7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience
This 7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience to Rwanda and Tanzania offers a remarkable combination of natural wonders, featuring visits to two highly regarded parks: Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, known for its endangered mountain gorillas, and the Ngorongoro Crater, which boasts a significant concentration of wildlife, including Africa’s Big Five and the rare black rhinos. Additionally, you will engage with the Maasai tribe of Tanzania to gain insights into their lifestyle, culture, and traditions. This trip will have a minimum of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa.
Overview of the 7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience itinerary
- Day 1: Departure from Arusha International Airport
- Day 2: Full-day game drive accompanied by a picnic meal
- Day 3: Morning safari and visit to the Maasai tribe
- Day 4: Proceed to Kigali
- Day 5: Kigali City Excursion and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 6: Gorilla Trekking
- Day 7: Transition to Kigali
Comprehensive itinerary of 7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience
Day 1: Pickup from Kilimanjaro International Airport
Day 2 of 7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience , Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a skilled destination driver-guide will escort you on a scenic drive to Karatu town, where you will check into your hotel, savor a wonderful lunch, and thereafter spend the afternoon in relaxation. In the evening, dinner will be provided, after which you may rest for the day.
Dietary Schedule: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Karatu Simba Lodge
Day 2: Full-day game drive accompanied by a picnic meal
Day 2 of 7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience, Awaken early, vacate the motel, get a packed breakfast and lunch, then embark on your safari vehicle for a full day of wildlife observation. The game drive will commence with a brief journey to the Ngorongoro crater rim, where you will experience a stunning vista of the crater before descending into it.
Upon entering the Ngorongoro Crater, you will traverse various routes while observing numerous species, including elephants, zebras, wildebeests, elands, baboons, buffaloes, warthogs, and lions. The Ngorongoro Crater is a birding haven, featuring a diverse array of avian species, including flamingos, ostriches, and grey-crowned cranes, among others. This game drive around the crater will guide you to the lake, where you will observe further species, including hippos. A picnic lunch will be scheduled by the lake, allowing you to appreciate the stunning environment and water views. Following lunch, proceed on an additional game drive for further wildlife observation, concluding in the evening upon your arrival at a tented camp where dinner will be served, and overnight accommodations provided.
Dietary schedule: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Simba Campsite A
Day 3: Morning safari and visit to the Maasai tribe
The following morning, partake in breakfast at the lodge before embarking on another game drive, during which you will further investigate the biodiversity of the Ngorongoro Crater, observing an abundance of wildlife, including thousands of gazelles, zebras, and wildebeests traversing the grassy plains, while predators such as lions hunt them.
Pause for a picnic lunch in the forest while appreciating the stunning landscapes of nature. Following lunch, visit the Maasai homesteads in the Ngorongoro highlands to engage with the distinctive Maasai tribe, exploring their rich cultural heritage and gaining insights into their customs and lifestyle through narratives, music, dance, and cuisine.
In the evening, you will exit the crater and return to your hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation.
Dietary schedule: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Karatu Simba Lodge
Day 4: Transfer to Kigali
In the early morning, the lodge will provide a delectable breakfast, after which your driver-guide will collect you for the journey back to Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you will board your transfer flight to Kigali International Airport, Rwanda.
Upon arrival in Kigali, you will be greeted by your expert driver-guide, who will transport you to your hotel, where dinner will be served before to your overnight rest.
Dietary schedule: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Five to Five Hotel
Day 5: Tour of Kigali followed by travel to Volcanoes National Park
In the morning, the hotel will serve a delectable breakfast, after which you will check out and embark on a Kigali city tour, visiting notable attractions such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kimironko Local Market, craft shops, the Belgian Peacekeepers Museum, and the Presidential Museum, among others.
Following the city tour, pause at a local eatery for a delectable hot lunch before embarking on a four-hour picturesque journey to Kinigi, Musanze. Upon arrival in Kinigi, you will check into your lodge, where dinner will be provided, allowing you to rest for the night in anticipation of the following day’s exhilarating gorilla adventure.
Dietary schedule: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Da Vinci Lodge
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking
Commence your day with a wholesome breakfast at 6:00 am at the lodge, followed by a pickup by the driver guide at 6:15 am to go to the park headquarters. Upon arrival at the park headquarters, you will be greeted with a cup of robust Rwandan coffee from local producers. A briefing regarding the code of conduct and expectations for gorilla trekking will follow. You will subsequently be organized into groups of eight individuals, with each group designated a gorilla family to observe. Your driving guide will then collect and transport you to the trek’s commencement location.
At this juncture, you may engage a porter to aid with your luggage, after which your group of eight will enter the jungle in pursuit of the designated gorilla family. Locating the gorilla family will need between 4 to 8 hours, after which you will be permitted to spend 1 hour in their presence. Subsequently, you will return to the initial location to meet your driver-guide and proceed to the resort for lunch.
Post-lunch, you may either unwind at the lodge for the remainder of the afternoon or choose to visit the Ibyi’wacu cultural village, commonly referred to as the gorilla guardian village, to gain insights into Rwandan culture, traditions, and lifestyle. Subsequently, return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Dietary schedule: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 7: Proceed to Kigali
In the early morning, the lodge will serve breakfast, after which your driver-guide will collect you for a picturesque drive through Rwanda’s stunning landscape, ultimately dropping you off at either your hotel or Kigali International Airport for your onward flight.
7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience Includes
- Terrestrial transportation
- Gorilla licenses
- Entrances to the park
- Safari excursions
- Repasts
- Housing
- Packaged water
- Air travel from Arusha to Kigali
7 days Ngorongoro crater and gorilla trekking experience Excludes
- Guidelines
- Contributions
- Clothing care
- Supplementary activities
- Beverages and tobacco
- Visa and international air travel
