Day 1- Nairobi/Lake Nakuru
Departing Nairobi in the morning, you drive to Nakuru with a stopover to view the Great Rift Valley to arrive in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park. Afternoon game drive in the park where you will have a chance to visit a unique sanctuary catering for a sizeable number of the endangered rhinoceros and the Rothschild giraffe. Waterbucks as well as the predators such as the lion and leopard are common at the park. Also to be seen is a myriad different variety of birdlife in and around the lake with approximately 400 bird species recorded.
Dinner and overnight at a lodge.
Day 2- Nakuru/Masai Mara
Early morning game drive to further explore the park and after breakfast, you head south through the floor of the Great Rift Valley to Masai Mara arriving in time for lunch, followed later by an early evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at Ordarpoi Mara Camp.
Day 3 & 4 – Masai Mara
You spend the days in search of the Big 5 among other game!
This is the most popular reserve in Kenya and it is famed for its astounding concentration of game. From the base camp, we explore the Mara region, packed with the elephant, zebra, rhino and all kinds of game throughout the year with the spectacular wildebeest migration from Serengeti occurring mainly in July and August. Being at Maasai Mara is as if you found yourself in “the New York of the natural world” according to some authorities. Dinner and overnight at theCamp.
Day 5 – Masai Mara /Serengeti
Soon after breakfast, you proceed to Serengeti National park via Isebania /Sirari boarder with packed lunches. Enter the park through Ikoma Gate and you view game as you proceed to Seronera Area for dinner and overnight at Ikoma Camp.
Day 6 – Serengeti
You spend the day exploring the park in search of the big 5 among other game. Meals & overnight at the tented camp.
Serengeti is Africa’s most famous and Tanzania’s largest park covering 14,736 sq km and is adjoining with the Masai Mara National reserve in Kenya. With a wildebeest population of about 2 million and several other hoofed species (which include zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, topi, Grants gazelle, Kongoni, Eland, Kirk’s dikdik, klipspringer, roan, Oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe and warthog), the Serengeti is sure to attract a string of prey such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, golden jackals and bat eared foxes. Elephants are relatively scarce and the few remaining black rhinoceros are restricted to the Moru Koppies area.
Day 7 – Serengeti/Ngorongoro
After breakfast, you depart for the magnificent Ngorongoro Conservation Area and descend into the crater for an afternoon crater tour with packed lunches.
The Ngorongoro Crater is often called ‘Africa’s Eden’ and the ‘8th Natural Wonder of the World,’ a visit to the crater is a main drawcard for tourists coming to Tanzania and a definite world-class attraction. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is home of Ngorongoro Crater. It was formed some 2.5 million years ago from a volcanic mountain sinking due to inactivity, and was initially thought to be higher than Tanzania’s famousKilimanjaro. The crater has evolved into a unique and integral part of Tanzania’s eco-system. The crater is actually a caldera, measures 22.5 km’s across and the rim walls stand 600m high. Views from within and from the rim are breathtaking (as can be seen from the picture). The crater houses 30,000 animals and a large variety of birds, which rarely move from the area due to the availability of water through wet and dry seasons.
Thereafter, ascend and drive to Ngorongoro Farm Housefor dinner and overnight.
Day 8 – Ngorongoro/Lake Manyara
After breakfast, you drive to Lake Manyara National park to arrive in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive. Regardless of the direction you approach Manyara from, the view is always fantastic. Dinner and overnight at Migunga Tented Camp.
Day 9 – Manyara/Arusha/Kigali
After an early breakfast, you drive to Arushafor lunch –then transfer to Kilimanjaro airport to board your flight to Kigali. Upon arrival, our representative will meet you and drive you to your hotel for overnight.
Day 10 – Kigali/ Volcanoes National Park
Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a City Tour of Kigali.
The history of Rwanda dates back centuries, Kigali has been a part of it for 100 years. Founded in 1907 as a German settlement, Kigali did not become the capital until Rwanda’s independence in 1962 when it replaced the colonial seat of power in Butare.Visit the Kandt museum, see old Kigali and the craft centres then visit the genocide memorial site. Learn about Rwanda’s history from pre-colonial times to the 1994 genocide; learn about other genocides in the world and how this country has dealt with that past. Tour more and see the new developments in Rwanda; the recovery has been incredible, a testament to humankind’s resilience.
Lunch in Kigali and later you drive to Ruhengeri, 21/2 hrs arriving in the early evening at the Volcanoes National Park HQs. Dinner and overnight at a Lodge.
In the evenings, Optional Intore, Cultural Dancers troupe will spice your stay with memorable Rwandan dances (at an extra cost).
Day 11 – Volcanoes /Lake Kivu
After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the Volcanoes National Park HQs for your first day of trekking. Briefing by your trackers then drive to the trail head for the start of your amazing Gorilla Tracking adventure. After the trek, rejoin your driver Guide for a transfer to your lodge for lunch. You then drive to Lake Kivu arriving in the evening. Overnight at a lodge.
Day 12 -Golden Monkeys trek
You visit the golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park or climb the Visoke/Muhavura volcanoes, or enjoy optional activities (at an extra cost). Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 13 – Volcanoes/Kigali/Departure
After breakfast, you spend the morning at leisure to enjoy optional activities and later you depart eastwards past coffee, tea and banana plantations on a scenic drive to Kigali. Everything and everywhere, sheer green and hanging on the hills; Rwanda truly – land of a thousand fertile green hills. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Nairobi, arriving in time to connect with you flight home.