Combining gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda with Serengeti

Combining gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda with Serengeti safari in Tanzania. Are you planning on having a Tanzania and Rwanda safari? The best combination is a gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda and a game drive in Serengeti National Park. Planning early enough is the best way to enjoy these safaris because they are top safari destinations, and thousands of tourists always try to book and see the wildlife found in the national parks.

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Serengeti National Park, located in the north-western part of Tanzania close to Kenya's border, is best known for the wildebeest migration, which takes place every year where millions of wildebeests can be seen crossing the Grumeti and Mara Rivers into Kenya's Masai Mara following a change in the weather and then back to Serengeti. It is a cycle that keeps happening, and this is your chance to spot the different wildlife species within the National Park. On this safari, you can enjoy game drives in Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, which have the densest wildlife population on the African continent. Serengeti National Park has three sections: the Northern Corridor, the Western Corridor, and the Serengeti Plains. Some of the animals that you will be able to see. At the same time, on a game drive include elephants, elands, gazelles, zebras, lions, impalas, wildebeests, crocodiles, waterbucks, hippos, leopards, giraffes, and rhinos, among others.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area was part of Serengeti National Park but became independent in 1959. It is described as the cradle of mankind because this is where the Leakey family and home found the oldest fossils of man in the famous Ngorongoro Crater. It is also home to animals like primates, lions, hippos, zebras, wildebeests, and rhinos, among others.

Gorilla trekking is one of the top safari activities in Rwanda, which is part of the Virunga region in the Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda is home to almost three-quarters of the remaining gorillas in the world, and there are 15 habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes assigned to trekkers on trek days. The Gorilla trekking experience starts early in the morning with a briefing, and after being given a gorilla family to trek, you walk to the starting point, and the trek begins.

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park can only be done after purchasing the gorilla trek permit, which costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $500 for African citizens, and $300 for East African citizens.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda involves rules and regulations that must be followed by all tourists participating in the gorilla trek, including eating and drinking while with the gorillas. Always endeavor to keep a distance of 7 meters when you find the gorillas to prevent and reduce disease transmission. There are no toilets within the national park, so you must dig a hole (in case you need to go number two) and cover it up afterward. You will not be allowed to smoke when with the gorillas.

Only groups of 8 are to trek with a gorilla family per day. You get to spend an hour with the gorillas and the limit on the noise you make when trekking, and after locating the gorillas, all tourists who feel sick will not be allowed to trek the gorillas. When you feel a sneeze or cough, cover your mouth and nose and turn away from the gorillas; take your rubbish with you when leaving the park, and flash photography has been banned.

Nyungwe National Park is one of the top tourist attractions in Rwanda and the best place for chimpanzee trekking. Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to 13 different primate species trekked best during the dry season. Two main chimpanzee families are trekked through the forest one in Uwinka and the other in Cyamudongo. Chimpanzee trekking involves walking through the forest in search of the playful primates, and after locating them, each group gets to spend an hour with the chimpanzees before returning to the lodge for lunch.

Chimpanzee trekking starts at one of the three centers in the park, including Gisakura, Kitabi, and Uwinka. All the trekking rules and regulations need to be followed when chimpanzee trekking, and these include not feeding the chimpanzees, keeping a distance of 7 meters when with the primates, no eating, drinking and smoking, no one is allowed to touch the chimpanzees, one hour is to be spent with the chimpanzees after tracking them, turn off the camera flash when taking photos and always keep Nyungwe Forest national park clean as a way of protecting the chimpanzees.

Full itinerary 

This is a seven-day itinerary starting from Tanzania in Arusha, where we will be driving to Serengeti National Park for numerous activities like birding, game drives, and cultural trips to the Masai people, and after that connect to Rwanda for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking.

Day 1: Pick up from Arusha and transfer to Serengeti National Park

Depending on your preference, a tour guide will pick you up early in the morning from Arusha at your hotel or airport. After exchanging pleasantries and a brief meeting about the trip and what to expect on this safari, board your vehicle, and the drive to Serengeti starts. Our driver guide will make stopovers at the Olduvai Gorge, where you can visit the museum and explore where the oldest human fossils were discovered. You then proceed to Serengeti National Park, and upon entrance, you will have a mini-game drive through the park where you can see wildlife like cheetahs, elephants, elephants, zebras, and giraffes, among others. After the drive, you will proceed to the lodge for overnight accommodation and dinner.

Day 2: Game drive through Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

This is a significant and eventful day; you must be ready for the events. Breakfast will be served early, and the morning drive will start through the Serengeti plains. You will be able to see more animals than you saw on your first day. The drive through Serengeti will take about 2 hours, and after, drive towards the Ngorongoro crater, where you will have lunch and prepare for the afternoon drive.

After lunch, the drive inside the crater starts, and the number of wildlife you see will be more significant, so many refer to it as the Garden of Eden. It has beautiful and incredible scenery and many animals because it has enough pasture and water, attracting many wildlife species, including the big five. After the drive, you will return to the camp/lodge for the overnight and dinner.

Day 3: Drive to Ngorongoro and departure to Rwanda

Have breakfast and enjoy one last drive through the Ngorongoro crater to view animals you might have missed. Early morning is the best time to spot the wildlife. Some animals you might see include ostriches, jackals, giraffes, bird species, and vultures. This will be a short drive for about 45 minutes to an hour, and after the drive, we will journey back to Arusha for the flight to Kigali. It is a 45-minute flight from Arusha International Airport to Kigali International Airport, and you need to leave early to get to Rwanda.

Day 4: Kigali to Volcanoes National Park

Your driver guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kigali and start on the city tour. Kigali is considered one of the world's cleanest cities, and although it is small, it is an organized city. You can visit several places:

• The Artisan shop
• The former presidential palace for a political and cultural trip
• The Genocide Memorial Centre
• The primary market

After lunch, proceed for the 2 to 3-hour drive from Kigali to northeastern Rwanda, where Volcanoes National Park is located. Once you reach the national park, you will check-in, rest and refresh, and take a guided nature walk to the Twin Lakes of Ruhondo and Burera.

Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Ibyiwacu Cultural Centre

Day five starts before sunrise with an early morning breakfast. Afterward, your driver guide will drive you to the headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking and verifying gorilla permits and passports. After placing you in groups of 8, the trekking begins. Volcanoes National Park has a third of the world's gorilla population, and chances of spotting the Mountain gorillas are guaranteed.

The trek can take 2 to 6 hours, depending on where the gorilla family you are trekking is located. When trekking and after finding the gorillas, you have to follow all the trekking rules and spend an hour with the gorillas studying their social behavior. After the one hour, you will head back to the lodge for lunch and a rest as you wait for the afternoon Ibyiwacu village trip.

The driver will take you to the village of Ibyiwacu for a cultural tour. The village was formed to create jobs and act as a refuge for ex-poachers. This was a way of protecting the Mountain gorillas, and it has worked so far as many of the poachers now act as porters to tourists. You will be able to enjoy traditional music and dance from the locals, participate in the daily activities, and learn more about the traditions of the locals, the gorillas, and any contribution you make to the community and the conservation of the Mountain gorillas. You then head back to the hotel in the evening for dinner and an overnight.

Day 6: Nyungwe Forest National Park

Day 6 is for checking out of the lodge and driving to Nyungwe Forest National Park. You will get to the national park in the afternoon, have lunch, and prepare for a canopy walk. The canopy walk in Nyungwe is the best in East Africa, rising about 70 meters above the forest. The walk is divided into three phases, and the best way to explore the park is from above. If you are afraid of heights, a guided walk through the park is available. After the canopy walk, we head back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight.

Day 7: Chimp tracking

Today is the day for chimp tracking, and it starts as early as 5:00 am with breakfast and a drive to the park where you will meet the guide who will inform you about how the day will be and a reminder about the rules and regulations that you need to follow during the trek. You will then be grouped, and the track, which takes 2 to 6 hours, begins. After tracking the chimps and finding them, each group had one hour with the chimps, and after that one hour was complete, we headed back to the lodge for lunch.

The driver guide will be waiting to take you to a Gisakura tea estate for a guided walk, and during the walk, you get to learn how the tea is planted, harvested, sorted, and processed. Before you leave, you will also have a taste of freshly brewed tea and then drive back to the hotel for the night and overnight.

Day 7: Drive to Kigali

This is the last day of the trip, and you will have breakfast before checking out of the hotel as you prepare for the journey back to Kigali. Upon reaching Kigali, You will be dropped at the hotel or the airport for your departure flight.

The trip will include game park fees, park ranger fees, accommodation, meals, transportation, and bottled water for drinking throughout the safari. The exclusions include air tickets, personal shopping for souvenirs, premium drinks, insurance, tips, laundry, and alcohol. If you spend an extra day in Rwanda, you must pay additional accommodation costs.

The best time for a Serengeti, gorilla, and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda

The best time for combining gorilla and trekking safari in Rwanda with Serengeti is during the dry months of June to September and December to February. Game drives and watching the wildebeest migration are best done during the drier months since the wildlife is always on the move in search of food and water. Trekking through the forests of Nyungwe National Park and Volcanoes National Park is also best done during these months with drier trek routes and limited vegetation, which enables you to spot the primates easily.

The wet season, March to May and October to November, is a good time for visiting Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. This is the best time for bird watching and watching the animals during the birthing season. It is a low season for chimpanzee and gorilla trekking due to the slippery trek routes, but the best time to travel on a budget is when traveling on a budget.

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