A Luxury Serengeti Calving Season and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari Package Highly Recommend From February to March
Tour Overview
If you are considering a safari vacation in Africa, there are so many potential options to choose from! Combining gorilla trekking in Rwanda with a Tanzania safari is one idea that offers a mix of wildlife encounters, spectacular scenery and that ‘once in a life time’ experience of getting up close to the endangered Mountain Gorillas .
This 11 Day luxury Rwanda and Tanzania luxury safari is a Gorilla trekking and game park Safari Vacation Package that takes you to visit the Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda while sleeping at the luxurious Singita Kwitonda Lodge and to explore the Great Migration, Big Five animals in Serengeti’s Mwiba Wildlife Reserve sleeping at the luxurious Mwiba Lodge and Tarangire sleeping at Lemala Mpingo Ridge.
This luxury gorillas and Safari journey will start in Volcanoes National park in Rwanda from where you will transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania a country that offers the perfect opportunities to view wildlife including big five mammals and predators in their natural habitat.
About Mwiba Lodge
Mwiba Lodge is an exclusive luxury safari retreat set on a private 129,530-acre wildlife reserve overlooking the Arugusinyai River gorge on the southern edge of the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania. The Lodge has ten private tented stone-and-canvas suites featuring king or twin beds, deep-soaking bathtubs, indoor/outdoor showers and private wooden decks. Amenities at Mwiba Lodge include a Cliffside infinity pool, jacuzzi, spa, fully-equipped gym, library and complimentary Wi-Fi in main areas.
About Singita Kwitonda Lodge
Singita Kwitonda Lodge is an ultra-luxury safari lodge located on the edge of Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda. The lodge sits on a 178-acre parcel of land bordering the high-altitude cloud forests of Volcanoes National Park offering views of the Sabyinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura volcanoes.
About Lemala Mpingo Ridge
Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge is a luxury tented safari lodge perched on a scenic escarpment in Tarangire National Park. The lodge sits high on a ridge overlooking the perennial Tarangire River and valley offering panoramic views of the classic African savanna, baobab trees, and wildlife.
11 Day Rwanda and Tanzania Luxury Safari Itinerary:
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes National park
From your Hotel in Kigali City or on an early arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will meet and greet with your driver/guide from Engabi Tours and Travel who will transfer you on a scenic three hour journey to Volcanoes National Park. The drive is quite hilly so if you prefer to see the landscape from above instead, you can take an exhilarating thirty-minute chartered helicopter flight to the property.
Set on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, Singita Kwitonda Lodge is a nurturing sanctuary that provides Singita’s legendary hospitality and life-changing gorilla trekking experiences. With only eight suites, the vibe is sure to feel intimate with every one of your preferences catered to seamlessly. Each accommodation features a private heated plunge pool, wellness treatment area, indoor and outdoor fireplaces and large timber-framed windows that afford guests breathtaking volcano views. Enjoy a cozy dinner to fuel up for the epic adventure you have on deck.
You May
Accommodation At: Singita Kwitonda Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 2: First Gorilla Trekking Experience
Today you will dive into your first day of gorilla trekking with a drive to park headquarters at Kinigi where park officials will assign you to a gorilla family and you will be introduced to your gorilla guides. There will be a protocol briefing before you head over to your starting point where you will be met by porters. Group sizes are limited to eight guests.
The initial trek is typically through Rwanda’s open plains of potatoes and pyrethum before you reach the boundary of the park. From this point onwards, your guide will be in close communication with the trackers as you hike through the forest in search of your gorilla family. The permit grants you one full hour with the gorilla. Use this time to be in sheer awe of these majestic 400-pound creatures. While the immense size of the silverbacks may be overwhelming, they are known to be quite accommodating to human presence amongst their families. Your guide may even teach you a few words in ‘gorilla’ so you can greet one another!
Your positioning at Singita Kwitonda Lodge finds you on the edge of Volcanoes National Park which encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains. Volcanoes National Park is proud to be home to twelve gorilla groups that are now habituated for tourism and attract guests from all over the world for the chance to be in the presence of these gentle giants.
Accommodation At: Singita Kwitonda Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 3: Second day of Gorilla Trekking
Today you will have a second day of Gorilla trekking and while some opt to do just one day of gorilla trekking, we think you can maximize your time in Rwanda with a second day back in the jungle. While the format will be much the same as your previous day of trekking, the beauty of nature is its unpredictability and be sure to see a completely different scene on your second day and that return to the roaring fireplace back at Singita Kwitonda Lodge will be even more welcome
Accommodation At: Singita Kwitonda Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 4: Another Night in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Today is your final full day in Rwanda and we recommend that you consider taking it easy. The physicality of the last two days of trekking must be wearing on your body, so today is the ideal time to dip into the spa. In the afternoon, you can discover the neighbouring communities. Or, if you’re up for more interactions with wildlife you might opt for golden monkey trekking. This rare and delightful experience allows guests to see the monkey’s in their bamboo vegetation close to the base of the mountain. We love how clients come back from Rwanda sharing that seeing the golden monkeys’ mischief kept them laughing all the way back to the lodge.
Accommodation At: Singita Kwitonda Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 5: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport-Tanzania
Today, you will wake up early for an early morning journey from Rwanda to Tanzania, beginning with a transfer from Singita to the Kigali International Airport. You will get on your way with a delectable to-go breakfast that you can enjoy on your two-and-a-half-hour transfer from the lodge to the airport. Upon arrival, you will be assisted with check-in for your flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Once you touch down in Tanzania, you will be greeted by a VIP escort to whisk you through customs and immigration and you will then meet your private driver who will transfer you to your lodge in Arusha town.
Accommodation At: Legendary Lodge Arusha OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 6: Scheduled Flight to Serengeti-Mwiba Reserve
Your next leg of adventure leads you to the Legendary Mwiba Lodge inside of Mwiba reserve in Serengeti. You will take either the 7:30am or the 10:00am flight from Arusha Airport to Mwiba Airstrip and on arrival you will be welcomed by your private guide who will transfer you to the lodge to check into your suite overlooking the river or private waterhole. Enjoy an afternoon welcome game drive followed by an exclusive private night drive to spot nocturnal predators.
Rising from great granite boulders and gazing over a tree-dotted landscape, Mwiba exclusive-use protected wildlife area is a place where tranquility, togetherness and uncompromising luxury converge.
Accommodation At: Legendary Mwiba Lodge
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 7: Full Day Game Drive in the Ndutu Area
Today you will head out with your picnic lunch on a full-day game drive toward the Ndutu and southern Serengeti short-grass plains where thousands of calves are born daily. You will witness high predator activity as lions, cheetahs and leopards target the newborn herds. Later in the early evening, you will return to Mwiba Lodge for a sundowner by the infinity pool overlooking the waterhole.
Ndutu forms a part of the route for the annual migration of more than 2 million wildebeests and thousands of zebra, antelope and gazelle. During game drives at the right season between December and April, you will be able to see the fertile plains turn into calving grounds and nursery for the great migration. This season attracts hordes of predators prying on vulnerable young wildebeest. Crested with Ndutu lake and Lake Masek, these waterholes offer plenty of wildlife game during the dry season. The Ndutu is also the home ground for 6 species of big cats – leopard, lion, cheetah, caracal, serval and wildcat.
Accommodation At: Legendary Mwiba Lodge
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 8: Another Night at the Mwiba Lodge, Mwiba Reserve
Savor a quiet morning at one with nature with coffee on your suite’s private deck surveying the landscape that unfolds before you. Swap winding dirt roads for some quality time together whether you are soaking up the sun’s ray’s poolside or treating yourselves to a restorative couple’s massage at the spa. As the sun sets on your final day, raise a toast to your new life together as you soak in the secluded rock side jacuzzi.
Accommodation At: Legendary Mwiba Lodge
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 9: Scheduled Flight to Kuro Airstrip & Short Leisurely Day Game Drive and Night Game Drive
Today, your next stop Tarangire National sleeping at Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge. Sitting atop an escarpment with sweeping views across the perennial Tarangire River and valley below, Lemala Mpingo Ridge enjoys marvelous sunrise views and is the prime position from which to explore Tarangire National Park. This is a place for deeper connection where every experience is attuned to the rhythms of the wild and each day unfolds at your own pace.
You will take a flight to Kuro Airstrip and on arrival you will meet with your dedicated private guide who will welcome you and begin a leisurely game drive as you proceed to the lodge arriving in time for lunch overlooking the river valley floor. You will have the rest of the evening for relaxation and you may take a rest in your room or on the outside lounge or enjoy a dip in your private outside bathtub—perfect for soothing the soul and washing away the African dust after a day on safari.
After your dinner at around 7:00Pm, you will prepare for your night game drive and at around 8:15Pm you will meet your guide and the TANAPA park ranger for briefing before heading into the dark in search of active nocturnal with the help of a dedicated spotter using filtered spotlights. You will return to the lodge by 11:00Pm for overnight.
Accommodation At: Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 10: Another Day in the Tarangire
Today is your final full day in Tanzania and we recommend that you consider taking it easy. The physicality of the last days of trekking and the long days of safari game drives must be wearing on your body, so today is the ideal time to dip into the spa, enjoy the swimming pool and other facilities at the lodge. If you are up for more interactions with wildlife you might opt for another game drive.
Accommodation At: Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge OR Similar
Meals Plan: All-Inclusive
Day 11: Scheduled Flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport
Today you say goodbye to the wild as you transfer to Kuro Airstrip for your flight to Kilimanjaro marking the end of the vacation.
Accommodation At: N/a
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
End of the Vacation
If you’re interested in adding a gorilla trek in Uganda or a Zanzibar beach break, we can tailor-make your entire trip by adding them to your Rwanda Tanzania Safari Tour. We can talk you through the different options and styles and plan a trip that’s entirely suited to you. To start planning your trip Contact Us.
Why is this gorilla trekking and Tanzania safari combination a complete East Africa Journey?
A combination of Mwiba Wildlife Reserve in Tanzania with gorilla trekking in Rwanda gives you the ultimate East African luxury safari by pairing open-plains big game with an intimate primate encounter. While mwiba offers a private and remote access to southern Serengeti ecosystems with predators and massive open landscapes, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park places you in misty and high-altitude bamboo forests giving you an opportunity to see the classic savannah species like lions and elephants alongside endangered mountain gorillas in a single trip
What is the Best Time for this Combined Gorilla Trekking and Safari Trip?
The best time for the Mwiba Wildlife reserve safari Southern Serengeti and gorilla trekking in Rwanda is from February to March. These Months mark the peak wildebeest calving period attracting high predator activity (lions, cheetahs and leopards). Travelers will experience exceptional and dramatic game viewing combined with great gorilla watching experiences. The dry Season of June–October also attracts animals around the permanent water sources and the river below the Mwiba lodge. These Months have excellent general game viewing, clear skies and great conditions for walking safaris. Travelers will enjoy a quieter and more tranquil safari with fewer vehicles outside the main migration rush
Who Does this Gorilla trekking and safari combination Suit?
This East African Safari journey is suited for travelers especially families, honeymooners, group of friends and individuals who wish to experience both the Serengeti and the gorillas in one-single trip and are willing to invest the time and budget to get it.
What will this Combined Package Cost?
The cost of this safari journey will be tailored and will entirely depend on the number of people you travel with and the extras you might require for example chartered flights. Please share with us the number of people you will be travelling with and extras you might need so that we can tailor for you a quotation
It is also worth highlighting that this combination is expensive based not only on the permits which are fixed at $1,500 per person per day in Rwanda but also the logistics of moving between the Serengeti and Rwanda, the cost of accommodations and the international flights.
A Tanzania and Rwanda itinerary at the ultra-luxury level will cost more than most people’s annual holiday budget and therefore if the cost is a concern, the honest answer is to do one of the experiences well rather than both of them inadequately.
The Logistics: Getting There and Getting Around
For this trip itinerary, you will be flying into Kigali International Airport and there are regular flights from major international flight hubs connecting to Kigali. From Kigali you will be heading to Volcanoes an a drive of approximately three hours through the Rwandan highlands. Some ultra-luxury lodges offer helicopter transfers from Kigali directly, which takes forty minutes and offers extraordinary aerial views of the Virunga Volcanoes and you may also request us to charter a helicopter for your transfer.
Rwanda’s visa policy is liberal and most nationalities receive a 30-day visa on arrival. There are no vaccination requirements beyond yellow fever if arriving from an endemic zone. The currency is the Rwandan franc, but US dollars are widely accepted at lodges and parks and Credit cards are accepted at most luxury properties.
The key logistical requirement is the gorilla permit. At $1,500 per person per day in Rwanda and this must be booked months in advance — sometimes twelve months for peak season months of July, August, September, and December through February. We manage the permits booking.
From Rwanda you will fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport from where you will take a flight to Grumeti Airstrip for the Serengeti part and later to Kuro Airstrip in Tarangire finally flying back to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure flight marking the end of your trip.