Signature Journey · Rwanda & Tanzania · 12 days
Bamboo forest first, then a migration-positioned Serengeti and a two-night crater coda. Rwanda and Tanzania joined by a flight from Kigali to Kilimanjaro.
The shape of the journey
Unhurried, with four Serengeti nights placed by month
Chapter by chapter
11 nights in 5 chapters, with 3 flight sectors. Read down the chapters; the map keeps pace.
Day 1 · 1 night
Kigali · Rwanda
Kigali is met first as a city, not a transit point. Where timing allows, a visit to the Genocide Memorial is paced with care and followed by quiet. The handover to the road north is precise, and the first evening stays unhurried.
By road · 2 to 3 hours · private vehicle with your Sail guide
Days 2 to 4 · 3 nights
Volcanoes · Rwanda
Three nights beneath the Virunga volcanoes are built around one hour with a gorilla family, with a porter, a ranger briefing and the morning allocation handled carefully. The other days hold golden monkeys, a village walk or nothing at all, so the encounter has room to settle.
By air · Kigali to Kilimanjaro, about 1 hour 35 minutes; then about 1 hour by road
Day 5 · 1 night
Arusha · Tanzania
Connect to northern Tanzania, where Sail's Arusha team receives you for a restful transition night. The handover is one voice, not two operators; the safari resumes the next morning.
By air · Arusha to Kogatende, about 1 hour 15 minutes
Days 6 to 9 · 4 nights
Northern Serengeti · Tanzania
Move to the northern Serengeti for the Mara River country. In crossing season the days are planned around possibility rather than certainty; outside it the north is quiet, open and rich in resident game. A crossing is never promised.
By air · Kogatende to Lake Manyara, about 1 hour; then 1 to 2 hours by road
Days 10 to 11 · 2 nights
Ngorongoro · Tanzania
Enter the crater early, before the light flattens and the vehicles gather, then stay long enough to understand the highlands beyond the floor: Maasai country, forest edge and the wider conservation area. A private vehicle shapes the day around conditions rather than a standard circuit.
By road · 3 to 4 hours · private vehicle with your Sail guide
Day 12
The journey closes with the Arusha to Serengeti flight and a private transfer to the international departure, timed with margin rather than haste.
Two expressions, one journey
The Most Exclusive Addresses and the Distinguished Camps and Lodges preserve the same route, purpose and Sail operating standard. The expression changes the addresses, never the soul of the journey. Every property is a current decision set, not guaranteed inventory; availability, opening and access are confirmed live.
| Chapter | Nights | The Most Exclusive Addresses | Distinguished Camps and Lodges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kigali | 1 | Hemingways Retreat Kigali | Kigali Serena Hotel |
| Volcanoes | 3 | Bisate Lodge (Wilderness) | Wilderness Sabyinyo Lodge |
| Arusha | 1 | Siringit Villa | Hamerkop House by Lemala |
| Serengeti | 4 | Nimali Mara | Lemala Mara |
| Ngorongoro | 2 | Ngorongoro Explorer | Lions Paw Ngorongoro |
From price, 2027 season
From US$14,925 per person in the low season, 15 March to 31 May and 1 November to 15 December
Distinguished Camps and Lodges, two adults, per person sharing, confirmed at quotation.
Prices are per person for two adults sharing; a party of four or six changes the vehicle and guide cost per person, and Sail prices that at quotation.
Recommended months: July to October or January to March, by Serengeti sector. Where these fall in the high season, 1 June to 31 October and 16 December to 14 March, the Distinguished expression starts from US$20,400 per person on the same basis; where they fall in the low season the figure above applies. Individual properties may price festive and peak weeks above the high-season rate.
Includes the 3 scheduled flight sectors at US$970 per person on 2027 fares, carried at cost.
The Most Exclusive Addresses expression, single travellers, families and dates that straddle the two seasons are priced on request. Published from prices are public rates; travel advisors receive nett rates at quotation.
Every figure is confirmed once permits, air sectors and lodge availability are held for your dates. Park, conservancy and permit fees are charged at the rates published by the authorities that set them, confirmed at booking.
Discuss this journey for your datesAt a glance
The Sail standard
Plan with a clearer frame
Best fit. Great Migration travellers and primate specialists who want both encounters in one arc.
Choose another route when. Choose Forest to Infinite Plains for the Uganda version, or One Perfect Week and The Classic, Unhurried as two separate journeys.
| Travel band | Two travellers | Four travellers | Six travellers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green seasonMarch to May and October to November Rich forest colour and selected availability advantages, with trail and transfer conditions checked closely. | The private vehicle, guide and fixed route costs are shared by two, so the per-person investment is usually highest. | Four travellers usually create the clearest private-journey efficiency while preserving one vehicle and a close group dynamic. | Six travellers can share more fixed costs, subject to luggage, room mix and whether one or two vehicles best protect comfort. |
| Shoulder seasonFebruary, June and early December A balanced window for the volcanoes and the wider circuit, subject to permit and room availability. | The private vehicle, guide and fixed route costs are shared by two, so the per-person investment is usually highest. | Four travellers usually create the clearest private-journey efficiency while preserving one vehicle and a close group dynamic. | Six travellers can share more fixed costs, subject to luggage, room mix and whether one or two vehicles best protect comfort. |
| Peak seasonJuly to September and festive dates Strong demand across Volcanoes and the high-character lodges; permit and room decisions lead the proposal. | The private vehicle, guide and fixed route costs are shared by two, so the per-person investment is usually highest. | Four travellers usually create the clearest private-journey efficiency while preserving one vehicle and a close group dynamic. | Six travellers can share more fixed costs, subject to luggage, room mix and whether one or two vehicles best protect comfort. |
Current working range
Public journey figures are not treated as live quotations. Sail checks current contracted rates, permit and flight availability, room mix and vehicle logic before putting a dated working range in writing.
Ask Sail to place your datesJourney framework designed by Nulu Kamuntu, Founder and Lead Safari Specialist · Reviewed 1 September 2026.
A Sail planning perspective
The gorilla permit is secured first, then the Serengeti sector chosen by month; a crossing is never promised. The Kigali to Kilimanjaro flight is confirmed before either country's lodges are held.
Every final journey is built around confirmed availability, the current season, your preferred pace and the character of places you want to stay. No fixed departure is implied by this journey; the from price is a starting point for the Distinguished expression, not a package.
Tailor this journeyPrefer to talk it through first? Book a planning call with Nulu at a time that suits you.
Designed and reviewed by Sail Safaris DMC's East Africa specialists · Founded in 2016 · Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Our planning standards
Plan with depth
From the journal
