Lush Africa Safaris

4.8/5 – 33 Reviews

$4,824 to $4,840 pp (USD)

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Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

  • You'll be collected from the airport.
  • Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Day 1

Arrival in Kigali

Arrival in Kigali

On arrival, our professional driver-guide will pick you up from Kigali International Airport. The guide will brief you about your stay in Kigali and transfer to Uganda the following day. You will spend the night at your Kigali hotel and relax to kill the jetlag. But if you're the type that hits the ground running straight away, there are a few city tour activities that you can do in Kigali this afternoon and evening.
Sprawling across the steep slopes that earned Rwanda the nickname Land of 1000 Hills, Kigali is a neat, clean, and rapidly growing city situated at the hub of the national road network. You will explore the compact city center for a fascinating introduction to the bustle of contemporary urban Africa, or head out to leafy suburbs dotted with a cosmopolitan choice of garden restaurants.

Main Destination:
Kigali (Rwanda)
Accommodation:
Chez Lando Hotel
  • Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 2

Kigali Genocide Memorial to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Kigali Genocide Memorial to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

You will wake up and have breakfast at your hotel. You'll visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center for a gripping recount of the horrible events of 1994. You'll have lunch and head out to Uganda. You will drive for about 4 hours from Kigali to your accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This status was earned for its biodiversity and for protecting 3 great apes in Africa; mountain gorillas, chimpanzees as well and the Batwa People a.k.a. pygmies.
In Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, gorilla treks cost ($700 pp) a fraction of what it costs in neighboring Rwanda ($1,500 pp), making one of Africa's greatest, and most-sought wildlife experiences more affordable here. Ironically, Uganda's Bwindi is closer to Rwanda's International Airport in Kigali (about 4 hours) compared to Uganda's Entebbe International Airport (about 9 hours) hence the Kigali stopover in this itinerary.
You'll have dinner and rest because you'll be trekking early morning.

Main Destination:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
Best Time To Visit June to August and December to February
High Season June to September (Gorilla permits are scarce)
Best Weather June to July and December to February (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Bwindi NP

Accommodation:
Rushaga Gorilla Haven's Lodge
  • Budget lodgejust outside Bwindi NP (Gorillas, Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 3

Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

You'll wake up to the beautiful natural smells of the pristine forest and enjoy your sumptuous breakfast against the soundtrack of crickets and birds. You'll pack lunch, and head to the 'briefing center' where a head ranger will take you through the dos and don'ts of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, grab yourself a walking stick and follow your ranger guide into the gorilla sanctuary. Follow the instructions given by the ranger, maintain silence and you will appreciate nature. There's so much exciting wildlife to see before you can even encounter the gorillas. On sight of the gorillas, keep calm and watch them feed, play, swing from one branch to another, and fully utilize your one magical hour in their presence. Nothing will prepare you for the awesomeness of clapping your eyes on the mountain gorillas. Afterward, you will return to the launch site to receive a gorilla tracking certificate. Time to thump your chest! You will have a Batwa Community visitation if time permits.

Main Destination:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation:
Rushaga Gorilla Haven's Lodge
  • Budget lodgejust outside Bwindi NP (Gorillas, Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 4

Bwindi - Kigali - Nairobi, Kenya

Bwindi - Kigali - Nairobi, Kenya

You will wake up early in the morning and depart Bwindi for Kigali International Airport where you will catch your connecting flight to Nairobi. You will arrive in Nairobi this late afternoon and relax at your hotel. If you choose to explore the Nairobi nightlife, our guide will be at hand to drive you to the venue of your choice.

Main Destination:
Nairobi (City, Kenya)
Accommodation:
The Boma Nairobi
  • Luxury hotelin Nairobi (City, Kenya)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 5

Nairobi - Masai Mara National Reserve

Nairobi - Masai Mara National Reserve

Early morning, you will be picked up from your Nairobi hotel and begin your Kenya safari adventure to the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve. You will drive through the stunning and scenic Great Rift Valley with a brief stopover to admire the breathtaking views and optional shopping at the curio shops. You will enjoy another brief stop-over in Narok Town for refreshments and to use the restrooms before continuing your journey to Masai Mara with a short game drive en route before reaching the lodge. You'll arrive at the lodge in time for check-in and lunch. You'll spend the rest of your day at leisure, enjoying the facilities the lodge has to offer before heading out for a thrilling introductory game drive in the magnificent Masai Mara. If you arrive during the great migration, you will be thrilled to take you there to experience it, but if you happen to travel outside the migration season, you will still enjoy great game drives with the Big Five!

Main Destination:
Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya)
Best Time To Visit June to October (For general wildlife viewing) and August to October (For wildebeest migration)
High Season June to October and December to March
Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Wildlife in Masai Mara NR

ElephantCommon
GiraffeCommon
LionCommon
CheetahCommon
ZebraAbundant
WildebeestAbundant
Show more
BuffaloCommon
HippoCommon
HyenaCommon
LeopardOccasional
Wild DogVery Rare
Accommodation:
Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located inside Masai Mara NR (Kenya)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 6

Game Drive in Masai Mara National Reserve to View the Great Migration

Game Drive in Masai Mara National Reserve to View the Great Migration

You will have an early breakfast and depart the lodge with a packed lunch for a full-day game viewing across the rich tree-studded grassland and rolling hills. At lunchtime, our guide will pick a scenic (and safe) spot where you will enjoy your lunch and hear animals howl, birds chirp and the mighty Mara River flow across the savanna. Afterward, you will transfer back to your lodge. There is a hot-air balloon tour option for an extra fee of $450 per person. A visit to a Masai Boma (Masai village tour) is an interesting experience that can be added to your activities for $30 per person.

The Great Migration:
Every year, between late June and October, around 1.5 million wildebeest, 350,000 Thomson’s gazelles, 200,000 zebras, and thousands of eland and other ungulates (hoofed animals) participate in ‘the greatest show on earth, the Great Wildebeest Migration following an age-old route in search of grazing and water between Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania.

Main Destination:
Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya)
Accommodation:
Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located inside Masai Mara NR (Kenya)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 7

Masai Mara - Serengeti National Park

Masai Mara - Serengeti National Park

After an early morning breakfast, you will check out from your lodge and enjoy a final game drive en route to the Isebania border with packed picnic lunch boxes. You will finish border formalities and thereafter, you'll be picked up by our Tanzania team and transferred to your Serengeti lodge with a game drive en-route. You will check in at your lodge and enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.
The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania was established in 1952. It is home to the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth—the great migration of wildebeests and zebras. The resident population of lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, and birds is just as impressive.
If you arrive during the great migration, we will be thrilled to take you there to experience it, but if you happen to travel outside the migration season, you will still enjoy great game drives with the Big Five!

Main Destination:
Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)
Best Time To Visit January to February and June to October (Different areas are best at different times)
High Season July to March (The Seronera area is crowded)
Best Weather June to October (Little to no rainfall)

Wildlife in Serengeti NP

ElephantCommon
LionCommon
CheetahCommon
BuffaloAbundant
ZebraAbundant
WildebeestAbundant
Show more
GiraffeCommon
HippoCommon
HyenaCommon
LeopardOccasional
Black RhinoVery Rare
Wild DogVery Rare
Accommodation:
Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp
  • Mid-range tented camp located inside Central Serengeti (Tanzania)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 8

Game Drive in Serengeti National Park

Game Drive in Serengeti National Park

You will wake up before dawn for an unforgettable sunrise game drive. You will marvel at how the sun sets fire to the savannah as you go in search of the big cats on the hunt for their morning meal. After breakfast, you will spend an entire day out on the plains of the Serengeti searching for the Big Five among other animals. Weaving through Kopje, you’ll see some of the world’s most iconic wildlife against the open plains and the big sky of Tanzania’s crown jewel. There is an option to visit a Maasai Village for an extra $30 pp. You can also opt for a hot air balloon tour at an extra $600 pp.

Main Destination:
Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)
Accommodation:
Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp
  • Mid-range tented camp located inside Central Serengeti (Tanzania)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 9

Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Crater

Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Crater

You will enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out, and drive via the beautiful high-lying farmland of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You will head down into the crater for a day of exploration in the incredible Ngorongoro Crater with a packed picnic lunch. Late in the afternoon, you will ascend 600m and transfer to your Ngorongoro lodge for check-in, dinner, and your overnight stay.
Ngorongoro caldera’s floor is predominantly open grassland. It is home to a diverse array of animals including elephants, black rhinoceroses, leopards, buffalo, zebras, warthogs, gnu (wildebeests), Grant’s and Thomson's gazelles. Ngorongoro has the densest population of lions in the world. The local Maasai people also graze their livestock in the crater. Lake Magadi, a shallow soda lake ringed by extinct volcanoes, is renowned as a habitat for great flocks of pink flamingos.

Main Destination:
Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania)
Best Time To Visit June to October (Wildlife viewing is best)
High Season Most of the year – July to March (Expect crowds)
Best Weather June to October (Rainfall is little to none)

Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater

LionCommon
BuffaloAbundant
ZebraAbundant
WildebeestAbundant
HyenaAbundant
Show more
ElephantCommon
HippoCommon
LeopardOccasional
Accommodation:
Rhino Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located on the crater rim of Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 10

Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha for Departure

Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha for Departure

After a relaxed breakfast, you will check out from the lodge and enjoy a final game drive en route to Arusha. You will transfer to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport for departure.
End of tour.

Main Destination:
Arusha Airport (Arusha, Tanzania)
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

  • Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
  • You'll be dropped off at the airport.

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  • If preferred, you can contact the tour operator directly
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Disclaimer

  • This tour is offered by Lush Africa Safaris, not SafariBookings.
  • This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
  • If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
  • Rates include a fixed budget for flights during this tour. If flights cost more, your quote will reflect this.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
  • If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
  • Gorilla tracking permits are subject to availability.