10 Days Gorillas, Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari

10 Days Gorillas, Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari, Explore the untamed beauty of Africa on the 10-days gorillas, Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari experience during which you will encounter some of the most sought out wildlife in East Africa that is; the endangered mountain gorillas, the golden monkeys- a species endemic to the Virunga conservation area, and the countless wildlife of Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro conservation area with the most prominent bring Africa’s BIG 5.

Itinerary overview

  • Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and Transfer to Volcanoes national park with visit to Ellen DeGenres Museum of Diane Fossy
  • Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Iby’iwacu cultural experience
  • Day 3: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Kigali
  • Day 4: Kigali sightseeing and transfer to Arusha
  • Day 5: Transfer to Serengeti national park
  • Day 6: Full day game drive in Central Serengeti
  • Day 7: Full day game drive in Serengeti (Optional hot air balloon safari)
  • Day 8: Morning game drive and transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
  • Day 9: Ngorongoro Crater experience
  • Day 10: Departure

Tanzania and gorilla safarisDetailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and Transfer to Volcanoes national park with visit to Ellen DeGenres Museum of Diane Fossy

Upon arrival in Kigali International Airport, you will be met and greeted by your designated driver guide who will welcome you to this land of a thousand hills. He will give you an insight into this destination and before you know it you will be on a scenic drive to Volcanoes national park where you will check in at your gorilla lodge on arrival. Later in the afternoon, head out for a visit to the Ellen De Genres museum of Diane Fossey where you will learn about the life of the famous primatologist Diane Fossey and the gorillas of her time. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Amarembo by Touchdown(luxury)/ Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel(midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Iby’iwacu cultural experience

Today you will have an opportunity to encounter the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park. Start with a breakfast at the lodge after which you will proceed to the park head quarters for a gorilla trek briefing. The briefing will be conducted at the Kinigi park headquarters starting at 8:00am.

During the briefing, the ranger guide will take you through the guidelines of gorilla trekking and what to expect during the adventure. After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of 8, each with a ranger guide and each group is assigned a gorilla family to visit.

At the trailheads, you will start your hike into the forest in search of the gorilla family assigned to you. The hike will take you between 3 to 5 hours and once you find the mountain gorillas you will be allowed 1-hour in their presence observing them and taking photographs. After the trek, you will meet your driver guide and return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, head out for a visit to the Iby’iwacu cultural village where you will get to interact with the culture and traditions of the people of Rwanda through music, dances, poems, stories, and dress code. Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Amarembo by Touchdown(luxury)/ Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel(midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Budget Gorilla trekkingDay 3: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Kigali

After breakfast, just like the day before, you will proceed to the park head quarters in Kingi for a briefing on the dos and don’ts of golden monkey trekking. The golden monkey trek will take you through the edges of the bamboo forest via potato fields. The trek will take us 2-3 hours. Golden monkeys are far more active and acrobatic than gorillas, and because of this the trek is shorter and less strenuous.

After the trek, you shall return to the lodge for lunch after which you will check out of the lodge and drive back to Kigali where you will stay the night.

Accommodation: Hemming ways Retreat Kigali (luxury)/Kigali Marriot (midrange)

Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast

Day 4: Kigali sightseeing and transfer to Arusha

Wake up to a breakfast at the hotel after which you will check out of the hotel and proceed for Kigali sightseeing. This city tour will take you for a visit to the Kigali genocide memorial, the Belgium peacemaker’s memorial, the local kimironko market, and craft centres.

After the city tour, have a stop for a lunch in Kigali then your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali International Airport for your onward flight to Arusha where you will stay the night.

Accommodation: Aye Sophia Villa(luxury)/Kibo Palace hotel(midrange)

Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast

Day 5: Transfer to Serengeti national park

After a proper night’s rest, wake up to a breakfast at the hotel then you will check out of the hotel and embark on a scenic drive to Serengeti national park. On arrival, check in at your safari lodge where you will stay the next couple of days.

Accommodation: Serengeti Pioneer Camp(luxury)/Heritage Serengeti(midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 6: Full day game drive in Central Serengeti

Central Serengeti is the most reliable year-round game-viewing zone in Serengeti, known for resident lion prides, leopards draped in the riverine sausage trees along the Seronera River, and consistent cheetah sightings on the open plains making it the anchor day of any Serengeti itinerary regardless of when you travel.

After your breakfast at the lodge, pick up a packed lunch and leave for a full day of game viewing in the Serengeti. During the game viewing, you will have a stopover for a picnic lunch then continue on your game viewing experience.

Accommodation: Serengeti Pioneer Camp(luxury)/Heritage Serengeti(midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 7: Full day game drive in Serengeti – Optional hot air balloon safari

Today you will have another opportunity to explore more of the Serengeti plains. Start your day with a breakfast at the lodge then head out for a morning game drive allowing you to catch the wildlife that are active before sunrise. After the game drive, return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. After lunch, continue on your game viewing adventure.

Optional hot air balloon safari; Instead of the morning game drive, you can opt for a hot air balloon safari that will give an entirely different experience of the beauty of the Serengeti plains as a new day dawn over the horizons.

Accommodation: Serengeti Pioneer Camp(luxury)/Heritage Serengeti(midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 8: Morning game drive and transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After a breakfast at the lodge, check out and embark on your last game drive on the Serengeti plains as you transfer to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The transit road cuts straight through prime migration territory from roughly December through April, when over a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras spread across the southern Serengeti and Ndutu plains for the calving season. Even outside migration months, the short grass plains here hold resident cheetah, hyena, and large herds of Thomson’s gazelle. We build in extra drive time on this leg specifically so it never feels rushed. On arrival, check in at your lodge for an afternoon of relaxation.

Accommodation: Elewana Ngorongoro manor lodge(luxury)/Ngorongoro Safari lodge(midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 9: Ngorongoro Crater experience

The Ngorongoro Crater is a roughly 260 km² caldera floor, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world, and it holds one of Africa’s densest concentrations of wildlife, including one of the best chances anywhere on the continent to see all of the Africa’s Big Five in a single day.

After a breakfast at the lodge, you will descend via a steep access road into the Ngorongoro crater. During your game viewing adventure, stopover for a picnic lunch near Lake Magadi. Later, proceed to Arusha where you will stay the night.

Accommodation: Aye Sophia Villa(luxury)/Kibo Palace hotel(midrange)

Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast

Day 10: Departure

Depending on your flight time, wake up at leisure for a breakfast at the hotel then check out and transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight.

End of tour

Trip inclusions     

  • Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
  • Gorilla permits
  • Golden monkey permits
  • Full-time English-speaking driver guide
  • Park entrances
  • Concession fees
  • Agreed upon accommodation
  • Meals at accommodation
  • Government taxes

Trip exclusions     

  • International flights
  • Transfer flights
  • Visas
  • Tips & gratitude
  • Drinks
  • Extra activities