From the misty volcanoes of Rwanda to the Masai Mara and the Serengeti — a private charter small group journey for just six to twelve guests.
This bespoke three-country safari unites East Africa's ultimate bucket-list experiences into one seamlessly orchestrated, private-charter journey. There are no long road transfers and no commercial airport lines; you fly privately from one world-class lodge to the next.
Begin in Rwanda, a land of inspiring resilience, where you trek to a wild mountain gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park and track playful golden monkeys through the bamboo Virungas. A private charter then carries you to Kenya for an exclusive pre-public morning with the orphaned elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, followed by three nights of pure immersion in the Masai Mara. The finale unfolds in Tanzania's Western Serengeti, crowned by a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the endless plains.
Why we love this journey — this is the rarest kind of safari: ambitious in scope, yet completely effortless to live. With Ongeri's ground teams across all three countries and private charters threading the whole route together, every permit, transfer, and border formality is held for you. Just six to twelve guests share each departure, so the experience stays intimate from first dinner to final flight.
Mountain gorilla trekking — one undisturbed hour with a wild gorilla family in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park.
Golden monkey tracking — through the ancient, bamboo-canopied Virunga Mountains, found nowhere else on earth.
A private Sheldrick morning — an exclusive pre-public visit to the orphaned elephants of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
Bespoke Masai Mara — three nights in a River Suite at Ishara Mara with an exclusive-use 4x4, a starbed night, and an Aya Spa treatment.
Untamed Western Serengeti — andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, with private game drives and premium Swarovski Optik binoculars.
A sunrise balloon finale — a hot air balloon flight over the Serengeti, capped with a gourmet champagne bush breakfast.
Your odyssey begins the moment you touch down at Kigali International Airport, where the Ongeri Expeditions VIP team fast-tracks you through arrivals and transfers you privately to The Pinnacle Kigali. This first evening is intentionally unhurried — designed for settling in and an intimate welcome dinner with your small group.
A moving guided morning takes in the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial — honest, important spaces that reveal Rwanda's journey of resilience and renewal. After lunch, drive two and a half hours northwest into emerald volcanic highlands, with a behind-the-scenes visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund before checking in at dusk.
After an early breakfast and the ranger briefing at Rwanda Development Board headquarters, your group is matched to a habituated gorilla family. The trek through bamboo forest and mist-veiled rainforest can take one to five hours — and when you find them, you spend one full, undisturbed hour at close range as they groom, play, and interact. The afternoon brings a festive contrast at the Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, one of East Africa's finest models of community-led tourism.
A second magical dawn in the park, this time to track the rare golden monkeys — copper-furred, fast-moving, and endemic to the Virungas. After checking out, drive back to Kigali, where your private charter waits on the tarmac to whisk the group directly to Nairobi. The Ongeri VIP team handles immigration at Wilson Airport before your transfer to Hemingways Nairobi in leafy Karen.
A privilege reserved for a few: an exclusive pre-public morning at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, with the grounds to your group alone as the keepers introduce orphaned calves by name. The wildlife continues at the Giraffe Centre, where you meet endangered Rothschild giraffes at eye level. In the afternoon, ascend into the cool Limuru Highlands for a private boutique coffee cupping on a working estate above the Great Rift Valley.
A private charter flight carries you from Nairobi straight into the Masai Mara, the true scale of Africa revealing itself below — ochre plains, the silver ribbon of the Mara River, and the shadows of migrating herds. The Ishara Mara team greets you at the airstrip and settles you into an opulent River Suite. After lunch comes your first game drive, then a quintessential private bush sundowner as the sun drops over the horizon.
With exclusive use of a luxury 4x4 Land Cruiser, there are no rigid timetables — dawn drives when predators hunt in the crisp morning air, or long, unhurried afternoon tracking led by your guide. Woven through the days are Ishara's signatures: a half-day session with the resident professional photographer, a complimentary 60-minute couples' treatment at the Aya Spa, an optional night under the stars on a raised starbed, a candlelit bush dinner, a private grassland breakfast, and a copper-bath experience beneath the night sky with fine wine or prosecco.
Your private charter flies south across the international border, with an expedited stop at the Tarime border post before continuing into the remote western corridor of the Serengeti. You touch down in a game-rich private concession at andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, a masterpiece of modern safari architecture on the riverbank. The afternoon introduces this pristine landscape on a private game drive through a secluded corridor of lions, elephants, and great pods of hippos.
Two full days follow the sweeping rhythms of the Serengeti — private game drives through riverine forest, kopje-studded grassland, and open savannah, with premium Swarovski Optik binoculars and a custom Guides' Journal for every guest. Before dawn on Day 11, lift silently into the sky in a luxury hot air balloon as the sun breaks the horizon and the herds move below. Drifting back to earth, a champagne bush breakfast is set in the wild grass, with views stretching to the edge of the earth.
Greet your last morning with a short game drive as the plains wake, then a celebratory breakfast at the lodge. A private transfer to Grumeti Airstrip connects you to your exclusive charter flight, bypassing the busy hubs to fly directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward connection home.
Optional add-on: extend with a pristine beach escape to Zanzibar — ask your Safari Advisor.
A contemporary urban retreat with panoramic views across Rwanda's capital — refined comfort before your trek.
Elevated Forest Tree House sanctuaries set within a wild eucalyptus canopy beneath the volcanic peaks.
A five-star boutique hotel in leafy Karen — classic elegance, manicured lawns, and personal butler service.
An eco-luxury masterpiece on the Mara River, with River Suites, a starbed deck, and the signature Aya Spa.
A private concession along the Grumeti River, offering rare, crowd-free access to the Serengeti's great migrations.
With just twelve places per departure, share a few considered details and your Safari Advisor will be in touch within 24 hours.
The Pinnacle Kigali blends contemporary luxury with striking views across the City of a Thousand Hills. It makes for an unhurried first night — designed for unpacking, settling in, and an intimate welcome dinner with your small group before the journey north begins.
A note: specific room categories and amenities to be confirmed with the operator at time of booking.
Widely regarded as one of Rwanda's finest resorts, One&Only Gorilla's Nest sits at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, on the edge of Volcanoes National Park. Your home is an elevated Forest Tree House — a private sanctuary perched high in the eucalyptus canopy, the ideal base for gorilla and golden monkey trekking.
Set between Nairobi National Park and the foot of the Ngong Hills, Hemingways is an exclusive 45-suite boutique hotel with full butler service, a brasserie, and Karen's most tranquil gardens — the perfect sanctuary to rest and recharge between the gorillas and the Mara.
The Dining Room serves cuisine from the hotel's Michelin-starred chef — contemporary European with international accents. The Brasserie offers light lunches overlooking the gardens.
Ishara Mara Camp sits right on the Mara River, its River Suites framing uninhibited views of the water and its resident wildlife. The camp pairs eco-conscious canvas luxury with a collection of signature experiences curated for small groups — an exclusive-use 4x4 Land Cruiser, a starbed night, candlelit bush dining, and the Aya Spa.
andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge sits along the banks of the Grumeti River on a remote, game-rich private concession — a wildly exclusive corner of the Serengeti that standard tourists never reach. The setting offers rare, crowd-free access to the great migrations, with private game drives through a secluded corridor of lions, elephants, and hippo pods.
Curated, tested, and refined over years — our most loved luxury safari itineraries across East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.
