Tanzania to Rwanda

Kigali

Arrive in Rwanda

This version of the journey starts in Kigali, Rwanda, and finishes in Tanzania. Meet your driver on arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Meet your driver after arrival in Kigali and transfer to your hotel. Settle in before considering any additional plans: this first night is intended to make the transition from international travel to the mountains comfortable, rather than turn arrival day into a long sightseeing programme.

Over dinner or during your briefing, review the mountain portion of the journey and check that your walking shoes, rain layer and day bag are accessible. Any city visit depends on your landing time and is arranged separately. Tomorrow’s road journey takes you towards the Volcanoes National Park area.

Volcanoes National Park area

Into Rwanda’s mountain country

Travel by road from Kigali to the Volcanoes National Park area and settle into Virunga Lodge.

Travel by road from Kigali towards the Volcanoes National Park area and your lodge. The journey is a change of pace from the city, so allow time to settle in on arrival rather than schedule a strenuous afternoon immediately after the drive.

Before dinner, review the next day’s trekking arrangements, clothing and departure time with the team. Prepare walking boots, rain protection and a small day bag. Gorilla permits, trekking allocation and any porter arrangements must be confirmed in advance; the lodge stay alone does not establish that these are included.

Volcanoes National Park area

Your planned gorilla trekking day

Transfer for the park briefing at the time confirmed by your guide. If your permit is secured, join the assigned trekking group and follow the rangers into the forest. Terrain, weather and the gorillas’ location determine the length and difficulty of the walk, so this day should remain free of fixed afternoon commitments.

Follow all ranger instructions around wildlife and give the animals space. Return to the lodge after the trek for a rest and a meal according to the day’s timing. Participation is subject to park age, health and permit requirements; a preferred group or an easy walking route cannot be promised.

Volcanoes National Park area

A quieter mountain day

After the trek, use today to enjoy the highland setting at a more relaxed pace. If desired, enquire in advance about an additional guided excursion or cultural experience, matching the activity to your energy and interests rather than assuming another demanding hike is necessary.

Any second gorilla trek or other permit-controlled activity is a separate reservation unless listed in your confirmed proposal. Keep enough time to rest, organise travel documents and review tomorrow’s cross-border journey. The afternoon is deliberately flexible because yesterday’s trekking experience may have been more physically demanding than expected.

Rubondo Island

From the plains to Lake Victoria

Leave the mountain lodge for the confirmed Rwanda-to-Tanzania flight routing and border formalities, continuing to Rubondo. Any required transit stop is detailed before booking.

Meet your island guide and continue to camp after landing on Rubondo. Settle in and take in the change from open safari country to forest and lakeshore. The arrival afternoon is an introduction to the environment, with the exact activity shaped by flight timing and local conditions.

Discuss the forest programme, walking requirements and available water activities before dinner. Keep sturdy shoes and rain protection accessible. Chimpanzee tracking requires patient searching and appropriate permissions; it is not a guaranteed close encounter or a fixed-length stroll from camp.

Rubondo Island

A day in the island forest

If confirmed for your stay, set out with the tracking team to search for chimpanzees. Follow the briefing carefully, keep a respectful distance and let the guides decide the route and pace. The forest itself is part of the experience, even when the animals are difficult to locate.

After the outing, return to camp to rest. A boat activity may offer a different view of the lakeshore if weather and arrangements allow, or enjoy time watching birds near camp. Tracking success and duration vary, so avoid attaching another tightly timed excursion to the same day.

Rubondo Island

Explore the lakeshore and woodland

Use this full day to discover another aspect of Rubondo with your guide. A forest walk or an island excursion can focus on plants, birds and the signs of animals moving through thick vegetation. Decide the programme after considering yesterday’s activities and the current weather.

Boating or fishing may be available by separate arrangement, with equipment, rules and any additional costs confirmed before departure. Another chimpanzee outing requires its own availability and permit check rather than being automatically included. Spend your last evening beside the lake preparing for the next flight.

Northern Serengeti

Settle into the northern Serengeti

Transfer to Rubondo’s airstrip and fly to the northern Serengeti on the confirmed connection, then continue by vehicle to Sayari.

Meet your guide at the airstrip and continue to camp, with the transfer offering an introduction to the northern landscape. After check-in and a briefing, an afternoon game drive is possible when arrival times allow. Keep the first outing flexible rather than trying to reach every viewpoint immediately.

The next days are shaped by actual wildlife movements. When migration herds are in the region, your guide assesses their position and river conditions; at other times, the focus is the resident wildlife and changing scenery. Neither the presence of herds nor a river crossing can be guaranteed.

Northern Serengeti

A full day in the north

Begin with a morning drive and let recent observations guide the route. If herds are nearby, watch their movements patiently without assuming that gathering beside a river means they will cross. At other times, explore for resident animals across the grassland, woodland edges and kopjes.

Agree lunch arrangements with camp according to how far you travel. The afternoon can continue the morning’s theme or explore a different habitat before returning for dinner. Responsible viewing means leaving animals space and accepting that the most rewarding encounter may be something entirely different from the day’s original plan.

Northern Serengeti

Keep time on your side

Use another full morning to follow your interests rather than repeat a rigid circuit. Wildlife watching often improves when there is time to stay with a scene, observe interactions and wait for better light. Your guide will help balance this patience with opportunities elsewhere in the area.

After a rest, head out for a last drive or enjoy part of the afternoon in camp. A balloon safari, if available for your dates, is an optional advance booking rather than a standard inclusion. Check tomorrow’s flight time in the evening and keep travel essentials separate from your checked safari bag.

Northern Tanzania departure connection

Your onward journey

Transfer to the airstrip for your confirmed onward flight from the Serengeti. The arrival airport and connection to your international departure are specified in the final travel plan.

Enjoy breakfast and a final look at the setting before your collection, subject to the departure time. A last wildlife activity is only possible when the transfer schedule genuinely leaves enough room; it is not automatically included on a flying day. Keep passports, medication and valuables in your hand luggage.

Before confirming international flights, let us check the complete connection, including any airport change, baggage collection and immigration requirements. If the timings are too tight, an additional overnight stop should be arranged rather than relying on a rushed transfer. No accommodation is scheduled for tonight in this itinerary.