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Sunrise on the Serengeti 

Your first three nights are spent at Singita Sasakwa Lodge, set within the 350,000-acre Singita Grumeti Reserve in northern Tanzania, adjacent to the Serengeti National Park. Built in the style of a stately Edwardian manor house, the lodge strikes an assured balance between grandeur and ease. Ten private cottages each come with a plunge pool, wraparound veranda, polished parquet floors, and long views across the reserve.

The Grumeti Reserve forms part of the broader Serengeti-Mara ecosystem - the route followed by the Great Migration as vast herds of wildebeest and zebra move north each year. A typical day here begins with an early game drive as the light opens up across the plains, followed by a guided bush walk before lunch back at the lodge. Afternoons are less structured, so you have time to relax before a second drive to catch the late activity as the light softens. With low visitor numbers and exclusive access to the reserve, encounters with lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhino tend to feel close and unrushed.

A night in Kagali

Between the Serengeti and the gorillas, you'll pause in Kigali at Hemingways Retreat - Rwanda's first eco-conscious luxury boutique hotel, set in the leafy Kiyovu neighbourhood. With just 20 individually styled rooms, suites, and villas, it's an intimate and composed place to reset between two very different landscapes.

Your stay includes a complimentary 30-minute welcome massage per person, and a cultural activity. For this you can choose from a cocktail demonstration using local botanicals, a cooking class, or a banana wine tasting. If you want to get out and explore, guided city tours can take in contemporary Rwandan art exhibitions, the city's markets, and cultural landmarks, including visits to memorials that offer important context for Rwanda's recent history.

Kwitonda Lodge and the volcanoes

Your final three nights are spent at Singita Kwitonda Lodge, positioned right on the edge of Volcanoes National Park. More than a third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas live in the high-altitude forests of this park, and the headquarters where treks begin is less than ten minutes from the lodge.

The interiors at Kwitonda feel rooted in this place. Handcrafted details such as woven panels and handmade tiles run throughout the carefully considered spaces, drawing on local craft traditions and the textures of the surrounding forest. Suites at the lodge feature heated private plunge pools, fireplaces, and an in-room massage area, with the main lodge anchored by a central fire pit, a bar-deli, and a well-stocked wine cellar. Views of the Sabyinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura volcanoes run across the horizon and, after a morning trek, it's a restorative place to return to.

Into the forest

Gorilla trekking is the reason most people make this journey, and the position of Kwitonda Lodge makes it as accessible as anywhere in Rwanda. Daily hikes into Volcanoes National Park are led by expert guides, with trek groups limited to eight people per gorilla family per day. Permits need to be secured well in advance, and your Travel Counsellor can handle this as part of the broader booking.

The trek itself varies in length depending on where the gorilla families are ranging that morning so it can take anything from one hour to several. What you find at the end of it, though, is consistent: a quiet hour observing a gorilla family moving through the forest at close range. It's an encounter that tends to stay with people long after they leave. Golden monkey tracking is a rewarding complement to this experience. It’s a faster-paced, more playful experience through the bamboo forest, available to those aged 12 and over. Taken together, the two treks give you a vivid picture of the extraordinary wildlife that makes Volcanoes National Park well worth the journey.

Suggested itinerary

This adventure moves from the open plains of the Serengeti to the forested slopes of Volcanoes National Park, the Big Five, gorilla trekking, and golden monkey tracking along the way. Every stage is built around expert guiding, genuine access, and complete privacy.

Days 1–4: Singita Sasakwa Lodge, Serengeti, Tanzania - Arrive into Kilimanjaro International Airport, transfer to Arusha Airport, and fly into the Serengeti. Twice-daily game drives, guided bush walks, and sundowners across the 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserve, with strong prospects for Big Five and Great Migration sightings throughout.

Days 4–5: Hemingways Retreat, Kigali, Rwanda - Fly from the Serengeti to Kigali. A complimentary welcome massage and cultural activity, full use of the pool, spa, and wellness facilities, and dinner at Fusion Restaurant is included. Optional guided city tours to markets, galleries, and memorials are also available.

Days 5–8: Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda - Fly from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, or take the scenic three-hour road transfer. Guided gorilla trekking with a maximum of eight guests per family group, golden monkey tracking, time at the lodge with volcano views, and wine cellar tastings.

For timing, the Great Migration is most reliably found across Grumeti between June and October, while Rwanda's drier months of June to September make for more comfortable trekking. The green season from April to May brings quieter conditions and is well suited to those who prefer fewer people doing the same sort of trip.