About This Journey
The best of East Africa in one journey: come face to face with endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, then swap the forest for the Indian Ocean and unwind on Zanzibar's white-sand beaches.
The first half is pure Uganda — a scenic drive through the southwestern highlands, a night on the edge of the forest, and a full trekking day with a habituated gorilla family. The second half slows right down: Stone Town's alleyways, a spice farm, and three nights on the coast with nothing on the schedule but the water.
Every departure is private. Permits are secured in advance, transfers are handled end to end on both sides of the trip, and the pace is yours.
Trip Highlights
- One hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Gorilla permit secured in advance and included in the package
- A scenic drive through Uganda's terraced highlands, villages, and tea plantations
- Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a working spice farm on the Spice Island
- Three nights on Zanzibar's white-sand coast, with snorkelling, diving, and dhow cruises on tap
- Two very different halves — forest trekking and total beach downtime — in a single seamless trip
Day by Day
Land at Entebbe International Airport, where a Pick Wild Safaris representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel near the shores of Lake Victoria. The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight.
Your guide joins you for a short briefing over dinner, running through the days ahead.
- Overnight
- Protea Hotel Entebbe / Best Western Premier Garden Hotel (or similar)
- Meals
- Dinner
After an early breakfast, set out southwest through Uganda's countryside towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive is long but rarely dull — rolling hills, roadside markets, and tea plantations give way to the dark forest edge as you climb.
Arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon, with time to settle in before dinner and an early night ahead of tomorrow's trek.
- Overnight
- Gorilla Mist Camp / Rushaga Gorilla Camp (or similar)
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Report to the park headquarters at first light for a briefing from Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers, then follow your tracker into the forest. The trek can take anywhere from one to six hours depending on where the family fed the night before — but the hour you spend with them once they are found is unlike anything else in wildlife travel.
Back at the lodge, the afternoon is free to rest, or to visit a nearby Batwa community for a walk with the forest's original inhabitants (optional).
- Overnight
- Gorilla Mist Camp / Rushaga Gorilla Camp (or similar)
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to the nearest airstrip for the domestic flight to Entebbe, connecting to your international flight to Zanzibar.
On arrival you are met and driven to your beach resort, where the pace of the trip changes completely — the rest of the day is yours on the sand.
- Overnight
- Reef & Beach Resort / Zanzibar Bay Resort (or similar)
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast, explore historic Stone Town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of carved doors, narrow alleyways, and layered Swahili, Arab, Indian, and European history.
Later, visit a working spice farm to see, smell, and taste why Zanzibar has been known for centuries as the Spice Island.
- Overnight
- Reef & Beach Resort / Zanzibar Bay Resort (or similar)
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
A full day on Zanzibar's white sand and clear Indian Ocean water, with as much or as little planned as you like.
Optional extras include snorkelling, scuba diving, a sunset dhow cruise, or a boat trip to Mnemba Atoll (available at a supplement).
- Overnight
- Reef & Beach Resort / Zanzibar Bay Resort (or similar)
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy a final breakfast and a last stretch of beach before your transfer to Zanzibar International Airport for your onward flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
What's Included
Included
- Gorilla trekking permit (Uganda)
- 3 nights' accommodation in Uganda
- 3 nights' accommodation in Zanzibar
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Airport transfers in Uganda and Zanzibar
- All ground transportation
- Professional English-speaking guides
- Stone Town tour
- Spice farm tour
- Bottled drinking water during road transfers
Not Included
- International and regional flights
- Uganda and Tanzania entry visas
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- Optional activities — snorkelling, diving, dhow cruise, Mnemba Atoll, Batwa community visit
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal expenses — laundry, souvenirs, and items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities
Accommodation
Protea Hotel Entebbe / Best Western Premier Garden Hotel
Entebbe, Uganda1 nightGorilla Mist Camp / Rushaga Gorilla Camp
Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda2 nightsReef & Beach Resort / Zanzibar Bay Resort
Zanzibar, Tanzania3 nightsReady to Plan This Safari?
Every trip we run is private and tailored around you — your dates, your pace, your budget. Tell us what you have in mind and one of our safari planners will craft it into a detailed, costed proposal.
