Choose dates around the places in this itinerary and the experience you want, rather than treating a price season as a wildlife guarantee. Weather, road conditions and wildlife movements can vary from year to year. Ask us to check the route and accommodation availability for your proposed dates.
Gorilla trekking dates also depend on permit availability; arrange the trekking date before finalising the rest of the journey.
Bring comfortable layers for changing temperatures, sun protection, a rain layer, comfortable shoes and your camera or binoculars. Early starts can be cool, especially at higher elevations.
Check the baggage allowance and bag-type requirements for each flight named in your confirmed programme. Limits can differ between airlines and small-aircraft services; do not assume your international-flight allowance applies to the safari or regional flight.
For forest trekking, discuss footwear, rain protection and your fitness or mobility needs before booking.
Entry requirements depend on your nationality, passport and full travel route. Check the official rules before booking and again before departure, including any transit-country requirements.
For Tanzania, use the Tanzania Immigration visa guidelines to check exemptions, visa type, fees and whether advance approval is required. Avoid relying on an old blanket statement about visas on arrival.
For Rwanda, consult the official Rwanda immigration guidance.
The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda; it does not cover Tanzania. Check each country in this itinerary separately.
Arrange individual advice from a travel-health professional for your complete route, including transit stops. Vaccination recommendations and entry-certificate requirements are different questions, and both can depend on where you have travelled.
Use the CDC Tanzania traveller guidance and Rwanda guidance, together with current destination entry rules. Ask your clinician about yellow fever documentation, malaria prevention and your personal health needs.
Do not assume a medical exemption letter guarantees entry; confirm the applicable procedure with the destination authorities before travel.
Check that your policy covers the countries, dates and activities in your confirmed programme, including medical treatment and emergency evacuation. Review exclusions, cancellation cover and how to obtain assistance while travelling.
Confirm that your chosen cover includes the planned gorilla trekking and any relevant altitude or activity exclusions.
Airports and travel connections
Arrive at Kigali International Airport for the road transfer to Musanze. After the Rwanda stay, return to Kigali for the regional flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport, followed by a road transfer to Arusha.
The Tanzania safari ends with the onward journey from the Serengeti towards Arusha. Ask for the transfer method, timing and departure airport to be specified before booking your flight home. The quotation should explicitly itemise the Kigali–Kilimanjaro flight and associated transfers; this regional sector is separate from the flights used to arrive for and leave the holiday.
Share proposed flight details before buying tickets. Your final written programme should name pickup and drop-off locations, flight sectors where applicable, and the transfers included in your quotation.
Meals and drinking water
Full board means breakfast, lunch and dinner are included at all booked stays: the Rwanda and Tanzania portions, including the booked arrival and safari stays. Drinking water is included in the safari vehicle and at the accommodations.
Drinks and optional activities
This is not an All Inclusive package. Alcohol and beverages other than drinking water at accommodations are excluded. Optional activities beyond the included programme are charged separately; choosing an extra excursion does not make the booked accommodation or full-board stay an additional expense.