11 Days Rwanda Primates and Serengeti National Park Safari

This 11 days Rwanda primates and Serengeti safari is an ultimate and adventurous journey that enables you to have eye contact with Africa’s endangered primates, including mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and chimpanzees, and the big five animals in the wilderness, including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffaloes.  This safari is a remarkable wildlife expedition that leaves you with life-time memories.

This safari starts from the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation areas, proceeding to Rwanda’s primate parks, that is, Volcanoes National Park, and ending in Nyungwe National Park.

While on this safari in Tanzania, you’ll see the spectacular Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The term Serengeti comes from the Masai word “Siringitu,” which means “endless plains.” This is because the Savannah grasslands are great habitats for both predators and herbivores. The Ngorongoro Crater is a place with several plant and animal species and is thus referred to as the “Eden of Africa.” It is also the 8th Natural Wonder of the World. There are many activities to do in Serengeti, including game drives, birding, camping, and most attractive of all is the great wildebeest migration. As an adventure lover, this park provides the best during the Great Migration.

11 Days Rwanda Primates and Serengeti National Park SafariWhile in Rwanda, you will take part in trekking the primates, mountain gorillas, and golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park and Chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park. You will enjoy scenic drives along the winding roads of Rwanda with breathtaking terraced hills and plantations.

Safari highlights.

  • Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Serengeti National Park
  • Day 2 and 3: Game drives in Serengeti National Park
  • Day 4:Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
  • Day 5:Crater game drive and transfer to Arusha
  • Day 6:Flight from Arusha to Kigali International Airport – transfer  to Volcanoes National Park
  • Day 7: Gorilla trekking
  • Day 8: Golden monkey trekking and visit to the Gorilla Guardians Village.
  • Day 9:Transfer to Nyungwe National Park via Gisenyi
  • Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking  and Canopy Walk
  • Day 11: Transfer to Kigali and departure.

Detailed itinerary.

Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Serengeti National Park

Depending on your arrival time, you will meet your driver guide waiting at the airport, give you a simple briefing of the trip and how to behave in the savanna parks.  Find something to eat in a pleasant restaurant in Arusha, have some packed snacks, and proceed on a six-hour drive to Serengeti National Park. Drive to the lodge or camp and prepare for the next day.

Day 2 and 3: Game drives in Serengeti National Park

Have an early morning breakfast,  get packed lunch and go for full day game drive in the park where you will spend the day observing animals in their natural habitat at a different time and in various parts of the Serengeti. Anticipate witnessing large herds of migrating animals, prides of lions, cheetah, leopard, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, and antelope as well as several species of birds and indigenous trees. Depending on the time of the year, your game drives will be based in the central, northern or southern parts of the park. Your movements and accommodation will be flexible as in relation to the animal migratory movement.  Dinner will be at your booked accommodation.

Day 4:Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Start with an early breakfast at your camp or lodge, get your packed lunch, and then leave for morning sightings as you drive from Serengeti towards Ngorongoro for more wildlife sights. The Ngorongoro is most rewarding during the calving period of the wildebeests. Enjoy the herds feeding in the short savanna grasslands and areas around Olduvai Gorge. Later in the evening, drive to the booked lodge or camp for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5:Crater game drive and transfer to Arusha

Begin your day with an early breakfast at your lodge or camp, then travel down the crater rim to view the animals inside the crater at a closer range.

The Ngorongoro crater is the world’s largest Caldera, harboring thousands of animals. Expect to see the big five animals, including the rare black rhino. More animals here include cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, and many others.

In the afternoon, enjoy your picnic lunch at the hippo pool, then continue with the afternoon’s animal sightings as you exit the crater area, making way back to your booked hotel in Arusha.

Day 6:Flight from Arusha to Kigali International Airport – transfer to Volcanoes National Park.

After an early morning breakfast,  check out and drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport.   Board your flight that will take roughly 3hours and 45 minutes to Kigali International Airport.  At Kigali International Airport, you will meet a new guide who will help you explore Rwanda by transferring you to the different primate parks and providing a detailed explanation of Rwanda’s history and present.  From the airport, the driver guide will take you to a restaurant for breakfast or lunch, depending on your arrival time.  In the afternoon, you will drive to Volcanoes National Park, which is found in the northwestern part of the country. Drive time is 2:30 hours. Check into the accommodation on arrival for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.

Day 7: Gorilla trekking

This is one of the most interesting days of the Rwanda gorillas and Serengeti safari.  It’s a day to experience the comfort of getting close to the gentle human cousins in the wilderness, the mountain gorillas.  Start your day with an early breakfast at the lodge, pack simple snacks and drinking water, well dressed in the necessary trekking gear, your driver guide will drive you to the park headquarters for a briefing from the ranger guide. The ranger guide will share some of the gorilla trekking tips and guidelines. You will be allocated to a gorilla family with other trekkers in groups of eight people to track one gorilla family. Then your driver guide will drive you to the starting point. After this, an armed game guide will lead you to trek to the gorilla family allocated to you.  The trek is a bit strenuous, hence the need of physical and mental fitness. The trek takes 30 minutes to 6 hours, depending on where you locate the gorilla family. You are allowed 1 hour with the gorillas.

Depending on how far the gorilla family is, return to the starting point to meet your driver, who will transfer you back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 8: Golden monkey trekking and visit the gorilla guardian’s village( Ib’yiwachu)

It’s yet another day in the Volcanoes National Park for the experience of tracking the golden monkeys. Golden monkeys are another group of endangered primates that also find refuge in the Virunga volcanoes. They are often found near the bamboo zone because they enjoy eating the bamboo shoots. Like the gorillas, you will also be allowed to spend one hour with the golden monkeys. After this experience, return to the hotel for a refreshing lunch and later visit the Gorilla Guardian Village for an experience of Rwandan culture and tradition through various traditional exhibitions, including craftwork, folktales, music, and dances. After the visit, return to the accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 9: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park via Gisenyi

After breakfast at the accommodation, check out to transfer to Nyungwe National Park. You have a stopover at Gisenyi for lunch and later proceed to Nyungwe. On arrival, check into the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

After an early breakfast, the guide will drive you to the Nyungwe  Forest National Park visitor center for a briefing. Go on a guided walk within the primate park, a home to not only chimpanzees but also 12 other primate species. The hike is amazing with sightings of unique flora and fauna within the forest. You will be allowed to spend only one hour with the chimps. After the trek, you will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, take a canopy walk tour to see a variety of wildlife, especially birds, up close within the forest. Return to the lodge to relax, have dinner, and night stay.

Day 11: Transfer to Kigali and departure

After breakfast, travel back to Kigali.  You will make a convenient stopover depending on your flight time. Drop off in Kigali at the airport or hotel.

  • Tour included;
    • Park fees
    • All activities
    • A professional driver/guide
    • All Taxes/VAT
    • Meals
    • Mineral water bottle

    Tour excluded;

    • International flights
    • Roundtrip airport transfer
    • Tips
    • Personal items like souvenirs ,travel insurance ,visa fees etc