These 10 days Rwanda gorilla and wildlife safari will take you to a land of thousands of hills where you will be able to take part in enjoyable and interesting activities in various places in Rwanda like game drive, boat cruise and ballooning in the Akagera savannah park of Rwanda, chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe national park, gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park, tea experience, visiting the Iby’iwacu village and Dian Fossey hike. This means that you will visit the three main national parks in Rwanda hence worth rewarding and memorable safari in Africa.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and city tour
On this first day of your 10 days in Rwanda, you will arrive in Kigali capital city from where you will be picked up by our company driver guide who will give you a quick briefing about the tour. After the briefing, he will drive you through the city from where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial centre where over 250,000 victims mostly belonging to the Tutsi group were buried. On this tour, you will begin by watching the video clips of what exactly happened.
This experience will leave you knowing what Rwanda genocide meant, you can also visit the Kimironko market Rwanda’s busiest market with a variety of things available for you to buy. After this tour, your driver-guide will drive you back to Akagera for the next activity.
Day2: Transfer to Akagera and evening game drive
On this day, you will have your breakfast and your driver's guide will drive to Akagera national park a drive taking you two and a half hours from Kigali. This park homes all the big five animals accompanied by a variety of bird species and is also the only wetland national park in central Africa. In the evening, you will go for an evening game drive in this savannah park of Rwanda whereby you will have a look at various animals like hippos, zebras, and elephants among others. Additionally, the park is also home to over 480 bird species such as African jacana, bateleur, and Madagascar squacco heron. Transfer back to your lodge.
Day3: Ballooning experience and boat cruise
Having had your breakfast, you will head for one of the best activities carried out in Akagera park which is ballooning, this activity was recently introduced by the Rwanda development board in hand with the Akagera national park and it starts from the park headquarters where you are first briefed by the ranger guide about the dos and don’ts then he will lead you to the starting point. While on the hot air balloon experience, you will have a clear view of wild animals like buffalos, leopards, zebras and many more, only one hour is given to you while in the air.
Embark on your journey to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will have your boat cruise on Lake Ihema as you relax your minds, breathtaking and not only that, you will also have a look at water animals like hippos, Nile crocodiles, other animals like elephants, zebras who normally come on the lake to bath and drinking some water. a lot of water birds like pelicans, and kingfishers to mention but a few. Move back to the lodge for dinner.
Day4: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
On this fourth day of your 10 days Rwanda gorilla and wildlife, you will wake up early in the morning and have your breakfast then your driver-guide will pick you up from the lodge and drive you heading to the Nyungwe national park which is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda near the Burundi border. While in this park, you will be in the position of seeing animals such as chimpanzees, owl-faced colobus monkeys and many more. After your driver's guide will drive you back to your lodge as you wait for the next activity the following day.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Wake up early in the morning and have your breakfast then drive to the park headquarters where you will get your permits, you will then meet the park ranger guide who will lead you inside the park to trek for these great apes after being briefed quickly.
Trekking for these chimpanzees will sometimes take quite a several hours as you spend most of the time looking for them in the forest because they keep moving as they such for food. When one family is found, you will spend one hour in their presence watching them play, feed, groom and if you are lucky enough you can find them mating. The experience will end but the memories have to remain forever that’s why there is a need for you to take photos while in the presence of chimpanzees, and trek back to the lodge for lunch.
In the evening you will head for one of the interesting activities in east Africa which is the canopy walk of Nyungwe. This is one of the three canopy walks in Africa and the only one in east Africa. The canopy walk is one of the amazing experiences which is done on the high suspended bridge above 70m high on the forest canopy. During this experience, you will be able to see different bird species, primates, monkeys and many more.
Day6: Tea estate experience and transfer to Kivu beach
In the morning after your breakfast, you will head for a tea experience in the tea plantations around Nyungwe park in the fertile areas of Gisoyu and Gisakura. During this experience, you will be able to know how tea is grown and plucked and the care given to it. You will not only know the above but also where their tea is exported and the processes it passes through while in the factory before being exported. Note that Rwanda’s tea is among the best tea in the world so you should not forget to buy some for yourself.
Move back to the lodge for lunch and relaxation thereafter you will transfer to Kivu beach found on lake Kivu, this lake lies on the border of Rwanda and Congo.
Day 7: Beach experience and check-in volcanoes national park
Be served with breakfast and move to the beach on one of Africa’s great lakes which is Kivu for various beach activities like swimming in the warm waters since this beach is known for its immaculate warm and safe water, enjoying the sunrise in the morning, you can take part in sport fishing, canoeing and many more also taking photos is a must because of the good photographic view since you will be looking at part of DRCongo while on this beach. After that long relaxation at the beach, you will transfer to the volcanoes national park and check in at the booked lodge.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience
In the morning after your breakfast, you will head to the volcanoes national park headquarters as early as 7:00 am for permits. You will be led by the park ranger guide to the park after a briefing to look for a certain gorilla group and when it is found, you will be given one hour to stay in their presence as you watch them communicate, and play, breastfeed their young ones and sometimes mating. You will also be allowed to take photos while in their presence for memories, then move back to the starting point and then to the lodge for lunch and relaxation after a long trek in the forest.
Day 9: Dian Fossey hike and visit Ibyi’wacu village
On this second last day of your ten days Rwanda gorilla and wildlife, you will wake up early in the morning and have your breakfast after which your driver-guide will drive you heading to the one of the most visited Dian Fossey tomb hike which rewards visitors with a great view Virunga and the volcanoes national park.
Dian Fossey was an American primatologist who specialized in studying the mountain gorillas, her work left behind ways how to habituate these primates and it is believed that if it was not Fossey's work gorillas would be no more/extinct. You can opt to also reach the Karisoke research centre which is located between Karisimbi and Visoke volcanoes and that’s where its name originated from it was started by Dian Fossey which is becoming one of the best research centres in Rwanda and Africa at large. Move back to the lodge for lunch.
In the meantime you can also visit the Ibyi’wacu village from where you will learn more about Rwandan history and get involved in Rwandan cultures such as music, dance and drama, have a taste of the local foods and drinks all prepared by locals not forgetting to buy some souvenirs for yourself. After the Ibyi’wacu tour, your driver-guide will drive you back to your lodge for your dinner and night stays.
Day 10: Departure
On this last day of your 10 days Rwanda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will have your morning breakfast at your lodge as you are waiting for your driver guide who will pick you up to Kigali international airport and fly back home.
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