Africa's Finest Lodges: Singita's private Serengeti reserve and then mountain gorillas in Rwanda
This ten-night adventure pairs East Africa's two great luxury experiences. Open with a night at Arusha's Legendary Lodge to recover from your flight, then travel to Singita's private 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserve for four nights of exceptional, uncrowded big-game viewing on the western Serengeti. Then cross into Rwanda for one night in Kigali, then four at Singita Kwitonda on the edge of Volcanoes National Park. This includes two mornings trekking in to sit with the mountain gorillas for an hour. Note: Look for departures in early June to catch the Great Migration.
1 night
The gateway to Tanzania's northern safari circuit. Most journeys begin and end at Kilimanjaro International, an hour from the town of Arusha, where a meet-and-greet and a connecting light-aircraft flight carry you on to the Serengeti, Grumeti or the Ngorongoro highlands. A comfortable lodge among the coffee estates makes an easy first or last night to shake off the long-haul flights before the bush.
4 nights
Singita's private Grumeti Reserve — 350,000 acres of rolling western-Serengeti grassland, acacia woodland and the Grumeti River, held as a single exclusive concession along the Great Migration's western corridor. Game is excellent year-round with a fraction of the vehicles of the public park, and May to July brings the herds massing to cross the Grumeti. It's home to Singita's flagship lodges — the grand hilltop Sasakwa, riverside Faru Faru and tented Sabora — and to the Grumeti Fund's landmark rhino and anti-poaching conservation work.
1 night
Rwanda's calm, green capital — the gateway for a gorilla trek, and a city worth a night in its own right. Clean, safe and walkable, with the moving Kigali Genocide Memorial, a lively craft and coffee scene, and an easy airport. Most journeys overnight here before the two-to-three-hour drive north to the volcanoes.
4 nights
The Rwandan Virungas — a wall of forested, mist-wrapped volcanoes on the Congo and Uganda borders, and home to roughly a third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Trekking in to sit an hour with a habituated family is one of the great wildlife experiences on earth; golden monkeys, the Dian Fossey trail and the bamboo forests round out the days. Singita Kwitonda sits right on the park boundary.
Visa — required. US passport holders need a visa, available on arrival or as an e-visa in advance. Volunteer work isn’t permitted on a tourist visa, and you should carry a round-trip ticket and be ready to show proof of sufficient funds for your stay.
Mandatory travel insurance. Tanzania now requires every visitor to buy the government’s local travel insurance to enter — it was Zanzibar-only, but now applies nationwide. This is in addition to your own travel insurance; purchase it online before you go.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date, with 1 blank page per entry stamp.
Vaccinations. A yellow-fever certificate is required if you’re arriving from a country where yellow fever is a risk. This applies to travel from Kenya if you have your passport stamped.
Currency. Up to US$10,000 may be brought in or taken out.
Good to know. Single-use plastic bags are banned nationwide — pack toiletries in a small, clear reusable zip-lock. Dress is conservative in public, especially on Zanzibar; keep beachwear to the resorts. And it’s illegal to photograph military sites, government buildings, bridges, airports, or police.
U.S. Embassy, Dar es Salaam: tz.usembassy.gov
Visa — required. US passport holders need a visa. You can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival, or apply in advance (30-day, 90-day, or 10-year options) through the Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, DC.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date, with 1 blank page for the entry stamp.
Vaccinations. A yellow-fever certificate — the International Certificate of Vaccination, or “yellow card” — is required if you’re arriving from a country where yellow fever is present or active.
Currency. No limit on what you bring in or take out.
Good to know. Plastic shopping and grocery bags are banned and may be confiscated on arrival, so leave them at home. On gorilla treks and game drives alike, follow your guides’ and trackers’ instructions closely — approaching wildlife, even from a vehicle, can be dangerous.
U.S. Embassy, Kigali: rw.usembassy.gov
Guidance for US passport holders — if you travel on another passport, please confirm the requirements for your nationality.
Every departure runs a similar route with all-in pricing. Prices vary by season.
Inclusions: Safari lodge and camp rates are inclusive of all meals, drinks, and most activities — including game drives — but exclude top-shelf drinks and premium activities like helicopter excursions. City and beach stays follow each property's own board basis, shown on the lodge.
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