11 Days Gorilla Trekking and Tanzania Migration Mara River Crossing
The trip will take you to two countries in East Africa with different cultures, landscapes, and climates. While Rwanda is hillier, on the other side, Tanzania is more open savannah country. Start with Rwanda and see the mountain gorilla before visiting three pristine wildlife areas in Tanzania with a chance to witness the Great Migration. While the sight of hundred thousands of wildebeest and zebras thunder across the plains is spectacular, the Mara River crossing is absolutely one of the most breathtaking natural events in wildlife sightings. Dust exploding, lions stalking a moveable feast, gigantic crocodiles and fast-flowing wild rivers await. It is sensational, impressive and dramatic at the same time. This is one of the obstacles of the Great Migration.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Admire your breakfast on the edge of the Mara River with a glance at hippos
- Come face-to-face with the Mountain Gorilla Silverback
- Witness the wildebeest crossing the Mara River, a unique experience
- See some of Africa’s stealthy predators, crocodiles, lions, leopards, and hyenas in Serengeti and Ngorongoro
- Admire your breakfast on the edge of the Mara River with a glance at hippos
Itinerary
Our guide/ driver will pick you up from either Kigali Airport OR your hotel in Kigali, and your day starts with a complimentary Kigali city tour.
Named in 1907 by Dr Richard Kandt, the first colonial resident governor of Rwanda, Kigali city is surrounded by lush green hills and is referred to as ‘the land of a thousand hills’. Visit interesting spots which may include the craft market, Gisozi genocide memorial site and Kigali museum.
Afterwards, depart for a 2-hour drive to Musanze, the second largest town in Rwanda, with its stunning backdrop of five volcanic mountains – The Virungas.
Arrive at Red Rocks Intercultural Exchange Centre for lunch before joining the local brew makers to understand the chemistry of the process of brewing a local beer from bananas. Enjoy a big glass of our local brew if you feel like it! Among other activities, they also do basket weaving in this local community, an activity which supports local families financially. Later, drive to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Destination: Volcanoes National Park
Meal: Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: The Garden Place Hotel
After an early morning breakfast, you will transfer to the park headquarters together with your packed lunch early enough to be briefed about the code of conduct while with the gorillas.
This will be followed by entering the forest in search of the gorillas, in the forest, which may take 2-6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas in the jungle. Meet and stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour.
Destination: Volcanoes National Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: The Garden Place Hotel
Today is your day for packing, having breakfast, and taking a visit to the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. These Magnificent twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, and their swamp Rugezi, are excellent photogenic, serene and scenic places for Bird watching activity. Later transfer to Kigali airport for your outbound flight. On your way, and if the weather favors you will get some stopovers to admire the scenery and the beautiful terraced hills.
After the tour, you will proceed to the airport for your flight to Kilimanjaro Airport. Upon arrival, you will be met by your safari guide and transferred to Arusha Villa
Destination: Volcanoes National Park
Meals included: All meals included
Accommodations: Planet Lodge
After breakfast, you drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a day of game viewing. In this small, but beautiful park with dense forest, you can spot lots of monkeys, giraffes, elephants, impalas, hippos, flamingos, and if you are lucky, you may spot the rare tree climbing lions, a part from the animals, the contrasting landscape is stunning with the biggest diversity of habitat than the Serengeti national park. For birders these is your day over 425 species of birds have been recorded here, with the highest number of raptors. In the late afternoon, you drive to Marera Valley Lodge for dinner and overnight.
Destination: Lake Manyara National Park
Meals included: All meals included
Accommodations: Marera Valley Lodge
Depart this morning for a game drive in the central part of the Serengeti. This part is famous for the abundance of lions and leopards that can usually be seen quite easily. Game viewing in the central area is spectacular all year round. Enjoy the views of endless plains and stunning wildlife like cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, ostrich, jackals, hyenas, hyrax and many more.
Destination: Serengeti National Park
Meals included: All meals included.
Accommodations: Serengeti Heritage Luxury camp
After breakfast, go on a game drive in the central part of Serengeti for more sightings of lions, leopards and cheetah and at around noon, drive to the retima hippo pool for lunch and witness hundreds of hippos in this pool while enjoying your mouthwatering lunch. After proceeding to the north through lobo where we have incredible sightings of giraffes, elephants, buffaloes impalas and the incredible landscape, the migration tail start showing up arrive at Tanzania Bush Camp for dinner and overnight.
Destination: Serengeti National Park
Meals included: All meals included.
Accommodations: Tanzania Bush Camp
Rise up early for a morning game drive along the Mara River. It is truly an amazing experience to see all those hoofed mammals in search of water and greener pastures, followed by iconic predators. A journey full of danger where only the strongest survive. You may also see hippos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, warthogs, and if you are lucky, the endangered black rhino. After the afternoon game drive, you head back to Tanzania Bush Camp for dinner and overnight.
Destination: Serengeti National Park
Meals included: All meals included.
Accommodations: Tanzania Bush Camp
Another day of morning and afternoon game drives in the North Serengeti along the Mara River. Dust exploding, lions stalking a moveable feast, gigantic crocodiles and fast-flowing wild rivers await the herds as they head north. The river crossing of thousands of wildebeest and zebra is absolutely one of the most breathtaking natural wonders in Africa. Return to Tanzania Bush Camp in the afternoon for dinner and overnight.
Destination: Serengeti National Park
Meals included: All meals included.
Accommodations: Tanzania Bush Camp
After breakfast, you will depart the camp with your picnic lunch and proceed with your game drive along the lobo, mbuzi mawe and the central Serengeti for more game viewing. Today you will be looking for lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and giraffes, stop for lunch at the picnic site and then continue to Ngorongoro for dinner and overnight at Hhando Coffee Lodge on the rim of the crater.
Destination: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Meals included: All meals included.
Accommodations: Hhando Coffee Lodge
Rise and shine, descend down to the Crater for a game drive with picnic lunch. It shelters close to 30.000 animals, including the Big Five. The crater teems with zebras, buffaloes, lions, wildebeest, warthogs, baboons, elephants, flamingos, ostriches, hippos, caracal, and a small population of the rare black rhino. The beautiful colours and dancing clouds make the crater almost surreal. Because of its natural beauty, in the afternoon, drive back to Arusha.
Destination: Arusha
Meals included: Packed Lunch
Accommodations: No Accommodation
Includes/Excludes
Price Includes
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- Mineral water
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Price Excludes
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees








