Duration
12-Day
Ngorongoro Crater, Botswana
Witness the Great Migration in Serengeti & Masai Mara, descend into Ngorongoro Crater's wildlife paradise, trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi, and climb Sipi Falls. Includes cultural encounters with Maasai warriors, a Kampala city tour, and a visit to Dian Fossey's legacy. The complete East African safari odyssey.
Plan snapshot
Duration
12-Day
Route
Arusha to Kigali
Via Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Masai Mara NR
Country & park
Botswana / Ngorongoro Crater
Style
Mid-range shared safari
Group size
1-12 travelers
Starts
Any day if available
Minimum age
15 years
Activities
game drives, gorilla trekking, walking safaris (with an armed guide) & nature hikes/walks
Accommodation
Hhando Coffee Lodge - Mid-range lodge 1-2hr drive from Ngorongoro Crater – Lunch & Dinner Included
Meals
Lunch & Dinner Included; All Meals Included
Pickup
Airport transfer included
Booking
Request quote
Currency
USD
Solo travelers
Can join this group tour
Rates
USD
Before booking
Quote flow
This mid-range tour uses lodges and tented camps.
On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 6 people per vehicle.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
The accommodations and destinations of this tour cannot be changed.
Single travelers can join this group tour, but it requires a minimum of 2 people to run.
The minimum age for this tour is 15 years.
Day 1
Mid-range lodge 1-2hr drive from Ngorongoro Crater – Lunch & Dinner Included
Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 2-3
Luxury tented camp inside Central Serengeti NP (Tanzania) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 4-5
Budget tented camp just outside Masai Mara NR (Kenya) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 6-7
Mid-range lodge at Sipi Falls (Highlight, Uganda) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 8
Mid-range self catering accommodation in Kampala (City, Uganda) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 9-10
Mid-range lodge just outside Bwindi Impenetrable NP (Gorillas, Uganda) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 11
Budget hotel in Kigali (Rwanda) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 12
(No accommodation)
All Meals Included
Tour step
You'll be collected from the airport. Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1
Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport and meet your guide. Instead of rushing, ease into African time at Mto Wa Mbu, a vibrant market town nestled below the Rift Valley escarpment. This “rest day” is anything but boring: take a village walk through banana and rice plantations, taste local banana beer, visit a maasai boma, or simply lounge by your lodge pool with views of Lake Manyara. In the afternoon, enjoy a short game drive in Lake Manyara National Park – famous for tree-climbing lions, flamingos, and troops of baboons. As dusk falls, return for a traditional Tanzanian dinner under acacia trees. The rest day prepares your body and spirit for the wild days ahead. Mid-range lodge located 1-2hr drive from Ngorongoro Crater Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2
Wake before dawn and climb the steep road into Ngorongoro Crater – a UNESCO wonder and the world’s largest unbroken caldera. Descend 600 metres onto the crater floor, a self-contained wildlife paradise. Within hours, spot the Big Five: black rhinos grazing on open grasslands, lions sprawled beside hippo pools, elephants brushing against fever trees, buffalo herds stirring dust, and leopards hidden in acacia branches. The crater’s high walls frame this spectacle like a natural amphitheater. After a picnic lunch at Hippo Pool, ascend and drive west toward Serengeti National Park. The landscape transforms from volcanic highlands to endless golden plains. Arrive at your Serengeti camp as the sun sets – night sounds of hyenas and lions welcome you. Luxury tented camp located inside Central Serengeti NP (Tanzania) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 3
Today belongs entirely to the Serengeti. Depart with a sunrise game drive when predators are most active. Depending on the season (December–July), track the Great Migration – over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebras thundering across the plains, crossing crocodile-infested rivers. In other months, the Serengeti offers resident wildlife: cheetahs sprinting on open grasslands, elephants leading calves, giraffes browsing acacia treetops, and lions ruling from rocky kopjes. Stop for a bush breakfast in the middle of nowhere, then continue to the Seronera River Valley, known for frequent leopard sightings. An afternoon game drive follows lunch at lodge. As the sun bleeds gold, return to camp for a sundowner – watching silhouettes of herds drift across the horizon. Luxury tented camp located inside Central Serengeti NP (Tanzania) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 4
Cross the border from Tanzania into Kenya’s legendary Masai Mara National Reserve. The journey takes you through the Isebania border post and into rolling savannah that looks identical to the Serengeti – because it is the same ecosystem. The Mara completes the Great Migration circuit from July to October, when millions of animals pour north. Arrive by afternoon and immediately head out for a game drive. The Mara is famous for its dense predator population: see prides of lions, solitary leopards, cheetah coalitions, and spotted hyena clans. Herds of elephants and buffalo roam freely. End the day at your luxury tented camp, where Maasai warriors perform a traditional jumping dance around the campfire. Budget tented camp located just outside Masai Mara NR (Kenya) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 5
Dedicate an entire day to exploring the Masai Mara in depth. Start at dawn with a balloon safari (optional extra) – drifting silently over herds, then landing for a champagne breakfast in the bush. Back on land, drive to the Mara River, where the Great Migration’s dramatic river crossings occur. Watch wildebeest hesitate, then plunge into churning water filled with giant Nile crocodiles. Even without crossings, the Mara delivers: spot rare black rhinos, topi, eland, and hundreds of bird species including ostriches, secretary birds, and martial eagles. Picnic lunch at a hippo pool. Afternoon game drives focus on the eastern plains where cheetahs hunt. Return to camp at dusk, exhausted but exhilarated. Budget tented camp located just outside Masai Mara NR (Kenya) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 6
Fly from Kilimanjaro or Nairobi to Entebbe, Uganda. Your Ugandan guide meets you and drives east toward Mount Elgon National Park. Arrive at Sipi Falls, a series of three spectacular waterfalls cascading 100 metres down a cliff face overlooking the Karamoja plains. Check into a lodge perched on the ridge – the view of the falls and the endless savannah below is breathtaking. Take a short hike to the base of the main falls, feeling the cool spray on your face. Local children run alongside to hold your hand. Evening around a bonfire, listening to the roar of falling water. Mid-range lodgeat Sipi Falls (Highlight, Uganda) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 7
Today is for adventure. After breakfast, embark on a full Sipi Falls trek (3–4 hours) visiting all three waterfalls. Your local guide leads you through coffee and banana plantations, across bamboo bridges, and along cliff edges. Swim in the plunge pool of the second falls (if you dare – the water is fresh from Mount Elgon). Learn how the Sabiny people roast and pound arabica coffee – join a hands-on coffee experience, grinding beans with a wooden pestle. Afternoon options: abseiling down the 100-metre cliff face, rock climbing, or a gentle village walk to see traditional mud huts and a cave where locals hid during inter-tribal wars. Return to your lodge for a well-earned Ugandan feast. Mid-range lodgeat Sipi Falls (Highlight, Uganda) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 8
Depart Sipi after breakfast and drive west to Kampala, Uganda’s vibrant capital. Arrive by early afternoon and begin a detailed city tour. First stop: the Uganda Museum – housing traditional musical instruments, colonial artifacts, and the famous “Luzira Head.” Then visit the Gaddafi National Mosque (climb the minaret for 360° views of Kampala’s seven hills) and Namirembe Cathedral, the oldest Anglican cathedral in Uganda. Drive through the chaotic but colorful Owino Market, where anything is sold. Visit the Buddo Royal Tombs (Kasubi Tombs), a UNESCO site and burial ground for Buganda kings. End at Ndere Cultural Centre for an evening of traditional dance and drumming performances from all Ugandan tribes. Check into your Kampala hotel. Mid-range self catering accommodation in Kampala (City, Uganda) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 9
Leave Kampala early and drive southwest through rolling green hills and terraced farmlands. The journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park takes 8–9 hours but is breathtaking – passing through the Mpambire drum-making village (watch craftsmen hollow out tree trunks), the equator line for a photo, and the lush highlands of Kabale (called “Switzerland of Africa”). Along the way, stop for lunch in Mbarara, known for its Ankole long-horned cattle and roasted goat. As you approach Bwindi, the air cools and the landscape becomes steep, misty, and primeval – home to nearly half the world’s mountain gorillas. Arrive at your eco-lodge perched on the forest edge as dusk falls. Attend a pre-trek briefing by park rangers. Mid-range lodge just outside Bwindi Impenetrable NP (Gorillas, Uganda) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 10
This is the morning you’ve been waiting for. After an early breakfast, gather at park headquarters for gorilla family allocation. Your ranger guide leads you into the Impenetrable Forest – a dense tangle of bamboo, vines, giant lobelias, and ancient hardwoods. The trek can take 2 to 6 hours, depending on where the gorillas nested overnight. Porters are available to carry your pack (highly recommended). When you find the family, you’ll have exactly one hour with them. Watch the silverback beat his chest, mothers nurse tiny infants, juveniles tumble in play, and juveniles swing through vines. The eye-to-eye connection with a mountain gorilla – seeing human-like expressions and gentle curiosity – is humbling, profound, and life-changing. Return to lodge for a celebration. Mid-range lodge just outside Bwindi Impenetrable NP (Gorillas, Uganda) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 11
After breakfast, cross the border from Uganda into Rwanda via the Cyanika or Katuna post. The landscape shifts to immaculate terraced hills – Rwanda is known as “Land of a Thousand Hills.” Drive to Musanze, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park. Your destination: the Dian Fossey Museum (also called the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund). This modern, moving museum tells the story of Dian Fossey, the American primatologist who dedicated her life to saving mountain gorillas. See her original cabin replica, photographs, research notes, and artifacts. Learn about her anti-poaching campaigns, her murder, and the legacy that saved gorillas from extinction. A video room shows rare footage of her work. Afternoon visit to a local Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for Intore dancing. Budget hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 12
Spend your final morning exploring Kigali, Africa’s cleanest and most efficient city. Begin at the Kigali Genocide Memorial – a somber, essential visit honoring over 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide. Learn Rwanda’s reconciliation story. Then lighten the mood: visit the Caplaki Craft Village for last-minute souvenirs – wood carvings, Agaseke baskets, and Kitenge fabric. Drive through the Kimironko Market for a sensory explosion of spices, fruit, and local life. See the Presidential Palace Museum (with a wreckage of the 1994 plane crash that sparked the genocide). Enjoy a farewell lunch at a rooftop café overlooking the city’s rolling hills. Transfer to Kigali International Airport for your flight home. Your East African odyssey ends – but the memories of gorillas, lions, and endless savannahs never will. All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Tour step
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. You'll be dropped off at the airport.
Park fees (For non-residents)
Gorilla permits(One per person, non-resident)
All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
All flights during the tour
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water (On all days)
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Offered by
Usoke Explorers is a trusted East African safari company offering tailor-made journeys across Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. We specialize in wildlife safaris, gorilla trekking, cultural experiences, and adventure tours, guided by experienced local experts. With reliable 4x4 vehicles and personalized service, we create authentic, unforgettable travel experiences for every guest.
Office In
Uganda
Size
5-10 employees (Founded in 2022)
Member Of
UTB, UWA & TGFU
Tour Types
Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
Destinations
Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
Traveler feedback
Overall
5.0/5Communication
5.0/5Accuracy
5.0/5Value
5.0/5Safety clarity
5.0/5Cultural value
5.0/5Andrew and the Usoke Explorers team were fantastic throughout our two-week university trip in Uganda. They helped coordinate transportation, guided excursions, safari experiences and other activities for a group of more than 35 students, and professors. What impressed me most was how easy they made everything. We simply had to show up on time, and they took care of the rest. From organizing activities like quad biking and horseback riding to guiding us through the day-time and night-time safaris, Andrew and his team were professional, flexible, and incredibly knowledgeable about the local area and wildlife. They were also great at helping us spot animals, answering questions, and even taking candid photos throughout the trip. Managing a large student group is not easy, but they handled it effortlessly and made the entire experience enjoyable and stress-free. I would highly recommend Usoke Explorers to students, large groups, or anyone looking for a well-organized and memorable experience in Uganda. Thank you, Andrew and team, for helping make our trip so special.
Tina Nguyen · Canada
Very top-notch. Worth coming. (automatic translation from Chinese)
唐坚倍 · China
Usoke Explorers were the best tour guides during my time in Uganda! They were very knowledgeable, friendly, and always ensured that everyone had a good time. The safari tours were amazing and I would definitely recommend their services.
Shankavi · Canada
Over my visit to Uganda, I went on over 5 excursions with Usoke explorers. Each time I was pleasantly surprised by their patience, willingness to accommodate my needs and knowledge of the activities. Through a safari at lake Mburo, ziplining on the Nile or touring Kampala, I always felt I got more than my moneys worth. To Andrew and his team, thank you so much!
Jack · Canada
Practical answers
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour is offered in US dollars (USD).
This tour accepts children who are 15 years and older.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
The accommodations and destinations of this tour cannot be changed.
Hhando Coffee Lodge - Mid-range lodge 1-2hr drive from Ngorongoro Crater – Lunch & Dinner Included. Meals: Lunch & Dinner Included
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
We advise requesting quotes from 3 operators () Requests are sent directly to the tour operator If preferred, you can contact the tour operator directly
Operator policy
This tour is offered by Usoke Explorers, not SafariBookings.
This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
Rates include a fixed budget for flights during this tour. If flights cost more, your quote will reflect this.
This group tour requires a minimum of 2 people to run.
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.
This tour is subject to the terms & conditions of Usoke Explorers.
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