This 12 days Rwanda safari is another rewarding and interesting safari which you should not undertake while on your plans and preparations to visit Rwanda the land of a thousand hills. The safari will take 12 days and 11 nights starting with your pick up at the airport in Kigali to a hotel from where you will depart to Akagera national park which is the home to the big five animals this will take you for a boat cruise on lake Ihema and an early morning game drive after which head to Butare city in the southern province of Rwanda for the historical, cultural and geographical background of Rwanda.
The safari will continue to Nyungwe national park for chimpanzee trekking and an afternoon canopy walk that will give you more sights of the wildlife in the park. Proceed with your safari to Lake Kivu for a boat ride and tour the Virgin Islands around the lake from where you will now embark on a journey to volcanoes national park for an evening cultural experience and morning gorilla trekking experience. Participate in golden monkey trekking and head for hiking to the Dian Fossey tomb from were drive back to Kigali for a city visit which will mark the end of your safari and transfer to the airport for your flight.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival at the airport and transfer to your hotel.
Meet and greet your driver at the airport in Kigali who will brief you shortly about this 12 days Rwanda safari. This briefing will summarize for you the routes you will be using, the places you will be visiting and the activities you will do on your safari. After the briefing drive heading to the city at your hotel for your dinner and night stays.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera national park and evening boat ride
On your second day of this 12 days Rwanda safari, you have breakfast at the lodge and after your driver guide will meet you and pick you up for a drive to Akagera national park which will take you a time of one and a half hours and check in at your lodge for a lunch and after embarking on a journey to the park for an evening boat cruise on lake Ihema and have looks of animals coming to drink water at the lake such as elephants, giraffes, lions, rhinos, leopards and others which are resident to water like crocodiles, hippos and many more. Report back to your lodge for dinner.
Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer to Butare city
On the morning of this safari, be served breakfast and then embark on a journey to the park for your morning game drive that will allow you to look at animals such as African elephants, olive baboons, buffalos, lions and other animals.
Look out for zebras, giraffes, and impalas which are usually scattered along the forest track. Have your lunch at the lodge after which drive heading to Butare city and check in at your hotel for dinner.
Day 4: Explore Butare and proceed to Nyungwe national park
Enjoy your peaceful breakfast at your hotel and after head for a city to Butare city which is located in the southern province of Rwanda where you will get to see places such as the king’s palace, the geographical and historical backgrounds of Rwanda and its people, the cultural patterns of the Rwandan people and all the information as far as Rwandan history is concerned. After the city tour, head to your lodge for lunch and after embark on the journey to Nyungwe national park and report to your lodge in time for your meals.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and afternoon canopy walk
Begin with a well-served breakfast at the lodge and then head to the Nyungwe national park headquarters for your morning session of briefing about chimpanzee trekking and how to behave while trekking. Immediately after the armed ranger guide will divide you into groups of 8 people and head to the park for trekking these animals.
The activity usually takes time of 2-6 hours and as soon as you reach these animals, you will be given an extra hour in their presence as you are taking photos and videos after heading to the lodge for lunch and heading for an evening canopy walk. This walk will open to chances of spotting more animals such as monkeys jumping from tree to tree while you are up on the highly raised way which is 80 metres above the forest. After head to your lodge for dinner.
Day 6: Travel to Gisenyi – Lake Kivu
Have your breakfast at your lodge and immediately after embark on a journey to Gisenyi of lake Kivu. The journey to this lake from Nyungwe will take you a period of 4 to an hour’s drive. Check-in at your booked lodge and be served your lunch after resting at your lodge have views of the lake and optionally participate in swimming around the lake in places free from the crocodiles as you are waiting for your evening meal plans.
Day 7: Boat cruise to the Virgin Islands
After early morning breakfast, embark on a journey to lake Kivu for a boat cruise where you will visit the Virgin Islands such as Napoleon hat Island and hike up to its peak which will give you views of the Angolan bats flying in the skies. The cruise will also give you a chance to have sights of the animals like hippos, crocodiles, and many numbers of butterflies and bird species which come to the lake to drink water. After head back to your lodge for your lunch and relation.
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and cultural tour
A few minutes after your breakfast, drive from lake Kivu to Volcanoes national park the home of the endangered mountain gorillas. This drive will take you a distance of 62 kilometers in just one and a half hours then check in at your lodge for your lunch and relax after which drive to the community around the national park for a cultural experience.
During this experience, you will be entertained by their cultural songs, dance, drama and their art paintings. Have a taste of their local foods and drinks and after return to your lodge for your dinner
Day 9: Gorilla trekking experience
This is the day which you have been waiting for, be given your breakfast and immediately after drive to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking. The briefing will mainly consist of the rules and regulations to follow while on this experience.
After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of 8 people recommended to trek one habituated gorilla group. From there the ranger guide will take you for a 1-8 hour search of these large primates. The animals tend to move high in mountains and therefore call for you to be physically fit. Immediately after reaching them, you will be given one hour to visualize them and take photos, and videos and learn other behaviors. After heading to the office again for your trekking certificate and drive back to your lodge for meals and night stays.
Day 10: Morning golden monkey trekking and Musanze caves tour
Enjoy a peaceful breakfast at the lodge and drive for another interesting activity, golden monkey trekking where you will first head to the park headquarters for a morning briefing about the rules and regulations to follow while trekking these golden monkeys. The activity usually takes 3-4 hours and after reaching them an additional hour will be given to you in the presence of these animals.
Retire from the park to the lodge and have your lunch. In the afternoon embark on a journey to Musanze cave through the tourist trails and walkways stairs which will lead you to the dark corners of the caves. The geological, geographical and historical of the place will provide you with a view of the globe. Have looks at the different bat species in the cave and after drive to your lodge for your dinner and night stay.
Day 11: Hiking Dian Fossey’s tomb and driving back to Kigali
After early morning breakfast at the lodge, embark on the journey to the Karisoke research centre to hike the tomb of the former American primatologist, Dian Fossey who lived there and studied much of the behaviors of primates unfortunately she was murdered by a group of poachers.
Visit the house where she was killed and get all the required information about this conservationist all from your experienced guide. After the hike, return to your lodge for lunch after which drive heading to Kigali city and check in at your hotel for your dinner
Day 12: Kigali city tour and transfer back home
On this last day of your 12 days Rwanda safari, have your breakfast and after the drive head for a city tour and visit places like the Kigali genocide memorial center where you will have look at the remains of the 1994 victims who claimed the lives of over 800,000 people.
From there visit the Kimironko market which is also the oldest market in Rwanda and buy some fruits and other souvenirs to make you remember your visit to this country. Head to the airport and fly back home.