Gorillas & East Africa Safari

Intrepid Travel · 18 days

4.8

3 Reviews

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Duration

18 days

Tour Type

Small Group

Accommodations

Moderate

Physical Rating

Light

Guide Language

English

Experience Overview

Whether you’re watching a sombre silverback gorilla in his natural habitat, descending 600 metres to the floor of the volcanic Ngorongoro Crater or spend time with a Hadzabe community in Tanzania, this 18-day tour offers opportunities to create travel memories most people only dream of.

Highlights

Seek out the rare mountain gorilla on a trek through Uganda's steamy forests and spend an unforgettable hour in their presence, with permits included in the price of the trip.
Explore the Serengeti National Park in depth with three 4WD safaris and two nights sleeping in a safari camp in the middle of this spectacular wildlife arena.
Learn about Rwanda's devastating history at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, and see what life looks like today with a tour of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.
Meet members of the Ishasha community for a look at rural life in Uganda, visiting an organic farm and medicine garden and learn how human-wildlife conflict is being tackled with anti-crop raiding techniques
Get to know the diverse wildlife of Queen Elizabeth National Park on a series of 4WD safaris and an optional boat cruise around the lake.
Take a mind-blowing safari across the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater in an open roof 4WD for a chance to see the endangered black rhinoceros, plus lions, zebra and more.

Trip Details

Duration

18 days

Transportation

4WD Open Safari Vehicle,Private 4WD Vehicle,Plane

Tour Type

Small Group

Guide Language

English

Starts

Kigali, Kenya

Finishes

Arusha / Nairobi, Kenya

Accommodations

Moderate

Travel Style

Physical Rating

Light

Itinerary

Day 1: Kigali

Welcome to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda since it gained independence in 1962. Most associate Rwanda with the horrific genocide that took place in 1994, but this is a country that has been striving to rebuild its economy for years and offers so much to the intrepid traveller. And though the past won't, and shouldn't, be forgotten, the future of Rwanda's tourism is looking bright thanks to its welcoming people, an abundance of lakes and the beautiful Virunga Mountains. Your adventure begins by meeting your fellow travellers and local leader at 6pm.

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 2: Musanze

After breakfast this morning, your tour leader will take you to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which opened in 2004 to mark the 10th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi people. It serves as a museum detailing the history and consequences of Rwanda's genocide and a place for people to grieve for lost friends and family. This afternoon, you’ll drive to Musanze – the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, home to gorillas and golden monkeys. This afternoon, you'll visit The Gorilla Doctors headquaters; the only organisation in the world dedicated to saving the mountain and eastern lowland (Grauer’s) gorilla species one gorilla patient at a time using veterinary medicine and science. They monitor the health of gorilla groups to ensure the early detection of disease and injury, and stage medical interventions when gorillas suffer from human-induced or life-threatening trauma or disease.

Included Activities:

Kigali - Genocide Memorial Centre
Musanze - Visit to The Gorilla Doctors HQ

Optional Activities:

Kigali - Genocide Memorial Audio Guide (15 USD)

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 3: Musanze

Today, you’ll visit the The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. This research centre leads the world in protecting and studying gorillas while helping communities build their conservation capabilities. Learn about Dian Fossey’s life and the conservation of endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. There are heaps of optional activities to do in Musanze, including Golden Monkey Trekking in the Virunga Mountains, the Mount Bisoke trek, or keep it chill with a canoe ride on the Mukungwa River. Maybe visit Redrocks Rwanda, where you’ll learn about the local banana beer production and be treated to some dancing, drumming and basket-weaving demonstrations.

Optional Activities:

Musanze - Visit 'Twin Lakes' Burera & Ruhondo (40 USD)
Musanze - Redrocks Rwanda Visit (Banana Beer & Cultural Activities) (50 USD)
Musanze - Mount Bisoke Hike (75 USD)
Musanze - Canoeing on River Mukungwa (80 USD)
Musanze - Golden Monkey Tracking in Volcanoes National Park (160 USD)
Musanze - Guardian Village - Iby'Iwachu Cultural Village (30 USD)

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 4: Queen Elizabeth NP

Today, you’ll leave Rwanda as we cross the border into Uganda, making our way to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This park is home to 618 bird species, 10 species of primates - including chimpanzees, and 95 different types of mammals. The route to your accommodation may feel like an unofficial safari. Keep a look out for African elephants, buffalo, hippos, warthogs, Nile crocodiles, leopards, spotted hyenas, lions and chimpanzees. Tonight, stay in a simple safari lodge within the park overlooking the Kazinga Channel.

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth NP

Wake up for another exciting day in Queen Elizabeth National Park with another 4x4 Game Drive. Be on the lookout for any sightings you may have missed yesterday, and if you’re really lucky, you might be able to spot leopards or lions. This afternoon, you have the opportunity to see the park from a different perspective with an optional cruise down the Kazinga Channel, linking Lake Edward to Lake George. You’ll be joined by local guides who will fill you in on everything you could want to know about the landscape and the animals who live within it – be on the lookout for hippos basking on the shore, as well as crocodiles, herds of elephants and abundant birdlife.

Included Activities:

Queen Elizabeth National Park - 4x4 Game Drive

Optional Activities:

Queen Elizabeth National Park - Kazinga Channel boat cruise (30 USD)
Kalinzu Forest - Chimpanzee Trekking (205 USD)

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth NP

This morning we make our way to Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here you meet some local residents to learn more about rural life in Uganda. Visit a local organic farm, medicine garden and homestead and learn how its owner is tackling human-wildlife conflict with his anti-crop raiding techniques. You’ll also meet a local Mukiga woman who will share her story while showing you how to sort, pound and grind millet to make porridge and other Bakiga meals. This part of the park is famous for its tree climbing lions, so be on the look out as you make the game drive towards our ecolodge in the northern sector of the park frequented by herds of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes!

Included Activities:

Ishasha - Community Tourism Project Visit
Queen Elizabeth National Park - 4x4 Game Drive

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 7: Kisoro

Today, drive out of the Queen Elizabeth National Park on your way to the southwest tip of Uganda (approximately 6 hours). The journey is like a game drive in itself, with the chance to spot zebras, antelopes, baboons and monkeys out the window. When you arrive at the corner of Uganda, where the border touches Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, you’ll be based in Kisoro, which provides access to seven different gorilla groups located in Mgahinga, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Nshongi.

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 8: Kisoro (Gorilla Trek)

Join a local guide and trackers as you climb through the rugged, mountainous terrain of Bwindi National Park in search of mountain gorillas. A quick lock of eyes with these creatures is a truly primal moment and visits are strictly controlled to minimise disturbance. Make no mistake, tracking gorillas is no walk in the park – it's called Bwinidi Impenetrable National Park for a reason. It can be wet, muddy, strenuous and uncomfortable, but the indescribable elation at coming across a group of gorillas is worth the effort. Spend a mesmerising hour with the gorillas as they eat, sleep, groom and play as the male silverback watches over them, then return to the lodge for dinner and to reflect on this incredible experience.

Included Activities:

Bwindi National Park - Mountain Gorilla Permit & Trek

Accommodation:

(Number of Nights: 1)

Day 9: Nairobi

After breakfast this morning, make the journey back to Kigali. You'll be dropped off at Kigali Airport for your short flight to Nairobi this evening. When you arrive at Nairobi Airport, you'll be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. Check in, freshen up and get a good night's rest before meeting your group in the morning.

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 10: Masai Mara National Reserve

Transfer from Nairobi to the famous Masai Mara – one of the best game reserves in Africa. On the way, you'll stop in Loita Hills – a remote region home to the traditional Maasai people. This is one of the key places where the Maasai people still practice their traditional way of life, with little influence from the Western world. Visit the Tepesua Village, known for championing Maasai women’s health and education. Maasai Warriors will welcome you here by way of traditional song and dance. Meet your hosts and attend a talk full of insights into this remarkable and ancient culture. Take a walk to the community village, which was founded for widows who can never remarry and lost their cows due to drought. The village offers support, safety and economic growth through the Tepesua Widows Income Project. Here, the women make handicrafts and sew handbags using sustainable materials as well as washable sanitary pads and backpacks to sell to visitors and locals. Learn about village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home and its cattle enclosures. Continue to the outskirts of the Masai Mara, where your permanent tented camp can be found.

Included Activities:

Loita Hills - Maasai Village Visit

Accommodation:

Permanent Tented Camp (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 11: Masai Mara National Reserve

This morning, you have the option to take part in a hot air balloon ride and bush breakfast, giving you a rare chance to see the open plains at sunrise, teeming with wildlife. After, explore the Masai Mara in 4WD safari vehicles with game drives in the morning and the afternoon today to give you the best chance to spot the Big Five. This is the quintessential African experience, and with sparse open plains and some of the world's most impressive animals, you won't soon forget this one. Keep your eyes peeled for wildebeest, lions, leopards, antelope and giraffes along the way.

Included Activities:

Masai Mara National Reserve - Full Day 4WD Safari

Optional Activities:

Masai Mara National Reserve - Balloon ride (from price) (470 USD)

Accommodation:

Permanent Tented Camp (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 12: Lake Victoria

Get ready for a long travel day as you journey toward the Kenya-Tanzania border and make your way to the magnificent Lake Victoria. This vast lake is the main source of the Nile, the longest river in the world, and spans the shores of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. On arrival, unwind with a lakeside dinner while you ponder the magnitude of the world’s largest tropical lake.

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 13: Serengeti National Park

Enjoy a relaxed morning, taking in the magnificent views of Lake Victoria in the morning light. Travel to Serengeti National Park, renowned for its incredible wildlife and vast, open landscapes. After passing through the park gate, experience the greatest commute possible as we slowly make our way to our permanent tented camp via the 'scenic safari route.' Along the way, stop to take photos of the abundant wildlife and stunning views. Tonight, you'll have a true African safari experience – with your comfortable safari camp set right in the heart of the Serengeti. After dinner, gather around the campfire to share stories, then fall asleep to the sounds of the wild.

Included Activities:

Serengeti National Park - 4WD Safari

Accommodation:

Permanent Tented Camp (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 14: Serengeti National Park

Wake to another glorious day in the Serengeti National Park. Start the day with an early morning 4WD safari to spot the wildlife when they're at their most active. Then, return to the camp for a relaxed brunch. Spend the hottest part of the day chilling out at camp – don't stress, the animals will do the same! This afternoon, head off again for another drive through the park. Return to the camp for dinner and another night under the Serengeti's stars.

Included Activities:

Serengeti National Park - Afternoon 4WD Safari
Serengeti National Park - Morning 4WD Safari

Optional Activities:

Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) (800 USD)

Accommodation:

Permanent Tented Camp (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 15: Karatu

Enjoy a final game drive through the Serengeti National Park this morning as you exit your camp inside the park and make your way to the park gate. From here, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation area, where you'll hop in the park's 4WD jeeps and descend to the crater floor. The jeeps have an open roof, and the animals here are less wary of humans and vehicles, which makes watching them up close easier. Take in the spectacular views from the crater's rim as you make your way to the bottom, where animals roam the lakes, rivers, woodlands and hills. Keep an eye out for wildebeest, lion, zebra, cheetah, buffalo, gazelle, endangered black rhino and the colourfully dressed Maasai people who often water their cattle at the lake here. This afternoon, leave the Ngorongoro Crater and drive to Karatu – a small town on its outskirts and your base for the next two nights.

Included Activities:

Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
Serengeti National Park - Morning 4WD Safari

Accommodation:

Lodge (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 16: Karatu

After breakfast this morning, you’ll make your way to Lake Eyasi – a huge seasonal soda lake. Lake Eyasi has been home to the Hadzabe people for more than 10,000 years and is one of the few places in Africa where traditional tribal life continues without modern influence. Today’s visit to the Hadzabe lands offers incredible insight into this ancient culture and a chance to learn about their way of life. You’ll be able to meet community members and join in on daily activities like hunting, gathering and traditional dance. You’ll also learn about their unique ‘click’ language, which is thought to be one of the oldest languages still in use today. Return to your lodge in Karatu later in the day to put your feet up and relax.

Included Activities:

Lake Eyasi - Hadzabe Bushmen Visit
Lake Eyasi - Soda Lake

Accommodation:

Lodge (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 17: Arusha

Today is a free day to relax or choose from the various optional activities available from your base in Karatu. You might like to head to a local coffee plantation or take a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Maybe opt for a hike through the Ngorongoro Reserve Forest to Elephant Caves accompanied by an expert local guide and armed ranger. This is the perfect way to stretch your legs after a few days of travel. You'll hike through the Ngorongoro rainforest as your local guide explains the ins and outs of the area and points out interesting animal tracks and footprints. Marvel at the wild landscape and spot the varied birdlife as you walk. In the afternoon, you’ll head to Arusha, where you spend your last night.

Optional Activities:

Karatu - Village Visit (20 USD)
Karatu - Coffee Tour (25 USD)
Ngorongoro Forest - Elephant Cave Trek (80 USD)
Lake Manyara Game drive (100 USD)

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 18: Arusha / Nairobi

Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast today. A departure transfer to either Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) can be booked at an additional expense. Alternatively, you can continue with your crew to finish in Nairobi.

Exclusions

Flights to and from origin and destinations
Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
Recommended gratuities/tipping
Optional activities/tours
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.

Important Information

Meals

When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We willdo our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.

Luggage

You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.

Mobility

Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.

Fitness Level

This tour requires an Average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.

Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.

If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling. (Note: I assume each tour has a different description depending on level of fitness required).

Sightseeing

If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.

Visas

Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.

Departure Dates & Surcharges: See checkout for live dates and availability.

AUD $13,960

(Tour only)

Per Person Twin Share

Duration: 18 days

Trip Type: Small Group

Activity Level: Light

Check Availability Brochure

Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 13 Nov 2025

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Customer Reviews

Overall Rating

Excellent

4.5

Guide

Excellent

4.5

Itinerary

Excellent

4.5

Accommodations

Excellent

4.5

Transportation

Excellent

4.5

Tour Operator

Excellent

4.5

Food

Excellent

4.5

5.0

Gregg

Traveled, October 2023

10/30/2023

Amazing trip thru East Africa viewing wildlife, lovely people of Africa. Highly recommended

4.5

Kate

Traveled, July 2023

08/01/2023

This is a great trip to explore East Africa and all the amazing wildlife it has to offer. The gorilla trek and sleeping inside Serengeti National Park were absolutely incredible experiences

Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.

In Business Since 1989

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