May 18 – 31, 2025

Thomson Safaris staff will meet you at the airport via your Delta/KLM flight and transfer you to your comfortable lodge.

Take a brief, scenic flight to a private nature refuge in the Eastern Serengeti. As you journey to camp, your guides will give you a brief history of the 12,000-acre refuge. This unique wildlife haven was dubbed "Giraffic Park" by one enthusiastic Thomson guest. No wonder: you'll spot plenty of giraffe, as well as eland, dik dik, ostrich, leopard and even wild dog. This afternoon, look for wildlife at the waterhole and stretch your legs on a brief but scenic walk (a luxury not available in the national parks). A local wildlife scout will accompany you and your guide, pointing out nearby wildlife. Enjoy a welcome dinner at camp this evening.

Rise early for a morning hike into the refuge. Being out on the plains on foot at this time of day is magical. Next, you’ll visit a number of local community development projects, including a primary school for Maasai children and a medical dispensary focusing on maternal care. After lunch you'll learn more about the extraordinary culture of the Maasai by visiting a nearby community, just as young warriors return home with their herds. This evening at your Nyumba, the camp chefs will put on a cooking demonstration culminating in a traditional Tanzanian meal. Those interested in continuing their adventure can participate in a night wildlife drive by infrared spotlight to locate nocturnal animals like bat-eared fox and aardvark.

On your way out of the Eastern Serengeti, you’ll meet members of the Enjipai Women’s Group, formed by a small group of Maasai women with a great entrepreneurial spirit. Guests can support their community initiatives by purchasing dazzling beaded jewelry, homemade honey and other hand-crafted items. As you journey into the heart of Serengeti National Park, you’ll be able to spot wildlife aplenty: big cats lying drowsily on granite kopjes, or up in a tree, while antelope, zebra, giraffe and other animals continue to graze.

The Serengeti, Tanzania's second largest national park, covers nearly 6,000 square miles of grassland plains, savannah, kopjes, hills, woodlands and riverine forests. Safari goers in search of big cats will be astounded by the large prides of lion, as well as THE resident leopard and cheetah. Other commonly seen animals include gazelle, buffalo, giraffe, topi, hartebeest, ostrich and jackal, but it is the full diversity of wildlife and habitats that you will truly find amazing.

The Serengeti is home to the world-famous Great Migration: a year-round cycle where 2 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle roam the plains in search of food and water. In the green season, vast herds will converge on the short grass plains, and thousands of pregnant female wildebeest will drop their calves during what's known as the rut, the world’s largest birthing event. This the best time of year to see large prides of lion with their cubs, as well as the largest concentration of leopard and cheetah in Africa. After a full day of wildlife viewing you'll return to camp, where Chef Jody will work with the local chefs to produce delicious small plates using rustic technologies and fresh, local ingredients. Part of what makes the food experience on safari so special is the fact that all camps are located off the grid and do not feature full-time electricity or modern kitchen appliances.

This morning, enjoy one last wildlife drive in the Serengeti as you make your way to the airstrip for a private charter flight to the Ngorongoro Highlands. From there, you'll be driven to Gibb's Farm, named a World's Best Safari Lodge by Travel + Leisure. This 80-year-old working coffee estate offers farm-to-table dining, luxurious rooms with private verandas and optional spa services. Settle into your rooms, take a walk, enjoy tea on your veranda or simply relax with your travel companions.

Early this morning, you’ll depart for Ngorongoro Crater, a self-contained ecosystem teeming with wildlife. Often called “Africa’s Eden,” this caldera is one of the few places on earth where it is possible to see all of the Big Five in just one day. And that’s just the beginning: baboons and warthog in the Lerai Forest, hundreds of brilliantly pink flamingo around Lake Magadi, and clusters of wildebeest and zebra call this ecological wonder home. At the end of the day, return to Gibb's Farm where you and your new friends will gather around the tembo fire, an open-air sitting area nestled at the foot of the organic gardens. Tonight you will relax and enjoy a dinner prepared by the talented Gibb’s Farm chefs.

Gibb’s Farm consists of 30 acres of coffee, 10 acres of vegetables and fruit, 5 acres of flowers and herbs, and a working dairy and pig farm. Today, you have the option of joining in the rhythm of farm life. Rise early and join chefs on their daily ritual to harvest fresh, organic vegetables for the day’s meals. Later this morning, you can optionally divide into smaller groups and join Jody for a cooking class in the kitchen. Today’s gourmet lunch will be a culmination of the talent, passion, and cultural experiences to celebrate your Tanzanian adventure. The remainder of the day can be spent as you wish: hike through expansive coffee fields, visit the artists in residence, or book an optional spa service (advanced reservation and extra fees apply) with Maasai healers, who infuse modern and traditional techniques into their therapies. Or, just find a scenic spot to relax and watch the day go by. This is the good life!

After one last breakfast at Gibb's Farm, you'll take a private charter flight to Kigali and transfer to your lodge. You'll have the evening to rest and recharge for the ladder part of your adventure.

This morning, you'll explore the city of Kigali with your guide, visiting vibrant sights like the Kimironko Market and Rwanda Genocide Memorial, a powerful reminder of the country's past and its remarkable journey toward reconciliation and hope. After lunch in the city, you'll travel through Rwanda's rolling green hills and farmlands to the Virunga Volcanoes, where you can see up to five volcanic peaks at once.

Today, you'll venture into the lush forests on the slopes of the Virunga mountains in search of troupes of golden monkeys. They're very playful and curious animals, and the habituated troupes you'll encounter range in size from 80 to 100 individuals. Once you find them, you'll have one hour of observation as they interact, play, groom and leap from branch to branch in the forest canopy. Later, you'll visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, a state-of-the-art facility housing the Fossey Fund, which works to conserve wild mountain gorilla populations and support the people who share the gorillas' forest home. You'll experience a self-guided tour of the multi-acre, eco-friendly facility set at the foot before returning to your hotel for a leisurely evening.

Deep in the mud and thickets of Rwanda live the mountain gorillas: stocky, black-burred giants that share about 98% of our DNA. Today, you'll follow your guide into the jungle in search of them. Anyone with a moderate level of fitness can trek–just expect dense and uneven terrain in a climate with high humidity. Once you find the gorillas, you'll spend a maximum of one hour in their presence, watching them roam, rest, play, groom and display other humanlike behaviors.

Rise early to take in the delightful chorus of songbirds from your veranda before heading back to Kigali. During a special farewell lunch, you will have time to say goodbye to your safari companions. Then, you'll transfer to a day room so you can freshen up and enjoy a light snack before your flight home.