This 7 Days Uganda Gorillas and Ngorongoro Safari is a short but rewarding East Africa safari that combines mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda with classic wildlife viewing in Tanzania. The trip takes you to two countries in one journey and focuses on the region’s most famous attractions. In Uganda, you will trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where visitors are allowed to spend one full hour with a gorilla family. In Tanzania, you will explore Serengeti National Park and finish your safari in the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater.
This safari is suitable for travelers who want primates and big game viewing within a limited time while moving comfortably between destinations.
Day 1: Arrival and Pickup from Entebbe Airport
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by your professional driver guide. The guide will welcome you to Uganda and give a short briefing about your 7-day Uganda Gorillas and Ngorongoro Safari.
After the briefing, you will be driven to your booked hotel in either Entebbe or Kampala. The rest of the day is for rest after your flight. Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel.
Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and begin the long drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda. The journey takes most of the day and passes through towns, farmland, and hills.
You will stop for lunch along the way before continuing to the park area. As you approach Bwindi, the scenery becomes more forested and quiet. On arrival, check in at your lodge near the park, relax, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the gorilla trek the next day.
Day 3: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Wake up early and have breakfast at the lodge. Drive to the park headquarters for a mandatory briefing by park wardens. During the briefing, you will learn the rules of gorilla trekking and be placed into a group of up to eight people.
Each group is assigned a gorilla family and an experienced ranger guide. The trek begins in the forest and can last between two and six hours, depending on where the gorillas are found. You must be at least 15 years old to take part in gorilla trekking.
When you meet the gorillas, you will keep a distance of about seven meters. You will spend one hour watching them feed, rest, groom, and move through the forest while the silverback watches over the group. After the experience, return to the park headquarters and drive back to the lodge for lunch, rest, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 4: Fly to Tanzania and Drive to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, check out and drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. Have lunch along the way before continuing to Entebbe International Airport.
From Entebbe, board your flight to Arusha in northern Tanzania. Upon arrival, meet your Tanzanian driver guide and continue by road to Serengeti National Park. Arrive at the lodge in the evening, enjoy dinner, and rest overnight.
Day 5: Serengeti Game Drive and Transfer to Ngorongoro
After breakfast, enjoy a full game drive in Serengeti National Park. This park is known for wide open plains and large numbers of animals. During the drive, you may see lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, leopards, impalas, and many bird species.
From July to November, it is possible to see parts of the wildebeest migration. You will carry a packed lunch and eat it inside the park while watching wildlife.
In the late afternoon, leave Serengeti and drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Check in at your lodge, have dinner, and overnight stay near the crater.
Day 6: Full Day in Ngorongoro Crater
After an early breakfast, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full day of wildlife viewing. Ngorongoro is a large volcanic caldera and one of the best places in Tanzania to see animals in a small area.
You may see elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, and rhinos, which together form the Big Five. Other animals include zebras, cheetahs, jackals, and many antelope species. Lake Magadi inside the crater attracts flamingos during the wet season.
After the game drive and picnic lunch, return to the lodge on the crater rim for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Drive to Arusha and End of Safari
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge, then check out and drive to Arusha. Depending on your flight time, you may take a short city tour in Arusha before being transferred to the airport.
This marks the end of your 7 Days Uganda Gorillas and Ngorongoro Safari, combining primate trekking in Uganda with classic wildlife experiences in Tanzania.