OVERVIEW

This 14-day Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania safari takes you across the borders of three East African countries, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania, to visit some of the most famous and iconic tourist destinations in the region, including Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park, as well as participate in various activities.

The safari highlights

• Gorilla trekking
• Spotting the big five and African big cats
• Daily game drives
• Witnessing wildlife migration if the time is right
• Cultural encounters with the locals such as the Masai people, Ibyiwacu cultural village
• Canopy walk on a suspended bridge in Nyungwe
• Chimpanzee tracking
• Tour the beautiful, working tea plantation
• Visit historical sites
• Relaxation at the lodges

14 days Rwanda-Kenya and Tanzania safari detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda

Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport, our representative will welcome you, and brief you about this safari combo tour involving three East African countries. Depending on the time of your arrival you can visit the Memorial Genocide site in Kigali city. In the evening you will be transferred to Volcanoes National Park where you will check in at the lodge or hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Dinner

Day 2: Gorilla trekking and a visit to Iby’iwacu Village on Volcanoes

Breakfast when you wake up in the morning, then continue to the park’s headquarters in Kinigi, where you will be briefed and divided into groups of eight. Tracking gorilla groups typically takes 2-6 hours, with an hour of direct contact with the gorillas once found. The trek up to the gorillas’ favored habitat of the bamboo forest includes steep muddy slopes, thick vegetation, slick underfoot conditions after rain, and high altitude. A general degree of fitness is advantageous. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is considered one of the world’s most incredible wildlife encounters. Return to your lodge for a delicious lunch and some relaxation.

In the afternoon, visit the Ibyiwacu Village for a variety of Rwandan cultural performances and authentic experiences, such as a presentation by native Instore dancers, archery with Bata hunters, and cooking a regional specialty (Ibyiwacu translates to jewels from our heritage and home), before returning to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner

Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park for the canopy walk

After having an early breakfast, you will embark on a drive of 5 to 6 hours in the journey of 240km long to Nyungwe forest national park. When you arrive at the park you will check in at the lodge for lunch and some rest.

In the afternoon, you will embark on a walking trail that leads you towards the Canopy Walk, a 50-meter-long swing bridge suspended from broad trees, you shall be able to observe the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving below you. Nyungwe is home to 12 monkey species, such as colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and Mangabeys, 120 butterfly species, 322 bird species, serval cats, and side-striped jackal. Return to your lodge for dinner and a night’s rest.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and afternoon tea farm tour

After an early breakfast, proceed to the Park’s headquarters in Uwinka, where you will be briefed by the park’s chief ranger and divided into trekking groups of 8 people each. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park starts at 8 am. After a briefing, set out on your 2- to 6-hour trek through the forest in quest of the resident chimps, after locating the chimps you are allowed an hour to interact with them in their natural habitat. Around 80 familiar chimps can be found in Nyungwe Park. While tracking chimps in the jungle, you may come across other primate species such as the black and white colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey, golden monkey, and others. Return to your hotel for lunch and a well-deserved break.

Tour a tea estate in the afternoon and interact with the locals who work there. Learn about tea cultivation and harvesting, and then tour a factory to see how it is processed. Finish your adventure with a cup of tea before retiring to your lodge for supper and a good night’s sleep.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 5: Drive to Kigali and fly to Nairobi city in Kenya

After breakfast, you will be driven back to Kigali International Airport for a scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya, where one of our representatives will welcome you and transport you to a hotel in Nairobi for dinner and overnight.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 6: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park for an afternoon game drive

On day six of this safari trip, you will have an early breakfast and then travel for four hours to the northwest, taking in breathtaking views of the Great Rift Valley, before arriving at Lake Nakuru National Park, one of the soda lakes on the valley floor. When you get there, check into the lodge for a satisfying lunch and some relaxation.

After lunch, you will go on a wildlife viewing drive in Lake Nakuru Park in search of the park’s abundant birds and diverse species. This Kenyan game park has kept its reputation as an ornithologist’s paradise due to the presence of over 400 bird species. Among the many bird types are the Great White Pelican, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Lesser and Greater Flamingos, and Long-crested Eagle. The park’s massive populations of buffalo, as well as the presence of both white and black rhinoceros, have contributed to it being more well-known than its once-famous flamingo population. On our wildlife drive, keep an eye out for the game park’s lions, waterbuck, buffalo, leopard, and baboons.  Return to your lodge for dinner and a night’s stay.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 7: Transfer to Masai National Reserve

After an early breakfast, depart for a 4- to 5-hour drive and 240-kilometer travel to Masai Mara National Reserve. Masai Mara Reserve is generally considered the world’s best wildlife tourist attraction. The Masai Mara is home to the Great Wildebeest Migration, which is considered one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles, among of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders, as well as one of the globe’s ten wonders. The reserve also has one of Africa’s largest concentrations of Big Cats that is lions, cheetahs, and leopards.

You’ll settle into your hotel for some lunch and relaxation. Before embarking on an afternoon game drive to see elephants, zebras, lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, buffalo, rhinos, and other animals. Predators such as Big Cats, Hyenas, and Nile Crocodiles abound in the Masai Mara. The Maasai Mara’s most commonly recognized inhabitants are large dark-maned lions, which are estimated to number roughly 3,000 in the larger Mara ecosystem. After the game drive, you’ll return to your lodge for supper and a good night’s sleep.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 8: Full-day game drive at Masai Mara National Reserve

After an early breakfast, go on a full-day wildlife drive through the Masai Mara’s extensive savannah lands, including a picnic lunch. The Masai Mara is home to a varied wildlife population that includes all of the Big 5 as well as rarer species such as cheetah, bat-eared foxes, Caracal, Jackals, Serval Cats, Honey badgers, and Roan antelope. From July to October, over two million Wildebeest, Zebra, Topi, Eland, and Gazelle move from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara in the spectacular Great Migration. They are forced to cross crocodile-infested rivers, propelled by their desire for new grass, fighting flux and hopping over hippos while avoiding the predators waiting on the other side, resulting in exciting predatory action.

A traditional Masai village could be visited to learn more about the Masai culture and way of living. The Masai are renowned for their bravery, having coexisted with the area’s wild animals for centuries. Alternatively, you can go on a hot air balloon safari above the game reserve to watch wildlife and animal migration. Return to the lodge in the evening to relax, eat dinner, and sleep.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 9: Transfer to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania

After an early breakfast, you will check out of your lodge and start on an end-of-trip game drive towards the Isebania border, where you are going to cross into Tanzania. When you arrive in Tanzania, you will be welcomed by our driver and driven to the Serengeti National Park, where you will check in to the lodge for dinner and a night’s stay. The Serengeti National Park is one of the world’s oldest ecosystems. It is home to Africa’s highest densities of species and is famous for the Great Migration, the world’s longest terrestrial mammal migration.

Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 10: Full-day game drive in Serengeti Vast plains

After an early breakfast, depart for a full-day Serengeti trip. You will go on an afternoon wildlife drive after returning to your camp for lunch and relaxation. On wildlife safaris, explore the Serengeti’s center, the breathtaking Seronera River Valley. The natural beauty of this pristine valley is simply stunning. Savannas stretch endlessly beyond the horizon. Rivers wind their way through ponds, seasonal marshes, and open areas. The dark silhouettes of umbrella-shaped acacia trees rise over the plains, while massive granite kopjes loom in the distance, producing a timeless vision of Africa.

Seronera is the best place in Africa to see massive carnivores in motion! It is not unusual to see all four great predators (lion, hyena, leopard, and cheetah) in a single day, as well as a slew of lesser predators like mongoose, jackal, serval, and bat-eared fox. Return to your lodgings for supper and rest.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 11: Another full-day game drive in Serengeti

Spend another full day exploring the Serengeti’s Central Serengeti. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at the lodge. The Masai call the Serengeti ‘Siringet’ referring to the “place where the land runs forever.” With long swaths of grassland punctuated by flat-topped Acacia trees, the Serengeti has a typical “Out of Africa” feel. The plains have the greatest concentration of plains animals in the globe. African Wild Dog packs, Lion prides, Cheetah, Leopard, and Spotted Hyaena pride can all be seen chasing groups of Buffalo, Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Topi, Elephant, and Impala.

Additionally, the Serengeti National Park is home to 500 avian species, including the ostrich, Kori Bustard, Ground Hornbill, Secretary bird, and others. You will return to the lodge for supper after another exciting day in the Serengeti before retiring to bed for a good night’s rest.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 12: Transfer to Ngorongoro crater via Olduvai Gorge

After an early breakfast at the hotel, you will travel from the Serengeti grasslands to the Ngorongoro crater region, stopping at the ancient Olduvai Gorge. Drs. Lois and Mary Leakey, anthropologists, found the skulls of ‘Nutcracker Man’ and ‘Handy Man,’ dubbed the first man, here. Check into your hotel for lunch and leisure. A massive volcano exploded and fell on itself about 2.5 million years ago, forming the Ngorongoro Crater. It is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera on Earth, and it has become a sealed ecosystem and a World Heritage Site

In the afternoon, descend 2,000 feet to the crater floor; the Crater provides one of the most accessible wildlife viewing opportunities in Africa, and it is the only location in Africa where you can see all five of Africa’s Big 5.  The region was named a World Heritage Site in 1979. According to fossil evidence, various hominid species have occupied the region for three million years. Look for wildebeest, lion, zebra, cheetah, hyenas, Jackals, Caracals, buffalo, gazelle, flamingos, Ostriches, and the endangered black rhino, as well as the colorful Masai people who wash their livestock in the nearby lake. You will be driven back to your hotel in the evening for supper and a night’s stay.

Day 13: Drive to Tarangire National Park

After a hearty breakfast, you will be driven to Tarangire National Park for a three-hour drive. Upon arrival, settle into your hotel or lodge for lunch and relaxation.

Tarangire’s grassy plains are dotted with magnificent massive Baobabs, Africa’s biggest trees, and a haven for a wide variety of species. Elephants are abundant in this area, with some groups numbering up to 300 individuals.

After relaxing in the late afternoon, embark on an evening game drive in Tarangire National Park to spot various wildlife species such as elephants, buffalos, antelopes, zebras, lions, and leopards, among others. In the evening, when the heat of the sun has baked all water from the surrounding landscapes, massive herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebra, and impala, are present in large numbers on the receding banks of the river. Giraffes, buffalo, hartebeest, and gazelles swarm around the diminishing waterholes. Predators such as lions, hyenas, and leopards are attracted to this buffet of concentrated prey like a magnet. You will return to your lodge for supper and an overnight stay following the game drive.

Meal plan: All meals are included

Day 14: Transfer to Arusha for departure flight

On this final day of this amazing cross-border safari tour, you will be transferred to Arusha and then eventually to the airport for your scheduled departure flight bringing this adventure to a close.

Meal plan: Breakfast
consultation and booking:book@naturenestsafaris.com and rent@carrental4x4.com