Combining Gorilla Trekking Tours with Tanzania & Kenya Safari – Combining Gorilla Trekking with an African Safari

A typical African Safari is popular for its remarkable wildlife viewing opportunities however, a gorilla trekking experience is a life-changing adventure that unfolds with excitement and anticipation. Both gorilla trekking and wildlife safaris in Africa are top experiences that you should consider pairing during your African Holiday tour. While organizing safaris to Africa, many travelers always wonder if it is possible to combine gorilla trekking with a visit to Kenya and Tanzania. Many travelers therefore ask; Can i Combine Gorilla Trekking Tours with Tanzania & Kenya Safari? Yes, travelers can combine a gorilla trekking safari with a visit to Tanzania and Kenya during their African Holiday tour. Combining Gorilla Trekking Tours with Tanzania & Kenya Safari grants you an opportunity to trek the endangered mountain gorillas in the misty forests of Uganda or Rwanda, followed by the awe-inspiring wildlife spectacle in the African savannahs in Kenya and Tanzania.

Mountain gorillas are an endangered primate species and can only be seen in three countries; Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trekking to see mountain gorillas requires a gorilla trekking permit which is issued by different organizations responsible for protecting the mountain gorillas and their natural habitat. Although wildlife safaris to see the African Big Five(lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant) are popular on most travelers bucket lists, those who have experienced gorilla trekking rate it over wildlife safaris. Pairing mountain gorilla trekking and wildlife safaris during your African safari visit will therefore give you an enriching experience on a single safari visit. If you are looking forward to combining a gorilla trekking tour with an African Safari to Tanzania or Kenya, this article is designed for you. At Acacia Safaris Limited, we can customize your tour to fit your best interest.

How to Combine Gorilla Trekking Tours with Tanzania & Kenya Safari

Regardless of where you will be trekking gorillas from, there are two ways of combining a gorilla trekking safari with an African safari to Kenya or Tanzania. While planning a wildlife safari and gorilla trekking combo, most travelers consider gorilla trekking as the climax of the adventure and would like to do it at last however, you can also start with gorilla trekking and end with an African safari experience in Kenya or Tanzania. Here is a detailed way of combining gorilla trekking tours with Tanzania & Kenya Safari;

Gorilla trekking and wildlife safari combo starting with gorillas – Start with gorilla trekking and end with an African safari in Kenya or Tanzania

Fly to Uganda or Rwanda for your gorilla trekking safari. If you are planning to trek gorillas in Uganda, you can fly into the country through Entebbe International Airport from where you can connect to your gorilla trekking park either by road or by air. Uganda has two gorilla trekking National Parks; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Depending on where you will be trekking gorillas from, transfer from Entebbe to the southwestern part of Uganda. By road, the journey takes about 8 – 9 hours to reach Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and about 8 – 12 hours to reach Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. By air, you can fly from Entebbe International Airport or from Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi Airstrip in Kisoro. From Kisoro, you can then connect to Bwindi or Mgahinga by road transfer, a journey that takes at most 2 hours. After trekking gorillas, transfer back to Entebbe International Airport to catch your flight to Kenya or Tanzania where you will be embarking on an African safari.

In case you do not fancy these long ground transfers but would like to keep your budget at an affordable price, you can fly to Kigali International Airport in Rwanda from where you will transfer to Uganda’s Bwindi on a 4-hour drive. This option is also favorable for those who have fewer days for safari but would like to trek gorillas in Uganda.

After trekking gorillas in Uganda, you will then transfer back to Kigali International Airport to catch your flight to Tanzania or Kenya for your African Wildlife Safari.

Note: if you are planning to trek gorillas in Uganda, flying into the country through Entebbe International Airport, it requires a minimum of at least four days. The first day and the last day are for transfers to and from the park.

Gorilla trekking and wildlife safari Combo – Starting with gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park

For those planning to trek gorillas in Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park, you can fly into the country through Kigali International Airport located within the Capital City, Kigali. Unlike Uganda where you will be spending nearly the whole day transferring to the park, from Kigali, you will then enjoy a 2-hour drive to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Trek gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and then transfer back to Kigali International Airport where you will catch your flight to either Kenya or Tanzania for your wildlife safari experience.

Note: Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is more accessible than the two gorilla trekking parks (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Mgahinga Gorilla National Park) in Uganda.

Starting your wildlife safari and gorilla trekking Combo with wildlife Safaris in Kenya or Tanzania.

You can start your combined gorilla trekking and wildlife safari with a visit to either Kenya or Tanzania. If you are planning to visit Kenya for a wildlife safari tour, fly into the country through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from where you can connect to all the popular wildlife viewing locations in the country. From Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you can connect to major safari parks and Reserves by both road and air. There are a number of flight from both Jomo Kenyatta and the nearby Wilson Airport that connect to top safari areas like Masai Mara National Reserve, and Amboseli National Park among others. You can also connect to these popular wildlife viewing destinations by road. Most travelers opt for road transfers since they double as adventurous road trips that give them an opportunity to witness the stunning beauty of the country.

After your unrivaled wildlife-watching experience in Kenya, you will then fly to Uganda or Rwanda for a gorilla trekking experience.

Note: There are no direct flights to gorilla trekking parks from Kenya. You will first fly to either Entebbe International Airport or Kigali International Airport from where you will be transferred to the gorilla trekking locations.

Visiting Tanzania for wildlife viewing and then flying to Rwanda or Uganda for gorilla trekking

For those planning to visit Tanzania for their wildlife safari, you can fly into the country through Kilimanjaro International Airport. From here you can connect to all the major wildlife-viewing safari parks and reserves in Tanzania either by air or by road. There are a number of flights to some popular wildlife safari parks like Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area among others. Many travelers however enjoy road transfers while in Tanzania since they offer an opportunity to experience the country’s unique beauty.

Many travelers to Tanzania visit the northern safari circuit National Parks including the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Arusha National Park for wildlife viewing. After your remarkable wildlife viewing experience in Tanzania, you can then fly to Rwanda or Uganda for a gorilla trekking experience.

Note: There are no direct flights to gorilla trekking locations in Uganda and Rwanda from Tanzania.

Combining Gorilla Trekking with the wildebeest migration safari – Wildebeest and Gorilla trekking combo

The Wildebeest Migration is a natural spectacle and a world natural wonder where over 2 million wildebeest and their entourage move across the Serengeti- Masai Mara Ecosystem due to long round trek of drier lands. Most travelers to Africa want to combine this experience and mountain gorilla trekking during their visit to Africa.

If you are planning to combine gorilla trekking with a wildebeest migration safari, timing is a great aspect to consider before you embark on your safari to Africa. the best time for both wildebeest safari and gorilla trekking is during the long dry season between June and October. This season is always associated with the popular river crossing where the wildebeest face a life-challenging moment and also avails the best gorilla trekking conditions in all gorilla trekking national parks.

Book your African safari holiday tour with Acacia Safari Limited and experience unbeatable African safari experience.