Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration Tour: A Complete Itinerary Guide

Experience Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration in this one-of-a-kind luxury bucket list Gorilla Trekking and Great Wildebeest Migration Tour showcasing 4 iconic wildlife destinations in East Africa.

You are invited to experience both gorilla trekking and great migration on our 12-day Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration Safari. You’ll visit four renowned East African wildlife locations on this gorilla trekking and great migration trip. You will travel north to the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beginning in Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam. In this extraordinary area, a variety of animals congregate to feed on the extinct volcano’s mineral-rich crater, with predators close behind. You will enjoy exclusive access to this top wildlife hotspot while you sleep on the rim of the crater with the renowned Ngorongoro Crater Lodge serving as your home base.

As you continue north, you will eventually reach Nyaruswiga Safari Camp in the Serengeti National Park. You will spend your days here on game drives across the park, guided walking safaris, and have the option to watch the sunrise over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon safari. This place is home to the yearly Great Wildebeest Migration and the Big Five. You will next go to the western Serengeti’s Grumeti Reserve from here and lodge at the upscale Singita Faru Faru Lodge.

You will have the chance to interact with residents of the nearby villages and learn more about Singita’s conservation initiative, OP 7, an anti-poaching observation station, in addition to experiencing world-class wildlife viewing. The beginning of your gorilla trekking journey will take place in Uganda’s untamed African jungle. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is home to two families of Silverback gorillas, is the perfect place for your base, Sanctuary Gorilla Camp. Start your 12 Days Exclusive Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration Safari.


Gorilla trekking (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park – Uganda)

Itinerary at the Glance: Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration Tour

  • Day 1: Arrive in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Day 2: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
  • Day 3: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
  • Day 4: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
  • Day 5: Serengeti National Park
  • Day 6: Transfer to Grumeti Reserve
  • Day 7 – 8: Grumeti Reserve
  • Day 9: Transfer to Uganda
  • Day 10: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
  • Day 11: Big Game Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • Day 12: Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

A The Bespoke African Safari Co.® representative will be waiting for you when you arrive at Dar Es Salaam Airport and will take you the short 40 minutes to The Oyster Bay Hotel throughout the city. Your headquarters for the evening as you enjoy your first night in Africa will be the hotel, which is situated on the shore. This upscale boutique hotel, which has just 8 suites, allows you to unwind before your trip begins the next day. Expect expansive rooms, decor with African influences, and lush landscaping. You will have time to unpack and relax after a smooth check-in. Enjoy some downtime at the pool or the spa before a delectable afternoon tea. Enjoy a pre-dinner beverage in the evening before dining al fresco on the hotel’s patio.

Included Activities

Enjoy some relaxation by the pool or the spa, or indulge in a delectable afternoon tea. Enjoy a pre-dinner beverage in the evening before dining al fresco on the hotel’s patio.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Oyster Bay Hotel

Dar Es Salaam Airport
oyster bay hotel dar es salaam

Day 2: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Before meeting your driver to take you back to Dar Es Salaam Airport, start your day with a substantial breakfast at the Oyster Bay Hotel. You’ll take a quick flight this morning to the Manyara Airstrip in northern Tanzania, which is just 1 hour and 40 minutes distant. A lodge representative will be there to greet you when you get to Manyara and will drive you the hour and a half to the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater. The &Beyond’s Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, a luxurious lodge perched above the Ngorongoro Crater below, will serve as your home base for the following three nights. With 30 individual, stilted rooms affording privileged views of the crater, the lodging is dispersed throughout 3 small camps. You can prepare for your first game drive this afternoon following a quick check-in, or you can relax after your trip with an in-room massage.

Together with your committed guide, descend via the steep mountains to the crater’s foot before moving into the grassy plains in quest of the Big 5. Great animal observations are to be expected because the Ngorongoro Crater’s mineral-rich base attracts a large number of herbivores, followed closely by predators and big cats. You can either arrange a private meal in the lodge’s wine studio or return to the lodge for a masterfully cooked supper in your camp’s VIP dining area.

Included Activities

After your trip, unwind with a massage in your hotel or go on your first game drive with your knowledgeable guide to the crater’s base in search of the Big 5.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in​​ at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

Days 3: Game Drives in Ngorongoro Conservation Area


Tanzania Safari Game Drive

Your devoted guide will get you up this morning so you can go on your morning game drive into the crater. Warm-up with a strong cup of coffee and a breakfast snack before leaving the resort. It’s a good idea to pack something warm because the morning air can be chilly. Join your guide as you descend into the crater in a closed safari car with a pop-up roof in search of the Big 5, as well as hyena, wildebeest, cheetahs, and zebras. Midday, your guide will pause to prepare a special meal that will be served in a secluded picnic area on the floor of the crater. Zebras are grazing in the scenery as you arrive at neatly prepared tables and delectable meals. Back at the lodge after lunch, you can relax a bit before joining your guide for an optional late-afternoon Crater rim walk. Put on your walking shoes and explore the surrounding landscape of the Crater rim.

As the sun begins to set over the Crater, make your way back to the lodge to have some snacks and drinks before dinner. Before dinner, 20 Maasai warriors will perform a traditional ceremony that includes singing, dancing, and chanting.
Included Activities

Game drives through the crater and escorted hikes along the rim are great ways to learn about the Ngorongoro. Midday, your guide will pause to prepare a special meal that will be served in a secluded picnic area on the floor of the crater.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

Day 4: Transfer to Serengeti National Park

Following a filling breakfast and your morning game drive, your driver will take you to Manyara Airstrip for your brief 45-minute flight to the Serengeti National Park. At Seronera Airstrip, a lodge representative will be waiting to take you to Nyaruswiga Safari Camp as soon as you land. This ultra-luxury safari camp is situated in the Serengeti’s core, flanked by vast plains and the Nyaruswiga Hills in the distance. The main lodge includes a private lounge, bar, dining area, astral observation terrace, and outdoor plunge pool and jacuzzi. The camp has 14 luxurious canvas tents, each with a bedroom, indoor lounge, and ensuite bathroom with a view of the wide savannah. You will have time to unpack after check-in and relax after your trip with a dip in the plunge pool or a friendly match of badminton.

Your first game drive through the Serengeti is scheduled for the afternoon. A game drive across the Serengeti promises to be an exhilarating experience because it is home to the Big 5, herds of wildebeest, zebra, antelopes, giraffes, cheetah, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, and more than 500 species of birds. You might be fortunate enough to see the largest migration in history as wildebeest rush through the Mara River if you’re traveling between July and September. Before a lavish supper that will satisfy the tastebuds of the most discriminating guests, return to the camp for a pre-dinner drink at the bar.

Included Activities

A game drive across the Serengeti promises to be an exhilarating experience because it is home to the Big 5, herds of wildebeest, zebra, antelopes, giraffes, cheetah, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, and more than 500 species of birds. Prepare to see the Great Migration cross the Mara River if you’re traveling in September.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Nyaruswiga Safari Camp

Nyaruswiga Safari Camp
Game Drives in Serengeti

Day 5: Hot Air Balloon Safari in Serengeti National Park


Serengeti Hot Air Balloon Safari

You have the option to get up this morning before sunrise and embark on a journey that will change your life as you soar over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon. We strongly advise making the most of your time in the Serengeti, even though this activity is extra. After landing safely, you can either request to enjoy breakfast in the wild or be guided back to camp for a substantial breakfast and a morning at leisure. Slow down your safari in the late afternoon and embark with your knowledgeable guide on a walking safari along a track where incredible wildlife is just waiting to be discovered. Before your final dinner at Nyaruswiga, round out the day’s exciting activities with a revitalizing treatment at the camp’s spa. After dinner, head to the astral viewing balcony to view the natural surroundings and the African night sky.
Included Activities

Get up early and embark on a life-altering adventure as you ride in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti or go on a walking safari with your knowledgeable guide. Add a rejuvenating treatment at the camp’s spa to cap off the day’s exciting activities.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Nyaruswiga Safari Camp

Day 6: Transfer to Grumeti Reserve

Get up early and embark on a life-altering adventure as you ride in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti or go on a walking safari with your knowledgeable guide. Add a rejuvenating treatment at the camp’s spa to cap off the day’s exciting activities. You can unwind at the spa or go to the exercise center for the remainder of the day. Take a night game drive in the Grumeti Reserve in the evening to observe a variety of species as day fades to night, including leopards and black rhinos.

Included Activities:

You can unwind at the spa or go to the exercise center for the remainder of the day. Take a night game drive in the Grumeti Reserve in the evening to observe a variety of species as day fades to night, including leopards and black rhinos.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Singita Faru Faru Lodge

Game Drive in Grumeti Reserve Tanzania
Grumeti Reserve

Day 7 – 8: Grumeti Reserve


Game drive in Grumeti game reserve – Tanzania

An early game drive through the reserve will begin your first morning at Singita Faru Faru Lodge. Wildlife of all kinds, including cheetah, bearded wildebeest, Maasai giraffe, and lion, can be found in the Grumeti region. You may witness the calving season, when about 400,000 wildebeest calves are born, from January to March. Before leaving to explore the Singita Grumeti neighboring villages, return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast. Singita collaborates with the local community to address challenges related to education, resource management, water management, and business development by working closely with the nearby villages. This is your chance to discover more about the conservation initiatives and community improvement initiatives that Singita is so committed to.

Put on your walking shoes and go on a walking safari through the wilderness with your knowledgeable guide in the afternoon. Learn about the reserve’s flora and scenery while getting a close-up look at the bush. Additionally, you will have a chance to go to OP 7, Singita’s anti-poaching observation post, where you may meet the game scouts and see what they do on a daily basis. Before supper at the lodge, your guide will make a pit stop en route for a late-afternoon drink in the African wilderness.

Included Activities:

Put on your walking shoes and go on a walking safari with your knowledgeable guide to explore the Grumeti region, which is home to a variety of animals, including cheetah, bearded wildebeest, Maasai giraffe, and lion.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Singita Faru Faru Lodge

Grumeti Reserve in Serengeti National Park
Singita Faru Faru Lodge.

Day 9: Transfer to Uganda

Your driver will bring you to Sasakwa Airstrip after one last breakfast at Singita Faru Faru. You will then fly to Musoma in northwest Tanzania and continue on to Uganda from there. Arrive at Entebbe International Airport before continuing on a charter to Kihihi Airport, which is just a short flight away. Your driver will be waiting for you at the airport to accompany you to the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. A common lounge, eating room, and bar with views of the rainforest are characteristics of the ecologically responsible camp that naturally merges in with its natural surroundings. After checking in, proceed to your room, which is a roomy canvas tent with a four-post bed, natural linens, and your own wooden terrace. Feeling energetic? Take a 3-hour woodland hike with a knowledgeable guide to the Munyaga waterfall. Eleven different species of monkeys, rare forest elephants, and.

400 different bird species and 200 different butterfly species. Before a masterfully crafted meal featuring regional foods and flavors, head back to the tent for beverages around the communal campfire.

Included Activities:

Feeling energetic? Take a 3-hour woodland hike with a knowledgeable guide to the Munyaga waterfall. Before a masterfully crafted meal featuring regional foods and flavors, head back to the tent for beverages around the communal campfire.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
sanctuary gorilla forest camp Uganda

Day 10: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest


Gorilla Trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After a filling breakfast, start your strenuous day of gorilla trekking with a knowledgeable guide in search of the endangered Silverback Mountain Gorilla. Make sure you are physically prepared for this trip because the climb is difficult with its steep slopes and deep forest. Only eight people are permitted to see each gorilla family each day, therefore you will need tracking permission before you enter the forest. Your gorilla trek‘s length depends depend on how long it takes to locate the wild gorillas. Enjoy the thrill of spotting your first mountain gorilla and an hour of watching these big primates interact with one another. Before a beautiful outdoor dinner on the private deck of your tent, head back to the lodge for lunch and some well-earned downtime.

Included Activities:

Track through the woodland in pursuit of the two families of Silverback Mountain Gorillas that live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Enjoy the thrill of spotting your first mountain gorilla and an hour of watching these big primates interact with one another.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 11: Big Game Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Depending on how you’re feeling, you have a choice of two full-day activities today. At 6:30 a.m., go for a full-day wildlife drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park if you want to have one last safari adventure. The park will provide a different safari experience from the Serengeti because it is home to lions that can climb trees, savannah elephants, buffaloes, and leopards. Your day trip includes refreshments, breakfast munchies, and a picnic lunch in the well-known hippo pool. Alternately, you might utilize this day to engage with the Batwa Tribe’s culture. You may reach the formerly nomadic Batwa tribe, the oldest people in the Great Lakes region, after a three-hour hike (the first record of their existence were made by Egyptians over 4,000 years ago.) Before returning to the camp, you will learn about the tribe’s rich culture and hunter-gatherer way of life on this day trip.

Included Activities:

Take a full-day wildlife drive through Queen Elizabeth National, which is home to leopards, savannah elephants, buffalo, and tree-climbing lions. As an alternative, you can learn about the diverse culture of the nomadic Batwa Tribe, who are the first people to live in the Great Lakes region.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Check-in at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth national park, Uganda

Day 12: Departure

Your gorilla trekking and great migration safari comes to an end on day 12. Your driver will bring you to Kihihi Airport for your departure to Entebbe and subsequent trip home after a filling breakfast and hassle-free check-out of Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

End of the 12 Days Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration Tour

Inclusions

  • Accommodation and meals, as specified in the itinerary
  • Activities and excursions, as specified in the itinerary
  • Transportation services, as specified in the itinerary
  • Your Trip Coordinator: a 24/7 point of contact supporting you during your trip
  • Carbon emissions offsetting for your trip

Inclusions

  • Entrance fees and meals, unless mentioned in the itinerary description
  • Tips and personal expenses
  • Visa and tourism fees
  • Travel, health, and cancellation insurance
  • International airfare

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration Safari Trip? Essential Trip Information provides, visa info, How to get to Tanzania, Uganda the Best Time to visit – pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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