The Rwanda gorilla and wildlife safari highlights mountain Gorilla trekking and Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park, chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park, wildlife safari, game drives and boat cruise in Akagera National Park – with diverse savanna dwellers especially the big five game (elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, lions and leopard).
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
- Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Game drive and boat cruise in Akagera National Park
- Cultural walk/tour at Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
BRIEF ITINERARY:
Day 1: Arrival Kigali and transfer to your hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park / Boat cruise on lake Ihema.
Day 3: Game drive and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking / Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village visit
Day 5: Golden monkey tracking and transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk
Day 7: Return to Kigali
DETAILED ITINERARY:
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive at Kigali International Airport. Meet and greet by your safari Guide and transfer to your Hotel (+/- 15 minutes) – BB
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Transfer to Akagera National Park in the eastern province of Rwanda (+/3hrs). Enjoy the scenic country side enroute. After lunch, you will spend your afternoon on a rewarding boat cruise on Lake Ihema with hippos, basking crocodiles and water birds as well as elephants and buffaloes that roam the lake shores.
Transfer to your lodge (FB)
Day 3: Game drive / Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Take an early morning game drive through the Northern sector of Akagera. The drive will reward you with amazing sights of the big five game ( leopards, lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos) plus giraffes, antelopes, warthogs and several bird species.
Later, connect to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri region.
Transfer to your lodge (FB)
Day 4: Gorilla trekking / Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village visit
Report to Kinigi Visitor Centre for a briefing on gorilla trekking. Then depart for your trekking experience in search of the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking involves hiking through the rugged terrain, thick forest, and maneuvering muddy trails. This can be strenuous therefore physical fitness is required.
After you locate the gorillas, spend 1 hour with these amazing rare apes.
Later, visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for a cultural experience – traditional beer brewing lessons, dancing and drumming lessons, basket weaving demonstrations, visit to the traditional healer and have traditional meal preparation lessons. Enjoy the unique cultural dances, music performances & cultural exhibitions.
After, return to your lodge (FB)
Day 5: Golden monkey tracking / Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National park
After breakfast, report to Kinigi visitor center for briefing on golden monkey tracking. Depart for your trekking experience in search of Golden monkeys. Have a chance to view other wildlife, primates and several bird species. After locating the golden monkeys, spend 1 hour with them.
After, transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Dinner and overnight at your lodge (FB)
Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking & canopy walk
After breakfast report to Cyangungu or Uwinka to be briefed on chimpanzee tracking rules and to be assigned park ranger guide to take you through a search for chimpanzees. Start your chimpanzee trek and expect to view the colobus monkeys, baboons, mangabeys, L’Hoest monkeys, the blue monkeys and forest birds. On finding the chimpanzees, spend one hour with them in the wild, before returning to your start point..
Walk back to have lunch at the lodge and relax as you wait for an afternoon canopy walk, first of its kind in East Africa. This lets you spot lots of primates, birds and enjoy the stunning beauty of Nyungwe Forest canopy.
Dinner and overnight at your lodge (FB)
Day 7: Return to Kigali / Departure
After breakfast, transfer back to Kigali and transfer to your hotel OR Kigali Airport for your flight to next destination.
END OF SAFARI
