This 9 days (8 nights) safari in Rwanda is filled with breathtaking moment! Go gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park, enjoy game viewing and see the culture of the Rwandan people.
On this trip, explore Rwanda’s attractions including a visit to Rwanda’s genocide memorial sites where hundred thousands of people where killed! The safari will also enable you visit some of the other cultural tourist sites like museums, art galleries and local markets. Meet our closest relatives on earth, the chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park plus other primates such as the black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, civet monkey etc. How do you see mixing the love of chimps with the giant primates on earth that’s the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park (parc national des volcans)? Adventure through Akagera on game drives and meet the wild animals in their natural setting. This is one of the loveliest of all Rwanda tours, taking you through the breathtaking green scenery of Rwanda, a country with many hills. At the end you will discover why Rwanda is called “The land of a Thousand Hills”.
Trip Highlights
The safari will begin and ends in Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city.
Detailed itineraries
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Akagera National Park
upon you arrival at Kanombe international Airport, you will be met and greeted by our tour guide/driver who will gets you briefed about the safari and latter he will transfer you to Akagera national park in the western part of Rwanda the only protected area in Rwanda hosting a wide variety of animal species. Arrive in time at your booked accommodation for lunch, and then latter go for an evening game drive for a chance to see a number of games that reside at the park before they get back to their hideouts. Animals expected to see include giraffe, antelopes, Spotted Hyenas, buffaloes, warthogs, water bucks just to mention but a few. After the activity you will be driven back to the lodge for a dinner and an overnight stay at Luxury Akagera Game Lodge mid range Umbrella Pine,/Budget: Ruzizi Tented Camp
Day 2: Game drive and Canoeing
Wake up early in the morning for a cup of tea/coffee and after you will be transferred to the savannah area of the park for a second game drive to catch up with early risers from their hideouts. You expect to see the big cuts such as lions, leopard, hyena other species include zebra, buffaloes, giraffe, warthogs, impala, bush buck, black-tailed mongoose, topis, and also primates like the olive baboon, vervet monkey, bush baby the list is endless. After this magnificent moment take a slow drive back to the lodge for a heavy breakfast, relaxation and lunch. Later on after lunch go for a canoe ride on Lake Ihema. You expect to get chance to see more other species that feed within and out side the Lake like the Nile crocodiles, hippos and birds like the fish eagle, malachite kingfisher, papyrus gonolek, Shoe billed stock and herons among others. Dinner and overnight stay at Luxury Akagera Game Lodge mid range Umbrella Pine,/Budget: Ruzizi Tented Camp
Day 3: Transfer to Ruhengeri
This morning after a hearty breakfast you will depart to Ruhengeri in the northern part of Rwanda a drive which takes about 2-3 hours. Volcanoes national park is the most visited park in Rwanda because it houses the rare specie that’s mountain gorillas. Indeed this is truly a life time experience meeting the gorillas in their nature environment is regarded breathtaking. The journey will make you pass through the beautiful terraced hillsides that show much of Rwanda’s scenery, gradually climbing to the base of the awesome volcanoes. Arrive in time at the lodge for lunch; the evening is reserved for relaxation as you’re preparing for tomorrow’s exciting moment that’s gorillas tracking. Enjoy your dinner and an overnight stay at luxury Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Midrange: Le Bombou Lodge/La Palme Hotel, Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Day 4: mountain Gorilla tracking
wake up for breakfast and then after you will be driven to the park headquarters before 08:00 to get a short briefing from the park authorities about the dos and don’ts while with gorillas and also gets assigned to the group booked for. After the briefing follow the ranger guide to the forest to begin the activity probably the most awesome activity carried out at the park. You are advised to bring with you packed lunch and bottled Mineral water. In terms of clothes, trekking boots, long sleeved shirts and blouses, long khaki or jean trousers, rain coats, and non flash cameras are highly recommended for the trek. Gorilla tracking time is unpredictable as it may take half or full day in the jungle passing through muddy and thick forest so a reasonable degree of fitness is recommended. ounce gorillas are met you will forget all the difficulties you’ve gone through and utilize the one hour you are allowed to spend with the gorillas and observe their behaviors as well as taking photos. After this wonderful moment you may come back to the lodge or if you still have energy this evening go for a cultural walk to meet the Batwa the pygmy family that live near the park, these people will entertain you through their cultural dance, introduce to you their farming methods and also explain to you how they have managed to leave in the area among others. Come back at the lodge for Dinner and an overnight stay at luxury Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Midrange: Le Bombou Lodge/La Palme Hotel, Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Day 5: golden monkey tracking
Wake up for a cup of tea/coffee and then after drive to the park headquarters get a short briefing about the activity, then after escort the ranger guide to the jungle to begin the activity, this activity is also regarded magnificent, meeting these rare and beautiful primate species on universe in their natural habitat is regarded memorable. You will either follow Kabatwa at the base of Sabyinyo or Musanga at the base of Karisimbi which are the best viewing position of these species. Tracking golden monkey takes a few hours after return to the lodge for lunch. After you will drive to Gisenyi or visit Ross Carr’s orphanage and Lake Kivu to enjoy the cool breeze of the lake. After Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at luxury Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Midrange: Le Bombou Lodge/La Palme Hotel, Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national Park
Have breakfast and then embark on a transfer to Nyungwe forest national park the only protected park in Rwanda housing over 13 species of primates coupled with chimpanzee the closest relative of man. You will have en route stopover in Nyanza museum, Butare town, a home for National museum with very many Universities among other interesting areas good for photography and adventure, enjoy lunch en route and you will also pass the green hills of tea and the vast Nyungwe Forest, arrive at the park in evening check into your accommodation and latter have dinner and an overnight at Budget: Gisakura guest house, Mid range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Day 7: Chimp tracking/ Community walk
After breakfast, the guide will drive you to the park headquarters to receive a short briefing about the do’s and don’ts while with the chimps. After escort the ranger guide to Nyungwe forest to begin the activity possibly one of the most exciting activities at the park, meeting our close relatives the chimps is thrilling. Chimps shares almost 98% of human DNA. Getting to the chimps is unpredictable as it can take half or full day depending on where they spent the last night so a reasonable degree of fitness is recommended as tracking these chimps may involve passing through the thick forest of Nyungwe. you are also reminded to carry with you packed lunch and bottled water in terms of closing you advised to put on long sleeved shirts or blouses, long khaki or jean trousers, rain coats, and non flash cameras long. ounce chimps are met you strictly allowed to stay with them for only one hour watching them doing their daily activities such as playing, eating, making nest among others, take their photos and also observe their behaviors. not only chimps but you will also meet other primates such as such as, Rwenzori colobus, Hoest Monkey, silver monkey, owl faced monkey, L’Hoest’s monkeys, golden monkey red tailed monkey, vervet monkey and olive baboon Monkey the list is endless, plus various species of birds. After this wonderful activity get back to the lodge for leisure and if the evening is free go for a community walk to visit the neighboring community, return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. Dinner and overnight at Budget: Gisakura guest house, Mid range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Day 8, Forest Walk
After breakfast, go for the forest walk to explore the forest on feet, search for the large groups of Colobus monkeys and birds including the Rwenzori turaco among other bird species take photos as you can. Enjoy lunch in the forest. Return late afternoon from the forest for an evening tea, picnic dinner and overnight stay at Gisakura guest house, mid range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Day 9, Kigali City Tour and Return Home
wake up leisurely for a hearty breakfast at the lodge, then after depart to Kigali where you will do a City tour and visit places like the Kigali genocide memorial site to remember the genocide of 1994, the Museum, the market, a pottery project, handicraft shops, the Franco-Rwandan cultural centre. Have lunch enroute and then Transfer to the airport in time to meet your departure flight back home if scheduled on the same day.
End of the safari
