8-Day Tanzania Safari & Rwanda Gorilla Trek
A private 8-day trip that joins a classic Tanzania safari with one of the world's great wildlife experiences: an hour with a family of mountain gorillas in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park.
Africa's Two Great Wildlife Encounters
The trip starts in Tanzania with Tarangire, two nights in the Serengeti and a morning on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, with your private Lion Crest guide. Then you fly to Kigali, where our trusted Rwandan partner takes over for the drive to the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes.
On the trekking day, park rangers lead small groups up the forested slopes to a habituated gorilla family. The walk can take from about one hour to several hours each way, on steep and often muddy ground, and once you find the gorillas you spend about an hour with them. Permits are limited, so book well ahead.
Why Travellers Choose It
- Tarangire, two nights in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater
- Flight from Kilimanjaro to Kigali
- A mountain gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
- Gorilla permit arranged by our Rwandan partner
- Private guides in both countries
We meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive you to your hotel in Arusha.
Overnight: Hotel in Arusha (or similar)
Meals: Dinner is not included on arrival day
A game drive in Tarangire among elephant herds and baobab trees.
Overnight: Lodge near Tarangire National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Over the Ngorongoro highlands and onto the Serengeti plains for two nights and a full day of game drives.
Overnight: Lodge or tented camp in the Serengeti
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, then up to the highlands for the night.
Overnight: Lodge in Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport for a scheduled flight to Kigali. Our Rwandan partner meets you and drives you, about two and a half to three hours, to your lodge near Volcanoes National Park.
Overnight: Lodge near Volcanoes National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
An early briefing at the park headquarters, then a guided trek with park rangers to a gorilla family. After about an hour with the gorillas you walk back down and rest at your lodge.
Overnight: Lodge near Volcanoes National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The drive back to Kigali for your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
The gorilla permit, flights and lodges depend on your dates, so we quote this trip on request. Send us your dates and group size and we will reply within 24 hours with a full price.
On requestThe gorilla permit must be paid in full when we book it, and it cannot be refunded.
Trip Notes
- Start: Kilimanjaro Airport · End: Kigali
- Private trip: your group only, on the dates you choose
- Minimum age for gorilla trekking: 15
- Good fitness needed for the trek
- Rwanda part run by our trusted Rwandan partner
Includes
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle and driver-guide in Tanzania
- Tanzanian park entry and concession fees, and the Ngorongoro Crater vehicle fee
- Flight from Kilimanjaro to Kigali (economy)
- Gorilla trekking permit (1,500 US dollars per person)
- Private vehicle and driver in Rwanda
- 7 nights in hotels and lodges, full board on safari
- Drinking water
Excludes
- International flights
- Tanzania and Rwanda visas and entry fees
- Travel insurance
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Porters on the gorilla trek (optional, paid locally)
- Tips for guides, rangers and lodge staff
- Drinks not included in the meal plans
Questions Travellers Ask
How hard is the gorilla trek?
It depends on where the gorilla family is that day: from about one hour to several hours each way, on steep, muddy forest slopes at altitude. Good fitness helps; porters can carry your bag.
How long do we stay with the gorillas?
About one hour, in a small group with park rangers, at a set distance from the animals.
Why is the permit so expensive?
The permit fee pays for protecting the gorillas and their forest, and permits are limited to keep groups small. It is set by the Rwandan authorities.
Who runs the Rwanda part?
Our trusted Rwandan partner, who arranges the permit, the vehicle and the lodge, and meets you at Kigali airport.
Can we start with the gorillas?
Yes. We can reverse the order, depending on flight days between Kigali and Kilimanjaro.
