11-Day Tanzania and Rwanda Safari

Safari Overview

Embark on an unforgettable 11-day safari adventure through Tanzania and Rwanda, combining the world-famous Serengeti National Park with an extraordinary gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. This trip begins in Arusha, Tanzania and ends in Kigali, Rwanda, offering a seamless multi-country East African experience that delivers the best of savannah wildlife and mountain primates.

Trip Facts

Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Starts in: Arusha, Tanzania
Ends in: Kigali, Rwanda
Destinations: Arusha, Serengeti National Park, Kigali, Volcanoes National Park
Best Time to Go: June to October and December to February
Tour Type: Guided Fly-in Safari and Gorilla Trekking

Safari Highlights

• Arrival in Arusha via Kilimanjaro Airport

• Explore Arusha Town and Cultural Heritage Center

• Five days of safari in Serengeti National Park (Big Five and Great Migration)

• Fly to Rwanda for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

• Kigali City Tour and Genocide Memorial Visit

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where our team will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel in Arusha. Settle in and enjoy the evening at leisure, preparing for the adventure ahead.

Accommodation: Arusha Serena Lodge
Meal Plan: Dinner

Day 2: Arusha Town Tour

After breakfast, explore Lake Duluti with optional canoeing or take a guided tour through Arusha Town. Visit the Cultural Heritage Center, one of East Africa’s largest collections of African art and crafts, offering insight into Tanzania’s rich cultural diversity.

Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Arusha Serena Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Serengeti National Park Safari

Fly to Serengeti National Park and begin your adventure in one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations. The Serengeti is famous for its vast plains and the Great Migration, where over 1.5 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras move in search of fresh grazing.

Depending on the season, your game drives will focus on different regions of the park: the Central Serengeti (Seronera) known for its resident predators, the South for calving season, the West for river crossings, or the North for the Mara River drama.

Spot the Big Five, witness the Great Migration, and enjoy daily game drives in this wildlife paradise.

Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Serengeti National Park Safari

Spend another full day exploring the Serengeti’s diverse landscapes. Morning and afternoon game drives offer the best opportunities to see lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, cheetahs, and hyenas.

Your guide will adjust routes based on wildlife movements and recent sightings. A picnic lunch inside the park allows uninterrupted wildlife viewing.

Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Serengeti National Park Safari

Continue your exploration of the Serengeti, covering different sectors of the park. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on Earth, with its weather patterns and fauna remaining largely unchanged for millions of years.

Today may take you to the Western Corridor, where the Grumeti River attracts large concentrations of wildlife, or to the southern plains where the herds gather during the calving season.

Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6: Serengeti National Park Safari

Another full day in the Serengeti offers more chances to witness the drama of the migration. Your guide will position you at strategic points, whether near the river crossings or on the open plains where predators hunt.

The Serengeti is home to the highest concentration of large mammals in the world, and each day brings new sightings and unforgettable moments.

Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Serengeti National Park Safari

Your final full day in the Serengeti provides one last opportunity to capture the beauty of this remarkable ecosystem. Enjoy a final game drive, soaking in the vastness of the plains and the abundance of wildlife.

Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Fly to Kigali, Rwanda

After breakfast, take a return flight from Serengeti to Arusha, then connect to your flight to Kigali, Rwanda. Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, meet your Rwanda guide and transfer to your hotel.

Settle in and enjoy the evening at leisure, preparing for the next chapter of your adventure.

Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9: Kigali Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, tour Kigali City, including a visit to the moving Rwanda Genocide Memorial. This is one of Rwanda’s most important sites, the final resting place for over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The exhibitions document Rwanda’s history through survivor testimonies and archives a sobering but essential experience for understanding modern Rwanda.

After lunch, drive through scenic landscapes to Volcanoes National Park, part of the Virunga Massif. The journey takes approximately 2.5 hours, with stunning views of the mountains appearing on the horizon.

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 10: Gorilla Trekking Adventure

This is the highlight of your safari. Wake early for breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing by Rwanda Development Board rangers. You will be assigned to a habituated gorilla family group and set off on your trek through the misty forests of Volcanoes National Park.

The trek can take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours, depending on the location of the gorilla family. Expert trackers and rangers lead you through the lush montane forest, following signs of the gorillas’ overnight nests and feeding trails.

When you locate the gorillas, you will be allowed one unforgettable hour observing them in their natural habitat. Watch the silverback survey his family, mothers cradle their infants, and juveniles tumble through the bamboo.

After the trek, return to the lodge for a well-earned rest.

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11: Return to Kigali and Departure

After breakfast, transfer to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight, carrying with you memories of the Serengeti’s endless plains and the gentle giants of Rwanda’s volcanoes.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Safari Inclusions

• Airport transfers and ground transportation

• Domestic flights within Tanzania

• Flight from Arusha to Kigali

• Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary

• All meals as specified in the itinerary

• Game drives as mentioned in the itinerary

• Park entry fees and conservation levies

• Gorilla trekking permit ($1,500 per person)

• Kigali city tour and Genocide Memorial visit

• Professional English-speaking driver-guides in both countries

• Bottled drinking water during the safari

Safari Exclusions

• International flights

• Travel insurance (mandatory)

• Visas for Tanzania and Rwanda

• Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary

• Tips and gratuities for guides and staff

• Personal expenses such as drinks, laundry, and souvenirs