East Africa Road Trip itinerary- Day by Day Self Drive Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya & Tanzania Route Notes
Self Drive East Africa tailors the best self drive tours based on the clients feedback and the staff experiences as way of exploring the various National Parks in East Africa – 34 Days East Africa road trip is recommended to independent travelers that wish to start their adventure in Rwanda and end it in Rwanda where you enjoy the cheaper flights offered by Rwanda Air & Uganda Airlines which are new flights on the block offering international Flights. This is the alternative trip for 31 Days East Africa Self drive itinerary that included Burundi starting from Uganda.
This East Africa Road trip was done by Doug and Jen during their adventure in East Africa where they started the Self drive tour in Rwanda and ended it in Rwanda before the flight to Zanzibar. its practical based on day by day adventure in Africa National Parks on your own. its purely self drive experience its the reason they removed Masai Mara National Reserve as it doesn’t allow self drive in Masai Mara National Reserve yet its quite expensive to access the park due to high park entrance fees of 200$ per 12 hours.
Rwanda – You will explore the country passing through all the 4 National Parks of Rwanda with stop over at Lake Kivu and its recommended to check on Rwanda gorillas & beyond while planning your self drive in Rwanda creating the best memories for Self drive travelers. Rwanda visits include the Nyungwe forest National Park , Lake Kivu , Volcanoes National Park and Akagera National Park at the end of the Rwanda Trip.
Uganda ; we focused on Maghinga National Park and transverse through Bwindi Impenetrable national Park when connecting to Queen Elizabeth National Park and proceed to Murchison falls National Park with the last leg in Uganda being jinja City before crossing the Uganda Border with Kenya to Kisumu.
Kenya We focused on the best self drive destinations in Kisumu , Lake Nakuru, Nairobi , Amboseli, and there are a lot of things to do.
Tanzania offers unique experience in Africa and explored the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti , Geita, its well settled that Northern Tanzania Safaris are more expensive than southern National Park, recommended to select to explore southern if your looking for budget friendly and Buringi Chato and proceed to enter Rwanda again the land of thousand hills with game drive in Akagera National Park.
Day 1 Kigali – Rwanda Kigali – Rwanda Hotel – Quiet Haven Hotel NR1 via Muhanga Arrive Rwanda. Met at airport. Pick-up Truck
Day 2 Kigali – Rwanda Huye – Rwanda Hotel – Ibis (Mont Huye) NR1
Day 3 Huye – Rwanda Rugabano – Rwanda Camping – Maravilla Eco Resort NR10 through Nyungwe, DR1, DR2 and DR3 Camping in Parking Lot – Use of Resort Facilities
Day 4 Rugabano – Rwanda Kibuye – Rwanda Camping – Livalana Hotel NR11 Not a formal campsite, but flat space next to lake. Was provided key to a room for shower and toilet
Day 5 Kibuye – Rwanda Kinigi – Rwanda Camping – Kinigi Guest house NR11, NR2, NR18 Camping in Parking Lot. Was provided key to a room for shower and toilet
Day 6 Kinigi – Rwanda Mgahinga National Park – Uganda Camping – Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp DR37, NR17 to Border, Kisoro-Cynaika Road and many goat paths they called roads… Border Crossing at Cyanika – Very smooth
Day 7 Mgahinga National Park – Uganda Mgahinga National Park – Uganda Camping – Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp n/a Hiking and Golden Monkeys Tour
Day 8 Mgahinga National Park – Uganda Queen Elisabeth National Park – Uganda Camping – Isasha River Camp combination of dirt and paved roads through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Day 9 Queen Elisabeth National Park – Uganda Queen Elisabeth National Park – Uganda Camping – Isasha River Camp game drive in park
Day 10 Queen Elisabeth National Park – Uganda Queen Elisabeth National Park – Uganda Camping – Acacia Wildnerness Mweya game drive through park Park campsites outside of town were closed, and main camp in Mweya townsite was full of lions, so…
Day 11 Queen Elisabeth National Park – Uganda Kikorongo – Uganda Camping – Wildtracks Overland Camp game drive through park, Ntungamo – Katunguru Road
Day 12 Kikorongo – Uganda Masindi – Uganda Camping – Masindi Hotel A109 to Hoima, Masindi-Hoima Road
Day 13 Masindi – Uganda Murchison Falls NP – Uganda Camping – UWA Campsite beside falls Main Road to NP from Masindi
Day 14 Murchison Falls NP – Uganda Pakwach – Uganda Camping – Global Village Resort Internal park roads, main highway to Pakwach at north end of park. Camping in field beside restaurant at edge of Nile River. Used toilets in Restaurant, was escorted to shower in one of the rooms.
Day 15 Pakwach – Uganda Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Uganda Camping – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary Arua-Gulu Road, A6 (Kampala – Gulu highway)
Day 16 Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Uganda Jinja – Uganda Camping – The Haven Riverlodge A6 to Wobulenzi, Dirt road across to Kabimbiri, Gayaza Road to Jinja via Kayanga
Day 17 Jinja – Uganda Jinja – Uganda Camping – The Haven Riverlodge Day trip to Jinja
Day 18 Jinja – Uganda Kisumu – Kenya Hotel – Harry’s Kisumu Oasis A109, B308 to Border, B12 to Kisumu Border Crossing at Busia – Very smooth
Day 19 Kisumu – Kenya Nakuru – Kenya Camping – Kambi Amani Campsite A12, A8 Menengai Crater
Day 20 Nakuru – Kenya Soysambu Conservancy – Kenya Camping – Lakeview Campsite A8, Highway to Elementeita Game Drives
Day 21 Soysambu Conservancy – Kenya Soysambu Conservancy – Kenya Camping – Monkey Bridge Campsite Internal Conservancy Roads Game Drives
Day 22 Soysambu Conservancy – Kenya Nairobi – Kenya Camping – Nashal Lengot Camp A8, multiple highays and dirt roads
Day 23 Nairobi – Kenya Oltiyani Conservancey – Kenya Camping – Amboseli Eco Camp A8,C102 Saw Mt. Kilimanjaro for a good solid 3 minutes without clouds…
Day 24 Oltiyani Conservancey – Kenya Ngorongoro Crater – Tanzania Camping – Simba A public campsite C102 to Border, T21, T15,T2 to Arusha, T5 to Makuyuni, T17 to Park entrance Border Crossing at Loitokitok. Smooth, but lengthy delay (>1h) when we paid for the insurance past 7 days in Tanzania. Had to wait for confirmation of payment from Tanzania government bank before they would stamp the form. Even though we paid by card and confirmation was immediate.
Day 25 Ngorongoro Crater – Tanzania Ngorongoro Crater – Tanzania Camping – Simba A public campsite internal roads Stupid expensive for a non-Tanzanian registered vehicle. $800 for 2 days to not see an animal. Another $300+ per day if you want self-drive into the crater
Day 26 Ngorongoro Crater – Tanzania Serengeti National Park – Tanzania Camping – Nyani public campsite T17. Not maintained. Very rough. Olduvai Gorge on way through
Day 27 Serengeti National Park – Tanzania Lamadi – Tanzania Hotel – JM Royal Hotel Lamadi Main Park Road to Lake Victoria Serengeti also stupid expensive, but don’t have to pay extra to actually see the animals. Still $400 a day to camp.
Day 28 Lamadi – Tanzania Geita – Tanzania Hotel – Katona Camp Safari T4 to Kigongo, Ferry to Busisi, T4 Cheaper to get a room with AirCon and breakfast than to camp in the parking lot!
Day 29 Geita – Tanzania Kayonza – Rwanda Hotel – KAF Mashami Guesthouse T4, T3 to border, NR4 to Kayonza Border Crossing at Rusomo. Long delay as truck broken down was blocking one lane on 1.5 lane road.
Day 30 Kayonza – Rwanda Akagera National Park – Rwanda Camping – Shakani Campsite NR4, NR25 Game Drives
Day 31 Akagera National Park – Rwanda Akagera National Park – Rwanda Camping – Mutumba Hills Internal Park roads Game Drives
Day 32 Akagera National Park – Rwanda Kigali – Rwanda Hotel – Peponi Livingspaces NR25, NR4
Day 33 Kigali – Rwanda Kigali – Rwanda Hotel – Peponi Livingspaces n/a
Day 34 Return Truck, drive to airport, Depart Rwanda
