This 15 Days Best of Rwanda Primates & Tanzania Wildlife Safari itinerary includes gorilla trekking in Rwanda and safari in national parks of northern Tanzania such as Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
You will end the trip with Zanzibar beach vacation and ancient Stone town city. The first leg of this trip starts in Rwanda where you will visit Kigali city and also go for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
The second leg of this 15 Days Best of Rwanda Primates & Tanzania Wildlife Safari, you will fly to Arusha town and take a safari in northern Tanzania safari parks, making it a total African wildlife safari experience.
This 15-day best of Rwanda and Tanzania tour will be customized to meet your needs and budget, so the itinerary below is merely a suggestion that includes East Africa’s top wildlife experiences. See detailed itinerary for this 15 Days Rwanda Tanzania Safari below.
Detailed 15 Days Rwanda Tanzania Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and cultural village
Departing Kigali after doing the city tour, travel northwards and stop in Musanze town. The splendor of the rolling hills that characterize much of Rwanda as the “land of a thousand hills” is admired.
Travel to Volcanoes National Park arriving at your lodge in time for lunch. For the afternoon or evening time go for a cultural walk in the community.
Visit the gorilla guardian’s center which supports ex-gorilla poachers through cultural and ecosystem conservation.
You might take souvenirs or participate in several cultural activities such Rwandan traditional dance, bow and arrow shooting. Either way you will be helping rural tourism and gorilla conservation making your east African safari more sustainable than ever.
The evening concluded with a meal around a fire pit and dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking Adventure
A very early morning wake-up call, cup of coffee and breakfast. Then transfer to Kinigi headquarters of Volcanoes National Park and attend the briefing on gorillas and different regulations. After that, go for gorilla trekking with rangers who will enable you to see gorillas for 1 hour.
You will return to Kinigi for your Rwandan coffee gift as appreciation for gorilla trekking. Relax the rest of the day. dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Dian Fossey Tomb Hike
After breakfast, you can go on hike with your ranger. to visit Dian Fossey Tomb and Karisoke research Center. This trek takes 5 hours with moderate altitude hiking between Bisoke and Karisimbi volcanoes in Volcanoes National Park. Return and refresh then take in the lodge’s surroundings. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Flight to Arusha, Tanzania
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kigali International Airport in time to check in for your flight to Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport, Tanzania. You will be met by our representative and driven to the hotel of your choice in Arusha town, the safari capital of northern Tanzania.
Day 5: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
A very early morning wake-up call and a cup of coffee at your lodge and transfer to Tarangire National Park. The drive time here is 150 sq.km (3-hour drive) arriving in the park on time for brunch and relaxation.
There is time after lunch to go on a guided afternoon / evening game walk searching for wildlife. Tarangire is known for harboring Tanzania’s largest population of elephants. There are also wildebeest, zebras, giraffe and the park’s rift valley landscape are spectacular.
Day 6: Walking Safari and game drive
After breakfast, take a guided walking safari with an armed ranger through the African bush – a magical experience. Bush walks in Tarangire include visiting Masai villages and climbing Oldonyo Sambu Mountain.
Under a tree with a view of the wilderness and a waterhole where elephants come to drink water, lunch option is available to enjoy. After completing the walking tour, return to the lodge for dinner and night stay.
Day 7: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
Enjoy breakfast, leave Tarangire and transfer to Ngorongoro Crater about 175 sq.km (3-hour drive). Arrive at your high-altitude lodge on the rim of the crater at 2000 meters with spectacular views of the crater below.
In the afternoon when the sun throws the shadow into that crater, take your first game drive in search of wildlife inside the crater.
Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest unbroken caldera is home to 30000 mammals. These include big five African mammals and over 500 species of birds.
With specialist ranger, there are chances to see cheetahs, black rhino, lions, buffaloes, elephants and giraffe, zebras and wild dogs too which are endangered animals.
Besides, the main crater, there are two other craters nearby which are Empakai and almoti with Lake Eyasi where a community of Hazadbe bushmen live. Back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Full Day exploration in Ngorongoro Crater
Early in the morning game drive inside the Ngorongoro crater aboard a safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof. The drive will last for four to five hours giving enough time and chance to see Africa’s large wildlife up close including the Big 5 include elephants, buffalo, rhino, lion, and leopard.
In addition, Ngorongoro has a variety of wildlife such as zebras, cheetah, wild dog and hippos. After the morning game drive, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.
In the afternoon, there are options to chose from such as going for cultural tour of Hazadbe bushmen around Lake Eyasi with a chance to sleep overnight. You could still carry on with game drive into the crater again. Dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Transfer to Serengeti National Park (Seronera Valley)
Today you will leave the crater and travel north-west to Serengeti National Park. The journey of about 220 sq.km might take 5 hours using the eastern entrance gate in order to visit the Olduvai gorge – the cradle of mankind. Here you will spend about 1 hour exploring the Museum to gain knowledge about human evolution according to Mary and Louis Leakey, the paleoanthropologist-archeologists who discovered it in 1964.
Proceed over the rolling savanna plains to the Tanzania national parks center before checking in at the lodge in Seronera valley central Serengeti plains. Dinner and overnight.
Among the top things to see and do in Serengeti national park are wildebeest migration safari, game drives, hot air balloon safari and camping during the two-night stay.
Day 10: Full day game drives – Serengeti National Park
Early morning game drives, returning to camp for a rest in the late morning and lunch. Or bring a lunch with you and stay in the bush throughout the afternoon game drive up to evening. This allows more time to follow wildlife such as lions, cheetahs, black rhinos, leopards and wildebeest migration. Dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Hot air balloon safari and flight to Zanzibar
Today, you will do a hot air balloon experience. The activity starts before sunrise which requires waking up early for a cup of African coffee. Hot air balloon provides opportunity to fly above the tree tops for 1 hour giving you aerial views of the plains.
Upon landing, a champagne style breakfast will be served right in the middle of bush, followed by checking out of the lodge and transfer to Kilimanjaro airport. Immediately, take a flight to Zanzibar islands for beach vacation and relax.
Day 12: Stone town tour
Visit Stone town attractions such as house of wonders, old fort, spice community shop and the dispensary. The stone town Zanzibar city tour takes you back in time and history of early explorers and traders including Portuguese, Arab, old European and East African Swahili cultural mix.
The stone town national museum offers much to learn about the historical development of the city. You should also check out Darajani market in the heart of stone town for a food and spice tour. Dinner and overnight at the sea front hotel.
Day 13 and 14: Beach vacation
Spend two days resting at Nungwi beach which is famous for its dhow traditional boat riding. Explore the ocean the way traders did. This beach also hosts scuba diving sites for those intending to explore the under-water ecosystem dotted with sea turtles. Relax, try out sea food and revitalize.
There are other beaches offering different experiences such as Nakupenda for local and night life experience. Choosing where to stay in Zanzibar will be customized for your personal needs.
Day 15: Transfer to Zanzibar airport. Departure
Depending on the time of your flight, be transferred to an airport in Stone town marking the end of a delightful safari in Rwanda and Tanzania.
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