9 Days Discover Rwanda Safari

9 Days Discover Rwanda Safari

This 9 Days Discover Rwanda safari will take you around Rwanda national parks while exploring the most beautiful Rwanda tourism attractions. You will take a visit to Rwanda’s three national parks and other historical and cultural sites. These include parts of Akagera National Park, which is home to the African Big Five savannah animals, such as lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, and buffaloes. The park also features many lakes that host hippos and crocodiles.

Additionally, Nyungwe Forest National Park is known as the primates’ haven in Rwanda, offering chimpanzee tracking. Lastly, Volcanoes National Park is home to mountain gorillas in the Northern Province, which is part of the Virunga Mountains. This Virunga massif encompasses Volcanoes national park of Rwanda, Mgahinga Gorilla national park of Uganda, and Virunga national park in DRC Congo, where the mountain gorillas in the world still survive.

Safari Highlights

Day 1: Pick up from hotel and transfer to Ruhengeri

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Parc National Des Volcans—Ibya cuwa cultural village tour

Day 3: Golden Monkey tracking – Transfer to Gisenyi

Day 4: Full day in Gisenyi

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park (5-6 hours’ drive)

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy walk

Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park

 Day 8: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema

Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali city

Detailed package

Day 1: Pick up from hotel and transfer to Ruhengeri

Depending on your location in Kigali, you will be met by your safari driver, who will be your guide throughout the trip, and meet and transfer to Volcanoes national park. It’s a 2-3 hour drive from Kigali to Musanze, where we find the home of the endangered mountain gorillas. Upon arrival, check in at your lodge, have lunch and later afternoon, visit the twin lakes of Burere and Butare and the Dian Fossey Museum. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at 5 Volcanoes Gorilla lodge for Luxury option, Le Bambou Gorilla lodge for the mid-range option, or Hotel Muhabura/Kinigi Guesthouse for the budget option

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Parc National Des Volcans—Ibya cuwa cultural village tour

After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the Kinigi park headquarters with your trekking gear for a briefing about the endangered mountain gorillas. You have been allocated a gorilla family to trek, connect to the starting point and start trekking along with the guidance of the armed ranger guides together with the ranger guides. This activity may take between 2 and 8 hours searching for the gorillas depending on their movement. However, meeting them is so rewarding and you will spend maximally 1 hour with them as you take time studying them and taking pictures and videos. After spending your time with the fascinating mountain gorillas, return to the base and meet your driver to connect to your lodge for lunch and refreshment.

Later in the afternoon, visit Iby’wacu Cultural Village—a nonprofit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through the provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood-based projects. It’s a rewarding place where you will be guided around the place as you enjoy the Kinyarwanda traditions, including the Intore dance, traditional ceremonies and a guided community walk. Dinner and overnight stay at booked lodge as above

Day 3: Golden Monkey tracking – Transfer to Gisenyi

After breakfast, you will go for golden monkey tracking. This activity also takes like 2-3 hours in Volcanoes national park with an allowance of 1 hour to spend time with the golden monkeys. Later after the experience you will meet up with your driver guide to connect for a late lunch and transfer to Gisenyi. You will check into your hotel in Gisenyi, settle in and dinner will be served. Overnight will be at Kivu Serena hotel for luxury/Livu Gorilla Lodge for mid-range/Palm Garden Hotel for budget option

Day 4: Full day in Gisenyi

After having breakfast, you will continue with your safari to Gisenyi town. This offers beautiful and excellent views of Lake Kivu and it’s a great place to relax while feeling its waterfront and sandy beaches. Upon arrival, you will have lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or visiting the hot springs, which will help you learn more about the formation of the Virunga Volcanic Mountains. Alternatively, you can also visit the local projects in the area and interact with project members or visit the local artisans and local women’s weaving association. Dinner and overnight in Gisenyi town at a hotel as above.

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park (5-6 hours’ drive)

After a morning breakfast, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En route, you will have lunch in Kibuye with en route stops for sightseeing. Reach the Park late afternoon. Check-in at your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight at One and Only Nyungwe House for luxury option, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel for mid-range option, or Gisakura Visitors Centre for budget option

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy walk

Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos.  You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.

After lunch, you will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk—a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s-eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before nightfall, you will return to the lodge for dinner as above. Dinner and overnight at hotel as above

Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park

After breakfast, you will depart for Kigali for lunch and also a short city tour to the Gisozi Genocide Memorial site. You will later transfer to Akagera national Park. En route you will pass through the country’s phenomenal landscape, which will give you views of the country’s beauty and also the lifestyle of its people. Upon arrival in the park, if you have time, you will go for a short southern Lake Ihema game drive. Look out for animals such as elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and many more like Antelopes. Dinner and overnight at Ruzizi tented camp for luxury option, Akagera game lodge for mid-range option, or Transit Lodge for budget option

 Day 8: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema

The seventh day of this Rwanda Safari highlights more activities in Akagera National Park. Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a Northern circuit game drive to search for animals that you may have missed out on in the previous game drive. It was not a guarantee that all the animals could be seen in the evening game drive.

There are some that are early risers and can only be seen in the morning. Return back to the lodge for a small relaxation as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema, which will offer you views of the surrounding areas, hills and swamps. Expect to see Hippos, crocodiles and more bird species. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Lodge as above

Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali city

Early morning after breakfast on the last day of your 9-day Rwanda Safari, you will go for a nature walk to search for different bird species. Return to Kigali city. Depending on your time of departure, you will be transferred to the Airport for your flight back home or your hotel in Kigali, as you will advise.

End of 9 Days Discover Rwanda Safari