Countries: Rwanda & Uganda
Destinations: Kigali, Akagera National Park, Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Itinerary at Glance
Day 1: Arrive Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park for sunset boat ride
Day 3: Full day game drive at Akagera National Park
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 5: Golden monkey trek & transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 6: Gorilla trekking experience at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 7: Transfer to Kigali for city tour
Day 8: Departure
Overviews
This 8 Days Rwanda Uganda Gorilla Wildlife Adventure Safari will wrap up the best of Rwanda and Uganda attractions, blending you, all way through from the city suburbs, to all the major Rwandans’ parks, discovering and exploring the hidden secrets within these parks, from the only savannah park of Akagera National PARK fueling you with majestic game drive and boat cruise at Lake Ihema. You will have a great wildlife safari experience in Akagera National Park before you cross over to Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey trekking before driving to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for gorilla trekking experience, which is referred to as once in a life time experience. The round trip safari starts and ends in Kigali – Rwanda.
Trip Highlights
- Gorilla trekking in Uganda
- Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda
- Game drives in Akagera National Park
- Wildlife safari experience in Rwanda
- Boat ride in Akagera National Park
- Cultural experience
- Kigali city tour
Day 1: Welcome to Kigali – Rwanda!
Day Itinerary
Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, you will go through custom and immigration, and you will be met by our hotel representative who will warmly welcome you to the Land of a thousand hills that Rwanda is known for, and later drive to your booked hotel accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight stay at: Hotel des Mille Collines
Meal Plan: Bed and breakfast
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park. Travel time +3 hours
Day Itinerary
Today, after your relaxed morning breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked by your safari guide and leave for Akagera national park, the journey to Akagera national park takes about 2.3 hours depending on the stopovers along the way, with the beautiful unwinding landscape en route to the park, feel free to ask the guide for stopovers to capture some photos. On arrival at the park, we shall register at the park offices and later proceed to our accommodation with a short game drive and check in for lunch.
After lunch, we head for a game and later sunset boat trip on Lake Ihema watch Hippos and crocodiles in the water or by the shores and meet the buffaloes and elephants wallowing by the water banks. Later return to the lodge for dinner and evening stay.
Akagera National Park.
Bordering Tanzania at the East, in Rwanda, Akagera National Park, is the only Rwanda’s savannah park, patched with a number of bird species, with over 500 bird species can be spotted, numerous wildlife, including the Big Five. Akagera National Park, has been recently stalked with Rhinoceros, and lions, which has greatly multiplied and improved on the wildlife safari experience in Akagera. The park offers endless day game drives and night game drives including a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. If you’re truly into wildlife safari experience, Akagera National Park is a great add on, on your trip to Rwanda
Overnight stay at: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Full day game drive at Akagera National Park
Day Itinerary
After an early morning breakfast at 6:30 am and leave for an early morning game drive in Akagera national park to catch up with late hunters and early risers. We will be searching for the big mammals like Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, several Antelope species, and recently the re-introduced Lions and Rhinos. The park is a varied habitat for wildlife and a number of bird species with over 500 bird species in the park making it a birding paradise. You will have a wonderful game drive, from the southern sector, across central park areas, up to the north, where the majority of concentration of wildlife is sighted. You will have a picnic lunch along the way, as you enjoy your full day game drive in the park. After lunch, proceed with your game drive for more search of abundant wildlife within this great park in the northern part of the park. Later drive back to your booked hotel for dinner and evening stay at the lodge.
Overnight stay at: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Musanze. Travel time +6hrs
Day Itinerary
Today after taking your early morning breakfast, and have a brief morning game drive as and drive to Kigali, have lunch and later proceed with your drive to Musanze, to your booked accommodation. Reach in the afternoon, and spend the evening at leisure.
Volcanoes National park
Bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda in Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park is best known as a sanctuary for the region’s rare mountain gorillas. Visitors flock here to experience a face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures, making it the most famous park in Rwanda. The park is set high on the jungle-covered slopes of the volcanic Virunga Mountains. Highly regulated treks through the reserve allow visitors to spend an hour at a time with these incredible primates in their natural habitat. While the gorillas are without a doubt the main drawcard, visitors can also look forward to exploring a network of scenic hiking trails, visiting the tomb of the world-famous Dian Fossey and the Karisoke Research Centre, and enjoying a beautiful day hike to the Crater Lake on Mount Bisoke. You can as well as opt for trekking the shy golden monkeys or head for a canoe ride on the twin lakes. The beautiful Buhanga Eco Park, still remains virgin and open to visitors, where you get more cultural insight in regards to leadership and kingship of Rwanda
Overnight stay at: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Golden Monkey trekking and transfer to Bwindi. Travel time +5hrs
Day Itinerary
This morning, head for a Golden monkeys trekking experience that takes place in Volcanoes national park at 7:00 am. The golden monkey trekking, takes the same procedure as the gorilla trekking, however less, strenuous compared to gorilla trekking. These rare species are also listed as endangered – and Volcanoes national park currently has two habituated golden monkeys’ troops that are available for visiting by tourists in the park, both of which make about 50 members.
Golden monkeys in Rwanda live in the bamboo vegetation towards the base of the volcanoes and habituation has helped them to overcome their initial shyness to accept their daily visit by researchers and tourists.
Trekking golden monkeys and gorillas is a similar experience – in a small group of no more than eight people, and you can spend one hour with the monkeys once you find them. The endangered species are very active creatures, and jump from tree to tree which is really interesting and a little difficult to photograph!
Afterwards, we will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before driving to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, via Cyanika border post, which is roughly a 3 hour’s drive to your booked accommodation, for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight stay at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 6: Gorilla trekking Experience at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day Itinerary
Early morning cup of coffee, then prepare for the briefing from the Uganda’s officials and thereafter drive to the trekking starting point, have a short briefing before entering into the jungle to search for the shy mountain gorilla, for your gorilla trekking experience. After meeting the gorillas, you can sit around these great apes for a whole hour gazing into their big round eyes. On a gorilla safari, a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as walking shoes, packed food and mineral water, insect repellent, sunscreen and hut. The gorilla tracking experience takes half or whole day depending on the movement of these primates. After this gorilla tracking experience in Uganda, you will have an informative memorable experience in life. Have a relaxed afternoon at your lodge, going through the beautiful photos of the great gorilla encounter, as you wait for dinner and overnight.
Overnight stay at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali
Day Itinerary
Today after your early morning breakfast, you will meet your guide and you hit the road back to Kigali. Afterwards, reach and we will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before heading for Kigali city tour.
Founded in 1907 as a German settlement, Kigali did not become the capital until Rwanda’s independence in 1962 when it replaced the colonial seat of power in Butare. Since then, the city has seen major economic development resulting in what it is today; a vibrant African city of more than one million residents with wide boulevards, world-class hotels and restaurants, crafts & curio shops as well as a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Take a Kigali City Tour which includes visits to old Kigali and craft markets, the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi to learn about Rwanda’s history, the Genocide against the Tutsi as well as other mass atrocities around the world. Exploring further, it is inspiring to see how far the country has come in 28 years. The recovery has been referred to as a true testament to humankind’s resilience. We stop at a craft center where you can haggle for unique Rwandan crafts and curios, and if time permits, we visit the Kandt House Natural History Museum, which covers both natural ecosystems in Rwanda and the intertwined Rwandan and German colonial history. We may also have time to tour Old Kigali where the colonial buildings now form the heart of Rwanda’s small businesses.
Later check in to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight stay at: Heave Boutique Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 8: Departure
Have your early morning breakfast and, you will be met by your guide and be transferred to the airport to catch up with your morning flight back home. End of service!
Meal Plan: Breakfast
This safari package includes.
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop up roof
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- 1 Gorilla permit ($ 700), per person
- 1 golden monkey per person
- En-route lunches
- Kigali genocide memorial visit
- Game drives in Akagera National Park
- Boat ride in Akagera National Park
- Park fees
- Kigali city tour
- Services of English speaking driver/guide
- Bottles of mineral water during safari
- Fun and other excursions as mentioned in the itinerary.
The package excludes expenses of personal nature like:
- Visa Fees & flights
- Optional activities
- Tips for guides
- Laundry
- Alcoholic drinks
- International vaccinations & tests
- Health test requirements
- Personal travel Insurance
- Personal shopping bills
- Phone call bills
- Extras while at the hotel
- Items of personal nature
Please contact us for a free detailed quote on the option of your choice. We can tailor a request that suits your interests, and budget, as well as we can change or upgrade the lodge options. Write to us with more details about your safari.