This 7 days safari lets you explore all the three national parks of Rwanda. You will visit Akagera national park, the country’s only savanna game park with a variety of wildlife species including the big game. The trip then takes you to Volcanoes national park for gorilla trekking. Still visit Nyungwe forest national park for chimpanzee tracking and a canopy walkway. Finally finish the trip with a short city tour in Kigali to the genocide memorial before departure.
Day 1: Arrival, pick up and transfer to Akagera National Park Rwanda
Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, our company representative or driver guide will receive you to brief you about the whole trip movements. Immediately start travelling to Akagera National park, the country’s only savanna park. On arrival at the lodge, just check in, have some relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Early in the morning after breakfast, go for a game drive to catch-up with the early risers. The park is now home to the big 5 with the recent introduction of Lions and Rhinos that added to the leopards, elephants and buffaloes. Game drives in Akagera national park expose you to numerous wildlife species in just a few minutes of the drive, be sure of spotting the buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards, warthogs, oribis, elands and so many others. It will be a half day game drive after which you will return back to the lodge for a small relaxation and lunch.
After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second largest lake for stunning views of the surrounding areas, hills and swamps. Expect to see Hippos, crocodiles and more bird species on the shallow ends of the lake as well as other land mammals that come around for drinking water in the afternoon.
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Wake up, have breakfast and then drive to Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes national park is as a renowned haven for mountain Gorillas and a home to five of the Volcanoes that make the Virunga ranges. The park was a base for primatologist Dian Fossey. You will enjoy several stopovers of your interest and enroute lunch. Arrival at the lodge will be in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla tracking and the Iby’Iwacu cultural village
Have early morning breakfast, carry your packed lunch, and go for briefing at the park headquarters. You will set off for the gorilla trekking in the forest. The ranger guides will lead you deep into the forest in search for the mountain Gorillas moving across the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that you will immensely enjoy viewing and photographing for about 1 hour.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes 3-5 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas and the gorilla group you are tracking. This is a once in a life time adventure that brings you so close with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. In the afternoon after lunch, visit the Ibyawachu cultural village for a cultural retreat. This is a one stop center that exhibits all the three ethnic groups of Rwanda. Cultures of the Twa, Hutu and the Tutsi are all showcased here. Be sure of enjoying the traditional performances and the local cuisines unless you don’t want. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight as above.
Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
After your morning breakfast, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Along the way you will visit the new Visitor’s Interpretive Centre to give you more information about the park such as number of primate species found in the park, types of bird species and other tourist activities carried out with in the Park. Check in at your Hotel for Lunch, have relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight in preparation for the next day.
Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking
Have an early breakfast, drive to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. It is advisable to carry packed lunch and plenty of water prior to this tracking since it can sometimes last over 6 hours. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, Black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys.
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest national park takes you to the thick tropical forest, walking onto sounds of sweet melodies of the forest birds and animals. You search out for these primates in the forest, and on meeting them, spend one hour in their presence, watching them carry on their daily lives, following them and taking as many pictures as you want.
In the afternoon, depending on the time you will leave the forest for chimp tracking, you will have lunch at the lodge and then have an optional canopy walk. Note that this is not a guarantee because chimpanzee tracking sometimes lasts up to 6 hours.
Day 7: Transfer to the airport for Departure
Wake up early in the morning have breakfast and your driver guide will transfer you to the airport for your scheduled flight.
