WOMEN ONLY · TANZANIA · RWANDA · UGANDA · 19 DAYS · SEP 11–29, 2027
Three great primates, the Great Migration and a day with inspiring students, shared with a small group of like-minded women.
US$8,000 per person, twin share
Dates
Sep 11–29, 2027
Primates
Chimps, gorillas & golden monkeys
Group
Small group, women only
Safari
Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti
Travel with a small group of women on our most complete East Africa journey. Trek Jane Goodall's chimpanzees in remote Gombe on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, follow the Great Migration across the Serengeti, spend time with students at the School of St Jude, then finish with golden monkeys and mountain gorillas in Uganda.
Highlights
✓ Two chimpanzee treks in Gombe National Park
✓ Safari in Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti
✓ The Mara River crossings from a migration camp
✓ A student home visit with the School of St Jude
✓ Golden monkey and gorilla treks from Lake Mutanda
Your adventure starts in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and ends in Kigali, Rwanda. Safari timings are flexible and follow the wildlife.
Accommodation: CBD Hotel, Dar es Salaam
Transport: Airport transfer
Not included: International flight to Dar es Salaam (check flights on Google Flights)
Arrive in Dar es Salaam and transfer to your city hotel to rest after the journey.
Accommodation: Luxury tented camp, Gombe National Park
Activities: National park fees
Transport: Airport transfer, boat transfer to Gombe National Park
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Not included: Flight from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma (check flights on Google Flights), optional Kigoma city tour (US$75 per person)
Fly from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, then take a magical two-hour boat ride along Lake Tanganyika, the world's second-largest freshwater lake, to a tented camp in Gombe. You can add an optional Kigoma city tour (US$75 per person).
Accommodation: Luxury tented camp, Gombe National Park
Activities: Guided morning chimp trek, English-speaking guide, national park fees
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Trek with the chimpanzees made famous by Jane Goodall's research, stopping at a waterfall and historic research sites, then relax by the lake.
After meeting your ranger at reception, you head off to find the chimps. The trek usually takes about 6 hours, depending on how far away the chimps are. On the way back to camp you will likely stop at a beautiful waterfall and see some of the historic chimp research sites.
In the afternoon, have lunch and relax by the lake, or hire a kayak from the ranger and explore the shoreline.
Accommodation: Kigoma Hilltop Hotel
Activities: Guided chimp trek, English-speaking guide, national park fees
Transport: Private boat transfer to Kigoma (skipper and crew included)
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Enjoy a second morning trek with the chimps and return to camp for lunch, before your private boat back to Kigoma for sundowners overlooking the lake at Kigoma Hilltop Hotel.
Accommodation: School of St Jude guesthouse (free upgrade to a single room)
Transport: Airport transfers
Meals: Breakfast & dinner
Not included: Flights from Kigoma to Dar es Salaam (check flights on Google Flights) and Dar es Salaam to Arusha (check flights on Google Flights)
Fly from Kigoma to Arusha via Dar es Salaam and make your way to the School of St Jude, then enjoy a relaxed afternoon settling in.
Accommodation: Country Lodge, Karatu
Activities: Game drive in Tarangire, national park and conservation fees, experienced English-speaking safari guide
Transport: Luxury 4WD safari vehicle
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Leave the School of St Jude early for a game drive among Tarangire's elephant herds and baobabs. Enjoy lunch overlooking the Tarangire River, then continue to Karatu.
Tarangire has the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. The Tarangire River winds through the park and supports lion, cheetah, leopard, wildebeest, zebra, oryx, impala, gazelle and more than 450 bird species.
Our favorite thing about Tarangire? The huge herds of elephants.
Accommodation: Tanzania Bush Camp, Central Serengeti
Activities: Morning game drive in the crater, national park and conservation fees, experienced English-speaking safari guide
Transport: Luxury 4WD safari vehicle
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner
Not included: Optional Maasai village visit (about US$50 per vehicle, paid in cash)
An early morning game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater with a picnic lunch, then on to the Central Serengeti, game driving along the way, with an optional Maasai cultural visit.
Up early, you drive to the Ngorongoro Crater with a picnic lunch for a morning safari. The crater is one of the most unique game parks in Africa, with an other-worldly feel, 2,000-foot (600m) walls and some of the best big game spotting anywhere.
After lunch you start the drive to the Serengeti, with the option to stop at a Maasai boma (village) on the way. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people known for their colorful clothing, traditions and large herds of cattle, sheep and goats. Take a tour of the boma, see inside a traditional mud hut and meet the families who live there. Entry is paid in cash at the gate (about US$50 per vehicle).
Accommodation: Tanzania Bush Camp, Central Serengeti
Activities: Morning and afternoon game drives, national park and conservation fees, experienced English-speaking safari guide
Transport: Luxury 4WD safari vehicle
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
A full day of game drives on the Serengeti plains, known for year-round wildlife and excellent game viewing.
Accommodation: Tanzania Bush Camp (migration camp), Northern Serengeti
Activities: Game drive, national park and conservation fees, experienced English-speaking safari guide
Transport: Luxury 4WD safari vehicle
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner
Drive to the Northern Serengeti, game driving along the way with a picnic lunch, to a migration camp near the Mara River.
Accommodation: Tanzania Bush Camp (migration camp), Northern Serengeti
Activities: Morning and afternoon game drives, national park and conservation fees, experienced English-speaking safari guide
Transport: Luxury 4WD safari vehicle
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Not included: Optional hot-air balloon safari (US$800)
Game drive to the famous Mara River crossings during the Great Migration, with an optional sunrise hot-air balloon safari.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience: glide across the open savannah at sunrise on a 45 to 60-minute hot-air balloon flight, and see the animals from a completely different point of view. The balloon safari costs US$800 per person and can be added when you book.
Accommodation: School of St Jude guesthouse (free upgrade to a single room)
Activities: Morning game drive, national park and conservation fees, experienced English-speaking safari guide
Transport: Luxury 4WD safari vehicle, flight from the Serengeti to Arusha (44 lb / 20kg luggage limit)
Meals: Breakfast & dinner (lunch at your own expense)
Enjoy a final morning game drive and a scenic flight back to Arusha, with lunch at Shanga before your transfer to the School of St Jude.
Accommodation: School of St Jude guesthouse (free upgrade to a single room)
Activities: School tour, student home visit (translator and home pack included)
Transport: Transfers to and from the home visit
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
A day of cultural immersion at the life-changing School of St Jude. Tour the school, join classes, share lunch with students and visit a student's family at home.
Today you immerse yourself in the life-changing School of St Jude. Tour the school, meet the students, join an art or music class and visit the home of a bright young student. If you sponsor a student, you'll visit your sponsored student at home, so ask us how to sponsor.
It's a heart-warming day that introduces you to Tanzanian culture: you'll learn a little Swahili, try some local food and see the difference your trip makes, as half of our profits help keep disadvantaged children in school.
Accommodation: Heaven Boutique Hotel, Kigali (Superior King room, twin share)
Transport: Airport transfer
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Not included: Flight from Kilimanjaro to Kigali (check flights on Google Flights)
Fly from Kilimanjaro to Kigali, Rwanda, check in to your boutique hotel, enjoy dinner and unwind.
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort (standard cottage)
Transport: Private 4WD vehicle
Meals: Breakfast & dinner
Start with an optional visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, then drive into Uganda to Lake Mutanda. The drive takes about 4–6 hours and includes an international border crossing, where you exit Rwanda and enter Uganda.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a powerful and moving visit that offers insight into Rwanda's history, its resilience and its remarkable journey of reconciliation.
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort (standard cottage)
Activities: Guided golden monkey trek with English-speaking rangers, golden monkey permit
Transport: Private 4WD vehicle
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner
Track playful golden monkeys through the bamboo forests of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, an easier trek than the gorillas, then return to the lake for a relaxed afternoon.
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort (standard cottage)
Activities: Guided gorilla trek with English-speaking rangers, gorilla permit and national park fees
Transport: Private 4WD vehicle
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner
Trek into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to find the giant gorillas. Treks last 1–6 hours, groups are capped at 8 people per gorilla family, and you spend an unforgettable hour with them.
How long you trek depends on how far away the gorillas are, and can be anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. We do our best to send you to one of the closer, easier-to-reach families.
The trek is often through thick forest, so wear hiking boots, a long-sleeved shirt and hiking pants. You'll also need rain gear. We send you a full packing list when you register, and our fitness and packing guide has more tips.
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort (standard cottage)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Not included: Optional activities (see below) and tips
Swim, kayak and relax on Lake Mutanda, or choose from the optional activities Mutanda Lake Resort offers, such as a second gorilla trek or the very challenging Mt Sabyinyo hike.
Mount Sabyinyo hike. A very challenging full-day climb to the 11,959-foot (3,645m) summit in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC meet. Best for fit, experienced hikers.
Second gorilla trek. Spend another hour with a different gorilla family in Bwindi. A second gorilla permit is required at extra cost, and permits sell out early, so let us know when you book.
Accommodation: Heaven Boutique Hotel, Kigali (Superior King room, twin share)
Transport: Private 4WD vehicle
Meals: Breakfast
Drive back to Kigali in the morning. The drive takes about 4–6 hours and includes an international border crossing, where you exit Uganda and enter Rwanda. Spend the rest of the day exploring Kigali's markets and galleries.
Transport: Transfer to Kigali International Airport
Meals: Breakfast
Not included: Flight home from Kigali (check flights on Google Flights)
Transfer to Kigali International Airport for your flight home, or extend your adventure with a safari or beach stay.
Want to make it your own?
Arrive early, stay on for a beach break or add extra activities around this departure. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll tailor it for you.
per person
Chimps $400 · Safari $700 · Gorillas $600
Prices are per person in US dollars. International and regional flights are not included; the itinerary shows which flights to book, with links to check current fares on Google Flights.
✓ All accommodation as listed
✓ Chimp, gorilla and golden monkey permits and park fees
✓ Private safari vehicle and expert guides
✓ Serengeti to Arusha flight
✓ School of St Jude visit and home visit
✓ Boat transfers, airport transfers and meals as listed
✗ International flights to Dar es Salaam and home from Kigali
✗ Regional flights: Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, Kigoma to Arusha via Dar es Salaam, and Kilimanjaro to Kigali (links to check fares are in the itinerary)
✗ Visas and travel insurance (compulsory)
✗ Porters, tips and personal spending
✗ Optional activities, including the Kigoma city tour, hot-air balloon safari and Maasai village visit
“They are a dream. The Ultimate African Safari and Gorilla Trek, with a group of 13 women, planned without a hitch… Nate and the team nailed every detail.”
“Despite being middle aged we managed the gorilla trek and felt very supported throughout the entire holiday. It was a real adventure.”
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