Big three-country tour – 14 days Rwanda – Uganda – Tanzania

Our driver/guide will meet you at Kigali airport and take you to your hotel.  On the way you will get your first impressions of this unusual city for Africa. Depending on the time of day, you may have the opportunity to visit the genocide memorial, where you will gain an insight into Rwanda’s recent history. Alternatively, you can visit one of the lively markets or the Kandt Museum.

This morning, after a hearty breakfast, we head towards the Volcanoes Mountains. You leave Kigali heading west and soon get an impression of where the name “Land of a Thousand Hills” comes from. The small villages are often quite sleepy, you will be amazed by the lush vegetation with the large coffee and tea plantations and you will enjoy driving through the constantly changing landscape. There is little car traffic, and the bicycle is still the  most popular means of transportation for the rural population of Rwanda. In the afternoon you reach Ruhengeri at the foot of the Volcanoes Mountains

Today it’s time to get up early, have breakfast and then drive to the starting point of the Golden Monkey Tracking. In small groups with a maximum of 8 participants, we head into the Vulcanoes National Park. Endangered animals live here. Only here in the border region between Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo are there around 4500 of these mystical golden monkeys left in the world. The animals’ habitat is the bamboo forests at the foot of the Virunga Mountains, and the ascent is comparatively easy. Alternatively, you can go gorilla tracking for an extra charge.

Today you set off on a particularly impressive scenic drive . After the formalities at the border, we continue via Kisora to Lake Mutanda on the edge of Bwindi National Park. You drive along winding roads with great views of the green terraced mountains, the Virunga volcanoes and Lake Bunyonyi with its 19 islands before you reach the starting point for your gorilla tracking.

Bwindi Impenatrable NP is home to around 500 mountain gorillas, half of the world’s remaining population.  The primates belong to the endangered animal species despite the number of 1,100 that have now been recorded. Tourism has contributed significantly to the fact that the animals are no longer persecuted by the local population but are protected. After a short briefing, you hike into the densely forested jungle with an experienced guide, a ranger and a few porters. Your guide will show you the  tracks of the animals, answer your questions about the vegetation and soon you will be up close to the mighty animals. You have one hour to follow the primates, observe them and take photos. In the afternoon you are back at your lodge and have time to relax and reflect on the day’s experiences.

Today we head towards Lake Mburo National Park. Along the winding roads, you will always have the opportunity to enjoy the view of Lake Bunyonyi.  After your arrival in the park, you will go on a game drive in Uganda’s second smallest national park. Giraffes, zebras, many species of antelope and warthogs live here.

In Lake Mburo National Park you have the opportunity to take part in a walking safari. You go on an exciting hike in the park with an experienced ranger. The ranger will show you the footprints and animal droppings and explain which animals are nearby. In the afternoon, you can go on an extensive game drive in the park or opt for a boat safari on Lake Mburo.

After a final dip in the lodge pool, you set off today towards Tanzania, with Bukoba on the shores of Lake Victoria as your destination. The route leads through a hilly landscape past coffee and banana plantations to the Tanzanian border. The formalities are quickly completed and you continue  with your first impressions of Tanzania to your hotel in Bukoba.

Today begins with a good breakfast and then the driver will take you to Bukoba Airport . From here you take off on a 30-minute flight over Lake Victoria to Mawanza on the southern shore of the lake. After landing, you will be met by our Tanzanian guide and drive with him into the Serengeti. A quick stop at the gate and you are off into the park, which at 17,000 square kilometers is the largest and most animal-rich national park in East Africa. After encountering the first animals, you will reach your lodge in the afternoon.

The new day begins with the unfamiliar sounds of nature, the view of the endless savannah surrounded by tranquillity and nature. The Serengeti with its varied nature, forests, savannah, rivers and unimaginably large wildlife is today’s destination. The guide will take you to the most beautiful places and show you the animals. You will be amazed by the variety.

After breakfast, you will set off for the southern part of the Serengeti. Here, too, you will have the opportunity to take beautiful photos of lions, elephants, the huge herds of wildebeest with the zebras that are always close by and, with luck, you will also see leopards today. You leave Serengeiti through the Nabi Gate and continue towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Today you will spend the day in the Ngorongoro Crater. The diameter of this unique animal paradise is around 20  kilometers, the height difference between the crater rim and the ground is around 600 meters and the crater rim is around 2,300 meters above sea level.  The crater is home to around 25,000 large animals, including the BIG 5 with rhinos, lions, elephants, buffalos and leopards. 

After a hearty breakfast, drive to Mto wa Mbu. The small, lively town at the gateway to Lake Manyara offers the opportunity to visit the colorful and diverse market. Together with your guide you will visit the market or the salt lake Lake Manyara. A game drive in Lake Manyara National Park can be booked for an extra charge, after which you will continue to Kilimanjaro Airport.