9 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trek & Wildlife Safari

About 9 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trek & Wildlife Safari

1. Day 1

   Arrival and Transfer to Mille Collines

   On arrival at the airport, a company representative receives guests and transfers them to Mille Collines Hotel/ Hotel Rwanda for a day's rest. An afternoon Kigali city tour can be done to visit the genocide memorial, local markets and Nyamata church on the safari adventures. Dinner and overnight. Meal plan: Dinner

2. Day 2

   Transfer to Akagera National Park and Afternoon Boat Cruise (3-4 hours drive)

   In the morning, set off on a scenic drive to Akagera National Park, reaching early for lunch at Rusizi Tented Lodge. After lunch, go for an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema. Be rewarded with views of game such as hippos, crocodiles, as well as a variety of bird species on the safari tours. Dinner and overnight at Rusizi Tented Lodge (High end). Meal plan: FB

3. Day 3

   Morning Game Drive and Transfer back to Kigali - Volcanoes National Park (3-4 hours drive)

   Early morning, go for game drives up to the northern part of the park to catch up with early risers before they go into hiding on the african safari holiday. Have a chance to see antelopes, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, bush bucks among others. Then exit the park and proceed back to Kigali with lunch en route, reaching early in the afternoon. After having lunch in Kigali, proceed to the northern part rolling on the foothills of a thousand hills. The drive takes two to three hours, reaching there in late evening for dinner and overnight at Jack-Hanna Cottage/ Gorilla Nest Lodge (high end). Meal Plan: FB

4. Day 4

   Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

   In the morning, with packed lunch, go for a pre-tracking briefing at the park headquarters before the gorilla tracking adventure in the forest on the safari tours. Tracking may take 3-4 hours for which the guide shall try and secure a booking depending on the movement of the gentle giants. Stay in the presence of the gorillas for a maximum of one hour before returning back to the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Jack-Hanna Cottage/ Gorilla Nest Lodge (High end). Meal Plan: FB

5. Day 5

   Visit Twin Lakes Burera and Ruhondo, later Transfer to Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

   Early in the morning after breakfast, guests are picked up from their hotel and visit Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo, the two most known lakes of Rwanda on the african safari vacation. These beautiful lakes are located at the base of Mount Muhabura and close to the border with Uganda. They are surrounded by steep hills and large waterfalls with a backdrop of the Virunga volcanic mountains. These twin lakes are great spots to be visited after watching the gorillas in the Rwandan mountains. Later have evening dinner and overnight at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel (high end). Meal Plan: FB

6. Day 6

   Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe Forest

   Early morning, set off on a spectacular drive to Nyungwe National Park along the Lake Kivu shores with various points to view Congo. Have stopovers for photography and lunch en route on the safari holiday. Reach Nyungwe National Park in the evening for dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge (High end). Meal Plan: FB

7. Day 7

   Canopy Walk or Waterfall Trail

   Early morning after breakfast, go for a canopy walk. Rwanda is the fifth country in the world offering canopy walks on the safari adventures. Then visit the tea factory in the evening to know more about tea production. Dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Forest Lodge. Meal plan: L, D, B

8. Day 8

   Drive Back to Kigali for Overnight Stay

   After breakfast, depart from Nyungwe National Park to the second largest city of Rwanda, regarded as the intellectual city of Rwanda on the african safari tours. It hosts the National Museum, several academic (university) and research institutions. On the way from Nyungwe to Butare, visit The National Museum in Butare that was donated in 1989 by the Belgian government and gave back a part of the ethnographic collection acquired during the colonial period. The design and concept of the museum was realized in cooperation with the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren, Belgium. The modern building has different sections and displays a wide collection of monochrome pictures, traditional artifacts and objects, tools and different craft products. Ethnographic objects are grouped together according to theme giving excellent information on daily life. Traditional ceramics and basketry are still manufactured and belong to the finest handcrafts of the region. The National Museum remained surprisingly untouched during the civil war of 1994. From Butare, also visit Nyanza (currently Nyabisindu), the former Mwami's palace (King's palace) and the seat of the feudal monarchy on the safari vacation. The palace has been reconstructed to its 19th century state and shows a traditional dome that can be compared with the Kabaka's palace of Buganda. From Nyanza, drive straight to Kigali, reaching in the evening. Have an overnight stay at Mille Collines / Hotel Rwanda.

9. Day 9

   Departure

   After an early breakfast, depending on the flight program, if some activities in Kigali were missed on the first day, then this is a good time to have a city tour. Visit some crafts shops such as Inema Art Centre, Ivuka, Kaplaki Crafts Shop, Kimironko local market while buying souvenirs on the african safari holiday. Later, drive to Kigali International Airport to catch the flight back home.

   End of the 9 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Tour.

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