On our 6 days Volcanoes and Serengeti Safari, you have the chance to see Africa’s popular wildlife species-Mountain gorillas and big five (Cape Buffaloes, lions, elephants, leopards and Rhinos).
This safari starts from Arusha (in Tanzania) leads to Serengeti National Park with an additional destination-Ngorongoro Crater (Eden of Africa) and finally visit to Volcanoes National Park before being finalized at Kigali City of Rwanda.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Pick-up from any location in Arusha and drive to Serengeti National Park.
This is not just the first day of your safari but the beginning of something memorable. Pick-up is from any location in Arusha Town after a short briefing on the safari. Begin your 4 hours’ journey to Serengeti National Park where views of breathtaking landscapes and vast savannah plains will be the highlight of the journey. Transverse through the remarkable Olduvai Gorge, a popular archeologist site discovered by Louis Leakey to trace the first remains of earliest humans.
Continue with your drive to Serengeti National Park where you will check-in at the Safari Lodge or Tented Camp then settle-in for Lunch and refreshments. Later in the evening head for a game drive through the spectacular Seronera Valley where high concentration of wildebeests, elephants, Cape buffaloes, Burchell’s zebras, lions, cheetahs, Masai giraffes, leopards, Rhinos and Defassa waterbucks can be encountered.
Day 2: Full day exploring Serengeti National Park and short game drive through Ngorongoro Crater.
This is one of the most amazing days of your life because game drives in Serengeti National Park are rewarding with unmatched views of large elephant herds, buffaloes, wildebeests and numerous lions and cheetahs among others. Make sure to carry your luggage then continue for a game drive that will introduce you to the Somalia Ostriches, secretary birds, zebras, Kirk’s Dik-dik, bushbucks, Oribis, Kobs, Jackson’s hartebeests, Klipspringers, Guinea fowls, Defassa waterbucks and common elands among others. The drive through Seronera River Valley is the most rewarding game drive and break from the game drive to enjoy your picnic Lunch.
After this amazing Lunch in the wilderness, make a stop at Retina Hippo pool where more than 200 Hippos will be spotted then continue to Ngorongoro Crater for another game drive with chances of encountering more and more of Tanzania’s rich wildlife diversity. Your dinner and overnight will be at one of the stupendous accommodation facilities near Ngorongoro Crater.
Day 3: Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater and transfer to Arusha for a flight to Kigali.
Daybreak means another day of unforgettable experiences. Breakfast starts your day and is followed by a game drive down the Crater. The wide unbroken caldera of Ngorongoro boasts of unmatched wildlife diversity through the acacia woodland where Masai giraffes, Topis, Kobs, elephants, impalas, Cape buffaloes, Rhinos and many others roam freely. Later drive to Arusha where you will take a flight to Kigali, Rwanda.
Day 4: Drive from Kigali City/Airport to Northern Province of Rwanda.
Receive a welcome from one of our Company representatives who will take you on a Tour of Kigali City to explore the different remarkable sites such as the Presidential Palace Museum, Genocide Memorial Sites and Craft markets. Continue with a drive to Northern Province, where you will be taken to the shores of the Twin Lakes. Undertake a boat ride on these Twin Lakes to explore their different Islands and this ends in the evening when you are driven to the Lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Trekking Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and Visit to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.
Be up early enough to prepare yourself for the unforgettable trek for Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park but first, have breakfast. Be at Kinigi Park Headquarters by 7:00am for briefing on the dos and don’ts of gorilla treks then allocation to one of the 13 habituated gorilla groups.
An armed ranger and guide will be assigned to your group, then hire a porter before setting off into the dense forest to search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Trek for 1-4 hours through densely forested hillside, valleys and bamboo forest before you start noticing signs of gorilla activity such as broken bamboo stands, gorilla dung and nests and at this point, you will be asked to get your cameras ready.
Quietly observe, take photos and ask questions as they go about their daily routine of resting, foraging, mating, females nursing their babies, grooming on tree branches and many others. The entire viewing/photography process lasts only one hour after which you will get back to your safari vehicle for a drive back to the Lodge for Lunch and short relaxation.
In the evening be transferred to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village near Volcanoes National Park for a moment of unforgettable Rwandan cultural experience. While here, you will learn some drumming lessons, be entertained by the Intore dancers, participate in the preparation and tasting of Rwandan special cuisines,
Day 6: Golden Monkey Tracking and Drive Back to Kigali City for departure.
Another day to be in the forest and begins with breakfast at the Lodge then assembling at the Park Headquarters in Kinigi for briefing. The trek is done in the same way as that of mountain gorillas but takes a shorter time because golden monkeys occupy the lower slopes of the Virunga Mountains.
You’ll find the golden monkeys after 1-3 hours of tracking and spend one hour in their midst to watch and take photos. Return back to the Lodge for Lunch and afterwards drive back to Kigali International Airport to catch-up with your flight.
End of 6 days gorilla trekking tour in Volcanoes N/park and Serengeti wildlife Safari.
