On this trip, you will experience the beauty of Rwanda – the “land of a thousand Hills.” Enjoy the different backdrops and Landscape of Rwanda as you turn along the hilly roads. The parks are a mixture of savannah, forest, and mountainous. You will trek Chimps in Nyungwe forest, and gorillas in Volcanoes national park and enjoy game drives in Akagera National park.
Safari Highlights
- Game drive
- Boat ride
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest
- Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest
- Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes
- Lake Kivu
Day 1: Arrival to Kigali
Welcome to Rwanda the land of “a thousand hills.” Our guide/ representative staff will be at the airport to pick you and transfer you to the hotel for overnight. If you arrive in the morning or early afternoon, you will enjoy a short tour of Kigali City visiting the genocide memorial.
Drive time – 20 minutes
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National park | Boat Safari
Today morning after breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel for a short city tour – visit sights like the Kigali genocide memorial and the Kandt museum after which you transfer to Akagera National Park. You will arrive in the park and drive to your hotel for check in.
Have lunch after checkin and later leave for the evening boat safari. After lunch you will take a boat safari on Lake Ihema for a beautiful afternoon breeze and some sighting of birds and wildlife.
Depending on your interest, join in on a night game drive in search of the nocturnal animals.
Drive time – 2 hours 30 minutes or Helicopter ( Augusta)– 30 minutes
B, L & D
Day 3: Game drive in Akagera National park
Akagera National Park is a Savannah park which is home to several big and small mammals. After an early breakfast, your guide will pick you up for a days game drive towards the northern sector of the park which is less bushy offering better opportunities for animal sightings.
You will take the lakeshore drive along the different lakes as you look our fo the various wildlife like; Zebras, Giraffes, Impalas, Elephants, Buffaloes, Topi’s and the elusive leopards. On a lucky day, you will sight a pride of lions before they go into hiding.
There is a beautiful array of bird life for any keen birder or even the an amateur. Enjoy the different landscapes of Rwanda in this national park – with views of different lakes, mountains and plains.
B, L & D
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest – the home of chimpanzees
This morning we depart Akagera national park for Nyungwe forest national park via Kigali. We shall stopover in Huye for lunch and a visit to the national museum to learn more about the history and traditions of the Rwanda people. We arrive in Nyungwe forest later in the evening.
Drive time – 7 hours Or Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
B, L & D
Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy walk in Nyungwe forest
After an early breakfast, we leave for Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest. The forest is rich in botanical diversity and home to 13 species of primates including Chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkeys, and Columbus monkeys with 300 bird species. Your tour guide will transfer you to the briefing area where you will meet your community guide and receive briefing before you start your trek.
Return to the lodge after the chimp trek or you can choose to do the Canopy walk immediately so that you rest once. The canopy walk allows you beautiful views of the forest from above as you admire nature.
B, L & D
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
We leave for Volcanoes national park after breakfast. Enjoy the different sights and winding roads in the land of a thousand hills. You will have opportunities to have different stopovers for pictures and stretching depending on your needs.
Drive time – 6 hoursOr Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
B, L & D
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Meet the mountain gorillas in the dense jungles of the Virunga ranges. The trek to the gorillas starts with a briefing at the park headquarters in Kinigi where you are assigned a ranger and gorilla family to trek. After briefing, your ranger guide leads you to the starting point of the trek. You might need to drive to the starting point of the trek depending on location of gorilla group you are trekking. The trek through the habitat of these enormous animals is a fulfilling unforgettable experience that many people look to undertake. The trek can last from a few minutes to several hours depending on where the gorillas nested the previous night.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park is a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.
B, L & D
Day 8: Visit the Gorilla Guardians Village & Transfer to Lake Kivu
Use the morning to visit the gorilla guardians village where you will learn more about the Rwandan culture. Become a King or Queen for a day, get involved in knitting, learn how to use a bow and arrow and enjoy songs & folks from the Rwanda society.
After this experience transfer to Lake Kivu for a down time unwinding from all the hectic travel and experiences.
Drive time – 1 hour
B, L & D
Day 9: Lake Kivu Experiences
This will be a down time from all the travel and experiences exploring Rwanda on the shores to the beautiful lake Kivu. The activities you can engage in include a visit to the to the hot springs, take a boat trip to an island, kayaking on lake kivu, visit DR Congo – Rwanda border, and relax at the lakeside in the evening sipping a way to your favourite.
B, L & D
Day 10: Transfer to Kigali for Departure flight
Today is your last day on this Kagera Safaris – Rwanda wildlife safari. Start your day with breakfast and transfer to Kigali international airport for your flight back home. We hope you enjoyed your time exploring this beautiful little country of a thousand hills.
Drive time – 2 hours 30 minutes Or Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
B & L
