Day 1: Arrival at the Airport in Kigali.
On arrival at Kanombe airport in Kigali, you will be received by our representative who will transfer you to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Kigali Serena Hotel
Midrange: Hotel chez Lando
Budget: Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel
Day 2: Morning City tour and transfer to Volcanoes national park.
In the morning, you may opt for a city tour – visit the genocide memorial site, craft market, etc. After lunch, enjoy a scenic drive to the Volcanoes national park, home to the endangered mountain gorillas.
Spend the evening at Iby’iwachu Cultural Village where you will learn more about the Banyarwanda cultural practices and their tradition around volcanoes national park. The cultural encounter will give you a rare opportunity to interact with the local people in their natural environment, with a taste of their unique culture and traditions. On arrival to the village, you will be genuinely welcomed by the community as special Visitors. After cultural refreshment, entertainment, you will retire back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mountain Gorilla view Lodge
Midrange: Le Bambou Gorilla lodge
Budget: Hotel Muhabura
Day 3: Gorilla trekking and afternoon nature walk.
After an early morning hearty breakfast, you will be driven by your driver guide to the park headquarters for a briefing at 07:30 am to 8:00 am regarding gorilla trekking etiquette in Volcanoes National park. While at the park headquarters, you will meet other trekkers and you will be divided in groups of eight individuals who are allowed to trek one habituated mountain gorilla group. After briefing, you will be led by ranger guide to hike through the verdant jungle searching for mountain gorillas. The activity which will take 2-8 hours needs someone to be physical fit since it involves a lot of hiking the hills and slopping the Valleys. Gorilla trekking process is tedious but impressive when you finally set your small eyes direct to bit big round eyes of the mountain gorillas.
Upon encountering the gorillas, spend at least an hour taking photography and observing their fascinating acrobatics, seeing them feed, play and look for their young ones. While staying with the gorillas, you will be required to maintain a distance of 7 meters away, also turn off the flash of your camera as you take pictures. Right after one hour, you will retire back to the starting point and transfer to your lodge for late lunch. In the evening, you may go for cultural walk, where you will be entertained by the Banyarwanda community, or undertake a trip to the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera for scenic viewing and caves.
Retire for dinner and overnight
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mountain Gorilla view Lodge
Midrange: Le Bambou Gorilla lodge
Budget: Hotel Muhabura
Day 4: Dian Fossey Hike and transfer to Lake Kivu.
In the morning, you may undertake a hike up to Karisoke research centre, established by Dian Fossey. Learn more about the activities of Dian Fossey of mountain gorilla conservation. On return, you will transfer to Gisenyi Lake Kivu driving along the Congo Nile Divide trail with the unequaled views of Lake Kivu and the resort town of Kibuye. Dinner and overnight at the hotel
Accommodation:
Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Resort
Midrange: Water Front Resort
Budget: Paladise Malahide
Day 5: Boat cruise at L. Kivu and transfer to Nyungwe.
In the morning after a relaxed breakfast, embark on a soothing boat cruise on Lake Kivu which is the largest lake in Rwanda that stretches to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The cruise avails visitors with an unforgettable recreational adventure on the lake while exploring its Virgin Islands and fresh vegetation. Retire from the activity and relax on the banks. In the evening, you will embark on the transfer to Nyungwe with en route stop overs for photography and lunch. The drive to Nyungwe is very fascinating. It takes you through impressive landscape sceneries dotted with local settings and local populations. On arrival to the park, you will drive to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange: Nyungwe hill top view lodge
Budget: Gisakura guest house
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking, Canopy walk and Return to Kigali.
On this last day of your Rwanda Wildlife Safari, After breakfast transfer to the park headquarters for briefing; before embarking on chimp tracking;
Nyungwe National Forest is an ideal destination for primate lovers, sheltering over 13 different species of primates. Therefore, you will have the opportunity to trek chimpanzees in their natural habitat
You will divide in groups of 8 people and by exactly 8:00am, you set off for this fascinating adventure; led by the ranger guide through the beautiful forest trail in search of chimpanzees. Along the trails, you will listen to the nice melodies by different bird species housed in the forest and you will also have chance to enjoy the views of other primates like grey-cheeked mangabey, monkeys. The activity takes between 2-6 hours but experienced guides will make sure that they take you where you will have to see the primates as fast as possible. Face to face encounter with the chimpanzees is very amazing because you will observe them play, feed and rest. After this worthwhile experience, you will head back to the lodge for lunch. Then later explore canopy walk to see the beautiful twin lakes as well as various bird species.
Later transfer back to Kigali with en route visit to the King’s Palace at Nyanza, Butare Museums and Murambi Genocide Memorial Site; marking the end of your 6 days Rwanda gorilla Safaris.
End of Safari with Love Uganda Safaris
