11 Days Wildlife Safari and Gorilla Trek: A Journey of Nature and Adventure
Experience an 11-day journey, where the thrill of a wildlife safari converges with the awe-inspiring adventure of gorilla trekking. Explore iconic national parks, encountering the majestic “Big Five” and diverse ecosystems. Venture into the lush landscapes of gorilla habitats, trekking through dense forests for an intimate encounter with these incredible creatures. This expedition seamlessly intertwines the excitement of a safari with the unforgettable experience of connecting with gorillas in their natural habitat, creating lasting memories within the untamed rhythm of the wild.
Route
- Start - Arusha (Day 1)
- Day 2 - Tarangire NP - Walking Safari
- Day 3 - 4 - Serengeti NP
- Day 5 - Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 6 - Lake Manyara
- Day 7 - Kigali
- Day 8 - 9 - Volcanoes NP
- Day 10 - Kigali Day Tour
- Day 12 - End - Kigali International Airport
Tour Features
Luxury tour
This luxury tour uses lodges and hotels.
Private tour
This tour will be organized exclusively for you and won't be shared with others.
Can start any day
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
Can be customized
You can request changes to this tour.
For solo and group travelers
Solo travelers and groups can book this tour.
Minimum age of 3 years
The minimum age for this tour is 3 years.
Activities & Transportation
- Activities: game drives & specialized birding (with a professional birding guide)
- Game drives: normal 4x4 vehicle & pop-up roof 4x4 vehicle
- Getting around: pop-up roof 4x4 vehicle
- A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Day by Day
-
Arrival (See Getting There for more details)
➔ You'll be collected from the airport.
➔ Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost. -
Day 1 - Arrival in Arusha
Welcome to the start of your safari and welcome to Tanzania! You've chosen a fantastic place for your safari journey and we'll get you started with an introductory briefing before we head out to begin the trip you've been dreaming of.
You won’t find any more beautiful corner of the Rift Valley than Arusha National Park. Yes, you’ll see wildlife – giraffe, zebra and buffalo are present and the birdlife is wonderfully varied. But it’s the scenery here that most travelers remember, from the near-perfect volcanic cone that crowns the summit of Mt Meru to the Ngurdoto Crater, which often goes by the name of ‘Little Ngorongoro’. And by focusing on the scenery rather than the animals, your visit to Arusha National Park nicely complements the other parks of Tanzania’s northern safari circuit.
Walking safari, Arusha National Park
Come with us on a walking safari, where you'll enjoy the thrill of stepping out into the African wild with an experienced guide. Although you won't be watching the animals from a vehicle, it's still very safe, and it's a priceless opportunity to feel really connected to the animals you'll see and the landscapes you'll explore in a whole new way
➔ Main Destination: Arusha (City)
➔ Accommodation: Arusha Planet Lodge
➔ Meals & Drinks: Meals at your own expense. Drinks not included. -
Day 2 - Tarangire National Park
We think you’ll be impressed with Tarangire National Park. Most visitors love the distinct shapes of the baobab trees silhouetted against the sky that make this place feel like a fairy-tale African landscape. Or visitors remember the elephants that roam in family bands everywhere throughout the park. If you’re lucky, you’ll also encounter the big cats – lions especially, but also cheetahs and leopards – that are always a possibility here. And there’s a fair degree of certainty that you will tick wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, buffalo and zebra off your wildlife-viewing list.
Arusha
It’s a world away from wildlife and wild lands, but Arusha is an essential part of the northern Tanzanian safari, with plenty of scenes of local life to enjoy.
➔ Main Destination: Serengeti National Park
➔ Accommodation: Marera Valley Lodge
➔ Meals & Drinks: All meals included. All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor). -
Day 3 - 4 Serengeti National Park
You’ll never forget the time you spend in the Serengeti. Perhaps it will be the sightings of leopard and cheetah as they show their skills as feared hunters of the plains and valleys. Or that unforgettable moment when an elephant family feeds alongside your vehicle, so close you could almost reach out and touch them. Or the first time you hear a lion roar. Then there are the herds of buffalo, zebra or wildebeest so large that they move as one across your horizon, like a river. All of these experiences are possible in the Serengeti, one of the most beautiful parks in Africa.
➔ Main Destination: Serengeti National Park
➔ Accommodation: Embalakai Camp
➔ Meals & Drinks: All meals included. All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor). -
Day 5 - Ngorongoro Crater
You’ll learn why magical Ngorongoro is unlike anywhere else in Africa. Cloud forests encircle the crater rim, and the view out across the caldera of this former volcano – quite apart from the altitude – will leave you gasping for air. Your drive down a steep trail carries you onto the crater floor where a unique wildlife offering is added to the sheer beauty of the experience. You’ll share the sunken ecosystem of the crater floor with hyenas, lions, elephants, black rhinos and hippos. An ecosystem that has formed in the crater in the millennia since the volcano wrought its terrible fury upon the land. It could just be one of your best safari days ever.
➔ Main Destination: Ngorongoro Crater Park
➔ Accommodation: Marera Valley Lodge
➔ Meals & Drinks: All meals included. All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor). -
Day 6 - Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara is one of the most underestimated national parks in Tanzania’s northern safari circuit. Everything you’ll see here is on a different scale, at once compact (this is one of the narrowest parks in Africa) and epic (the Rift Valley escarpment towers over Lake Manyara’s western boundary). You’ll see plenty of baboons and elephants in the park’s thick evergreen forest, and watch for the tree-climbing lions that have become famous throughout Africa. Thanks to the proximity of lake, forest and rock walls, the birdlife will also tease out your inner birder – don’t forget your binoculars.
➔ Main Destination: Lake Manyara National Park
➔ Accommodation: Airport Planet Lodge
➔ Meals & Drinks: All meals included. All drinks (Except for spirits/liquor). -
Day 7 - Kigali
Sprawling across the steep slopes that earned Rwanda the nickname Land of 1000 Hills, Kigali is a neat, clean and rapidly growing city situated at the hub of the national road network. Explore the compact city center for a fascinating introduction to the bustle of contemporary urban Africa, or head out to leafy suburbs dotted with a cosmopolitan choice of garden restaurants.
➔ Main Destination: Zanzibar
➔ Accommodation: Heaven Boutique Hotel
➔ Meals & Drinks: All meals included -
Day 8-9 Volcanoes National Park
If the majestic Virunga peaks of Volcanoes National Park look familiar as you approach them, that's because they were once home to primatologist Dian Fossey, and the movie 'Gorillas in the Mist' was shot on location there. Mountain gorillas remain the park's most keenly sought inhabitants, but it also forms an important stronghold for the endangered golden monkey and for 16 bird species native to the Albertine Rift Valley. Guided day hikes onto the richly biodiverse volcanic slopes lead through towering bamboo thickets, dense tropical jungle and otherworldly highaltitude moorland..
➔ Main Destination: Zanzibar
➔ Accommodation: Virunga Inn Resort & SPA
➔ Meals & Drinks: All meals included -
Day 10 - Kigali Day Tour
Kigali has a fascinating story, and your sightseeing excursion will bring the city and its history to life.
➔ Main Destination: Zanzibar
➔ Accommodation: Heaven Boutique Hotel
➔ Meals & Drinks: All meals included -
Day 11 - Departure
It's a pity that it has to end, but this is where your safari will draw to a close. We're sure that you will return home with so many exciting and happy memories, and we hope that you will join us again on safari sometime in the future.
➔ Meals & Drinks: Breakfast -
End of tour (See Getting There for more details)
➔ Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. ➔ You'll be dropped off at the airport.
Important to Know
- This tour is not available to solo travelers.
- Rates are per person and exclude international flights from/to your home country.
- This tour accepts children who are 3 years and older.
Rates Per Person
- n/a = not available. This tour is unavailable for solo travelers.
- 7+ people please get a Quote
Inclusion
Park fees
For Non Residents
All game drives & activities
(Unless labeled as optional)
All accommodations
(Unless listed as upgrade)
A professional driver/guide
English/German/Spanish speaking
All transportation
(Unless labeled as optional)
All Meals
(As specified in the day-by-day section)
All Drinks
(As specified in the day-by-day section)
All Taxes/VAT
(Unless labeled as optional)
Excluded
International flights
(From/to home)
Personal items & arrangements
(Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Additional accommodations
(before and at the end of the tour)
Tips
(Tipping guideline US$15.00 pp per day)
Some meals
(As specified in the day-by-day section)
Getting There
- This tour starts and ends in Arusha
- Book your own international flights
- Fly to/from Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO - Check price) near Arusha. Or fly to/from Arusha Airport (ARK - Check price) via Dar es Salaam or Nairobi (Kenya)
- A transfer from and back to the airport is included
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost