10 days Rwanda safari exposes you to the “Land of a thousand hills” where you will enjoy the beauty of different backdrops and landscapes of Rwanda as you move along her meandering roads. Get to know about Rwanda’s history and what transpired during the Rwanda’s 1994 genocide as you make visits to different genocide memorials and museums where you will also learn about her culture. Wildlife encounters are part of your safari as you spot vast animals roaming the savannah plains of Akagera National Park during your game drive, trek chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest National Park while you encounter several other primates, trek mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park. Relax and chill on Lake Kivu as you engage yourselves in various recreational water activities such as cruising, kayaking, sport fishing and many more.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel
Today a driver guide will be at the airport waiting to pick you, brief you through this itinerary and transfer you to Kigali at your pre-arranged hotel for an overnight stay. If your arrival in Rwanda is in the early morning, you will have a tour around Rwanda’s capital city with your lunch in the capital which is considered one of Africa’s cleanest, safest and greatest cities. You will make visits to genocide memorial sites and museums where you will have an insight into Rwanda’s history, art galleries, craft shops and local markets. You will later return to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park – Evening game drive
Your day starts with a relaxed breakfast at your hotel before checking out to embark on your 2 to 3 hours’ drive to Akagera National Park. Akagera National Park is the only savannah National Park in Rwanda that harbors vast animal and bird species featured by stunning landscapes with rolling hills covered with lush vegetation offering panoramic views. Arrival at your reserved lodge will be in the afternoon too check-in for your lunch and relaxation. In the evening proceed for a game drive in Akagera’s savannah plains where you will see a variety of bird types and animals like buffaloes, elephants, gazelles, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and many more that roam across its grassy plains. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 3: Morning game drive – Lake Ihema afternoon boat cruise
Today have an early morning breakfast and set off for your morning game drive as the sun comes up which offer the best wildlife viewing opportunity when animals tend to be active during this period when the temperatures are still very low. Look out for the big fives namely lions, elephants, rhinos, leopard, buffaloes and other animals like zebras, impalas, elands, waterbucks, warthogs, topis, bushbucks, giraffes will be seen roaming the Akagera savannah plains. Return to the lodge for lunch before you head for an afternoon boat cruise along Lake Ihema. You will sail through schools of hippopotamuses while you spot crocodiles lying and sunbathing along the Lake’s shores. A variety of animals will be spotted along the lake shores trying to quench their thirst and cool their body temperatures while vast bird species roam the lake. Get back to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe forest National Park
Wake up to a scrumptious breakfast, check-out of your lodge facility in Akagera National Park to meet your driver guide and set off for your adventurous journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park. This is a 5 to 6 hours’ drive with stop overs for example at the Ethnographic museum that displays geographical, geological and several other items that were used in Rwanda’s ancient days. You will proceed to Nyanza where you will make visits to several other museums like the King’s palace museum for you to learn about Rwanda’s royal stile and Her pre-colonial story. Here you will have your lunch after which you will proceed to Rwanda’s haven of primates harboring to about 13 primate species. Arrival will be in the late afternoon to check-in at your pre-arranged lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk in Nyungwe forests
Greet your intestines with a hefty breakfast and be driven to the park headquarters for a briefing about chimpanzee trekking. Ranger guides will lead you into Nyungwe’s dense forests for a 1 to 4 hours trek while you enjoy looking out for other primates such as black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons to mention but a few with several bird types. You will be allowed an hour with the chimpanzees after you have located a group which is such a magical and wondrous experience. Get back to the lodge for lunch after which you head off for a 2 hours’ walk along a 70meter suspended bridge while your balance and stability are tested. This treetop canopy walk offers great views of the great East African region, Lake Kivu as well as various animals and bird species that thrive in the forests. You will get back to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Enjoy your morning breakfast and checkout to embark on your 5 to 6 hours’ adventurous drive to Volcanoes National Park. You will enjoy the beautiful scenery of stunning landscapes and rolling hills of Rwanda while you are driven through meandering roads arriving in the afternoon to check-in at your pre-arranged lodge to have dinner and an overnight. Volcanoes National Park is part of the vast Virunga conservation area which is shared by three countries namely Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Its a haven to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys that thrive within the slopes of Virunga Mountains and thus offering the best gorilla and golden monkey experiences.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking and Gorilla Guardians village
Today wake up to a hefty breakfast and be transferred to the Park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking and gorilla family allocation. You will be assigned ranger guides who will then lead you to the starting point of your trek to embark on the search of the gentle giants which may last for about a few minutes to 6 hours depending on their movements. You will have a once in a life time and unforgettable experience as you closely watch the gorillas go by their routine duties. Return back to the lodge for lunch before you proceed for a visit to the Gorilla guardians village where you will learn about Rwanda’s culture and history. It is your time to become a Rwandan king or Queen as you are informed about their cultural traditions and values. You can get involved in knitting, milking, preparation of local dishes, use of bow and arrow while you enjoy their folks and cultural performances. Get back to the lodge for your dinner and an overnight.
Day 8: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Kivu
Have your morning breakfast and return to Kinigi Park headquarters for a briefing about golden monkey trekking. Golden monkeys are critically endangered and indigenous to the Virunga region and thrive in the bamboo forests. Trekking this monkey specie lasts for about 30minutes to 4 hours after which an hour is allowed as you watch them play and feed on bamboo shoots and leaves. Return back to your lodge for lunch and checkout to embark on your drive to Lake Kivu that situated on border shared by Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Arrival will be in the late afternoon to check-in at your booked lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 9: Whole day Lake Kivu exploration
Wake up to a scrumptious breakfast and head off to Lake Kivu where you will have a whole day relaxation at the lake as you engage yourselves in various water activities. The activities you can engage in include a boat cruise to Islands such as Amahoro and Napoleon Islands where adventure awaits you, swimming since it is a predator and bilharzia free, sport fishing and many more. You will have your lakeside lunch as you relax on the Lake’s shores after which you will return to Lake Kivu waters for kayaking experience that will all make your trip rewarding. In the evening return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Kigali and departure
Today have your last safari breakfast and checkout of your lodge to be driven back to Kigali while capturing the scenic beauty of “the land of a thousand hills” arriving to have your lunch in the city center. After lunch you will be driven further to Kigali international airport or to be dropped off at a hotel of your choice in Kigali as you wait for your actual flight time. At this point you can still decide to prolong your safari to other East African countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania as our experienced tour consultants and guides design for you tailor made tour packages to destinations of your choice.