Mountain Gorilla Safari: Tanzania, Zanzibar & Rwanda 2026

13 days
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
Additional images not provided by operator
Video not provided by operator
4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews  
87%
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
none

USTOA

Small Group Tour
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities abound on this small group safari. 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!
From$19,990
See departure dates

Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

    • 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

What's this trip about?

    Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities abound on this small group safari. 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!

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeSmall Group - 24 max
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start City Arusha, Tanzania
End CityKigali

Travel Themes

  • Cultural

Destinations

  • Africa

Attractions

  • Arusha
  • Kigali
  • Ngorongoro Crater
  • Serengeti National Park
  • Tarangire National Park

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • 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

Travel Map

Day 1 Arrive Tanzania

Tour begins: 12:00 PM, Gran Meliá Arusha.
 

Day 2 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 ...

Day 3 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...

Day 4 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...

Day 5 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...

Day 6 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 ...

Day 7 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 ...

Day 8 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 lo...

Day 9 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...

Day 10 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 a...

Day 11 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 traditiona...

Day 12 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...

Day 13 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 ...

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:

  • You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
  • Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Design custom trip

Dates & Availability

Price From $19,990
Price per day$1,538
Last Updated: 11/7/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Double Standard
Single Standard
Availability
17 Jun 2026
30 Jun 2026
$22,690
$28,823
01 Jul 2026
14 Jul 2026
$22,690
$28,823
09 Sep 2026
22 Sep 2026
$22,690
$28,823
23 Sep 2026
06 Oct 2026
$21,790
$28,258

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Tauck Reviews & Ratings

4.4/5  Great
Excellent
16
Great
4
Average
0
Disappointing
3
Terrible
0
Write a Review

Other Tauck Reviews

K

Kurlyk40

May 2024

Written on

Great Scenery but Accommodations Lacking for cost

My husband and I booked the Yellowstone tour with Tauck expecting so much more with the accommodations, food, and tour director based on the price point. We were sa...

S

Susan

Jun 2023

Written on

Nine Tours and Done

Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done o...

C

Cougess

Jan 2023

Written on

Skip this cruise - not worth it

My husband and I went on the Treasures of the Mediterranean Isles Trip jn October 2022. This was our third Tauck cruise with Ponnant but our first post covid and the...

Write a Review

Tour Operator

Tauck

none
View Profile

It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.

In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.

Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.

Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.

youtube_video_1


twitter_1

What they’re known for
Fun group tours and cruises that are culturally-focused and great for families and seniors on vacation.

Associations

About Travelstride

Find your perfect trip

An epic selection of pre-planned trips on every continent, for every style. Thousands of itineraries from over 1,000 trusted travel companies.

Save time

Use simple search and comparison tools to easily find the best trip. Don't sweat the logistics — travel providers plan for you.

Save money

Book directly with the operator. See inclusive packages for the best values, and get access to amazing deals.

Travel confidently

Read unbiased user reviews, pick the operator that suits your needs, and connect with them directly.

Logistics

Accommodation

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
ALL_AGES
Additional Information
Trip ID
tauck-TR2026

Become a member

(it's free)
  • Save up to $700 per person
  • Access members-only specials
  • Personalize trip recommendations
Sign up and save
Top Tour Companies on Travelstride:
All 1,600+ companies >