Safari Overview
This 15-day trip perfectly introduces you to Rwanda’s iconic destinations for you to explore and experience the best of its diverse fauna, breathtaking landscapes and unique cultures. You will have the best of game drive and boat cruise in Akagera National Park, Dian Fossey hike, golden monkey tracking, gorilla trekking and cultural experience at Iby’Iwacu village at Volcanoes National Park, caving experience at Musanze caves and visit Dian Fossey museum.
This itinerary also encompasses the Congo Nile trail hiking experience, chimpanzee trekking, colobus monkey trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park, visit to Gisakura tea plantations, en-route tour at Nyanza King’s palace and Kigali city tour.
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrival to Kigali, transfer to your hotel
Your complete 2-week expedition in Rwanda begins in Kigali with arrival and later, you will be transferred to your hotel for relaxation, dinner and a night stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park for behind the scenes experience
After breakfast, start your road trip from Kigali to Akagera in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. It will be a short day drive of 2.5 hours and on arrival, check in at your respective safari lodges for relaxation and lunch. After, embark on your behind the scene experience with an experienced park ranger guide.
On the behind the scene experience, your guide will give detailed information about the park’s conservation initiatives; learn how they conduct monitoring and tracking of animal’s health and behaviors, plus everything else on how the park is managed.
Day 3: Game drive in Akagera National Park and boat cruise on Lake Ihema for wildlife safaris
Set off early morning from the lodge for a memorable game drive via the enriching game tracks of Akagera National Park. This is Rwanda’s biggest park and the only savanna protected area with the land area coverage of 1122sq.km.
Today’s guided game drive allows you enjoy views of Akagera NP African bush elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, and myriad of antelope families, especially cape elands, duikers, oribis, topis, bushbucks, impalas, klipspringers, and roan antelopes.
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park for Iby’Iwacu Cultural Experience
From Akagera National Park, drive to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri. Arrive early and you will check in at the lodge then proceed to Iby’Iwacu village to enjoy the best of cultural experience. The rest of the evening will be had at the lodge till the following day when you will go for a guided gorilla trek.
Day 5: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and relax at the hotel
Assemble at Kinigi for briefing about gorilla trekking Rwanda and for the park officials to allocate you gorilla families. The park contains 12 habituated gorilla groups, each to be visited by maximum of 8 (eight) guests. The actual trekking with Rwanda gorillas begins at 8:00a.m with an experienced park guide leading you through.
The trek with Rwanda gorillas includes an hour of up close and personal encounter plus photography. After, you will be accompanied back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Dian Fossey hike in Volcanoes National Park and relax at the lodge
After breakfast, leave the lodge for briefing and then set off on a guided walk through the Dian Fossey tomb trail. The 3-4 hours trek comes with picturesque views of the forest and tomb site is found between Mount Karisimbi and Bisoke. The hike allows you to explore the best of Dian Fossey and her conservation legacy. When you get back, you will have a long day of relaxation, dinner and a night stay.
Day 7: Tour to the Great Musanze Caves and Dian Fossey Museum
Caving experience through the Great Musanze Caves involve conquering the 2km long cave, a rich historical and cultural site in Rwanda. This site is one of the volcanic land formations and dates back to 65 million years. After your excursion, get back to the lodge for lunch and relaxation, then proceed to Dian Fossey Museum (Karisoke Research Centre) set between Bisoke and Karisimbi.
Dian Fossey museum is an exhibition centre comprising of three sections and offers deep understanding of Dian Fossey conservation legacy and gorilla life expectancy, reproduction, etc. After, you will return to have a relaxed stay at the lodge.
Day 8: Golden monkey trekking & transfer to Kibuye town on the edge of Lake Kivu
Leave your lodge for another briefing session at Kinigi and today, the focus will be on guideline for golden monkey tracking. After getting briefed and the park guides assigned to you, begin a search for golden monkeys. This primate adventure will run for about 2-5 hours inclusive of an hour for up close and personal interaction with a troop of golden monkeys.
After the magical encounter with golden monkeys, begin trekking back to the briefing area or direct to the lodge. Enjoy lunch and later, transfer to the Kibuye town located along Lake Kivu.
DAY 9-10: CONGO NILE TRAIL HIKING EXPERIENCE
At Kibuye, expect to embark on 2-day hiking experience along the rewarding Congo Nile trail. The Congo Nile trail stretches up to 227km long and on a hiking tour, you should expect to view several scenic surrounding areas including the plantations and homesteads. You will have meals and overnight stay in the pre-booked lodges/hotels.
Day 11: Optional activities around Lake Kivu & Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Enjoy an early morning breakfast and after, leave the lodge for Lake Kivu to enjoy a canoe ride or kayaking (optional). From Kibuye, drive to Nyungwe –home to 13 species of primate which include 500 chimpanzees.
Day 12: Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe and canopy walk
A delicious breakfast be enjoyed at the lodge and after, join others for briefing at Uwinka. The park official will allocate the park guide to lead you on a search for a habituated troop of chimpanzees. The chimp trek in Nyungwe includes an hour of observing how the chimpanzees behave, their feeding habits and lifestyles.
The Nyungwe chimp trek allows you to also see other primates, especially black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and also birds. After the complete exploration about chimpanzees, get back to the lodge to enjoy lunch and relax. Leave the lodge later in the afternoon for a canopy walk –this is along the 200m canopy walkway with an experienced guide.
Day 13: Colobus monkey trekking, visit to Gisakura tea plantations and local markets
Over 400 colobus monkeys peacefully live in the same forest in Nyungwe Park with other multiple primates. Today, you will be visiting the troop of colobus monkeys to learn more about their unique behaviors and feeding traits.
After, start walking back and settle for lunch, rest then you will be accompanied to Gisakura tea plantation and nearby local markets. At the tea farm, get to know more about tea growing from the very first stage of planting till the final stage when it is ready for consumption.
Day 14: Transfer from Nyungwe Forest National Park to Kigali via Nyanza King’s palace and ethnographic museum
Begin your day with an early morning breakfast and after, set off from Nyungwe to Kigali. Drive through Butare/Huye where you will make a stopover at the Nyanza King’s palace and ethnographic museum. From here, proceed up to Kigali capital to check in at the hotel for relaxation.
Day 15: Kigali city tour and transfer to Kigali airport
Depart from the hotel to explore Kigali and today, you will be visiting Kigali genocide site, Kimironko market and other historical sites. After, the city excursion, get to the hotel or lodge for lunch and later, proceed to the airport for departure.