7 Days Gorillas, Serengeti & Ngorongoro safari

This 7-day mountain gorillas, Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari will offer you an unforgettable safari experience giving you some of the best once in a life time encounters in Africa. This trip will take you from the lush and hilly landscape of Rwanda, where you will encounter the endangered mountain gorillas to the dusty and open grasslands of Serengeti and Ngorongoro with each destination carefully complementing the other.

Itinerary overview

• Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, city tour, and transfer to Volcanoes national park
• Day 2: Mountain Gorilla trekking and Iby’iwacu cultural experience
• Day 3: Fly to Serengeti national park
• Day 4: Full day game drive in Central Serengeti
• Day 5: Full day game drive in Serengeti
• Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater experience

Day 7: Transfer to Arusha and Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, City tour and transfer to Volcanoes national park

Once you land at Kigali International Airport, you will meet one of our English-speaking driver guides who will welcome you to this land of a thousand hills, give you an insight into this tour then you will proceed to the city for sightseeing. Kigali is one of the cleanest, safest capitals in Africa. During the city tour in Kigali, you will visit Kigali genocide memorial, the local kimironko market, craft shops, and the Belgium peacemaker’s memorial. After the city tour, stopover for a hot lunch within this stunning city of Kigali.

After lunch, you will embark on 2.5-3 hours transfer drive towards the northwest of Rwanda to the Musanze/Kinigi area. Upon arrival, check in at your gorilla lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

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

Meal plan: Full board

Day 2: Mountain Gorilla Trekking, and Iby’iwacu cultural experience

Start your day at 6:30 am with an early breakfast at the lodge. After breakfast, you will meet your driver guide and who will transfer you to the Kinigi park headquarters for a briefing and registration for the gorilla trekking experience. During the briefing, you will be given insights on the proper dress code and code of conduct during the gorilla trekking experience.

After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of 8 and each group assigned a gorilla family to visit. Your driver guide will then transfer you to the hike trail hail where you will meet your assigned ranger guide and other members of your group and proceed on the hike in search of the mountain gorillas. The hike takes you through a bamboo covered forest and volcanic slopes at altitudes up to 3,000 meters and lasts for between 3-5 hours depending on how far the gorillas have moved on that day and once you locate them, you are allowed 1 hour in their presence observing them and taking photographs.

After, return to the starting point where you will meet your driver guide and return to the lodge for a hot lunch. After lunch, head out for a visit to the Iby’iwacu cultural village where you will be introduced to the cultures and traditions of the people of Rwanda through music, dances, stories, poems, and dress code. Later, return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

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

Meal plan: Full board

Day 3: Fly to Serengeti national park

Today is a transition day. Wake up for an early breakfast at the lodge then transfer back to Kigali where you will catch your connecting flight to Seronera Airstrip- Central Serengeti.

Accommodation: Elewana Serengeti Pioneer lodge(luxury)/Heritage Serengeti lodge

Meal plan: Full board

Day 4: Full Day Serengeti Game Drive

Today is dedicated entirely to game viewing in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s flagship reserve and home to the largest terrestrial mammal migration on Earth. The Serengeti delivers exceptional game viewing experiences all year round. The park holds one of Africa’s highest lion densities, healthy leopard populations along the riverine forests, cheetah on the open short grass plains, resident elephant, giraffe, hippo, and buffalo, among others.

Accommodation: Elewana Serengeti Pioneer lodge(luxury)/Heritage Serengeti lodge

Meal plan: Full board

Day 5: Full day game drive in Serengeti

The second day of wildlife viewing offers more game viewing opportunities. You will start your day with a morning game drive during you will spot more wildlife in the Serengeti plains. After the morning game drive, return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation then sum up your Serengeti visit with an afternoon game driver. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

For photographers, this is usually also a full day drive with packed lunch eaten in the bush, maximizing golden hour light at both ends of the day rather than returning to camp for a midday break.

Accommodation: Elewana Serengeti Pioneer lodge(luxury)/Heritage Serengeti lodge

Meal plan: Full board

 

Day 6: Ngorongoro Crater experience

Have an early breakfast at the lodge and transfer from the Serengeti to the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, followed by a full day game drive on the crater floor itself. The caldera holds an estimate of 25,000–30,000 large mammals in permanent residence, including the East Africa’s endangered black rhinos alongside dense populations of lion, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and flamingo-lined Lake Magadi.

After Ngorongoro crater experience, you will drive out of the crater and transfer to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Neptune Ngorongoro luxury camp(luxury)/Ngorongoro Safari lodge(midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 7: Transfer to Arusha and Departure

After your breakfast at the lodge, you will check out and transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure flight. If your flight schedule allows, we can have a stop for coffee near Arusha before proceeding to the airport.

End of tour

Trip inclusions     

• Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
• Gorilla 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