12-Day Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari
- Pickup : Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- Drop-off : Kigali International Airport
Tour Overview
This 12-day Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari takes you through three of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations in style. You will explore Kenya’s Great Rift Valley and the legendary Masai Mara, then move on to Tanzania’s breathtaking Serengeti plains before descending into the ancient Ngorongoro Crater. From there you fly to Rwanda for extraordinary primate encounters, including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and golden monkeys. Along the way you also discover Nyungwe’s ancient rainforest and the dramatic volcanic peaks of the Virunga Mountains, and pay a moving visit to Kigali’s Genocide Memorial. Altogether, this Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari blends wildlife, culture, and stunning landscapes into one unforgettable 12 day adventure across three East African countries.
- Transportation (Car, Fuel, Driver Guide)
- Meals & Accommodation as mentioned
- International flight from Arusha to Kigali
- Gorilla Trekking Permit
- Park Entarnce Fees
- Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
- Golden Monkey Trekking Permit
- Bottled Drinking Water
- Government Taxes
Cost Includes
- International Flights from and to the home country
- Accommodation Before and After your Trip
- Optional Iby'Iwacu Cultural Experience
- Optional Canopy Walk
- Sourvenirs
- Tips & Porter Hiring
Cost Excludes
Travel Plan
Day 1: Nairobi to Lake Nakuru National Park
In the morning you depart Nairobi and head toward Lake Nakuru National Park, stopping first at the iconic Great Rift Valley viewpoint for panoramic views over the valley floor. You continue on to the lodge in time for lunch, then set off on an afternoon game drive through the park. Lake Nakuru is famous for its flamingo flocks along the alkaline lake shore, and the park is also a protected sanctuary for both black and white rhino.
- Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge, a mid range lodge inside Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
- Meals: Lunch and Dinner (Breakfast not included)
Day 2: Drive to Masai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast and check out, it is roughly a 5 hour drive from Nakuru to the Masai Mara National Reserve. You arrive around lunchtime, giving you a chance to settle in before heading out on your first game drive at 4:00pm. The Masai Mara is widely regarded as the world’s most famous reserve for game viewing, home to elephants, lions, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes, and hippos.
- Accommodation: PrideInn Mara Camp, a mid range unfenced tented camp bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
- Meals: Full Board
Day 3: Full Day Game Drive, Masai Mara National Reserve
An early breakfast is followed by a full day game drive with a picnic lunch. Your guide takes you across the savannah in a pop up roof Land Cruiser, tracking the Big Five, Small Five, Ugly Five, and other species along the way. The open plains offer excellent photography opportunities, and early mornings often bring good chances of spotting lions and cheetahs on the hunt.
- Accommodation: PrideInn Mara Camp, a mid range unfenced tented camp bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
- Meals: Full Board
Day 4: Masai Mara to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
After an early breakfast you check out and collect a packed lunch for the road. It is around a 4 hour drive to the Isebania border crossing, and you should reach the border by about 10:30am to clear customs and immigration. Your Tanzanian guide meets you on the other side for the drive into the legendary Serengeti National Park, taking in sweeping views of the East African savannah along the way. You round off the day with an evening game drive on the approach to camp.
- Accommodation: Osinon Camp, a mid range tented camp inside Central Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
- Meals: Full Board
Day 5: Central Serengeti National Park
This day is spent exploring the vast, wildlife rich Central Serengeti, with morning and late afternoon game drives to maximize your sightings. Because this route sits on the migration path, your guide tracks the wildebeest herds across the plains, and you can also opt for a full day drive with a packed picnic lunch instead. The Serengeti holds strong numbers of lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, and wildebeest.
- Accommodation: Osinon Camp, a mid range tented camp inside Central Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
- Meals: Full Board
Day 6: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast you leave the Serengeti with a packed lunch and drive toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tanzania’s crater highlands just west of Arusha. The area takes its name from the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact, unfilled volcanic caldera. You descend to the crater floor for a full day game drive among an estimated 25,000 animals, including black rhino, lion, elephant, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hyena, and leopard. In the evening you climb back up to the rim for dinner and an overnight stay.
- Accommodation: Farm of Dreams Lodge, a mid range lodge roughly 1 to 2 hours from Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
- Meals: Full Board
Day 7: Ngorongoro to Arusha, Flight to Kigali, Rwanda
You leave at 8:00am and head to Arusha and Kilimanjaro International Airport, with lunch either in Arusha or on arrival in Kigali depending on your flight schedule. From there you fly into Rwanda’s clean, modern capital, where your guide meets you and transfers you to the hotel for the night. This is where the safari shifts gears, from savannah and crater to forest and mountain, as the Rwanda leg of your Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari begins.
- Accommodation: Onomo Hotel, a mid range hotel in Kigali
- Meals: Full Board
Day 8: Kigali City Tour, Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
The morning starts with a tour of Kigali, including a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a moving tribute to the victims of the 1994 genocide and a powerful reminder of Rwanda’s journey toward healing and unity. From there it is a scenic 5 to 6 hour drive southwest to Nyungwe Forest National Park, one of Africa’s oldest rainforests and home to 13 primate species along with hundreds of bird species.
- Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel (Mid Range)
- Meals: Full Board
Day 9: Chimpanzee Trekking and Optional Canopy Walk, Nyungwe Forest
You rise early, between 5:30am and 6:30am, for breakfast before heading to park headquarters, where rangers brief all trekkers at 7:30am and split everyone into small groups. The trek into the forest in search of habituated chimpanzees can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on where the troop has moved. Once you find them, you get a full hour to watch them swing, groom, play, and call to one another. Later, the famous Nyungwe Canopy Walk takes you out onto a suspended walkway above the forest canopy, where you can spot black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, the colourful great blue turaco, and several Albertine Rift endemic birds. It is a striking way to see the rainforest from a completely different angle.
- Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
- Meals: Full Board
Day 10: Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park
You leave Nyungwe and drive north toward Volcanoes National Park, stopping along the way at the shores of Lake Kivu for a scenic break. The lake’s calm waters and green hills make for a peaceful rest stop before continuing north into the Virunga Mountains, home to Volcanoes National Park and the world’s premier destination for mountain gorilla trekking.
- Accommodation: Ingagi Lodge
- Meals: Full Board
Day 11: Gorilla Trekking and Optional Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village
An early breakfast is followed by a drive to Kinigi headquarters for the 7:30am briefing, after which rangers divide trekkers into groups of 8 and assign each group to a specific gorilla family. The trek through dense bamboo forest can take between 1 and 5 hours depending on the family’s location, and once you find them you get a full hour to watch silverbacks, nursing mothers, and playful juveniles up close.
Afterwards you return for lunch, then spend the afternoon at the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, where Intore dancers and traditional storytelling give a vivid glimpse into Rwandan culture.
- Accommodation: Ingagi Lodge
- Meals: Full Board
Day 12: Golden Monkey Trekking and Return to Kigali
Your final morning is spent golden monkey trekking in the bamboo forest of Volcanoes National Park, where these lively, playful primates move through the slopes of the Virunga Mountains in active troops. It is a lighter but still memorable way to close out the primate side of the trip. Afterwards you drive back to Kigali in time for your onward international flight, bringing this 12 day Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari to an end with a final stretch of unforgettable memories.
- Accommodation: None unless requested at extra cost
- Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Answered FAQs
How much does this safari cost, and can it be customized?
This Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari costs 8,600 US dollars per person, based on 2 people sharing mid range accommodation and transport, and includes the following:
Transport including transfers and game drives in a 4×4 Land Cruiser, All meals and accommodation as indicated in the itinerary, Park entrance fees for the savannah parks, Gorilla trekking permit, Chimpanzee trekking permit, Golden monkey trekking permit, Flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Kigali International Airport, Enroute lunch, Bottled drinking water, Optional Kigali city tour, Government taxes
Group size and choice of accommodation both affect the final price, so let us know how many people are travelling and whether you would like to upgrade any of the lodges listed, and we will send you a full quote per person.
Can this itinerary be customized? Yes. This Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari can be adjusted to fit different budgets, group sizes, and interests, including upgrading to luxury lodges, extending time in any one park, adding a beach extension in Zanzibar, or removing a leg of the trip altogether. Let us know your preferences and we will tailor the itinerary accordingly.
How physically demanding is this safari?
This is a moderately active trip rather than an extreme one. Game drives in Kenya and Tanzania are done from the vehicle, so they require little physical effort beyond sitting for several hours on rough roads. The Rwanda leg is more demanding: chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe can involve 1 to 4 hours of hiking on steep, sometimes muddy forest trails, and gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park can take 1 to 5 hours through dense bamboo at altitude. A reasonable level of fitness is recommended, and porters are available to help carry bags and provide support on the steeper sections.
What is the best time of year to go on this trip?
What should I pack for safari?
Recommended items for this Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda Safari include neutral coloured clothing for game drives, a warm layer for early mornings and high altitude gorilla trekking, comfortable waterproof hiking boots, a rain jacket, a hat and sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, a basic first aid kit, a camera with a good zoom lens, binoculars, a reusable water bottle, and a face mask, which is required at park entry points and permit offices in Rwanda. Gardening gloves and long trousers are also useful for the bamboo forest during gorilla trekking.
Are the gorilla and chimpanzee permits guaranteed?
Permits are issued in limited numbers by park authorities in order to protect primate populations, so availability is confirmed before your booking is finalized and permits are purchased on your behalf once secured. Because demand is high during peak months, we recommend booking this itinerary 4 to 6 months in advance, especially if you are travelling in the high season.
What type of vehicle is used for transportation?
You travel in a customized 4×4 safari Land Cruiser fitted with a pop up roof for wildlife viewing and photography. The vehicle is built to handle rough park tracks and rural dirt roads, and comes stocked with bottled drinking water, with an extended chassis that gives every passenger a window seat.
Do I need a visa to enter Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda?
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