Tour Highlights:
Day 1: Arrival and have a city tour
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 3: Have a game drive and a boat cruise
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
Day 5: Enjoy the colobus trails of Nyungwe National Park
Day 6: Nyungwe to Kibuye town
Day 7: Drive from Kibuye to Gisenyi
Day 8: Gorilla trekking
Day 9: Golden Monkey tracking or Mountain Hiking
Introduction
This tour starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda. It will take you to the interesting tourist destinations in Rwanda. These include; Kigali city which is full of beautiful attractions including the 1994 genocide memorial site, local markets, pottery projects, and many more, Akagera National park commonly famous for its marvelous boat cruises on Lake Ihema, the park was founded in 1934 in order to protect animals as well as vegetation cover. This park covers a surface area of over 1200 km and has got many wildlife species including; the topis, Impala, Masai Giraffe, reedbuck, bushbuck, sable and roan antelopes, birds, and many more.
The tour also takes you to Nyungwe National Park commonly known for its many primate species including the chimpanzees, golden Monkeys, silver monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and many more. Volcanoes National park is also part of this visit and this national park harbors over 400 mountain gorillas which are half of the mountain gorillas remaining in the whole world. The tour includes 1 gorilla permit worth $1500 per person in the final cost, promotion of $500 for International residents, and $200 for Rwandans during the COVID-19 period.
Day 1: Arrival and have a city tour
Upon your arrival at Kigali airport, the company guide will meet you and brief you about the whole safari in Rwanda. He will then transfer you to your booked hotel in Kigali city. Depending on your time of arrival, you will enjoy a city tour in Kigali where you will visit the Gisozi genocide Museum which is a commemoration of the 1994 genocide that took place in Rwanda. You will as well visit the local markets in Rwanda to interact with the local people and buy some simple stuff. Visit the Nyarutarama Golf Club and after this proceed to the Richard Kandt Museum and the Belgium memorial site. You will enjoy your lunch in one of the traditional restaurants in the city.
Depending on the time after your lunch, the guide will transfer you to Ntarama and Nyamata genocide Memorial sites. This will give you a full picture of the tragedy of the 1994 genocide memorial that took place in Rwanda, after the visit, the guide will drive you back to your hotel in Kigali city overnight.
Accommodation Options:
- Luxury: Intercontinental Hotel
- Mid-range: Chez Lando Hotel
- Budget: Okapi Hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Have breakfast at your lodge, the guide will pick you and start your transfer to Akagera National Park. This park is famously known for its vast wildlife species including; the Impalas, Topi, Masai Giraffes, Defassa waterbuck, reedbuck, bushbuck, and many more. You will pass via Rusumo waterfalls on the border of Tanzania and Rwanda and enter the park. Have lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon, enjoy an evening game drive to view most of the wildlife species mentioned above.
Accommodation Options:
- Luxury: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
- Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge
Day 3: Have a game drive and a boat cruise
Enjoy breakfast early in the morning, after proceeding to the park to enjoy your early morning game drive, you will get a chance to view many wildlife species including the Impalas, topis, giraffes, reed buck, and many more. Return to your hotel or lodge for lunch as you prepare to enjoy a boat trip on Lake Ihema to view the giant crocodiles, birds as well as Hippos. Return to the lodge, pack your bags, and drive back to Kigali city
Accommodation Options
- Luxury: Kigali Serena Hotel
- Mid-range: Chezlando
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
Have breakfast in the morning at your hotel, your guide will transfer you to Nyungwe national park famous for chimpanzee trekking. Along the way, you will visit Nyanza King’s Palace and the national museum in Butare. Nyanza palace was the main headquarters of the Rwanda Kingdom in the ancient years before the arrival of the Europeans. Its compound has got the palace constructed in 1934 by King Mutara and near it is the king’s hut reconstructed on the arrival of the Europeans. Butare Museum in Rwanda is the best Museum in East Africa and it’s home to the famous ballet- intro dancers. Before proceeding to the park, enjoy your lunch at Butare.
Accommodation Options
- Luxury: Nyungwe game Lodge
- Mid-range: Nyungwe Hilltop Lodge
- Budget: Gisakura Guest House
Day 5: Enjoy the colobus trails of Nyungwe National Park
Have breakfast at the lodge and after enter the park in order to track the Colobus monkeys at Uwinka. This troop is the largest troop of the arboreal primates in Africa. This is a good experience which is conducted by the guide who is well knowledgeable about interspecies relationships and botany within the forest. Nyungwe national park is known for its variety of species including; 200 orchid species, 260 tree species, 275 bird species, 13 recorded species of primates including the famous chimpanzees. Thereafter, have lunch at the lodge and relax for the afternoon.
Accommodation Options
- Luxury: Nyungwe game Lodge
- Mid-range: Nyungwe Hilltop Lodge
- Budget: Gisakura Guest House
Day 6: Departure back to the air port
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge, after having a briefing about chimpanzee trekking, the rangers will tell you about the dos and don’ts of chimp trekking, meeting these beautiful creatures face to face is so wonderful and worth paying. You will as well view many other primate species including; the golden monkeys, vervet monkeys, silver monkeys, etc. have lunch at the lodge and after drive to Kibuye and enjoy a walk of this beautiful town.
Accommodation Options
- Luxury: Cormoran Lodge
- Mid-range: Moriah Hill resort hotel
- Budget: Bethanie Guest House
Day 7: Drive from Kibuye to Gisenyi
Have your breakfast, proceed to have a boat cruise, this beautiful route is filled with tea plantations and a view of Lake Kivu. Arrive at the Gisenyi town for your lunch at the hotel of your choice. You will spend the afternoon in Gisenyi town which optional tours around Gisenyi, including the hot springs which are so attractive. As an extra, a boat cruise can be arranged from Kibuye to Gisenyi as exclusive.
Accommodation Options
- Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena hotel
- Mid-range: Gisenyi Public beach
- Budget: Stipp hotel Gisenyi.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking
Early in the morning, drive to Kinigi headquarters for briefing about the group to track. This is really an exciting trek that provides good views of the Virunga Mountains in all directions. You will follow a trail that enters the rain forest full of many wildlife species. Some of these include; monkeys, buffalos, elephants, birds, and many more. Later, after a great search for these gentle giants, you will come eye to eye with these wonderful primates and be given a full hour to interact with the gentle giants and also take photos. This is the most exciting experience of this two-day safari in Rwanda. You will watch them feed, play and jump all over the trees. After your trek, the rangers will escort you back to the lodge to enjoy your late lunch and you prepare to relax for the afternoon or take an Ibyiwacu community walk around the park to interact with the local people.
Accommodation Options.
- Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
- Mid-range: La Palme Hotel
- Budget: KinigiGuest House
Day 9: Gorilla trekking
Have breakfast early in the morning, you will have option tours including; the hike to Mount Bisoke in order to see the crater lake with the perfect views of the Virunga National park or to engage in golden monkey tracking or a walk to the karisoke gorilla cemetery and visit Dian Fossey tomb, the primatologist who dedicated her life to caring for the mountain gorillas. You will have lunch after and later drive to Kigali Airport for your departure flight.
END OF SAFARI
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- photography and touring,
- Gorilla & Chimpanzee trekking permits
- full board accommodation,
- Full time English speaking professional driver/guide,
- All tour activities as detailed in the itinerary,
- Bottled water while on safari,
- Transport
WHAT’S EXCLUDED?
- Kigali hotel fees( the eve of the safari and the night after the safari),
- Tips,
- Laundry services,
- Beverages/ drinks,
- international flights,
- Visas,
- Items of a personal nature