Rwanda, Tanzania and Zanzibar Itinerary Ideas For First Timers

An Awesome Rwanda, Tanzania and Zanzibar Itinerary, Map And Cost offers Gorilla Trekking, a Tanzania Safari, and a beach holiday in Zanzibar. Track the mountain gorillas twice in Rwanda before flying into the Serengeti for a big game safari. From there head to the Ngorongoro Crater and end on the tropical island of Zanzibar.

Trekking in Rwanda| Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park – Ultimate Bucket List Adventure!

Days 1, 2, and 3: Gorilla Tracking, Volcanoes National Park

When you arrive in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, you will be met by your driver, who will drive you through beautiful, farmed valleys to the Volcanoes National Park for three nights. This afternoon is free for you to unwind and prepare for one of Africa’s most incredible wildlife encounters — gorilla tracking. The Volcanoes National Park is one of Africa’s wildlife successes. Since the 1990s, people have come to monitor gorillas here, and the revenue produced by this has allowed Rwanda to not only protect but also grow the gorilla population. Tourist revenue has also allowed Rwanda to construct other national parks and reintroduce creatures that were previously extinct in the country.

This morning, you meet your crew, trackers, and guide for your gorilla tracking expedition on the slopes of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. After a briefing at the park headquarters where you will learn more about the gorilla family, you will be tracking, you will depart on your gorilla safari. Trackers go out ahead of the squad to discover the gorilla family so they can point you in the right way. After you locate the gorilla family, you will be able to spend an hour with them as they go about their regular routines. This is one of the best animal encounters in Africa, and just a few people get to have it.

Tracking gorillas on the slopes of Volcanoes National Park may be difficult, so it is best to be in good shape before beginning a gorilla trip. ​

Day 4: Kigali

This morning, before returning to Kigali, you have the option of participating in additional activities in Volcanoes National Park. You can stop by the Kigali Genocide Memorial on your way to your hotel. This is a poignant memorial to the horrendous atrocities committed in Rwanda during the 1990s.

Days 5, 6, and 7 – Serengeti National Park

You’ll take an early flight into Tanzania and then to the Serengeti National Park from Kigali. Depending on the time of year, we will recommend a location for you to stay within the Serengeti National Park. The wildebeest migration is continually on the move as it follows the rains. Beginning in the extreme south in December, where they give birth, they migrate north through the western corridor, eventually reaching the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara in June, July, and August. They then begin to migrate south along the Eastern corridor in September/October, returning to the Ndutu area in time to give birth in December.

There are numerous places to select from around the park, ranging from permanent lodges to luxury mobile camps and more rustic mobile sites. Morning and afternoon game drives in quest of the abundant game are the major activities here. The Serengeti is a typical East African open grassy plain with enormous herds of animals such as gazelle, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, topi, rhino, and others. The Serengeti is also one of Africa’s top predator habitats. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs are frequently sighted due to the abundance of prey species.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Days 8 and 9: Ngorongoro Crater

From the Serengeti, you will go to the world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater, an extinct volcano crater filled with species such as black rhino, elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, topi, wildebeest, zebra, and others. The view from the crater rim is amazing, but getting down to the bottom is like being in your own National Geographic documentary. Spend the entire day on the crater floor.

Days 10, 11, and 12: Zanzibar

After all of the excitement of your gorilla tracking and Serengeti Safari, you deserve to spend some time relaxing on the beach. Flights depart from the Ngorongoro Crater for the spice island of Zanzibar. You can spend your day being as active or as relaxing as you choose. Simply relax on the white sand beaches among the palm palms for a few days or participate in one of the various activities available. These include snorkeling, boat cruises, fishing, scuba diving, and Stonetown city tours. The hotel can arrange for all of this.

End of the 12 Days Rwanda Tanzania Zanzibar Itinerary

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