This 10 days safari in Rwanda allows you to explore all the three national parks of Rwanda, Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Volcanoes national park. The trip literary goes around the country. You will trek the gorillas, track the chimps as well as have a game viewing experience. A Kigali city tour will mark the end of your ten days safari in Rwanda.
Day 1: Arrival and hotel transfer
Today is the arrival day, our experienced driver guide will be waiting to receive you at the airport on arrival. He will brief you about the whole trip as he transfers you to the hotel where you will spend the night.
Day 2: Travel to Nyungwe forest national park
Early morning, have breakfast and travel to Nyungwe forest national park. The park is about four hours away from the country’s capital Kigali. Drive through the beautiful curved roads in Rwanda’s rolling hills, having amazing sceneries of the countryside covered with green lush. You will drive at your own pace, having different stopovers at places of interest for pictures. Arrival at the park will be in the afternoon for lunch, checking and relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking
Today you will track the chimps in their natural habitats. Have breakfast in the morning, set out to the park headquarters for a simple briefing from the local park rangers about the rules and regulations of chimp tracking. Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe involves walking through the thick forest and looking out for the chimps in their natural habitats. On meeting them, spend an hour watching and following them as they play from one tree branch to the other, feeding and carrying on their normal lives.
When the one hour elapses, slope back to the park headquarters and back to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. Chimp tracking takes about 1-6 hours depending on the movement of the chimps and the speed of the trackers. You will have a relaxed afternoon, watching the beautiful scenery from the lodge. In the evening have an optional community walk in the neighboring community just to see how the local people carry on their lives.
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Setting off from the lodge will be early in the morning after breakfast. Drive to Volcanoes national park, a park that gives you spectacular views of the Virunga ranges. Enjoy the comfortable drive through the rolling hills of Rwanda as you head to the country’s prime home for mountain gorillas. Here you track both the gorillas and the golden monkeys, as experience that just a few have had. Driving will be at your pace, as you have several stopovers at places of interests for pictures.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking
Wake up in the jungle to cute sounds of birds and primates. Head to the park headquarters for the gorilla trekking orientation and enter into the forest to search for these mighty apes. Gorilla trekking takes you to the thick tropical forest, walking in slippery trails, avoiding thorny trees and holding on to tree branches for support.
On meeting the apes, spend an hour watching them as they carry on their daily lives. You will take as many pictures as possible provided the camera has no flash. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park takes 1-6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. You will not only encounter the gorillas but also other primates and bird species.
Day 6: Golden monkey tracking and Iby’Iwacu cultural center
Today you will still wake up in the morning, have breakfast and go for a briefing at the park headquarters. Unlike gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking is a bit easier the fact these colorful primates stay in one place for quite some good time. The local ranger guide takes you straight to where the golden monkeys stay. When you reach these amazing primates, you won’t need to be told that they are the ones. The forest immediately becomes so active with monkeys jumping all over and some getting so close to you. It’s an awesome experience. View the monkeys for one hour, taking many pictures and then slope back to the park headquarters.
In the afternoon, having had a palatable lunch, visit the iby’Iwacu cultural village to view Rwanda’s culture. Nothing you will fail to see regarding the three ethnic groups of Rwanda. The Twa, Hutu and Tutsi all showcase their cultures at the center. Enjoy traditional performances and the local cuisines. Returning to the lodge is in the late evening.
Day 7: Travel to Akagera national park
Wake up to a palatable breakfast and start the journey to Akagera national park. Drive through Kigali town to the park enjoying the beautiful scenery of the countryside. Arrival will be in the evening to just check in, have dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
In the morning, have breakfast and embark on the safari vehicle to go for a morning game drive in Akagera national park. Game drives here are ones that expose you to numerous wildlife species in just a few minutes of the drive. You will spot the big five animals; lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and the buffaloes. You will also sight other animals like the zebras, giraffes, waterbucks, warthogs and many others.
In the afternoon, relax off from the delicious lunch with a boat ride on Lake Ihema. This is Rwanda’s second largest lake after Lake Kivu. Be sure of sights of hippos and crocodiles on the shallow ends of the lake. You will also see other animals that come along the lake shores for drinking water in the afternoon. Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Back to Kigali and City tour
Early morning, have breakfast and drive back to Kigali; Rwanda’s capital. On arrival, have lunch and then do a city tour. Visit the Kigali genocide memorial center for the dark history of Rwanda that the country is just getting healed from. Visit the local markets and the museum for Rwanda’s culture. Lunch will be in a local restaurant to taste the local cuisines except to those who don’t want. Checking it at the lodge will be in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Departure
Wake up to a delicious breakfast, check out of the lodge and head to the airport for your exit flight.
