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. Have an up close interacting with the Rwandan people as you visit their homes and engage in different activities.
Rwanda Safari Highlights
- Reconciliation village
- Game drive
- Boat ride
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest
- Colobus monkey trekking
- Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest
- Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes
- Golden monkey trekking
- Community experiences
- Lake Kivu
Day 1: Arrival to Kigali
Welcome to Rwanda the land of “a thousand hills” for a once in a life time experience exploring this small but beautiful country. Our guide / representative staff will be at the airport to pick you and transfer you to your hotel.
Drive time – 20 minutes
Day 2: Reconciliation Village tour & Kigali City Tour
You will start the morning with a tour of the genocide reconciliation village outside of Kigali city and hear the stories of genocide survivors who live alongside the genocide perpetrators. You will visit the Bugesera church Nyamata where many people lost their lives in the genocide and have a guided tour.
After this experience, return to Kigali and visit the Kigali genocide memorial, Kandt museum and shop for art and crafts.
Day 3: 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. Alternatively, you can instead take on the coffee experience at Huye Mountain coffee experience. After this experience, continue to your lodge for overnight.
Drive time – 5 hours Or Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
Day 4: 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 the community guide and receive briefing before you start your trek. The total length of the trek will depend on where the chimps overnighted the day before.
Return to 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.
Day 5: Colobus monkey trekking
This morning again we leave for the briefing point at the Nyungwe forest. After briefing, the community guide will lead you for the Colobus monkey trekking. The habituated troops are normally many individuals when in the same group but often split into different groups. Enjoy watching the playful interactions of the monkeys as they groom, feed and play for each other. You are allowed 1 hour in their presence before you start the trek back.
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Kivu
Have a relaxed breakfast and after this experience transfer to Lake Kivu for a down time unwinding from all the hectic travel and experiences.
Depending on your interest, you can relax at the hotel or take a walking experience in the village/town.
Drive time – 1 hour
Day 7: Canoe Ride to the Island and Kayaking
Have a relaxed day. Depending on the weather, take a boat ride on Lake Kivu to explore the surroundings. Visit the museum of environment and do basic hiking – a small portion of the Congo-Nile Trail.
Day 8: 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 – 3 hours Or Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
Day 9: Gorilla trekking
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.
Day 10: Golden Monkey Trekking | Gorilla Guardians Village
Just like yesterday, your driver guide will transfer you to the park headquarters for briefing before you can start your trek. Golden monkeys are generally more active than gorillas and will require you to move as you follow them foraging for food. Once you locate them, you are only allowed to stay with them for 1 hour after which you start the trek back.
On return from the park, visit the Gorilla guardians village. 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.
Day 11: Transfer to Akagera National park
Today morning after breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to transfer you to Akagera National Park. You will arrive in the park and drive to your hotel for check in.
Have lunch and after lunch join in on a boat safari on Lake Ihema. Have the boat today so that you spend the next day exploring the northern sector of Akagera on safari.
Drive time – 4 hours or Helicopter ( Augusta)– 30 minutes
Day 12: Game drive and Boat Safari
Akagera National Park is a Savannah park with Elephants, Hippos, Buffaloes and Lions. After an early breakfast we take a game drive in search of these animals, the game drive will take us to the northern part of the park where most of the animals prefer to inhabit. Look out for the Zebras, Giraffes and Impalas which are usually scattered along the game tracks. You will take the lake shore track which normally has a number of animals because it is near the lakes.
Later take an afternoon game drive on Lake Ihema.
Day 13: Community Tour near Akagera National park
Eastern Rwanda is relatively flat compared to the rest of the country and preferred by the pastoralists. You will visit a homestead of cattle keepers and engage in the different activities. Start early by joining in milking the cows with hands. The herdsman will guide you on how to soothe the cow and milk it. You also have lessons on how milk is converted traditionally into different products like ghee and yoghurt.
We hope this gives a glimpse in the everyday life of these farmers.
Day 14: Transfer to Kigali
Today is your last day on this Kagera Safaris – Rwanda wildlife safari. Start your day with breakfast and transfer to Kigali international airport for the departure flight.
Drive time – 2 hours 30 minutes Or Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
