Visit the Shanga Community Project in Arusha to see artisans at work in a social enterprise employing people with disabilities. Observe skills such as weaving, glassblowing, beading, papermaking and metalwork, and learn about the people and processes behind the finished pieces.

This is a chance to engage with contemporary Tanzanian craftsmanship rather than only viewing historic objects. Watching materials become handmade goods makes the project’s focus on skilled employment visible and gives context to each craft.

Take a boat cruise towards the Source of the Nile near Jinja for a gentler way to experience the river. Watch the water and its banks from your seat while learning why this stretch holds such a prominent place in Uganda’s geography and travel history.

The outing suits travellers who prefer observation to Jinja’s white-water rafting option. Its appeal lies in seeing the river near its Lake Victoria outlet at an unhurried pace. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a game drive through Nairobi National Park in an overland truck, watching waterholes and open ground for wildlife. Look towards the horizon and you may see the city skyline beyond the park’s grassland—an unusual pairing of urban and wild landscapes.

The reserve sits on the edge of Kenya’s capital, making its setting markedly different from the country’s more remote safari areas. Wildlife sightings depend on conditions and animal movement. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Canoe on Lake Manyara for a water-level view of the Rift Valley setting. Paddle across the lake under local guidance and take in the open water, shoreline and escarpment from a perspective unavailable on a game drive.

The lake and its surroundings support varied birdlife, although sightings depend on the conditions. This quieter, human-powered activity offers a contrast to vehicle-based safaris. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to local operating conditions.

Add a game drive in Tarangire National Park for a final chance to search for wildlife in northern Tanzania. Look for elephants among the park’s distinctive baobab trees, as well as other animals moving through its varied habitats.

Tarangire is especially associated with elephants and broad-trunked baobabs, a combination that gives photographs here a different character from the Serengeti’s open plains. Wildlife sightings and the appearance of any particular species are never guaranteed. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• 9 Lunch (L)
• 13 Dinner (D)
• 18 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Picnic Lunch (PL)

• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Venture deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in search of mountain gorillas. With expert guides leading the way, you’ll trek through thick jungle before spending one incredible hour observing a gorilla family up close.
• Kalinzu Forest: Step into Kalinzu Forest with local trackers and listen out for the calls of wild chimpanzees. You’ll hike through dense jungle before watching these clever primates swing, climb and do their thing in the wild.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park: Our drive from Kalinzu Forest to our accommodation for the night means we get to do a scenic drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park. It may be a simple ride through the reserve, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife along the way, with stops made for animal sightings and photos as we journey through Uganda’s famous savannah landscapes.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park: Snap the classic Equator photo near Kikorongo and casually stand in two hemispheres at once.
• Murchison Falls National Park: Enter Murchison Falls National Park with a scenic transit game drive to our home for the next two nights. Keep watch for giraffes, elephants, buffalo and antelope as we roll through Uganda’s largest national park.
• Murchison Falls National Park: View the top of Murchison Falls – watch the Nile force its way through a narrow gorge before crashing below, with viewpoints that absolutely earn their place on the camera roll.
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: Follow expert rangers through Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a seriously special encounter with Uganda’s only wild rhinos. You’ll learn how these legends are being protected, then spot them in the bush from a safe distance.
• Nairobi: Meet the dedicated team and see for yourself the work being done to help the women and children who live here in the Kibera slum.
   
• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Known for its grassy plains and rolling hills, home to lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and hippos, the Maasai Mara is a jewel in Africa’s wildlife crown, so don’t miss your chance to explore it from sunrise to the afternoon, with a picnic lunch in the wild. 
• Amboseli: Get that iconic wildlife shot with the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. 
   
• Amboseli: Get up early in search of the famous elephants in this iconic Kenyan National Park. 
• Arusha: Support this social enterprise that employs local disabled people with artisanal skills. Watch weaving, glass blowing, beading, paper making and metal work. 
• Serengeti: Watch out for local wildlife as we head to our camp, which is bang in the middle of these endless plains. Could the location be any more epic? 
   
• Serengeti: Was that lion we heard last night? Let’s go find out. Take an incredible morning drive in search of the wildlife we heard throughout the night. 
• Serengeti: Cruise around the plains at sunset to explore new areas and spot a few more animals before they head off to bed. 
• Serengeti: Another day, another game drive, giving us the most amount of opportunities to see the wildlife that roams these plains.

Trek through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with local guides and trackers in search of a wild mountain gorilla family. The route depends on where the gorillas have moved and may involve steep, muddy trails. Once located, spend one hour observing them feed, groom and interact in their forest habitat.

This protected Ugandan rainforest shelters one of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla populations. The time spent on foot makes the encounter as much about Bwindi’s dense, living ecosystem as its most celebrated residents.

Follow local guides through Kalinzu Forest on a trek in search of wild chimpanzees. Listen for calls carrying through the trees and watch the canopy for movement; sightings depend on where the chimps travel that day. The forest is also home to other primates and abundant birdlife.

Chimpanzees move quickly and often remain high above the trail, making every rustle and distant call part of the experience. Walking beneath Kalinzu’s close-set trees offers a different perspective on Uganda’s wildlife from a vehicle-based safari.

Travel through Queen Elizabeth National Park on a wildlife-focused drive across its open savannah. Keep watch for elephants, buffalo and antelope, with stops for sightings and photographs when conditions allow. Big cats are present in the park, although any encounter is a matter of luck.

Set against the landscapes of western Uganda, the reserve contrasts with the dense forests nearby. This is a transit game drive rather than a dedicated full-day safari, but the journey still offers meaningful opportunities to observe animals in the wild.

Stand at the Equator near Kikorongo and take a photograph at the marked line dividing the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This brief, specific landmark visit gives you a tangible point of reference in Uganda’s varied western landscape.

The Equator is an imaginary line, but its crossing makes for a distinctive travel moment: one foot in each hemisphere. It is a chance to pause, look around and mark a geographic milestone rather than simply pass it on the road.

Watch for wildlife while crossing Murchison Falls National Park on a transit game drive. Scan the bush and open ground for giraffes, elephants, buffalo, antelope and warthogs as the route leads through Uganda’s largest national park.

The park’s mixture of grassland, woodland and Nile-side habitats supports a wide range of animals. Although this drive forms part of the journey to your stay, its route through protected wilderness creates a genuine safari opportunity, with sightings shaped by wildlife movement.

Head out on a sunrise game drive in Murchison Falls National Park, scanning the plains for lions, elephants, giraffes and antelope. With luck, you may also spot a leopard. The early light makes it easier to pick out shapes and movement across the grassland.

Morning is a rewarding time to observe the park as many animals are active before the day warms. The combination of broad savannah, scattered trees and first light over the landscape gives this safari a character distinct from its river excursions.

Cruise along the Nile towards Murchison Falls, watching the riverbanks for hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds. From the boat, take in the approach to the falls where the river gathers force and the sound of rushing water grows closer.

The Nile is central to this national park’s landscape and wildlife. A boat offers a contrasting vantage point to a game drive: reeds, banks and animals at the water’s edge come into view while the falls rise ahead.

Visit the top of Murchison Falls for a close view of the Nile forcing its way through a narrow rock cleft before plunging downstream. Pause at the viewpoints to take in the movement, noise and spray of one of Uganda’s defining natural landmarks.

Seeing the falls from above reveals a different side of the river than the boat cruise below. The contrast between the Nile’s broad approach and its compressed, thundering passage gives this short visit its impact.

Explore Murchison Falls National Park after dark on a night game drive. Look beyond the daytime safari scene as your guide searches for movement and reflective eyes in the darkness. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, and animals may behave differently once the heat of the day has passed.

A night drive changes the pace and perspective of a familiar landscape. With limited light and the sounds of the bush more prominent, every sighting emerges from the darkness rather than the open horizon.

Track rhinos on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary with experienced rangers, observing the animals from a safe distance. The guided walk offers a rare opportunity in Uganda to see rhinos in their habitat without the barrier of a safari vehicle.

Hear about the sanctuary’s conservation work and the efforts to re-establish a species lost from Uganda’s wild national parks. Walking through the bush under ranger guidance makes this both a wildlife encounter and a closer look at rhino protection in practice.

Visit Mirror of Hope in Nairobi’s Kibera neighbourhood and meet people involved in its community work. Learn about efforts to support local women and children directly from those connected to the initiative.

Kibera is a residential community, not a sightseeing backdrop. This visit is an opportunity to listen, ask thoughtful questions and better understand locally led work beyond Kenya’s safari landscapes. Meeting the team behind the project gives the experience its purpose and human perspective.

Explore the Maasai Mara on extended game drives, searching its grassy plains and rolling hills for lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and other wildlife. A picnic lunch in the reserve keeps the focus on time in the landscape rather than a return to camp.

The Mara is part of a wider ecosystem known for large concentrations of grazing animals and their predators. Depending on the season and wildlife movements, you may also have a chance to witness the Great Migration; sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Search Amboseli’s plains for elephants on game drives, including an early outing when the landscape is waking. Watch for the park’s large-tusked elephants and other wildlife, with the chance to photograph animals against Mount Kilimanjaro when the peak is clear.

Amboseli’s open ground and wetlands make its wildlife particularly compelling to observe. Kilimanjaro rises across the border in Tanzania, creating a striking backdrop, although cloud cover determines whether its summit appears.

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive, searching the crater floor for members of the Big Five and other wildlife. Open grassland, woodland and wet areas create varied habitats within the vast volcanic caldera.

Ngorongoro’s steep enclosing walls give this safari a setting unlike the open plains of the Serengeti. Animals move freely within the conservation area, so no particular sighting is assured, but the crater’s concentrated mosaic of habitats makes every stretch of the drive worth watching.

Explore the Serengeti on multiple game drives, including morning outings and time spent searching the plains for big cats, elephants, giraffes and grazing herds. Staying within the park brings wildlife viewing close to camp as well as out on the tracks.

The Serengeti’s name is closely associated with its far-reaching grasslands and seasonal movements of wildebeest and zebra. If migration herds are in the area, they may be a highlight; their location varies. Repeated drives offer different light, routes and sightings across this immense ecosystem.

Take a game drive in the Lake Manyara area, watching for wildlife across a landscape that differs from the Serengeti’s open plains. Keep an eye on the trees as well as the ground: the park is known for its tree-climbing lions, although seeing them is never guaranteed.

Set beneath the Great Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara brings together woodland and lakeshore scenery. That change of habitat gives this safari its own character and encourages a closer look at life among the trees and along the lake.

Raft the Nile’s white-water rapids near Jinja for an active morning on one of East Africa’s best-known rivers. Paddle as a team through turbulent sections under the direction of rafting guides, with calmer stretches offering a different view of the river.

Jinja’s position near the source of the Nile has made it a centre for river adventures. This is the more energetic alternative to a source-of-the-Nile boat cruise. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour; participation is subject to local operating conditions.

Visit the Sheldrick elephant nursery in Nairobi to watch young elephants during a visitor session and hear about their care and rehabilitation. Depending on their behaviour, you may see them playing, feeding or splashing in water.

The nursery’s work centres on orphaned elephants and their path towards life in the wild. Hearing individual stories puts the lively scene into a wider conservation context. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to visitor-session availability.

Visit a Maasai village near the Maasai Mara to meet community members and learn about traditions from the people who practise them. The visit offers time for conversation and a closer view of cultural life in a region often experienced chiefly through its wildlife.

Maasai culture is living and varied, rather than a single fixed set of customs. Approach the experience with curiosity and respect, following your hosts’ lead on photography and participation. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Add an early game drive in the Maasai Mara for another opportunity to search the reserve’s grasslands for predators, grazers and other wildlife. A fresh route and the changing light can reveal scenes quite different from those seen on the included safari.

Animals are free-ranging, so an extra outing increases time in the field without promising a particular sighting. It is well suited to travellers keen to make the most of the Mara’s morning wildlife activity. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose a white-water rafting session in Sagana for a guided adventure on the river. Work with your fellow paddlers as the raft moves between faster water and quieter stretches, enjoying an active perspective on the area’s riverside setting.

Sagana offers a change from vehicle-based wildlife viewing: here, participation and teamwork are the centre of the experience. Conditions on the water can vary, and local guides direct the activity. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Try rock climbing in Sagana as part of the area’s selection of outdoor activities. Focus on footholds, balance and your next movement as you take on a climb with local activity guidance.

Unlike a safari, this experience puts the challenge in your own hands and feet. It offers a physical way to engage with Sagana’s adventure setting, whether your aim is to test yourself or simply try something new. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take part in an archery session in Sagana, practising aim and concentration as you shoot at a target. It is a hands-on option for travellers looking for an activity that does not involve the river or a climb.

The satisfaction here is in small adjustments: stance, focus and a steadier release with each attempt. Sagana’s range of outdoor pursuits makes it easy to choose an activity that matches your preferred pace. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Go ziplining in Sagana for an aerial outdoor activity that replaces the slow scan of a safari with a brief rush of movement. Experience the setting from above ground level while taking part under local activity guidance.

This is one of Sagana’s more adrenaline-focused choices, suited to travellers who want an active break from game drives. The exact course and operating conditions are determined locally. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose a Maasai village tour near Mto Wa Mbu to meet local hosts and learn about community traditions. Conversation and observation offer a cultural perspective on northern Tanzania beyond its national parks.

As with any community visit, the most rewarding moments come from listening to people describe their own lives and practices. Follow your hosts’ guidance on participation and photographs, and treat the village as a living community rather than an exhibit. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cycle around Mto Wa Mbu on an optional mountain-biking activity, exploring the surroundings at a more immediate pace than a drive. The ride offers a chance to feel the terrain, notice everyday details and take in the landscape of northern Tanzania.

Mto Wa Mbu sits near several celebrated safari areas, but this outing focuses on the experience of moving through its local setting. Route and conditions are determined by the operator. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Opt for a night game drive in the Lake Manyara area and experience the bush beyond daylight hours. With your guide searching the darkness, listen for sounds that daytime activity can mask and watch for wildlife emerging into view.

Night viewing rewards patience rather than a checklist: which animals appear depends entirely on their movements and conditions. It offers a distinct counterpart to the included daytime drive, with the landscape transformed by darkness. Available at additional cost and bookable on tour.