Serengeti and Rwanda gorillas

Day by day

An operable outline, not a locked rooming list. Air sectors, permits and stays are contracted against the brief. Dates and costs sit on the proposal — not on this page.

1. 

   Day 1

   Arrive Kilimanjaro · Arusha

   JRO. Lodge. Sleep. Coffee only for early arrivals.

   Accommodation

   Legendary LodgeLegendary Lodge or Gran Meliá Arusha.

   Logistics

   JRO 45–75 minutes.

   Meals

   Dinner at the lodge.

   Planner note

   Permits first — they were booked at approval.

   Activities

   • — Arrival
   • — Briefing

   ExperiencesArusha coffee and city

2. 

   Day 2

   Fly Serengeti

   Light aircraft to Seronera or Grumeti. Afternoon drive.

   Accommodation

   Four Seasons Safari Lodge SerengetiFour Seasons Serengeti or Singita Sasakwa.

   Logistics

   ARK or private strip. 1–1.5 hours.

   Meals

   Breakfast Arusha. Dinner at lodge.

   Planner note

   No trek on a connection day — that is later.

   Activities

   • — Flight to the Serengeti
   • — Afternoon drive
3. 

   Day 3

   Serengeti

   Dawn drive. Balloon optional.

   Accommodation

   Four Seasons Safari Lodge SerengetiSame lodge.

   Logistics

   Whole baskets. Migration is a season.

   Meals

   All meals at lodge.

   Planner note

   Serengeti and gorillas in one proposal.

   Activities

   • — Dawn drive
   • — Optional balloon

   ExperiencesSerengeti balloon and bush breakfastGreat Migration river crossing

4. 

   Day 4

   Second Serengeti day

   Walking where allowed. Quiet dinner. Pack after the afternoon drive.

   Accommodation

   Four Seasons Safari Lodge SerengetiSame lodge.

   Logistics

   Airstrip tomorrow.

   Meals

   All meals at lodge.

   Planner note

   Both chapters get a sleep.

   Activities

   • — Morning drive or walk
   • — Afternoon drive

   ExperiencesSerengeti bush dinner

5. 

   Day 5

   Fly out · connect Kigali

   Light aircraft to JRO or via NBO. Arrive KGL. City hotel. Sleep. Nobody treks.

   Accommodation

   Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre KigaliKigali Serena or Radisson Blu.

   Logistics

   Designed regional hop. Permits already issued.

   Meals

   Breakfast lodge. Dinner Kigali.

   Planner note

   No trek on a connection day.

   Activities

   • — Flights to KGL
   • — Check-in
   • — Sleep

   ExperiencesKigali city and Genocide Memorial

6. 

   Day 6

   Volcanoes lodge

   Road or heli to Musanze. Rest. Kit check.

   Accommodation

   Wilderness Bisate LodgeOne&Only Gorilla’s Nest, Singita Kwitonda or Bisate.

   Logistics

   2.5–3 hours by road.

   Meals

   Breakfast Kigali. Dinner at lodge.

   Planner note

   Sleep before the forest.

   Activities

   • — Transfer
   • — Ranger briefing

   ExperiencesVolcanoes gorilla trekking

7. 

   Day 7

   Gorilla trek

   Trek. Parallel golden-monkey or lodge morning. No slides after.

   Accommodation

   Wilderness Bisate LodgeSame lodge.

   Logistics

   Dawn HQ. Named permits.

   Meals

   Early breakfast. Packed lunch. Dinner at lodge.

   Planner note

   Permit logistics owned by the DMC.

   Activities

   • — Gorilla trek
   • — Non-trek parallel

   ExperiencesVolcanoes gorilla trekkingGolden monkey forest walk

8. 

   Day 8

   Forest recovery

   Still morning. Optional return to Kigali. Closed dinner.

   Accommodation

   Wilderness Bisate LodgeSame lodge or Kigali hotel.

   Logistics

   Do not add a second trek unless permits exist.

   Meals

   All meals at lodge or Kigali.

   Planner note

   Eight nights so neither chapter is a layover.

   Activities

   • — At leisure
   • — Closed dinner
9. 

   Day 9

   Depart KGL

   Transfer to Kigali. International metal.

   Accommodation

   Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre Kigali

   Logistics

   Musanze to KGL. Buffer.

   Meals

   Breakfast.

   Planner note

   Not a Kenya-only air story.

   Activities

   • — Transfer
   • — International departure

Outcomes

• — Serengeti and gorillas in one proposal
• — No trek on a connection day
• — Permit logistics owned by the DMC

Experiences on this itinerary

Half day

Arusha coffee and city

Coffee estate, a measured look at a working East African city, Cultural Heritage only if the brief wants it — the meetings-first morning before safari, or the recovery loop after Kilimanjaro.

Tanzania destination →

Sunrise morning

Serengeti balloon and bush breakfast

A champagne breakfast in the plains after a dawn flight — the single most reliable ‘I cannot believe they did this’ moment on a Tanzania incentive.

Tanzania destination →

3–4 nights in the north, July–October

Great Migration river crossing

Positioned at Kogatende or a northern concession for the Mara River — the most requested safari theatre in East Africa, with a brief that crossings are never guaranteed.

Tanzania destination →

Evening

Serengeti bush dinner

A fireside or lantern dinner on the plains, with a tented backup and an honest weather call. The awards night that belongs in camp — not on the night the group landed from Kilimanjaro.

Tanzania destination →

Half day

Kigali city and Genocide Memorial

Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, handled with care: a professional guide, no forced emotion, a private rather than public visit when the group is a leadership team. Optional. Some clients ask; some do not.

Rwanda destination →

Full day from the lodge

Volcanoes gorilla trekking

The centrepiece of Rwanda: permits first, fitness honestly collected, One&Only or Singita as the bed, and a parallel morning for anyone who should not trek.

Rwanda destination →

Half day from a Volcanoes lodge

Golden monkey forest walk

Volcanoes’ golden monkeys in the bamboo — shorter than a gorilla trek, still a permit, still fitness. The companion morning for guests who should not do a six-hour gorilla walk, or a second forest day for the full list.

Rwanda destination →

Destinations on this itinerary

• Tanzania destination page
• Rwanda destination page