Day 1: KIGALI

Arrive at Kigali International airport by flight. VIP Meet and greet assistance. Hand over to and warmly welcomed by our representative outside customs and immigration hall. Proceed to the Retreat by Heaven. Briefing will be done at the lobby by our tour leader. (The drive time from the airport to the Retreat is 15 minutes).

Dinner will be at the Fusion Restaurant. Overnight.
THE RETREAT BY HEAVEN (HB – Dinner, Bed & Breakfast) Room type: Deluxe King Room

Day 2: KIGALI (CITY TOUR) – MUSANZE/VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (02h30 drive)

After breakfast at 08h30, you check out and will proceed on a morning tour of Kigali city that includes The Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Inema arts centre & Haute Baso. Lunch will be at the Pilipili Restaurant.

Highlight; Perhaps the city’s best known landmark, and with good reason, is the very insightful and moving Kigali Genocide Memorial standing amid beautiful rose gardens and fountains. The memorial sets out the history leading up to the genocide in Rwanda and also explains other genocides around the world. It includes poignant displays of victims’ photographs and belongings, bringing the realities of the atrocities to life. While it might seem an unusual tourist attraction and can be upsetting, it does help to put into context how and why the genocide happened and to better appreciate just how far the country has moved on together in the intervening years. It also plays a vital role in educating Rwanda’s new and future generations about the genocide.

Founded in 2012 by brothers and self-taught painters Emmanuel Nkuranga and Innocent Nkurunziza, Inema Arts Center spurs creativity for personal, social, and economic growth. Nkurunziza and Nkuranga started Inema to tap the untapped potential of art in Rwanda. Their objective is to use creative expression to bring the community and country alive. To provide exposure to creative people and create opportunities for Rwanda’s most underserved to use creativity for a productive livelihood.

Haute Baso is an ethical fashion brand for the modern individual looking for thoughtful, simple and functional designs. They are centered around the belief that “two heads are better than one” using fashion as vehicle for positive change towards the empowerment of women and youth who are integral to their value chain while contributing to preservation of culture in Rwanda.
13h00: Have lunch at the Pilipili Restaurant. 14h30: Depart for Musanze & Volcanoes National Park. Arrive at 17h00 and walk up to the reception where you will be assisted with check in over a welcome drink.
Tucked high into the foothills of the Virunga mountain range, this five-star lodge features individual cottages with decks and fireplaces. In the main lodge, meet your new neighbors and partake in delicious wine and food. Come morning, your butler will wake you with coffee and biscuits, assist with gear, and are ready to clean clothing and boots upon your return. You’re about to hike into the National Volcano Park to visit mountain gorillas. Dinner will be at the dining area. Overnight.

SABYINYO SILVERBACK LODGE (FB I.e. Lunch, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast, laundry, a selection of drinks)

Day 3: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (GORILLA TREK/ PEOPLE & CULTURE)

06h30: After an early breakfast at the lodge, proceed to the park headquarters in time for Gorilla Trek briefing at 07h00.
We will then transfer you to the trail head of your guided walk that begins at 08h00.

Volcanoes National Park is the Rwandan section of the great volcanic massif called the Virunga Mountains that straddles the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC. The massif covers a huge area of over 8,000km², encompassing six active and three extinct volcanoes.
There is no other wildlife experience quite like an encounter with mountain gorillas. That precious hour spent in their company – watching the group playing, sulking, teasing each other, eating, or dozing just like we do – is extraordinary. And the gorilla tracking safaris in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park are among the best in Africa.
Rwanda is now home to twelve habituated groups of mountain gorillas that are scattered all over Volcanoes National Park.
Gorilla trekking can be arduous – some of the groups wander high up the mountainsides – but it is always utterly rewarding.
Volcanoes National Park also has a historic connection with gorilla conservation.
After this memorable experience, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
This afternoon at 15h00, you will visit the Gorilla Guardians village for a cultural experience.

Return to the lodge at 17h00. Evening will be at leisure. Dinner will follow at 19h00 onwards. Overnight.

SABYINYO SILVERBACK LODGE (FB I.e. Lunch, Dinner, laundry, Bed and Breakfast, a selection of drinks)

Day 4: MUSANZE – KIGALI (02h30 drive)

Have a leisurely breakfast at the lodge and have the morning free to relax. Check out will be at 11h00. Your luggage will be kept safe until departure and you have the lounge available for you.
Lunch will be at 12h30. 14h30: Set off for Kigali. Arrive at 17h00 and assisted with check in at your hotel. Dinner will be served at the Fusion Restaurant. Have an early night because you depart very early in the morning.

THE RETREAT BY HEAVEN (HB i.e. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast)

Day 5: KIGALI SERENGETI ( 02h30 flight) PM GAME DRIVE

03h30: Wakeup call and early check out assistance. 04h00: Transfer to Kigali International Airport. Assisted with check in for your Coastal Aviation flight to Serengeti National Park, departing at 06h00 (CAT). Land at 10h55 (GMT), met by our driver guide and proceed to the camp with game drive en route. Assisted with check in, followed by lunch at andbeyond Serengeti Under Canvas Camp.

This is the ultimate in luxury camping, complete with a private butler service, chandeliers, silverware, crystal, ensuite flush w.c. and comfortable beds with fluffy duvets.
Experience a classic Tanzanian safari in spectacular solitude and soothing comfort – with only the canvas walls of your tent separating you from the wonder of the Serengeti. Carefully positioned for close proximity to the wildlife herds of the Great Migration, our two &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas camps provide the ultimate viewpoint for this amazing animal spectacle. With only nine tents nestled at each private campsite, enjoy the indulgence of complete comfort combined with the authenticity of nights spent in the African bush.

Lunch will follow.
15h00: Depart for an afternoon game drive in the park.
Return to the camp before sunset for dinner an overnight stay.

ANDBEYOND SERENGETI UNDER CANVAS (AI: Accommodation, three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, laundry, Emergency evacuation insurance)

Day 6 & 7: SERENGETI GAME VIEWING DRIVES

2 full days spent in Serengeti National park with at least two game drives on shared basis.

The Serengeti is vast and beautiful; it’s one of Africa’s most captivating safari areas. The sheer amount of game here is amazing: estimates suggest up to about two million wildebeest, plus perhaps half a million zebra, hundreds of thousands of Thompson’s gazelle, and tens of thousands of impala, Grant’s gazelle, topi (tsessebe), hartebeest, eland and other antelope – all hunted by the predators for which these plains are famous. Meals and overnight stay will be at the camp.
ANDBEYOND SERENGETI UNDER CANVAS (AI: Accommodation, three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, laundry, Emergency evacuation insurance)

Day 8: SERENGETI- NGORONGORO (04h00 scenic drive)

Breakfast at the camp and assisted with check out. Proceed to Ngorongoro Conservation Area with game viewing drive en route and a stop at the
Ol duvai Gorge Museum & excavation site, an area considered to be the cradle of mankind.

ANDBEYOND NGORONGORO CRATER LODGE(AI: Accommodation, three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, laundry, Emergency evacuation insurance)

Day 9: NGORONGORO (CRATER TOUR)

Breakfast at the lodge. Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater in the morning for game drive. Picnic at hippo pool.

The Ngorongoro Crater in Northern Tanzania, once a gigantic volcano, is the largest intact caldera in the world. Some maintain that before it erupted, it would have been higher than Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Today, long since having collapsed and eroded, it is an extensive highland area with the famous 600 m deep Ngorongoro Crater as its focal point. Nearly three million years old, the ancient caldera shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth.
Endangered black rhino are protected within its rim, giant tusked elephants wander the forests, black-maned lions stalk the grasslands, and flamingoes crowd the soda lakes. An estimated 25 000 large mammals are resident in this bowl of plenty, including a population of approximately 6 000 resident wildebeest, 16 highly endangered black rhino and around 70 lions. Cheetah move in and out of the Crater, while leopard are most often encountered in the spectacular Lerai Forest.
Ascend in the latter stages of the afternoon and head to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

ANDBEYOND NGORONGORO CRATER LODGE(AI: Accommodation, three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, laundry, Emergency evacuation insurance)

Day 10: Ngorongoro – Arusha (04h00 drive) – Kilimanjaro (30 minutes drive) Depart

08h00: Breakfast at the lodge and check out. Have a scenic drive to Arusha via Karatu and Mto wa Mbuu.
Arrive and have lunch at the Arusha coffee Lodge.

This afternoon visit Shanga, an Elewana initiative based at Arusha Coffee Lodge where physically challenged craftspeople create beautiful necklaces from recycled powder glass beads. This is an incredible business venture that retails throughout Tanzania and abroad, and helps so many deaf and disabled people earn a salary who otherwise would have nothing.

 

 

After an informative tour of the colourful workshop, you can spend the afternoon browsing the city’s Maasai Market and Cultural Heritage Centre for traditional handicrafts.

Maasai Market is a sensational sensory experience. Thrust into a slice of whirling Tanzanian life have your wits about you and prepare to barter. A fabulously lively atmosphere offers an abundance of sellers peddling their wares of exotic fruit, coffee, nuts and spices.
You will later be transferred to Kilimanjaro international Airport. Bid farewell to your driver guide and check in for your outbound flight.
Wishing you an excellent tour!

INCLUSIONS
⦁ Meet and greet on arrival
⦁ Airport and inter-hotel transfers from day 1 to the last day
⦁ Accommodation at hotels/lodges & meals mentioned in the program
⦁ Accommodation on half board at Kigali (The Retreat by heaven)
⦁ Audio visual for Kigali Genocide memorial
⦁ Visit Inema arts and a local market (no charges)
⦁ Included at Sabyinyo Silverback lodge: All meals, all local drinks (excludes premium imported brands and champagne),
laundry, statutory taxes
⦁ Community fees at Sabyinyo Silverback lodge
⦁ Exclusive use of a short wheel base safari landcruiser 4×4 with WIFI where receptive in Rwanda and Tanzania
⦁ Services of a professional, experienced English speaking driver guide
⦁ Bottled mineral water in the vehicle during the tour
⦁ 1 Gorilla permit per person (this includes briefing at RDB offices, guide, trek – US$ 1500.-)
⦁ Entrance to Ibyi Iwacu Cultural village
⦁ Included at and Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas & and Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge; Accommodation, three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, laundry, Emergency evacuation insurance
⦁ Park entrance fees in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area
⦁ One Crater descent fee at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
⦁ Government taxes and statutory taxes levied by properties mentioned in the itinerary
⦁ All activities, visits and extra meals mentioned in the itinerary
⦁ Emergency Medical Evacuation Services, Our assistance

Exclusions
⦁ International and domestic airline tickets unless where indicated,
⦁ entry visa fees,
⦁ optional extras whilst in Kigali
⦁ drinks throughout the trip,
⦁ tips and gratuities, Personal expenses such as telephone calls, mini bar, porter-age, travel insurance, etc.

Gorilla permit note: Once permit is bought, it cannot be refunded or inter-changed. Before confirming the tour, please ensure that you request for availability of permits based on the number of participants. There are 96 gorilla permits available per day.

Passenger Information:-
– In case of non-availability, we may have to reroute and provide alternative accommodation at lodges of similar categoryor invert
– Passengers should bring only soft sided bags on safaris as our vehicles have limited luggage space
– All the passengers must have Identification Card/Passport with them throughout their travel.