Explore the beauty of Rwanda on your 10 Day Gorilla & wildlife tour with a visit to Akagera National Park Wildlife Safari. Akagera National Park is located in Eastern Rwanda on the border with Tanzania will give you a great experience to explore this only savanna national park where safari game drive can only be carried in Rwanda, visit Nyungwe national park for a canopy and chimpanzee trekking before crossing over to volcanoes national park known for grabbing all the gorilla related vacations in Rwanda. Enquire Now You will as well be able to do Kigali city tour, and a visit to Lake Kivu. This is an incredible adventure safari packed with fun.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by our guide, who will meet you in the airport lobby, please look for a white sign board with your name. You will then be transferred to hotel which is 20 minutes away from the airport for Dinner and overnight stay. Kigali serena hotel (High end) Hotel des Mille Colline (Midrange), Dove hotel (Budget).
DAY 2: TRANSFER TO AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK. 2,5 HOURS
Following breakfast, you will be picked by your guide and leave for Akagera national park at, the journey to Akagera national park takes about 2.5 hours depending on the stopovers along the way, with the beautiful un winding landscape en route to the park, feel free to ask the guide for stopovers to capture some photos. On arrival at the park, we shall proceed to the reception and later head for a boat trip on Lake Ihema watch Hippos and crocodiles in the water or by the shores and meet the buffaloes and elephants wallowing by the water banks and game drive. Later return to the lodge for dinner and evening stay. Kigali Serena Hotel (High end) Hotel des Mille Colline (Midrange), Dove hotel (Budget).
DAY 3: GAME DRIVE AND TRANSFER TO KIGALI (TRAVEL TIME +2.5HRS)
After an early morning breakfast, leave for an early morning game drive in Akagera national park to catch up with late hunters and early risers as you exit the park. We will be searching for the big mammals like Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, several Antelope species, and recently the re-introduced Lions and Rhinos. The park is a varied habitat for wildlife and a number bird species with over 500 bird species in the park making it a birding paradise.
You will leave the lodge with parked lunch for the game drive which will last about 2 hours which might be more or less depending on your interests before starting the journey back to Kigali. Dinner and overnight at Kigali serena hotel (High end) Hotel des Mille Colline (Midrange), Dove hotel (Budget).
DAY 4: PRECOLONIAL RWANDA – TRANSFER TO NYUNGWE (TRAVEL TIME +5HRS)
Wake up early in the morning to enjoy your breakfast before checking out of your hotel rooms for a drive heading to the western province with a stopover at Nyanza to visit the King’s palace museum which offers a detailed look into the Rwandan monarchical system and its abolition in early 1960s as well as the Ethnographic museum in Butare, one of the most beautiful structure in the city and is having one of the best ethnological and archaeological collections in the entire region. Proceed for your enroute lunch and later drive to Nyungwe, check in at One and only Nyungwe house (Luxury), Nyungwe Hill Top view hotel (Midrange), Kitabi Camping site (Budget) for dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 5: CHIMPANZEE TREKKING –CANOPY WALK EXPERIENCE
Depart your hotel with packed breakfast to experience the misty rain forest of Nyungwe prominently known for having 13 species of primates including the famous chimpanzees that you all anxiously interested in today, and also as a birder’s paradise. Drive for one hour to Cyamudongo, the park office for a briefing before you undertake on the chimpanzee trekking activity, after an interesting and memorable search for the chimpanzees in the forest, you are privileged to spend 1 hour with them taking photographs and videos and return to the hotel for lunch. Later in the afternoon, prepare yourself for a canopy hike which gives you a panoramic view of the forest a glimpse of birds and then return in the evening for dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Hill Top view hotel.
DAY 6: COLOBUS MONKEY TREK – TRANSFER TO GISENYI (TRAVEL TIME +5HRS)
Following breakfast, you will head out to the park reception center for Colobus monkey trekking in search for monkeys some of the monkeys are endemic to this region and among these is the Rwenzori Colubus Monkey. A hike along one of the 13 hiking trails in Nyungwe will usher you into the world of the Grey-Cheeked Mangabeys, L’Hoest Monkeys, Owl Faced Monkeys, Blue-Monkeys and Mona Monkeys. Further into to the forest and off the beaten track of the trails and accompanied by a guide you can chance upon a group of up to 200 Rwenzori Colubus Monkeys all at once which is a sight like no other. Later return to the lodge for lunch, checkout of your rooms and head for a scenic drive to Gisenyi through beautiful tea estate plantations along the road. On arrival, you will check in at hotel followed by an evening relaxation at the beach. Dinner at overnight stay at Lake Kivu serena hotel (Luxury), Kivu hill top view hotel (Midrange), Kivu peace view hotel (Budget).
DAY 7: BOAT CUISE ON LAKE KIVU – TRANSFER TO KINIGI (TRAVEL TIME +2HRS)
After breakfast, you will head for a wonderful boat trip on Lake Kivu to explore this hiden secret lake with beautiful islands harboring a number of bird species. Later transfer to Kinigi and check in at your lodge and spend an afternoon relaxing as you await your golden and gorilla trekking experiences the following days. En route; enjoy the beautiful views of the rolling hills and green vegetation. Dinner and overnight stay at Five Volcanoes Boutique (Luxury), Ingagi lodge (Midrange), Fatima hotel (Budget).
DAY 8: GOLDEN MONKEY TREKKING – BEYOND GORILLA EXPERIENCE
Have an early morning breakfast and retrieve to Kinigi park offices by 7:30am for morning briefing about Golden Monkeys Trekking code of conduct before heading out in the jungle to search for them. You are granted an hour with these shy creatures before heading back to lodge for lunch. Later in the afternoon, your guide will lead you the local guide who will take you for a village tour where you get to experience home stays in the Rwandan local setting, milk the cow, participate in producing local banana beer, basket weaving class by the Rwandan women, bee keeping experience to mention but a few. dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 9: ULTIMATE GORILLA TREKKING – KIGALI (TRAVEL TIME +3HRS)
Begin your day with a delightful early morning with a cup of coffee, then prepare for the briefing from the park officials and thereafter enter the jungle to search the shy mountain gorillas and enjoy their life style in their real home. After meeting the gorillas, you can sit around these great apes for a whole hour gazing into their big round eyes. On a gorilla safari, a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as walking shoes, packed food and mineral water, insect repellent, sun screen and hut. The gorilla tracking experience takes half or whole day depending on the movement of these primates. Later head back to the lodge and have before hiting on the road to return back to Kigali. Dinner and overnight stay at Kigali serena hotel (High end) Hotel des Mille Colline (Midrange), Dove hotel (Budget).
DAY 10: KIGALI CITY TOUR – DEPARTURE
After a morning breakfast at your hotel, your driver guide will pick you up and lead you for a guided city tour in the vibrant capital of Kigali where you visit interesting historical sites. You will learn more about Rwanda’s heart-rending history at the Genocide Memorial Centre where 259,000 bodies of genocide victims were given a decent burial.
Later pay a visit to Kimironko local market for souvenir shopping before being transferred to the Hub for lunch and later be transferred to the airport for your flight back home.