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18-Nights East Africa Overland: Serengeti & Safari Drives - 18-to-Thirtysomethings

Africa
18-Nights East Africa Overland: Serengeti & Safari Drives - 18-to-Thirtysomethings
Africa
G Adventures
Vacation Offer ID 1532842
Reference this number when contacting our travel specialist.
Overview

G Adventures

East Africa Overland: Serengeti & Safari Drives
Now's the time to explore Africa on your terms with this tour that's affordable for young travellers. From the wildlife of Uganda to the source of the Nile and onto the sunny beaches of Zanzibar, this 19-day journey overland across East Africa is nothing short of mind-boggling and mind-blowing. Track mountain gorillas through remote forest for a once-in-a-lifetime experience and pursue the elusive "big five" across open savannah on wildlife safari drives. Our Landos (overland adventure vehicles) are an adventurous and affordable way to see the highlights while wilderness camping will bring you as close as you can get to the region’s wildlife.

Highlights
Track the "big five" on wildlife safari drives in the Serengeti National Park, meet mountain gorillas, raft the White Nile River, discover Zanzibar's crystal-clear waters

Accommodation
Basic hotel (2 nts, single or twin-share), participation camping (9 nts), full-service camping (2 nts), hostels (5 nts, multi-share with 3-4 people).

Group Leader
Uganda portion: 2 CEOs (Chief Experience Officers) as head guide/cook and driver, certified mountain gorilla trackers, local guides. Tanzania portion: certified safari guides/drivers, local guides. 1 CEO on transfer between Nairobi and Arusha, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar.

Group Size Notes
Max 20, avg 18.

Meals Included
17 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 9 dinners

What's Included
Your G for Good Moment: AidChild Cafe & Gallery, Kayabwe Your G for Good Moment: Mto wa Mbu Village Visit and Lunch, Mto wa Mbu Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Your First Night Out Moment: Connect With New Friends Your Discover Moment: Jinja. Guided mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi with permits. Entrance and chimpanzee tracking in Kalinzu Forest Reserve. Tea plantation visit. Transfer from Jinja to Nairobi. Entrances and wildlife safari drives in Serengeti National Park and in Ngorongoro Crater. Ferry to Zanzibar. Stone Town orientation walk. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.

Featured Destinations

Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi

Situated alongside the road between Kabale town and Bwindi National Park, this pretty lake—whose name translates aptly as "Place of Little Birds"—is essentially a submerged valley dammed by a lava flow from one of the region's many volcanoes. With a shore and islands dotted with low-key camps and lodges, it has become one of the most popular venues in Uganda to relax and is a popular base for day hikes and visits to Batwa pygmy communities. A bird-watcher's paradise, it is also a reliable location for sightings of otherwise-elusive otters.

Reaching Lake Bunyonyi can be tricky and time-consuming via public transportation. Private taxis are available, but can be prohibitive in cost. This area is a dramatically different landscape from the rest of Uganda in its cultivation and pastoral practices.

Destination Guide
Kalinzu Forest Reserve

Kalinzu Forest Reserve

Kalinzu Forest an extension of the Maramagambo Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park, lies 1400m above sea level and serves as a refuge for savannah grassland mammals such as the leopard, lion, waterbuck, and elephants (just to name a few). This eco-tourism site that preserves 414 species of trees and shrubs also protects 378 species of birds along with 6 species of primate neighbors. Visitors can go on a guided tour along the ridges of the valley, identify the many species of butterflies, take snapshots of the amazing views of Lake Edward, or discover the mysterious legend of “the old man of the hills.” 
Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park

This park, easily accessible at 155 mi/250 km from Kampala, has buffalo, hippos, zebra, impala and many other animals. The lake and its avian life will also appeal to bird-watchers. More than 350 species have been recorded there. Sometimes the comical-looking Ankole cattle with their enormous heavy horns can be seen grazing in the park amongst the impala. Park accommodations range from simple tents and bandas to fancy grass-thatched roofed cottages on raised wooden platforms that overlook the savannah.
Destination Guide
Jinja

Jinja

Uganda's second-largest city, Jinja is situated where the White Nile leaves Lake Victoria on its 3,470-mi/5,590-km journey to the Mediterranean. There is a small plaque that commemorates the spot where the explorer John Speke claimed he had found the source of the Nile in 1862.

Although the river can be interesting, don't expect much: It's now the site of Owen Falls Dam and is no longer in its natural state. Sunset cruises to the Source are popular.

On the riverbanks, there are some lively campsites and bars, and it is the center for Uganda's burgeoning white-water rafting industry and various other adrenaline-inducing activities. We don't expect Idi Amin would have ever imagined that you could bungee jump over the Nile in Uganda—but you can today. Kayaking is also offered, as is quad biking, horseback riding and ziplining in the villages along the banks of the Nile.

The city, 50 mi/80 km east of Kampala, is an expat haven, and visitors will find juice bars, coffee shops, yacht clubs and community events.

Destination Guide
Serengeti

Serengeti

Today, the Serengeti National Park helps protect the greatest and most varied collection of terrestrial wildlife on earth, and one of the last great migratory systems still intact. The Serengeti is the jewel in the crown of Tanzania's protected areas and has come to symbolize paradise. The region encompasses Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas and Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the region. It's unique ecosystem has inspired writers and filmakers as well as numerous photographers and scientists. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves.
Destination Guide
Zanzibar

Zanzibar

For many centuries, traders from Europe, India, the Orient and Arabia were lured to these shores. It was from here explorer David Livingstone set off on his last expedition into the heart of the continent. Today, as you walk along the winding streets of the old Stone Town, lined with whitewashed coral rag houses, you can see reminders of this rich history all around you. Visit the Palace museum, former residence of the Omani Sultans, and the cathedral that now stands on the site of the notorious slave market.
Destination Guide
Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania is located on an arm of the Indian Ocean. It is the country's largest city and former capital, chief seaport, and principal commercial, manufacturing, and educational centre. Rail links extend inland to Arusha in the north, to Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria, and to Zambia. Dar es Salaam's exports include coffee, sisal, cotton, and copper (from landlocked Zambia). Places of interest include Kariakoo market, the Botanical Gardens, National Central Library and the National Museum of Tanzania which has notable collections dealing with east African ethnography, archaeology, and history.
Destination Guide
Ngorongoro

Ngorongoro

An ancient hole in northern Tanzania, Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's best wildlife-viewing spots since it acts like a natural cage; the crater's depth makes for a difficult escape for some animals, but most have no need to leave, finding plenty of resources inside. For the traveler, it means not only awesome wildlife viewing, but incredible views from accommodations on the crater's rim. Descend to the crater floor in a four-wheel drive; and once there just cruise around slowly and take in the scene — on any given day see lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra, and reedbuck. The small soda lake inside the crater is also the seasonal home of thousands of flamingos.
Destination Guide
Arusha

Arusha

Arusha is the safari capital of East Africa, a bustling, vibrant town with the streets filled with 4X4 game viewing vehicles criss-crossing the potholed roads. Maasai warriors in full regalia stroll the streets, mingling with tourists in crisp khaki, fresh off the plane from Europe or the United States.
Destination Guide
Nairobi

Nairobi

Nairobi is Kenya's capital and one of Africa's most modern and fastest growing major cities. The original center retains Asian influence in its older buildings with glassy modern buildings. Visit City Market with local produce and handicrafts. Other attractions are: National Museum, displaying ethnographic, paleontological and ornithological exhibits; the Arboretum, with an excellent collection of East African flora; the University, known for its unique architecture; the excellent Kenya Railway Museum; and Nairobi's landmark, the extraordinary Kenyatta Conference Center, the country's most monumental building, visible from miles outside the city. There are casinos at Safari Park Hotel and Inter-Continental, and there's Sunday-afternoon horse-racing. Visit Karen Blixen Museum, where some action of the book and film Out of Africa took place. The beautiful forested Ngong Hills is a spiritual place for the Maasai and an excellent area for hiking and enjoying views of Nairobi and the Rift Valley. Nairobi National Park is a wildlife game reserve.
Destination Guide
Eldoret

Eldoret

Eldoret is located in western Kenya and often serves as a convenient base for touring the North Rift Valley.
Kampala

Kampala

Set just a few miles/kilometers north of Lake Victoria in the heart of Buganda, Kampala is the capital of Uganda and the country's largest city.

It's a hilly, congested town, and the scars of war that dominated in the early 1990s have long since been repaired or replaced by bright malls and high-rises. Traffic can come to a honking standstill in the city center with bikes balancing bunk beds, boda bodas loaded with 400-lb Nile perch and pedestrians all jockeying for position.

Also, take an excursion to Lake Victoria and visit Namugongo Martyrs' Shrine and the massive, thatch-domed Kasubi Tombs, burial place of several kabakas of Buganda. Although their works are not intended for tourists (and may not be for sale), students at the Makerere University's School of Industrial and Fine Arts create fascinating pieces of art, many of which reflect the challenging conditions of Ugandan life.

In the middle of city at the bottom of Nakasero Hill, look for the market with its colorful display of fresh produce and the matatu (minibus) park stuffed to the gills with vehicles.

Destination Guide

View Full Itinerary

Valid Date Ranges

December 2024
12/11/2024 12/29/2024 $4,049 per person
January 2025
01/22/2025 02/09/2025 $5,399 per person
February 2025
02/05/2025 02/23/2025 $5,399 per person
March 2025
03/12/2025 03/30/2025 $5,399 per person
April 2025
04/02/2025 04/20/2025 $5,399 per person
04/23/2025 05/11/2025 $5,399 per person
May 2025
05/14/2025 06/01/2025 $5,399 per person
05/28/2025 06/15/2025 $5,399 per person
June 2025
06/11/2025 06/29/2025 $6,199 per person
July 2025
07/23/2025 08/10/2025 $6,199 per person
August 2025
08/13/2025 08/31/2025 $6,199 per person
September 2025
09/17/2025 10/05/2025 $5,899 per person
December 2025
12/03/2025 12/21/2025 $5,399 per person
January 2026
01/21/2026 02/08/2026 $5,399 per person
February 2026
02/11/2026 03/01/2026 $5,399 per person
March 2026
03/25/2026 04/12/2026 $5,399 per person
May 2026
05/13/2026 05/31/2026 $5,399 per person
June 2026
06/03/2026 06/21/2026 $5,399 per person
July 2026
07/15/2026 08/02/2026 $5,399 per person
September 2026
09/02/2026 09/20/2026 $5,399 per person
09/23/2026 10/11/2026 $5,399 per person
November 2026
11/04/2026 11/22/2026 $5,399 per person
December 2026
12/23/2026 01/10/2027 $5,399 per person
January 2027
01/13/2027 01/31/2027 $5,399 per person
February 2027
02/24/2027 03/14/2027 $5,399 per person
April 2027
04/14/2027 05/02/2027 $5,399 per person
May 2027
05/05/2027 05/23/2027 $5,399 per person
June 2027
06/16/2027 07/04/2027 $5,399 per person
August 2027
08/04/2027 08/22/2027 $5,399 per person
08/25/2027 09/12/2027 $5,399 per person
October 2027
10/06/2027 10/24/2027 $5,399 per person
November 2027
11/24/2027 12/12/2027 $5,399 per person
December 2027
12/15/2027 01/02/2028 $5,399 per person
January 2028
01/26/2028 02/13/2028 $5,399 per person
Pricing is per person, land only, in US dollars and based on double occupancy. For specific validity dates, discount amount and tour information, please return to the promotion in question. Promotion valid on G Adventures small group tours excluding Independent, MS Expedition or National Geographic Journeys, unless otherwise stated. Promotion applicable to new bookings only and cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Does not apply to airfare (unless otherwise stated), pre-/post-accommodation, 'My Own Room' or 'My Own Tent', transfers, theme packs, insurance, polar kayaking & camping excursions or other in-country services. G Adventures reserves the right to withdraw this offer from sale at any time. Itinerary and map subject to change.  Please click here for a description of the travel style options provided by G Adventures. 

Dossier Disclaimer
The information in this trip details document has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and the operator. The itinerary featured is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in the brochure. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Sometimes it can be a small change like adding an extra meal along the itinerary. Sometimes the change may result in us altering the tour for the coming year. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the most rewarding experience. Please note that our brochure is usually released in November each year. If you have booked from the previous brochure you may find there have been some changes to the itinerary. VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure that you print a final copy of your Trip Details to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans.

Itinerary Disclaimer
While it is our intention to adhere to the route described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The Trip Details document is a general guide to the tour and region and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Aboard expedition trips visits to research stations depend on final permission. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.
 

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.