four properties
trekking, Rwanda
concession, Tanzania
between countries
One hour with a mountain gorilla family. Then five days on the Serengeti.
In Volcanoes National Park, the forest is dense and steep, the air cool at altitude, and the whole point of being there is a single hour with a habituated gorilla family. An encounter so tightly managed, so governed by silence and proximity, that most people struggle to describe it afterwards. That difficulty is part of what makes it worth the journey.
Rwanda issues 80 gorilla trekking permits each day across all families in the park. Each one directly funds the rangers, anti-poaching patrols, and veterinary care that brought the species back from 254 individuals in 1981 to over 1,100 today. One hour, seven metres minimum, no flash. That is what it takes to be close to something this rare.
This journey is for those who have done Africa before and want to go deeper. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters on earth — watching a family of mountain gorillas move through ancient forest, close enough to hear them breathe. Tanzania adds five days in the Serengeti learning the same territory until the landscape and its animals become genuinely familiar.
The trackers leave before dawn. By the time your group reaches the gorilla family, often after an hour through bamboo forest and sometimes considerably longer, they have been watching since first light. You have one hour. The silverback may settle within a few metres, juveniles moving through the canopy above, a mother nursing her infant with complete indifference to the humans standing nearby. People come back from this unable to explain quite what happened, which is, in a way, the point.
On one of the evenings in Tanzania, the vehicle stops somewhere on open ground and a fire is lit. That is essentially all that happens, and it turns out to be enough. No engine noise, no movement. The plains at last light, with a drink in your hand and the horizon doing what it does out there.
It usually happens around day four in the Serengeti. The landscape becomes familiar, and with that familiarity comes something harder to plan for. You start tracking the same pride across days, notice a territorial boundary, understand why your guide keeps returning to the same river crossing. This is what Singita's guiding model is built for: not more ground covered, but more understood. You cannot get there in two nights.
The itinerary in full
Four properties. Each chosen for a reason.
Each property is chosen for where it sits, not just what it offers. One night in Kigali before the highlands, Kwitonda for direct access to the trekking routes, then a choice between Sabora and Faru Faru in the Grumeti concession: the same guides and the same wildlife, one in canvas on open plains, the other in glass along a river. Many guests split the Tanzania stay between both.
The Retreat by Heaven
Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda
A quiet residential property away from the city centre, small enough to feel personal and well-run enough to make arrival effortless. Its job is to ease the transition after a long international flight, and it does that without fuss.
Room type
Pool Villa. Private plunge pool, garden terrace, and a more residential feel than a standard hotel room.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge
Kinigi, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Built from volcanic stone at the forest edge with direct access to the trekking routes, Kwitonda is positioned for exactly what you are there to do. The kitchen grows much of what it serves from its own garden, with an open kitchen format and a wine list that leans heavily South African. After demanding mornings in the forest, this is the right place to recover.
Room type
Suite. Fireplace, deep soaking tub, outdoor terrace, and floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Virunga peaks.
Singita Sabora Tented Camp
Grumeti Concession, western Serengeti, Tanzania
Nine canvas tents on open plains, with the tent itself as the only boundary between guest and the surrounding bush. The interiors draw from the golden age of safari — leather, campaign furniture, outdoor showers — without feeling staged. The kitchen is known for setting up unannounced bush brunches in the field. For guests who want safari to feel, above all, like safari.
Room type
Tented Suite. Large canvas tent with separate sitting area, claw-foot bathtub, outdoor shower, and a private veranda facing the plains.
Singita Faru Faru Lodge
Grumeti Concession, western Serengeti, Tanzania
Set along a river system around 30 kilometres from Sabora, with floor-to-ceiling glass, private plunge pools, and a more contemporary sensibility. Wildlife moves through the area regularly, including from the lodge itself. The guiding and concession access are identical to Sabora. The choice between the two comes down to whether you want canvas and open bush, or glass and river.
Room type
Suite. Open-plan living and sleeping areas, private plunge pool, outdoor shower, and a deck directly facing the waterhole. Elephants drink twenty metres from the veranda in the early morning.
Second gorilla trek permit
A different family, different forest conditions, and a second encounter. Subject to permit availability — request at time of booking.
Helicopter scenic flight, Tanzania
The Serengeti from above. One of the few perspectives that makes the scale of the ecosystem comprehensible. Subject to weather and aviation permissions.
Private photographic guide
A specialist wildlife photographer for guests who want expert guidance on documenting the trip with technical skill and discretion.
Extended Tanzania stay
Two to three additional nights in the Grumeti concession for deeper immersion and increased likelihood of significant encounters during key wildlife periods.
Best Time to Travel
June to September and December to February offer the strongest conditions across both countries. Rwanda's dry season means firmer ground and better visibility in the forest. In Tanzania, the Great Migration moves through the western Serengeti and Grumeti area typically between May and June, though annual rainfall patterns shift the timing. Calving season in the southern Serengeti falls in January and February, and resident wildlife in the Grumeti concession is strong year-round.
Planning Your Trip
Gorilla permits across Volcanoes National Park are capped at 80 per day, and Singita properties keep guest numbers deliberately low. For peak periods, 6 to 12 months ahead is the reality rather than a suggestion.
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