Incredible Rwanda Wild Tour for 11 Days

HIGHLIGHTS

Starts/Ends: Kigali, Rwanda

Country Visited: Rwanda

Main Activities: Genocide Memorial, Game Drive, Gorilla Trekking, Chimp Tracking, Hikiking, Bird Watching, Boat Rides and city excursions.

Strength Demand: Highly Demanding

Best Time: December to February and June to mid-September  during the dry seasons

20 Day Remarkable Rwanda Tour

Route: Kigali – Akagera – Kigali – Volcanoes –  Nyungwe – Kigali

Tour Highlights

• Start the 11 Day Incredible Rwanda Wild Tour  with having a game drive in Akagera National park and a boat trip on Lake Ihema to experience Africa’s most inspiring concentration of big water birds.
• Gorilla trekking – The thrill and awesome sensation of looking into the eyes of the world’s largest living primates (mountain gorillas) in their natural habitat.
• Making your way through airy bamboo forests to find the charming Golden Monkey.
• Visiting Musanze cave for a unique experience of seeing different types of bats and to enjoy views of the twin lakes and wildlife attractions.
• Hiking to the grave and site of Dian Fossey’s research station at Karisoke to pay homage to the legendary American zoologist who became famous for her dedication to studying and protecting endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
• Tracking the famous chimpanzees and the Colobus monkeys in Nyungwe Forest, experiencing the canopy walk and witnessing beautiful birds in the Nyungwe Forest National Park.
• Visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, a sobering and yet touching museum dedicated to the nearly one million people who lost their lives in the conflict and is now an educational site with museums and exhibits dedicated to preventing genocides around the world.

Day 1: Arrival Kigali Airport

The 11 Day Incredible Rwanda Wild Tour starts here when you are received at the airport by our safari guide who will transfer you to the Hotel of your booking in Kigali. Depending on the time of arrival you will either stay at the hotel resting or be taken for an excursion in the city of Kigali.

The 11 Day Rwanda Special Tour Kigali City excursion highlights will include the Kisozi Genocide memorial, Kigali Historical Museum, Caparaki art craft gallery and Belgium memorial. You will be returned to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation options:
Up-market: Kigali Serena Hotel / Milles des Colins Hotel
Midrange: Flame Tree Village Hotel
Budget: Step Town Hotel
Meal plan: Dinner

Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park

After an early breakfast, we continue the 11 Day Incredible Rwanda Wild Tour with a drive to Akagera National Park. After lunch you will go for an afternoon game drive to see the Giraffes, Buffaloes, Spotted Hyenas, Elephants, Crocodiles, Hippos and plenty of bird life. You will have dinner and overnight at the hotel of your booking.

Accommodation options:
Up-market: Ruzizi Game Lodge
Midrange: Akagera Game Lodge
Budget: Akagera Game Lodge
Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Game drive and boat ride on Akagera Lake

You will have an early breakfast and set off for another game drive to catch up with the early risers and large predators including lions and hyenas, bushbuck, zebra, Elephants, giraffes, Buffaloes, cape elands, impalas, oribi and antelopes.

You will have lunch and later go for a boat launch on the beautiful Lake Ihema to see Hippos, giant crocodiles and a profusion of water birds that will include the African fish eagle, papyrus Gonolek and the shoebill stork. You will have dinner and overnight at the lodge booked for you. You will have dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation options:
Up-market: Ruzizi Game Lodge
Midrange: Akagera Game Lodge
Budget: Akagera Game Lodge
Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Transfer to Parc Nationale des volcanoes

You will have breakfast and travel to Ruhengeri town near the Volcanoes National Park. You will have a tour of this town and also visit the sightseeing spots of this beautiful area before retiring to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation options:
Up-market: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge / Gorillas Nest Lodge
Midrange: La Palme Hotel
Budget: Kinigi Tourist Guest House
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5 & 6: Gorilla trekking

This is the biggest highlight of the entire 11 Day Incredible Rwanda Wild Tour. After an early breakfast, you’ll report at the Park Headquarters for a briefing on the rules to be observed during Gorilla trekking. You will be allocated a Gorilla family to track and guides to lead you to the Gorillas. The tracking will take 2-5 hours. Once found, you will spend a maximum of one hour observing the gorillas in their natural setting.

After the tracking you will be returned to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation options:
Up-market: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge / Gorillas Nest Lodge
Midrange: La Palme Hotel / Volcanoes Gorilla Lodge
Budget: KinigiTourist Guest House / Muhavura Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Dian Fossey Trek

You will after breakfast hike to Karisoke Research Centre established by Dian Fossey, an American primatologist who dedicated all her life conserving the primates. You will after being taken around this remarkable centre return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Golden Monkeys tracking

You will set off after breakfast to track the rare Golden monkeys in ParcNationale Des Volcanoes. You will also be able to see other primate species such as vervet monkeys, baboons, and a variety of bird species and butterflies. The guide will explain to you how the primates behave and about the fauna and flora in this park.

Accommodation options:
Up-market: Le’ Bambou Gorilla Safari Lodge
Budget: Kinigi Guest House / Muhavura Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park

You will have an early breakfast and relocate to Nyungwe Forest National Park. You will have lunch at the hotel of your booking after which you will be taken for a guided nature walk in the forest to see a variety of animals and some of the three hundred bird species found here, which include the Rwenzori turaco and black and white casqued hornbill. You will also be able to spot large groups of colobus monkeys.

Accommodation options:
Up-market: Nyungwe Lodge
Midrange: Top Hill View Lodge
Budget: Gisakura Guest House
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest

You will wake up very early in the morning (5.30am) and report at the Nyungwe Park headquarters for the 6.00am briefing on the Golden monkey tracking rules. You will after the briefing start the trek in search of the Golden monkeys in the verdant rain forest. During the trek you will have the chance to see other primates such as the Rwenzori colobus, Silver monkey, Chimpanzees, the Grey cheeked Mangabey, L’hoests monkey and the Owl faced monkey. You will return to your Hotel for a late lunch and relaxation.

Day 11: Guided nature walk and transfer to Kigali for departure

You will have an early breakfast and go for a guided nature walk in the forest to see a variety of animals and various species of birds. This forest habours about three hundred bird species including the rare Rwenzori turaco and the black and white casqued hornbill. You will after the nature walk travel to Kigali where you will have lunch and later transfer to the Airport for your departure flight.

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch