Kigali Marriott
Located in downtown Kigali, this luxury hotel offers everything you would expect from the Marriott brand. There is a restaurant, spa, fitness centre, pool and an onsite Italian restaurant.
Read moreTake in the highlights of Rwanda and Tanzania tracking the gorillas and big game of East Africa. This beautiful 13 day safari gives you the opportunity to track the mountain gorillas in the wild, twice, before flying and exploring the wildlife rich Ngorongoro Crater and famous Northern Serengeti.
Day 1: Arrive Kigali
Upon arrival you will be met by your private guide and driven to Kigali Marriott. The rest of the day is yours to settle in and start thinking about the adventures that lay before you. If you have time you may wish to explore the markets or visit the Genocide Museum.
Day 2: Kigali - Volcanoes National Park
This morning, you have the chance to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. After lunch, you travel north to Ruhengeri and the Volcanoes National Park. A 'true island in the sky', the Volcanoes National Park is home to some of the world's few remaining mountain gorilla.
Day 3: Gorilla Trek in Volcanoes National Park with the Gorilla Doctors
An extra special day of gorilla tracking as you are accompanied by a member of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, allowing you to learn more about their everyday experiences and challenges as the work to protect the mountain gorillas.
Day 4: Final Gorilla Trek in Volcanoes National Park
Your final day of gorilla tracking! An early start to make your way to the park headquarters where you are assigned a ranger and a gorilla group. Return to the lodge later in the afternoon to relax, have a hot shower or massage and reflect on the day’s activities.
Day 5: Volcanoes National Park – Serengeti
Today, at a time to be advised locally, you will be driven to Kigali International Airport for your light aircraft flight to the Serengeti National Park. You will stop en route to clear immigration into Tanzania before proceeding to the Lamai Airstrip in the Serengeti.
Days 6 - 7: On Safari
Explore the northern reaches of the Serengeti with your specialist guide on twice-daily game drives. This area is also known for its predators, with lions in particular preying on the plains game as they journey across the savannah.
Day 8: Ngorongoro Conservation Area - Namiri Plains, Serengeti
This morning after breakfast you will be picked up by your guide and transferred 4-5 hours to Namiri Plains. Whilst here you will be able to go on game drives, either a morning and afternoon one, or a day long exploration of the bush to cover greater ground.
Days 9 -10: On Safari at Namiri Plains
After your day's safari activities in the Serengeti enjoy a unique opportunity to spend an informative evening with Namiri Plains’ resident cheetah researcher while donating to the incredible Serengeti Cheetah Project. This dedicated project monitors and studies fluctuations in birth and survival rates of cheetahs, which leads to predicting the future of cheetah numbers in other parts of their range, as well as providing valuable insight into the challenges facing cheetah, recognising solutions to reduce these conflicts. The researcher can identify the cheetahs just by their unique spot patterns on their flanks and share the cats’ stories with you.
Day 11: Arusha - Lake Manyara – Ngoronogoro Crater
In the morning you will set off in the direction of Lake Manyara National Park on your way to Gibbs Farm. Through the wooded pathways that wind between the banks of the shallow Alkaline Soda Water Lake and the impressive rise of the Western stretches of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment.
Day 12: On Safari at Gibb's Farm
Game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater, home to the densest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania and one of the few places to try your luck at seeing black rhino in the wild. There is plenty of other wildlife to see including giraffe, flamingos, elephant, lion and leopard as well as much more.
Day 13: Ngorongoro Crater - Depart Kilimanjaro
Today, at a time to be advised locally, you will be driven back to Kilimanjaro Airport for your international flight home. Upon arrival into Kilimanjaro, you will be assisted to check-in for your onward international flight, marking the end of your time on this incredible safari in Tanzania.
The gorillas we are allowed to track belong to either one of ten habituated family groups. The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany you on your gorilla tracking, many of whom have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas' habits and information from the previous day to locate the group's whereabouts. Tracking the gorillas can take anything from 4-8 hours in lush green, steep, muddy, terrain! It is, however, the experience of a lifetime... coming across these amiable primates in their natural surroundings is quite awe-inspiring as you watch them go about their daily lives, playing, grooming and eating!