums, and craft markets. Spend the evening at leisure.
Day 20: Transfer to Nairobi Airport and Departure
Depending on your flight time, visit Nairobi National Park or the Giraffe Center. After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home or onward travel.
End of 20 Days African Camping Safari in East Africa.
