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Mountain Gorilla Safari: Tanzania, Zanzibar & Rwanda
Tour Description:
Intimate game drives in wildlife-rich national parks promise up-close animal encounters... a private ocean safari and spice tour in Zanzibar reveal cultural treasures... and a gorilla trek in Rwanda is a true bucket list experience!
All small group departures, limited to just 24 guests for more intimate exploration; a private lecture at Oldupai Gorge where the remains of early man were found; a hot air balloon ride at dawn over the Serengeti followed by breakfast; ocean safari on a private dhow boat with lunch on a secluded beach; and a one-hour interactive visit with a silverback gorilla family in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park accompanied by an expert guide and a personal porter in small groups of just 8 guests. Experience the following... in Tanzania, visits to a Maasai village and primary school, a picnic in a prehistoric crater, and a private lecture in Oldupai Gorge precede three nights in the heart of Serengeti National Park, with a hot air balloon ride and daily game drives... in Zanzibar, two nights at a beachfront hotel with ocean view rooms in Stone Town include a walking spice tour with a coconut harvester, a cruise aboard a traditional dhow with swimming and snorkeling, and free time for exploration; and in Rwanda, enjoy a Kigali tour, visits to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Museum and Kigali Genocide Memorial, and a trek into Volcanoes National Park with expert guides to spend time with a gorilla family in the wild. Accommodations feature Serena Safari Lodges in Ngorongoro, with views of the crater, and in the Serengeti, where a Maasai-village inspired lodge overlooks the vast grasslands; Kirawira Tented Camp, combining colonial elegance with modern-day amenities – ideally located to overlook the great migration in the Western Serengeti; Park Hyatt Zanzibar, a beachfront setting in the heart of historic Stone Town; and three nights in boutique hotels in Rwanda.
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Dates & Pricing
| Wednesday 17 Jun 26 — Monday 29 Jun 26 | Starting at $22,690 |  SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 01 Jul 26 — Monday 13 Jul 26 | Starting at $22,690 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 09 Sep 26 — Monday 21 Sep 26 | Starting at $22,690 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 23 Sep 26 — Monday 05 Oct 26 | Starting at $21,790 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & Sightseeing
Intimate game drives in wildlife-rich national parks promise up-close animal encounters... a private ocean safari and spice tour in Zanzibar reveal cultural treasures... and a gorilla trek in Rwanda is a true bucket list experience!
All small group departures, limited to just 24 guests for more intimate exploration; a private lecture at Oldupai Gorge where the remains of early man were found; a hot air balloon ride at dawn over the Serengeti followed by breakfast; ocean safari on a private dhow boat with lunch on a secluded beach; and a one-hour interactive visit with a silverback gorilla family in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park accompanied by an expert guide and a personal porter in small groups of just 8 guests. Experience the following... in Tanzania, visits to a Maasai village and primary school, a picnic in a prehistoric crater, and a private lecture in Oldupai Gorge precede three nights in the heart of Serengeti National Park, with a hot air balloon ride and daily game drives... in Zanzibar, two nights at a beachfront hotel with ocean view rooms in Stone Town include a walking spice tour with a coconut harvester, a cruise aboard a traditional dhow with swimming and snorkeling, and free time for exploration; and in Rwanda, enjoy a Kigali tour, visits to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Museum and Kigali Genocide Memorial, and a trek into Volcanoes National Park with expert guides to spend time with a gorilla family in the wild. Accommodations feature Serena Safari Lodges in Ngorongoro, with views of the crater, and in the Serengeti, where a Maasai-village inspired lodge overlooks the vast grasslands; Kirawira Tented Camp, combining colonial elegance with modern-day amenities – ideally located to overlook the great migration in the Western Serengeti; Park Hyatt Zanzibar, a beachfront setting in the heart of historic Stone Town; and three nights in boutique hotels in Rwanda.
Highlights
Three nights in Rwanda featuring a private trek in Volcanoes National Park to interact with endangered mountain gorillas
On-Tour Air (3 flights)
Group size limited to no more than 24 guests
A hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti plains at dawn, followed by a champagne breakfast
Enjoy an authentic "sundowner" cocktail party
Two nights in Zanzibar include a "spice" walking tour and dhow sailboat cruise on the Indian Ocean
Highlights
Three nights in Rwanda featuring a private trek in Volcanoes National Park to interact with endangered mountain gorillas
On-Tour Air (3 flights)
Group size limited to no more than 24 guests
A hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti plains at dawn, followed by a champagne breakfast
Enjoy an authentic "sundowner" cocktail party
Two nights in Zanzibar include a "spice" walking tour and dhow sailboat cruise on the Indian Ocean
ITINERARY
ITINERARYArrive Tanzania
Tour begins: 12:00 PM, Gran Meliá Arusha. A transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Gran Meliá Arusha is included. Welcome to Tanzania and the start of your African safari. Although most flights land at Kilimanjaro International Airport after the sun has set, thoughts of Ernest Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro will come to mind as you journey the short distance from the airport to your hotel.
Tarangire National Park
Depart Arusha today for Tarangire National Park, where you'll have a game drive prior to arrival at your lodge, Tarangire Kuro Treetops Lodge, which is nestled deep within the heart of the National Park. The Lodge is strategically located atop an elevated Kopje hill, overlooking the Tarangire River and the Silale valley leading to the Silale swamp in the west - which is famous for being visited by different wildlife throughout the year due to the availability of water. We invite you to join us for a welcome reception and dinner.
Game drives & on to Ngorongoro
Depart your hotel in Arusha for a visit to Isoitok, a Maasai boma (village), for an opportunity to learn about the Maasai cultural traditions and have a bush lunch. Enjoy your first game viewing opportunity as you continue on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to Ngorongoro Crater, a wildlife mecca; your lodge is built on the dormant volcano's rim, with stunning views of the "lost world" below. Please join us for a welcome reception followed by dinner at the lodge this evening.
Game drives & a visit to a Maasai village
This morning, explore Ngorongoro Crater, long regarded as Africa's "Garden of Eden." Within the crater lie grasslands, forests and a freshwater lake, inspiring a continual migration of animals. Riding in your four-wheel-drive safari vehicle, you'll have a chance to spot Africa's celebrated "Big Five" – buffalo, elephant, leopard, the black-maned lion and the rare black rhinoceros. Midday, depart your lodge for a visit to Isoitok, a Maasai boma (village), for an opportunity to learn about Maasai cultural traditions and have a bush lunch. Back at the lodge, enjoy dinner this evening, you'll be able to observe Ngorongoro's wildlife-rich caldera below from the comfort of your private terrace.
Visit Oldupai Gorge en route to the Serengeti
Set off this morning to explore Oldupai Gorge, where archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the fossilized remains of some of the earliest known human species, an estimated 1.8 million years old; learn more about the site's significance on a docent-led tour. Continue wildlife viewing while driving the rough dirt roads across the plains and grasslands of the Serengeti. Arrive at your safari lodge in the Central Serengeti, which was inspired by Maasai tribal dwellings. A briefing for tomorrow's hot air balloon ride precedes dinner at your lodge. Enjoy some local entertainment in the lounge this evening.
Game viewing on the Serengeti
A morning game drive on the Serengeti plains may yield sightings of wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinoceros, hippos, buffalo, jackals, and gazelles. This is also one of the best places on the African Continent to see prides of lions. Return to the lodge for lunch, then enjoy an afternoon at leisure that's followed by briefing on tomorrow's ballooning before dinner at the lodge.
Ballooning over the Serengeti & game viewing
Lift off on an exciting hot air balloon flight* as dawn breaks over the vast Serengeti grasslands; from aloft, observe wildlife in the first light of day, an African safari thrill – and enjoy another thrill upon your return where a champagne breakfast in the bush waits for you. Spot more wildlife as you travel to the Serengeti's remote Western Corridor, known for huge masses of migrating game animals thundering across the terrain; animals you might see on an afternoon game drive across the treeless plains of the Serengeti include wildebeest, lion, buffalo, cheetah, warthogs, giraffes and zebra. Join us for a sundowner this evening and say farewell to Tanzania.
To Zanzibar & a Stone Town tour
Rise early for your final Serengeti game drive this morning, then fly late this morning to intriguing Zanzibar, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean that was once a wealthy trading center for spices. Upon arrival, set off with your local guide on a walking and driving tour of Stone Town, in the main port of Zanzibar City. Your home for the next two nights is a fabulous hotel overlooking the turquoise sea and white sand beaches.
Cruise aboard a dhow on an "Indian Ocean"safari" in Zanzibar
Traditional Arabian sailboats called dhows have plied the Indian Ocean waters of the Swahili Coast for millennia, trading and fishing from one
island port to the next. Sail out to sea from Stone Town aboard a traditional dhow for an "Indian Ocean safari" off the coast of Zanzibar this morning, as the captain and crew help you spot dolphins frolicking in the ocean blue; cast anchor on a sandy beach for swimming and perhaps some snorkeling near beautiful coral reefs. After returning to shore, the afternoon is yours to check out more of fascinating Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on your own. Dinner at your hotel offers an array of fresh seafood for your last evening in Zanzibar.
Fly to Kigali, Rwanda
Early this morning, enjoy a "spice" tour of Stone Town, in the main port of Zanzibar City. Learn where some of your favorite spices come from as our guides reveal aromatic secrets hidden in nuts, roots and bark. Then fly to Kigali airport in Rwanda, home to Volcanoes National Park and the forested habitat of endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. A late evening arrival at your Serena Hotel is followed by dinner at leisure.
Volcanoes National Park
Embark this morning on a drive through the countryside to the city of Musanze at the base of Volcanoes National Park, where eight ancient volcanoes watch over the wildlife that thrives here. Check into your grass-thatched traditional Rwandan lodge, nestled under the eucalyptus trees at the foothills of the Virunga Volcano range, and have lunch before visiting the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Museum. Learn insights and observations about gorilla behavior in preparation for tomorrow's trek, as well as hear the fascinating story of Dian Fossey's unforgettable quest to save the mountain gorilla.
Gorilla Trek in Volcanoes National Park
Rise early for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you'll not soon forget. Drive to the headquarters of Volcanoes National Park where a briefing by your expert mountain guides answers any questions you may have about your trek into the wilderness and a dance performance as you eat your boxed breakfast whets your appetite for today's gorilla adventure. Climb aboard a safari vehicle as you make your way to the trailhead where your gorilla trek begins. You will be assigned a porter who will help carry your provisions and cameras and lead you to the gorilla family you are here to meet. Once the gorillas are located, you will have the rare opportunity to watch them interact with each other, and you if they choose! When your hour-long visit is up, head back to the lodge for lunch and an afternoon at leisure. A local expert presents an informative lecture this afternoon about the endangered mountain gorillas you were privileged to see. Join us tonight for a farewell reception and dinner at the lodge.
Journey home
Tour ends: Kigali. Depart your hotel after breakfast for your journey back to Kigali, stopping en route to visit the Genocide Memorial Museum. Pay tribute to the 800,000 Rwandans who lost their lives during the atrocities of 1994 and discover how Rwanda was able to come together, heal and move forward into the future with hope and resilience. Continue to the Kigali Serena Hotel where Tauck has reserved day rooms for you until your flight home this evening. Airport transfers are included from Kigali Serena Hotel to Kigali International Airport. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check in at the airport.
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
