Explore Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda with Gorilla Trek

Upon arrival Kilimanjaro airport, you will be met by a Maasai Wanderings representative and transferred to the African Tulip in Arusha for overnight on  a half board basis (Dinner and breakfast).

The balance of the day is at leisure to explore on your own. The centre of town offers the local handicraft market and the Arusha Cultural Centre. Locally made souvenirs may be purchased at these locations. The camps have small gift shops with limited inventory, so shopping in Arusha is often the best bet.

Meals: Dinner

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Tarangire National Park for a game drive and exploration on your way to Ndovu Tented Lodge located in the heart of Tarangire, where you will stay for the next 3 nights on a full board basis.

Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge, has 12 permanent tents. Tarangire  National park is famed for its massive elephant herds, true sense of wilderness and a gentle backdrop of baobabs. It is the lesser visited but more intriguing park on the northern safari circuit.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy two full days of game driving and exploration in Tarangire National Park.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will be transferred through to Esilalei, a Maasai village along the shores of Lake Manyara. Experience the village and the local school and learn about this fascinating culture.

Continue on to arrive at Ngorongoro Farm House for a late lunch and time to relax. Ngorongoro Farm House is booked for two nights on full board basis.

Ngorongoro Farmhouse, which is a lodge located just outside of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, set in 750 acres of private farmland. Accommodation is in spacious cottages. Enjoy lunch at the Farmhouse followed by the opportunity to go on a walking tour of the coffee plantation on the grounds and enjoy some of the delicious coffee, roasted on site. The evening is free after dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will have game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater floor. The Crater is home to a large variety of wildlife concentrated in a relatively small, yet diverse, area including the Big 5 (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino)! Large herds of wildebeest and zebras also call the crater home, sharing space with the Maasai’s horses. Picnic lunch will be provided while in the Crater.

Return to the lodge for your dinner and overnight.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you will transfer by road to Lake Manyara airstrip for your morning flight to Kogatende in the Northern Serengeti.

Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide for a shared, scheduled game drive in the northern Serengeti.

Following the game drive you will be transferred to Kaskaz Mara Camp where you will be staying for the next 4 nights.

A short drive from Kogatende Airstrip and the exciting Mara River viewing area. The eight tented suites are superbly located to provide a indulgent base for optimal migration viewing all through out the year. With large netted windows and draped roofing in each suite for Serengeti-style air conditioning, cotton curtains dancing on the breeze, oversized beds, indoor and out door furnishings of style, expansive floor space, great hardwood double vanities, hand-carved decor with Swahili flair and a hammock to boot; Kaskaz Mara Camp proposes style and grace in the far northern Serengeti.

The camp is available for drive in or game package clients, all while taking special care to illustrate the unique environment they are welcomed to. Explore the intriguing wilderness on foot with our in-house armed walking guide; follow the tracks, smell the herds on the breeze and hear the crunch of fauna underfoot.

Kaskaz Mara inclusions: Full board accommodation, shared & scheduled game drives, return nearest airstrip transfer, bottled water, house wine, house beer, house spirits, soft drinks, tea, coffee & juices, limited laundry (hand washed and air dried).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Shared and scheduled game drives in the Northern Serengeti.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Kogatende Airstrip for your flight to Kigali, Rwanda. This flight is not included in the tour price and will be quoted at the time of your inquiry, based on flight availability.

Upon arrival obtain an East African Tourist Visa for Rwanda/Uganda multiple entry, US$100 per person. You will then be met by a Rwanda Eco Tours representative and transferred to your Kigali hotel for check in.

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast you will depart your hotel for a Kigali City Tour, featuring a visit to the Genocide Memorial Center. After your tour you will be returned to the hotel. Enjoy the evening at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast you will depart on your scenic road transfer through Rwanda. The journey north passes through beautiful,  terraced hillsides that characterize Rwanda’s landscape and gradually climbs to the base of Virunga Volcanoes. Cross into Uganda via the Cyanika border. Pass through Kisoro en-route to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, known as the ‘Switzerland of Africa’, with its winding roads and many hills and valleys.

You will stop during your journey for lunch or have a late lunch on arrival to the lodge. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is situated on the South of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park with stunning views over Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the magnificent Virunga Volcanoes and the Great Albertine Rift Valley. There are 18 individually hand-crafted cottages, each offering the tranquility of the rainforest, the atmosphere of a mountain chalet and the warm hospitality Ugandans are known for. Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge prides itself on its green credentials and through its various initiatives including solar energy and rainwater harvesting proudly operates as a carbon neutral lodge. The main areas of the lodge comprise of a cozy restaurant serving fantastic homemade meals and freshly baked bread, a bar and a coffeeshop with amazing views over the mountains beyond. Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is situated in the heart of the Nkuringo local community and provides a fantastic base to go Mountain Gorilla Trekking.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

**Make sure you have packed all the necessary trekking gear like gloves, trekking boots, long sleeved gear, rain jackets, bugs spray, sunscreen, packed lunch with snacks, walking stick (very necessary) etc. Carry your passport as you head to the park headquarters during the pre-trekking briefing by the officials. Your gorilla permit will be crosschecked with your passport to confirm whether you are the right owner of the permit**

Being wild animals in their natural habitat, seeing these gorillas easily may not be guaranteed as they tend to move around in search of food. A family group that are always regarded as strenuous to track, may be easily tracked on a particular day which makes gorilla trekking in Uganda both unpredictable and interesting. It may take as little as 30 minutes to find your gorilla family and as long as 5–7 hours.

After a briefing on safety measures and how to conduct yourself, you will be grouped into parties with a maximum of 8 people and assigned one gorilla family to track. Uganda has 10 gorilla families/groups. Each gorilla trekking group consists of a main guide and two scouts who carry AK-47 guns, one walking in front and another walking behind the group. The reason for armed scouts is protection in the forest against wild elephants or angry gorillas. The scouts are trained to fire warning shots into the air first, in order to scare away the animals. This only occurs rarely and when all other options, such as hiding from the dangerous animals, have been exhausted. The policy of the National Park is to be safe rather than sorry.

Your guide will help you in hiring a porter at the park gate. A porter is hired at a fee between US$15-20 depending on the weight of the luggage. Hiring a porter is highly recommended!

The forest is verdant and humid and there are no discernible trekking paths. The terrain is full of hills and steep volcanic slopes. You will be required to pull yourself up steep grades by grasping onto branches, plant roots, bushes and more. Follow the lead of the guide as the best path and form to take. You will have a short break for lunch during a long trek, in order to relax and refresh. It is also advisable that you carry some energy giving snacks and bottled mineral water to quench your thirst and give you more energy in case of a longer gorilla trek.

You will return to the Lodge in the afternoon. You may want to have laundry done and especially ask the staff to clean your trekking boots.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you will depart on the journey back to Kigali. Along the way you will drive past coffee, tea and banana plantations and other breathtaking scenery. Upon arrival in Kigali you will stop for lunch (payable locally on your own account) and then be transferred to your hotel for check in.

Meals: Breakfast