Destination: Rwanda
Parks: Volcanoes National Park, & Akagera National Park
Itinerary at Glance
Day 1: Arrival
Day 2: City tour & transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 3: Gorilla Trek at Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 5: Game drive and boat trip in Akagera
Day 6: Full day game drive in Akagera National Park
Day 7: Departure
Overview.
This 7 days Rwanda luxury double gorilla trekking safari will wrap up the best of Rwandan 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 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 a double gorilla trekking experience, where you come face to face with the mighty gorillas twice. You will as well have an opportunity to trek the shy lovely golden monkeys, who share the habitat with the gorillas. Time permitting, you will as well undertake, Kigali city tour, with a visit to the memorial and local markets.
You will as well, get a great chance, to come face to face with the gentle gorillas twice!!!!
Trip Highlights
- Gorilla trekking
- Game drives in Akagera
- Boat ride in Akagera
- Cultural experience
- Kigali city tour
Day 1: Welcome to Kigali – Rwanda!
Day Itinerary
Upon arrival at Kigali international airport and passing through the immigration process, you will be welcomed by our safari driver who will brief you shortly and transfer you to the booked accommodation.
Overnight: Hotel des Mille Collines
Meal Plan: Bed and breakfast
Day 2: Transfer from Kigali to Volcanoes NP. Travel time: 2hrs
Day Itinerary
Upon getting done with your hotel breakfast in Kigali, or upon arrival at Kigali airport, you will be met by our company representative, who will introduce you to your safari driver guide, who will brief you shortly and later transfer you to the booked accommodation in Musanze which is roughly a 2 hours’ drive. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
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: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 3: Gorilla trekking Experience at Volcanoes National Park
Day Itinerary
Enjoy your buffer breakfast at the lodge by 0630 hours, and later jump on to your jeep and drive to the park headquarters’ in Kinigi for briefing by 0700 hrs: Registration is a simple process where the park staff determines which group of gorillas you will visit. The park staff discusses your fitness level and advises you of the gorilla trekking times and conditions to the various groups based upon their location in the park the previous evening. There are a total of 96 gorilla permits available each day with a maximum of eight trekkers visiting any one group. Your guide would have asked you, about your trekking fitness, and interest, so as to choose a gorilla group that matches your interest to join for the day.
Once the trekkers are put into groups, each group’s Lead Guide briefs the trekkers of the trekking procedures as well as the “do’s and don’ts” while in the presence of gorillas. After the briefing, trekkers return to their respective vehicles for the drive up the mountain to the starting point.
Gorilla trekking can take from two to six or more hours if the gorillas move before the park rangers locate them the next morning. The guides stop frequently to allow trekkers a chance to rest and take photos along the way.
Our exhilarating trek in the footsteps of the rare and critically endangered Mountain Gorillas, the largest living primate on earth, starts in the cultivated foothills of the Volcanoes National Park with stirring views in all directions.
Upon entering the park, with paths carved by the mountains’ elusive buffalo and elephant, trekkers will be immersed in the mysterious intimacy of the rainforest, alive with colorful bird calls, butterflies and more. Through gaps in the canopy, the magnificent Virunga peaks, among the highest in Africa yet easily accessible, are glimpsed, beckoning an ascent.
Weaving through overhanging vines, moss-covered hagenia and giant lobelias that thrive in the tropical climate, our experienced trackers, who spend their entire lives in or close to this forest, bring you up close with the gorilla family.
Upon sighting the gorillas, you will stay with them for a magical hour as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting; raising their young. Coming face to face with a giant silverback is one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth. You will later return back to your lodge, catch up with lunch, and in the afternoon, you can opt to relax at your lodge or visit the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International Karisoke Research Center this afternoon to better understand the efforts and sacrifices that led to your magical moment.
Overnight at: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Akagera National Park. Travel time + 2.5 hours
Day Itinerary
Today, after your relaxed morning breakfast at your hotel, you will be met, by your safari guide, share a short briefing and later jump into your safari jeeps and leave for Akagera national park, the journey to Akagera national park takes about 2.5 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 proceed to our accommodation after a short game drive and check in for lunch. We ordered lunch and later headed for a brief game drive for game viewing. 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. After, we head for a night game drive in search of the nocturnal wildlife, which can be sighted in the late evening. 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 at: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Game drive and boat trip at Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park
Have breakfast at the lodge and head for morning game drive in the southern sector of the game in search of wildlife, after returning to the lodge for refreshment and lunch. After lunch, we head for a boat trip on Lake Ihema at 3 pm watch Hippos and crocodiles in the water or by the shores and meet the buffaloes and elephants wallowing by the water banks. In the evening, you will head for evening game drive, to explore the park, and have chances of encountering some nocturnal, and leopards can often be sighted in the cool evening hours. Later return to the lodge for dinner and evening stay.
Overnight at: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6: Full day Game drive at Akagera National Park
Day Itinerary
Today early morning after having your breakfast at your lodge/ camp, you will be picked by your safari driver guide at about 6 am from your lodge and head for a full day safari game drive to Akagera national park with your parked lunch from the lodge, as you will not return back. Akagera National Park is a Savannah Park with Elephants, Zebras, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Waterbucks, Topi’s and recently introduced Lions. We shall take a game drive in search of these wildlife and numerous bird species. The game drive can last about 5-7 hours depending on the animal sightings and interest. Have a picnic lunch in case you packed before your last game drive and drove back to the lodge.
Overnight at: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 7: Kigali city tour and departure
Day Itinerary
Today, have a relaxed breakfast, and later transfer back to Kigali.
Afterwards, we will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before driving to Kigali.
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.
Depending on your flight time, you will later be transferred to the airport, with your guide, and catch up with your flight back home. End of service! Meal Plan: Breakfast & lunch
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 ($ 1500), per person
- Museums visit
- En-route lunches
- Game drives
- Night game drive
- Boat ride in Akagera
- Park fees
- Kigali city tour
- Services of English speaking driver/guide
- Bottles of mineral water
- Fun and other excursions as mentioned in the itinerary.
The package excludes expenses of personal nature like:
- Visa Fees & flights
- Optional activities
- Tips & gratuities
- laundry
- Alcoholic drinks
- International vaccinations
- Health test requirements
- Porter fees while trekking
- 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.