Spend nine days on this combined gorilla and wildlife safari across Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. This 9-Day Rwanda Gorillas, Masai Mara & Serengeti Safari Tour takes you to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking, where you spend an hour in the presence of mountain gorillas learning about their behavior, then on to Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania for wildlife safaris covering the Big Five, giraffes, zebras, antelope, warthogs, and a wide range of bird species.
Beyond the wildlife, this 9-day safari includes the annual wildebeest migration, sunrise and sunset drives, and a visit to a Maasai community to learn about their culture. The route also takes in Kigali city, the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, the Masai Mara plains, the Rift Valley escarpment, the Serengeti’s vast plains, and the Ngorongoro Crater floor.
9-Day Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Pickup from Kigali Airport to the hotel
- Day 2: City tour and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 3: Gorilla trekking tour
- Day 4: Transfer back to Kigali, fly to Nairobi, and transfer to Masai Mara
- Day 5: Game drives on the Mara savannah plains
- Day 6: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
- Day 7: Full day game drive in Serengeti
- Day 8: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater, crater floor game drive
- Day 9: Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport and fly home
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pickup from Kigali Airport to the Hotel
Arrive in Kigali, Rwanda, and be welcomed by your assigned driver guide at the airport. Transfer to your hotel after a short briefing on the trip ahead, and enjoy dinner at the hotel.
Day 2: City Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Kigali’s main attractions include the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, local markets, art galleries and museums, and milk bars, among other stops. Afterward, head to Volcanoes National Park, taking in the landscape of the Land of a Thousand Hills along the way.
The drive to the park takes about 3 to 4 hours. Volcanoes National Park is one of the few places in the world where mountain gorillas live. Arrive and check in to your booked lodge.
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking Tour
Start the day with breakfast, then a short drive to the park office for the pre-trek briefing. This covers the park’s habitat and the guidelines to follow while trekking, including staying quiet, keeping a safe distance from the gorillas, and not feeding wildlife.
After the permit check, begin the trek in appropriate gear. Along the way, you may encounter vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and a range of bird species, before meeting your assigned gorilla family feeding, foraging, and caring for their young.
You get one hour with the gorillas, following their movements at close range. The full experience takes about 3 to 8 hours depending on where the gorilla family is located that day. Afterward, return to the lodge for rest and a hot lunch.
Day 4: Transfer Back to Kigali, Fly to Nairobi, and Transfer to Masai Mara
Transfer back to Kigali, passing by the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo along the way. You’ll be dropped at the airport for your flight to Nairobi, Kenya, where your assigned driver guide will brief you on the days ahead at Masai Mara National Reserve.
Drive to the reserve, with views over the Rift Valley escarpment along the way, and check in to your lodge on arrival.
Day 5: Game Drives on the Mara Savannah Plains
Take a full-day game drive across the Mara’s savannah plains and their wide range of wildlife. Enjoy the sunrise and sunset, along with a picnic lunch, while watching for giraffes, zebras, rhinos, crocodiles, antelope, warthogs, baboons, elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, hyenas, and more.
Depending on timing, this game drive can also bring a chance to see the annual wildebeest migration and to visit a nearby Maasai community.
Day 6: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, leave Masai Mara and cross into Tanzania via the Isebania border. Clear immigration and continue south to Serengeti National Park, watching for wildlife along the route, since the border region between the Mara and the Serengeti holds many of the same species found in both reserves.
Arrive at your lodge in the Serengeti in the afternoon, check in, and rest ahead of tomorrow’s full day of game viewing.
Day 7: Full Day Game Drive in Serengeti
Spend the day exploring the Serengeti’s plains, home to one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Serengeti means “vast plains,” and the reserve holds large herds of wildebeest and zebra, along with elephants, buffalo, giraffes, and strong numbers of lions, leopards, and cheetahs.
Depending on the season, you may catch part of the great wildebeest migration passing through the park. Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 8: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, arriving at the crater rim before descending onto the crater floor for a game drive. Ngorongoro Crater holds a dense population of wildlife within a contained area, including the Big Five, along with large herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle.
The crater is also one of the more reliable places in Tanzania to spot black rhino. Climb back up to the rim in the afternoon and check in to your lodge for the evening.
Day 9: Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport and Fly Home
After a final breakfast, drive from Ngorongoro to Kilimanjaro International Airport, passing Arusha along the way. This marks the end of your 9-day safari across Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
