8 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari
8 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari
8 days Rwanda Wildlife safari is one of the best Rwanda wildlife safari offered by Focus East Africa Tours taking you on an adventurous experience to 3 fascinating Rwandan national parks, this safari starts from Kigali the capital of Rwanda to Akagera national park, proceed to Nyungwe Forest national then to Volcanoes national park where you will meet the endangered mountain gorillas. You will also visit Lake Kivu for a relaxation retreat.
Highlights of the safari
- Day 1:arrival and pickup
- Day 2: transfer to Akagera national park
- Day 3: transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
- Day 4: chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk
- Day 5: transfer to volcanoes national park
- Day 6:mountain gorilla trekking experience
- Day 7: visit and spend the day at the shores of Lake Kivu
- Day 8: departure
Detailed itinerary of the safari
Day 1: Arrival and pickup
On your arrival in Rwanda the land of a thousand gills at Kigali international airport you will be welcomed by our representatives and transfer to your hotel, depending on the time of your arrival you will have a short Kigali city tour then have dinner and stay overnight at your hotel.
Accommodation: Kigali Marriott hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After breakfast at your hotel in Kigali you will checkout and embark on a journey to Akagera national park the only savannah national park in Rwanda, located in the eastern region along the border of Rwanda with Tanzania. Akagera national park is a home to several mammal species such as zebras, lions, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks, bush bucks and many more.
Arrive in the park in time for lunch which you will have after checking in the head for a game drive sighting a number of animals and a boat ride on Ihema enjoying sights of hippos and crocodiles. Return to your lodge, have dinner and stay overnight.
Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation options
- Up market – Magashi Camp
- Midrange – Ruzizi tented camp
- Mid-range – Akagera game lodge
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
Have morning breakfast at your lodge, then checkout and go for an en-route game drive, exit the park and embark on a journey to Nyungwe Forest national park with a stopover in Huye formerly known as Butare visiting the Ethnographic Museum of Rwanda (formerly known as the national museum). While at the museum you will learn about the culture and history of Rwanda and its people and also have lunch. Arrive in the park in the evening, have dinner and stay overnight while on your Rwanda Safari.
Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation options
- Up market – Nyungwe House
- Mid-range – Nyungwe top view lodge
- Budget – Gisakura guest house
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk
Have breakfast as early as possible and head to the park for a chimpanzee tracking experience, you will be briefed about the experience by a ranger guide then trek into the forests looking for chimpanzees. On your trek you encounter various species of birds and primates such as L’Hoest’s monkeys, Rwenzori Colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys and many more. When you meet the chimpanzee you are allowed to stay for 1 hour in their presence while watching them play on tree branches, as they pick fruits, play with each other and take magnificent pictures of them. After the experience you will trek back and head to your lodge for lunch, in the afternoon you will head back to the park for a canopy walk. Canopy walk is done on a high suspended metallic canopy above the Nyungwe forests, on this walk you will enjoy the scenic views of the surrounding, monkeys and birds. In the evening you will head back to your lodge, have dinner and stay overnight.
Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation options
- Up market – Nyungwe House
- Mid-range – Nyungwe top view lodge
- Budget – Gisakura guest house
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Have morning breakfast, checkout of your lodge and head on a journey to Volcanoes national park a home to mountain gorillas. On your way you will enjoy watching the beautiful sights of Lake Kivu, winding roads in the land of a thousand hills and have lunch. Arrive in the park in the evening, check into your lodge, have dinner and stay overnight.
Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation options
- Up market – Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
- Mid-range – Le Bambou gorilla lodge
- Budget – Garden place hotel
Day 6: mountain gorilla trekking experience
Leave your lodge and head to the park after early breakfast for mountain gorilla trekking experience on which you will meet the endangered mountain gorilla in the dense jungles of the Virunga ranges, before the experience starts you will go through a briefing at the park’s headquarters, be assigned a gorilla family to visit and a guide then trek into the forests looking for the gorillas. The trekking takes about 1-2 hours and when you find the gorillas you will stay for one hour will taking beautiful pictures and observing the behaviors o these beautiful animals. The trekking can last for more than 5 hours that is why you go with your packed lunch.
After the experience you will head back to your lodge and spend the evening while lounging around the lodge or go for a cultural village/community walk. Have dinner and stay overnight.
Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation options
- Up market – Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
- Mid-range – Le Bambou gorilla lodge
- Budget – Garden place hotel
Day 7: visit and spend the day on the shores of Lake Kivu
After morning breakfast you will checkout of your lodge and leave for Gisenyi to Lake Kivu for a relaxing experience, while at the shores of the Lake Kivu you will participate in activities such as visiting the hot springs, do a boat trip to the island, kayaking, beach football and sunbathing as you sip on a glass of your favorite drink. In the evening you will have dinner and stay overnight.
Meal plan – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation options
- Up market – Lake Kivu Serena
- Mid-range – Inzonzi lodge
- Budget – Paradise Malahide
Day 8: departure
After breakfast you will checkout and embark on a journey back to Kigali city where you will be dropped off either at your hotel or at the airport for your departure flight back home.
End of the Rwanda safari.
Tour includes
- Ground transport per 4X4 vehicle
- Park entrance fees
- Game drives
- Boat trip
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Bottled water
- Full board accommodation
- Service of an English-speaking driver guide
- All mentioned activities except for the optional ones
Tour excludes
- Extras at the accommodation i.e. drinks, telephone, laundry etc.
- Tips to porters, site guides and driver/ guide
- Insurance
- Optional activities
