9 DAYS RWANDA AND TANZANIA SAFARI

Overview

This 9 days Rwanda and Tanzania Safari combines the breathtaking wildlife and cultural experiences of both Tanzania and Rwanda. You will start with thrilling activities such as mountain gorilla and golden monkey trekking, a city tour of Kigali, and a sunset boat ride on Lake Kivu. Following your time in Rwanda, you’ll explore Tarangire National Park, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater, getting fully involved in the amazing variety of rich biodiversity and wildlife at these famous places.

Highlights

  • Mountain Gorilla Trekking
  • Golden Monkeys Trekking
  • Kigali City Tour
  • Sunset Boat Ride in Lake Kivu
  • Visit Ellen DeGeneres Campus by Dian Fossey
  • Visit Ibyiwacu Cultural Village
  • Visit Ibere rya Bigogwe
  • Amashyuza Hot Springs
  • Tarangire National Park
  • Serengeti National Park
  • Ngorongora Crater

Itineraries

Day 1: Kigali Arrival and City Tour & Ellen DeGeneres Campus

Your will start with a pick up Kigali International Airport where and proceed with a half-day city tour of Kigali, where you will explore key attractions such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial, local markets, and vibrant neighborhoods. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Musanze, a home town to the Volcanoes National Park, stopping at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. The facility is dedicated to gorilla conservation and education, built to honor the legacy of Dian Fossey. Here, you can expect to engage in self-guided tours, explore the Conservation Gallery, and learn about the ongoing efforts to protect gorillas and their habitats. After your visit, you will check into your hotel in Musanze for an overnight stay.

Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

On the second day, you will rise early and enjoy breakfast before heading to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters for a briefing on gorilla trekking. Afterward, set off on an unforgettable trek. This incredible experience offers a unique opportunity to observe the assigned gorilla family up close in their natural habitat.  Return to your hotel in Musanze to relax and have a much-needed rest after the trek.

Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking and Gorilla Guardian Village

The third day of your tour, will start in Volcanoes National Park once again for another exciting adventure as you trek to see the playful golden monkeys. The trek to see the golden is not usually long as the one for the gorillas, so it won’t be long you will be done around 11:00 am. Then, head to visit the Gorilla Guardian Village, where you will engage with local communities who used to be poachers and learn about their now efforts in gorilla conservation. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Bigogwe, where you can unwind and prepare for the next day’s activities.

Day 4: Ibere rya Bigogwe and Lake Kivu

On the fourth day, enjoy your visit to Ibere rya Bigogwe, where you will participate in various cultural activities that showcase the rich heritage of the region such as hand-milking cows, traditional games, song and dance. Savor a delicious a traditional local lunch before heading to Gisenyi, located on the shores of Lake Kivu. In the evening, enjoy in a scenic sunset boat cruise on the lake, taking in the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and landscapes. After the cruise, head back to your hotel in Gisenyi for a restful night.

Day 5: Amashyuza Hot Springs and Kigali Departure

On the final day of your tour, you will visit the Amashyuza hot springs in Rubavu, where you can relax and get a foot massage if you’d like one in the natural thermal waters. After enjoying this soothing experience, you will be transferred back to Kigali, with a stop at craft shop to shop for a souvenir before your departure.

Day 6: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

You’ll be picked up from your Arusha hotel or Kilimanjaro/Arusha Airport then take a 3-hour driver to Tarangire National Park. You will have a full-day game drive inside this park and have your hot lunch inside the park. Later you will drive to Fanaka Lodge for dinner and your overnight stay. It’s the national park with herds of up to 300 elephants scraping the waterless river bed for alternative streams, while nomadic wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland mass at the decreased lagoons. It has the most concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem, a smorgasbord for predators. It’s also the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly practical. Additionally, it is the only national park that holds the migrant during the dry season and welcomes home different species of animal.

Day 7: Serengeti National Park

After waking up this morning you will have a full breakfast, pack your luggage in the safari jeep, then do an en-route game drive to Serengeti with your lunch. On the way, you will be able to view the beautiful Rift valley view of the Ngorongoro Crater. You will reach Serengeti at around 3:00 pm. You will have an evening game drive in Central Serengeti where you will be able to see the sunset. Afterward, you will have dinner and your overnight stay in Seronera Campsite inside Serengeti. The major attractions in Serengeti are endless plain and great Serengeti wildebeest migration which involve 1.5 herbivores and predators that follow them. They move from one area to another almost in all parts of Serengeti because of drought. Our driver guide will make sure you will be able to see part of the wildebeest migration.

Day 8: Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater

You will wake up at 5.45 am for an early breakfast and see the sunrise inside Serengeti. After you finish your breakfast you will do an early morning game drive up to 11.30 am and then head back to the campsite for a hot lunch. You’ll then pack your stuff in the jeep. You will proceed with a game drive in Serengeti while heading to Ngorongoro Crater at Simba Campsite for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 4: Ngorongoro tour back to Arusha

You will wake up around 5.30 am for your breakfast and then descend to the Ngorongoro Crater floor where you will be able to see all the Big Five. You will also see different types of birds and the black rhino available inside the crater. On this day you will have your lunch inside the crater while watching nature and high concentrations of flamingos.
Later after a 6 to 7-hour game drive inside the crater floor, you will start ascending from the crater. You’ll pass through the campsite to pack all your luggage inside the jeep ready to drive back to Arusha for your overnight stay or to Kilimanjaro/Arusha Airport.

  • Transportation in a private vehicle
  • Gorilla and golden monkey trekking permits
  • All accommodation
  • Meals as specified in the itinerary
  • Activities and entrance fees as mentioned
  • Camping equipment
  • A professional driver/guide
  • All Taxes/VAT
  • Roundtrip airport transfer
  • Soft drinks
  • Sleeping bag
  • International flights
  • Visa fees
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips and gratuities