Kigali (Day 1)

1 Night En-suite Standard Room, Half Board – 11 km

Day 1 will be spent in Kigali. Kigali is most probably the cleanest, most crime-free city in Africa. The people are friendly and soft-spoken and a good number are English-speaking and very helpful. Your semi-luxury accommodation consists of a comfortable hotel room in a centrally located hotel.

Lake Kivu (Day 2)

1 Night En-suite Double Room, Half Board – 130 km

On Day 2, before departing for Lake Kivu, you will make a stop at the Kigali Genocide Museum. Here you will discover the real history behind the “Genocide against the Tutsi”. You will need a couple of hours to grasp this heart-breaking civil war of 100 days where millions of people were slaughtered to death. There were so many acts of heroism among those Hutu villagers who had no heart for the genocide.

You will then depart for Lake Kivu in the afternoon. On route to Lake Kivu take time to enjoy the views from the thousand Hills of Kigali. Lake Kivu is one of a “string of inland seas” that submerged much of the Albertine Rift floor, hemmed in by steeply terraced escarpments. Your rustic accommodation consists of a double room in a beautiful log style Lodge and is situated on the shores of Lake Kivu and provides the most fantastic views over the Lake.

Activity Included: Kigali Genocide Museum

Volcanoes National Park spans an area of approx. 160 sq km in the northern part of Rwanda. This National Park is part of the amazing Virunga volcano conservation region which covers Virunga National Park Congo and Mgahinga National Park Uganda. It started out as a small area around Karisimbi, Mikeno and Visoke volcanoes and was later gazetted to protect the mountain Gorillas which were facing the threat of extinction due to poaching.

Virunga Volcanoes (Day 3 & 4)

2 Nights En-suite Double Room, Half Board – 155 km

On Day 3, you will travel to Virunga Volcanoes. En-route to the hotel, you may stop at the Volcanoes which are located close to Ruhengeri town. On your way you will see the magnificent twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. These lakes are real gems as they offer magnificent views over the whole of the Virunga Volcanoes.

On Day 4, head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing. You will then start your days’ trekking to see the Golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park with the rest of the trackers. Just like Gorilla trekking, you may spend hours in the forest. It depends on the movement of these primates on that day. There are about 15 of these delightful creatures with their orange-gold bodies and contrasting black limbs and crowns. They can be viewed for 1 hour in a group of 6-8 persons. Lunch for your own account.

Your semi-luxury accommodation consists of a luxurious double room and is situated near the entrance of the National Park with incredible views of the 5 Virunga Volcanoes.

Activity Included: Golden Monkeys Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Day 5 & 6)

2 Nights En-suite Double Room, Full Board – 75 km

After an early morning breakfast, you will do a border crossing into Uganda (cross-border documentation included in your tour package) to drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a bio-diverse, mountainous area in southwest Uganda. It’s home to many of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, who feed on roots, leaves and fruits from the Park’s many tree-and fern species.

Birdlife and primate life in this forest is superb and there is an incredible variety of flora. Bwindi is a birdwatcher’s haven! It holds 348 species of birds and supports 24 of the 26 Albertine Rift Endemics that occur in Uganda, of which you might have a chance to encounter some, as well as other primate species.

On Day 6, after breakfast, you will start the Gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking can be challenging – the timing and terrain of this trek is unpredictable as everything depends on the movement of these great Apes. Generally, this activity can take between 2 to 8 hours. This is truly the most adventurous wildlife encounter one can experience.

Your mid-range accommodation is a Gorilla Lodge located outside Bwindi Impenetrable forest, with beautiful views of the forest.

Activity Included: Gorilla Trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Arusha (Day 7)

1 Night En-suite Double Room, Half Board (170 km)

On Day 7, after breakfast, you will drive back to the Uganda border to enter Rwanda again and drive to the airport in Kigali. This may take up to 5 hours. From here you will fly to Kilimanjaro International in Tanzania. Your driver-guide will transfer you to your Hotel in Arusha where you will enjoy dinner. Your mid-range accommodation consists of a hotel room with all the amenities and access you would expect in a modern city right in the wild.

Experience the Africa of bygone days where you explore the “lost world” of the Ngorongoro. Within the walls of the crater, short grasslands, swamps, forests and a fresh water lake inspiring continual migration of animals and birds. From our pop-up roof on the vehicle we try to spot the big five-buffalo, elephant, leopard, black manned lion and the rare black rhinoceros as well as other game like zebra, wildebeest and gazelles.

Ngorongoro Crater (Day 8)

1 Night En-suite Double Room, Full Board – 160 km

On Day 8, after breakfast, you depart for the Ngorongoro Crater. The drive passing Lake Manyara’s viewpoint which continues through the Ngorongoro Conservancy, delivers incredible scenery. This natural wonder situated in the Great Rift Valley originated millions of years ago. This was originally called the “Garden of Eden” and is sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.

Your mid-range accommodation consists of an exquisite hotel right on the rim of the Crater.

Activity Included: Ngorongoro Crater Visit

The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word “siringet” referring to an “endless plain” from where one can witness one of the greatest concentrations of plain animals left on earth. The plains were formed 3-4 million years ago. The Serengeti was declared a Game Reserve in 1929.

Serengeti Seronera (Day 9)

1 Night En-suite Luxury Tented Camp, Full Board – 150 km

On Day 9, you will depart Kilimanjaro early as you have quite a long drive to the Serengeti. After a visit to a Maasai Village and the inhabitants of the Ngorongoro we make our way to Oldupai Gorge (Olduvai) which is the most famous archaeological location in East Africa.

At Laetoli, west of Ngorongoro Crater, hominid footprints are preserved in volcanic rock 3.6 million years old and represent some of the earliest signs of mankind in the world. Three separate tracks of a small-brained upright walking early hominid, a creature of about 1.2 to 1.4 meters tall, were found.
Soon after this you will arrive at the Kopjes (small hills) in Serengeti named Barafu, Gol, Maasai, Lolionde, Simba and Moru.

Your luxury accommodation consists of a luxury mobile tent in the Serengeti.

Activity Included: Maasai Village Visit / Optional Laetoli Visit

Kogatende Serengeti (Day 10, 11 & 12)

3 Nights En-suite Luxury Tented Camp, Full Board – 153 km

On Day 10, 11 & 12, you will observe the great migration. The days are packed with game viewing as we explore the migration herds crossing the rivers into Kenya.

Kogatende, also known as Wogakuria, is a little-known area in the north western corner of the Serengeti. It is surrounded by secret valleys, hills and has the Mara River running through it. The Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya lies over its border.

The great migration passes around Kogatende from August to November, and this is one of the most exciting times, with river crossings in the presence of pursuant carnivores. Even without the migration, the game viewing is varied and interesting.

The Serengeti is famous for its mobile tented accommodation – camps which move with the herds and therefore guarantee superb migration viewing during the popular months. You will enjoy your stay in these tents while soaking in what the Serengeti has to offer and eating like kings in the bush.

Activity Included: Serengeti Migration Observance