13 Days Uganda & Tanzania Safari

Thirteen days through Tanzania's Northern Circuit and Uganda's gorilla country in a single trip — the Serengeti and Bwindi finally joined at the seam. Big sky and dense forest, the Mara River crossing and the held hour with the silverback, all inside one itinerary.

Day 1 — Arrive Kilimanjaro International and transfer to Arusha. Overnight at Kaliwa Lodge.

Day 2 — A game drive in Tarangire — the great elephant herds, the baobabs, the famous tree-climbing pythons. Overnight at Sangaiwe Tented Lodge.

Day 3 — Lake Manyara for hippos, elephants and the legendary tree-climbing lions in the yellow-barked fever trees. Overnight at Kudu Lodge.

Day 4 — The Ngorongoro Crater — Africa's Eden, some 30,000 animals inside a collapsed volcano, including the endangered black rhino. Overnight at Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge.

Day 5 — Up over the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and on into the Serengeti, with game viewing en route. Overnight at Seronera Wildlife Lodge.

Day 6 — Into the northern Serengeti to track the Great Migration on the Mara River (late July to mid-October for the river crossings).

Day 7 — A full day in the Serengeti — Mara River, Lobo, big cats and cheetah at the kopjes.

Day 8 — North to Lake Natron — the Ngarasero Escarpment, Oldonyo Lengai still smoking on the horizon, flamingos on the soda lake, a walk to the waterfalls.

Day 9 — Back via Kilimanjaro and a flight up to Entebbe; afternoon Kampala city tour or an optional Mabamba shoebill swamp.

Day 10 — South-west to Bwindi via the Kigali / Cyanika border (5–6 hours). Overnight at Rushaga Gorilla Lodge.

Day 11 — The Bwindi gorilla morning — one held hour with a habituated family.

Day 12 — Onward to Lake Bunyonyi for a boat ride between the islands. Overnight at Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort.

Day 13 — Scenic transfer to Entebbe via Mbarara, the Igongo Cultural Centre and the Equator at Kayabwe.

Price: $4,930 per person sharing.