Exclusive 8 days of adventure, gorilla, and chimpanzee trekking, watching beautiful sceneries of Kigali and Lake Kivu
Day 1: Park In Check In & Sunset Boat Cruise
It’s named after the Akagera River, which flows along the eastern boundary and feeds into a labyrinth of lakes. Rolling hills of Acacia bush with panoramic views across scattered grassland, patches of thick forest, and a mosaic of swamp-fringed lakes along the meandering Akagera watercourse contribute to this park’s almost unrivaled diversity and scenic beauty.
Our driver will pick you up at 8:00 am from your residence for your next trip to Akagera National Park. After Park registration, we will head for a short game drive. You will immerse yourself in Rwanda’s Savannah Safari Park in search of Masai giraffe, elephants, lions, waterbuck, bushbuck, and reedbuck, providing contrasting memories and watch over large herds of impala, Zebras, and Topi. Then later proceed for a sunset boat ride on Lake Ihema in search of water lovers like Nile crocodiles and Hippos; you will sail along the water’s edge, which is covered with several trees, drift past numerous giant hippos, and see several crocodiles, some in the shallows of the water and other basking on the shore.
Day 2: Game Drive
After a cup of the finest Rwandan coffee/tea at 7:00 am, we will head for a half-day game drive. You will immerse yourself in Rwanda’s Savannah Safari Park in search of Masai giraffes, elephants, lions, waterbuck, bushbuck, and reedbuck, providing contrasting memories and watch over as large herds of impala, Zebras, and Topi that you missed the other day. Overnight stay
Day 3: Full Game Drive
After a cup of the finest Rwandan coffee/tea at 8:00 am, you will head for the entire game drive from the southern part of the park to the Northern part, which takes about 6 – 7 hours to drive within the park. The full-day game drive offers you more opportunities to spot a variety of wild animals that you might have missed yesterday, such as elephants, buffalos, lions, Masai giraffes, gazelles, impala, baboons, oribi, Butchel’s zebra, Topi, bush baby, leopard and bushbuck coupled with a large concentration of bird life; over 525 species identified. Overnight stay in Kigali.
Day 4: Transfer To Nyungwe
Nyungwe Rainforest National Park is located in the Southwestern region of Rwanda, at an elevation of over 1600m; sounds and sights collaborate to create a magic experience as you journey through the majestic rainforest. The park is the source of Africa’s great rivers, feeding the Nile in the east and the Congo River in the west. It is also known as the most endemic species-rich in Africa. It is home to habituated chimpanzees and 12 other primate species, birds with over 300 species, butterflies and moths abound, and the forest comprises more than 243 species with a canopy reaching 70m high in places, orchids, and over 1000 plant types.
After breakfast at 9:00 am, You’ll Embark on a 5–6-hour picturesque journey via the King’s Palace Museum, a reconstruction of the traditional royal residence, a King’s Mutara III Rudahigwa’s Palace that offers a detailed look into the Rwandan monarchical system and its abolition in the early 1960s due to colonialism. Then, venture into the grounds to meet the long-horned cows, known as Inyambo; they descended from the king’s herd, whose keepers carefully tend and sing to them, keeping alive a unique tradition.
After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Nyungwe for the beautiful views of Lake Kivu.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk
Set off early to start your trek searching for chimpanzees in one of the world’s most beautiful and pristine mountain rainforests: Nyungwe Forest National Park. Once located, spend one hour with your distant cousins. The chimpanzees are human in appearance and behavior, and a whole family troop will be just a few meters away from you. From here, you’ll later continue with a canopy walk experience, which offers a splendid view of the lush forest with its magnificent biodiversity. Hardwood trees dominate the upper canopy, while the lower part is beautified with a large selection of orchids, flora, and fauna that flourish better in the higher altitudes.
Day 6: Waterfall Hike and Canopy Walk
Our professional driver guide will pick you up at 7:00 am for your next drive to Nyungwe National Park. You’ll head for a waterfall hike; Nyungwe’s biggest waterfall, and the inspiration for the trail’s name – sumo, is a waterfall in Kinyarwanda. At roughly 17 m in height, it is even more impressive for the force with which it shoots through a narrow gap into a stunning amphitheater, lined with fluttering fronds of ferns, flowers, and lianas, all thriving in the mist zone of the fall. There are caves in the overhanging cliffs and a rainbow in the spray on sunny days. Three km to the east, and 100 m higher in elevation, lies the bottom of the thirteen square kilometer Kamiranzovu Marsh, which drains over the rim of this water-carved canyon. After the hike, you’ll head for lunch and be transferred to Volcanoes National Park via the beautiful Lake Kivu views. Overnight stay at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel.
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking
After an early breakfast, we will be driven to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters at 7:00 a.m. to be allocated a gorilla tracking group. Your trackers will brief you, and then you will start the fantastic gorilla trekking adventure.
Tracking/trekking can entail some thorough climbing as well as hiking. However, when you come face to face with the tranquil yet potent Mountain Gorillas, watching them only a few meters away from you, observing the group, the baby with the mothers, the gorillas partaking in their everyday routine just right in front of you, it is all a very overwhelming experience. Overnight stay at the Lodge.
Day 8: Golden monkey trekking
Our driver guide will pick you up at 6:30 a.m. and drive you to the park headquarters for the briefing. Then, you will go for Golden Monkey trekking. The golden monkeys are beautiful to look at with their various colors, including long golden hair mixed with orange and black.
After trekking, you will head for lunch and return to Kigali to connect with your international flight back home.
Includes
- Transport in 4WD
- Full board accommodation whilst on safari
- All park entrance fees to include government taxes
- Service of an English-speaking professional driver/guide
- All game drives as detailed in the itinerary
- Complimentary return airport transfers in case you desire after the trip
- Bottled water whilst on safari
- Start and end in Kigali
Excludes
- Tips
- Alcoholic Drinks
- Covid Tests for you during the
- Laundry
- International flights and visas
- Items of a personal nature
