This tour entails trekking gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Chimpanzees and rare monkeys in Nyungwe, wildlife in Akagera, hiking to Dian Fossey's grave, and viewing the elusive golden Monkeys. The Safari brings you closer to meeting and learning about the endangered Gorillas and exploring all the activities at Parc Volcanoes, including a visit to Dian Fossey to learn about the gorilla conservationist who spent over twenty years studying and saving the mighty Mountain Gorillas from extinction.
Day 1: Arrival at the Airport
On arrival you will be picked from the airport by the Gorilla Explorers representative who will transfer you to the lodge for dinner and overnight. You will take a rest after the long journey hour and refresh for the Safari Day tomorrow. The Gorilla Explorers will brief you about the tour and give you the schedule.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay at Chez Lando Hotel Hotel Chez Lando
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 2 Transfer to Akagera National Park
You will be picked up from the lodge and then drive to Akagera National Park. On the journey to this park, in the northeast of Rwanda, you will drive through the magnificent low-lying rural landscapes with amazing panoramic views covering over 135 km about 2 ½ hours’ drive. The attractive Rwandese long-horned cattle in the Rwamagana district grazing in their impressive herds will add scenic views as the terrain changes from the hilly landscapes of the center to the plain landscapes of the east which the Akagera occupies. On arrival, you will do an afternoon game drive to enrich you with wild animals like Giraffes, Buffaloes, Spotted Hyenas, Elephants, Crocodiles, Hippos, and plenty of bird life.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay at Akagera Rhino Lodge Akagera Rhino Lodge – Make your holidays memorable.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3 Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride at Lake Ihemba
Embark on the morning game drive with the beautiful sun rising exposing the plain rolling savannah landscapes of the park with a short savannah grassland intertwined with woodlands scattered with countless numbers of wild game. The game drive in the morning exposes you to numerous families of elephants, buffaloes, Maasai giraffes, various antelopes like Impala, bushbucks, and waterbucks among others, the predators including leopards among other wild game that flourish within this natural shelter. This activity lasts for 3-4 hours after you return to the lodge for relaxation and a buffet lunch. In the afternoon, embark on a journey to Lake Ihema for a soothing boat cruise with its banks filled with countless populations of both aquatic and terrestrial animal species which include among others the hippos, buffaloes, and the Nile crocodiles plus a wide range of bird species that dwell within the swampy vegetation and the opportunity to encounter the Rwanda’s second largest lake.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay at Akagera Rhino Lodge Akagera Rhino Lodge – Make your holidays memorable.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4 Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, you will depart for Parc National des Volcanoes with lunch en route. This is undoubtedly Rwanda’s most popular and the country’s most visited park. Volcanoes National Park is an ecologically diverse destination, and it is no wonder that trekking mountain gorillas remain the most popular activity here. A wide variety of other hikes and activities are offered thus making it possible to spend several days in the area without running out of what to do. The entire evening can be spent sightseeing and relaxing around the hotel.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge | #1 Eco-Lodge in Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5 Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park and Visit the Twin Lakes
Have breakfast, and transfer to the park headquarters where you will meet the ranger guides for a briefing before you begin trekking. The trek can be quite tough because it takes a lot of time, approximately 2-8 hours, and the encounter with these unique species is an unusual experience. The hike amidst the jungle while viewing the lovely Rwandan flora and fauna, the impressive panoramic views, and the magical scenic landscapes of the Virunga would leave you mesmerized. The eventual one-hour direct contact with these world’s rarest animals, eye to eye, is worth remembering and getting attracted to their thick, beautiful fur while being entertained by the playful young gorillas puts your stressed mind and thoughts into a state of relaxation and happiness quite worth the expensive price of a gorilla ticket. Retreat from this trip, relax at the lodge, and in the evening undertake a trip to the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera for scenic viewing.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge | #1 Eco-Lodge in Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 6 Golden Monkey Trekking and Visit the Dian Fossey Grave and Museum
After breakfast, you will go for the Golden monkey trek. These unique creatures live and thrive in the bamboo vegetation towards the base of the volcanoes, and habituation has helped these unique species to overcome their initial shyness to accept their daily visit by researchers and tourists.
Trekking golden monkeys and gorillas is a similar experience – in a small group of not more than 8 people, and visitors are allowed a maximum of 1 hour to spend with the monkeys once they find them.
Visit Dian Fossey‘s grave to pay tribute to this renowned gorilla conservationist who devoted her entire life to studying and advocating for gorilla conservation and preservation in Africa. This is at the former Karisoke Research Center where Dian spent over twenty years studying the Mountain Gorillas, and the trek to the site is quite spectacular, passing through bamboo forest and afro-montane habitats. You may spot other wildlife during the visit. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge | #1 Eco-Lodge in Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7 Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
An early wake-up will see you starting the Journey to Nyungwe National Park. The drive is approximately 6-7 hours via Kigali city, traversing through small towns and villages, and if interested, you can look out for several up-country mass graves to learn more about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Nyungwe forest is one of the most important bird-watching areas in Rwanda, with over 275 bird species. The majority are forest specialists and 26 are regional endemics; the forest is also home to a wide diversity of animal species, making it a leading option for conservation in Africa. The forest sits in a region where several large-scale biogeographical zones meet, and the variety of terrestrial biomes provides a wide span of microhabitats for many different species of flora and fauna. The park boasts over 13 primate species (25% of Africa’s total), 1068 plant species, 85 mammal species, 32 amphibians, and 38 reptile species.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge Nyungwe Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8 Chimpanzee Tracking and afternoon Canopy Walk
After breakfast, you will get on an experiential trek for chimpanzees in the hard-to-penetrate, dense prehistoric forests of Nyungwe. The trek starts at 8 am with an early briefing session at the park headquarters. The species live happily and flourish within their natural habitats. The activity usually lasts between 2 – 5 hours; after which you return to the lodge for lunch and a short relaxation.
In the afternoon, you assemble at the Uwinka Visitor Center to embark on the famous Nyungwe Canopy Walk. This is the first of its kind in East Africa and the third in the whole of Africa. The canopy walkway is raised to over 40m above the ground, and it is 90m long; hanging over a steep deep valley blanketed by a thick forest offers quite impressive scenic views of the landscapes and the floral and faunal species that are found in this area.
Accommodation and Overnight Stay Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge Nyungwe Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9 Transfer from Nyungwe to Kigali City
Have breakfast ready for a guided nature walk in the forest to see a variety of animals and some of the 280 bird species found here, which include the Rwenzori Turaco and black and white Casqued Hornbill. Go on an escorted walk-in search of large groups of the rare colobus monkeys and transfer back to Kigali with lunch enroute.
This marks the end of your Rwanda wildlife Safari tour.
