Get the best of Rwanda in this 15 days Rwanda safari that will make you explore all the country has to offer a number of memorable of memorable destinations that will make your safari experience quite memorable. Among the notable destinations you will get to visit include the different national parks in Rwanda where you will participate in gorilla trekking in Rwanda which will give you access to the endangered mountain gorillas, you will also participate in golden monkey trekking in Rwanda in Nyungwe national park you will get to access the chimpanzees in Rwanda, the canopy walk in Rwanda which is a suspended bridge which will give you exceptional views in Nyungwe national park as you walk along the suspended trail. You will also have the chance to participate in the cultural tours in Rwanda which will give you an insight about the culture of the people of Rwanda by visiting a number of cultural sites like the ibyi’wacu cultural village, you will visit the king’s palace in nyanza and many other destinations not forgetting visiting a number of drainage features like lake ihema where travellers will enjoy the boat cruise on lake ihema, you will also enjoy the boat cruise on lake kivu among other rewarding attractions in the wild.
Highlights of your safari
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
DAY 3: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk
Day 4: Forest Nature Walk and tea estate tour
Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu
Day 6: Transfer to Gisenyi
Day 7: Transfer to Ruhengeri
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
Day 9: Golden Monkey tracking
Day 10: Hiking Mountain Bisoke
Day 11: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park
Day 12: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
Day 13: Full day game drive
Day 14: Game drive and nocturnal game drive
Day 15: Half game drive and Departure
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, our guide will welcome you and transfer to Kigali city and depending on the time of your arrival; you will go for a short city tour with in Kigali and visit the genocide memorial site. Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel des Mille Collines(luxury)/ Golf Hills Residence(mid range)/ Step Town Motel(budget)
Day 2, Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast on the second day of your 14 Days Rwanda Safari, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En route, you will pass through wonderful and magnificent hills and cultivated countryside. Have a stopover at the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Continue and visit the cultural museum at Rwesero. Proceed and reach Butare town where you will have lunch after lunch you will visit the Rwanda National Museum for a tour around the site. Proceed and reach the Park late afternoon. Upon arrival you will visit the new Visitor’s Interpretive Centre to give you more information about the park such as number of primate species found in the park, types of bird species and other tourist activities carried out with in the Park. Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe forest Lodge(luxury)/ Nyungwe Top Hill Hotel(Midrange)/ Gisakura Guest House(budget)
DAY 3: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for 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, After lunch, you head for the canopy walk in Nyungwe national park which will give you exceptional views of the park as you walk along the suspended metallic trail in the trees. You will get to see a number of primates swinging within the branches, like the chimpanzees, different monkey species, you will see numerous bird species and after the rewarding experience, head back to your lodge/ hotel. Dinner and overnight at Gisakura visitor Centre(budget)
Day 4, Forest Nature Walk and tea estate tour
After having breakfast on the fourth day of your 14 Days Rwanda Safari, you will embark on the forest Nature walk with in the park which will enable you to explore the Park’s unique tourist features including waterfalls and orchids in the high altitude swamps. Return to the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or Participate in the tea harvesting in the neighboring local communities or Visit a tea factory and learn about the production processes. Dinner and overnight at as lodge above.
Day 5, Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu
On the fifth day of your 14 Days Rwanda Safari, you will have an early morning breakfast then transfer to Lake Kivu. The lake is one of the great lakes in Africa and is the largest of the fresh water lakes that gleam in the Albertine (Western) rift of the Great Rift Valley. On the shores there is the Kibuye town which is one of the country’s most attractive of lake ports, nestled in a series of interwoven and undulating hills and will offer you spectacular views of the lake and its islands plus the surrounding countryside.
En route to the Lake, you will Visit the L’Esperance Orphanage in Kigarama village. You will see how the orphaned children have been helped by donations from different organizations and also from tourists like you. Arrive at your lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at
After having breakfast on the sixth day of your 14 Days Rwanda Safari, you will continue with your safari Lake Kivu Serena Hotel(Luxury)/ Cormoran Lodge( mid range)/ Paradise Malahide(budget)
Day 6, Transfer to Gisenyi
On the 6th day of your 15 Days Rwanda Safari, 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 visit 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 a local women’s weaving association. Overnight in Gisenyi town as lodge above
Day 7, Transfer to Ruhengeri
Breakfast will be served early this day on the seventh day of your 14 Days Rwanda Safari and then after, you will check out from your Hotel and later transfer to Ruhengeri. En route you will visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village where you may have a wonderful and interactive experience about the Rwandan traditions, culture and way of life. After this you will continue to the Park reaching in the late evening. Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge(luxury)/ Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge(mid range)/ Hotel Muhabura(budget)
Day 8, Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
The eighth day of this 14 Days Rwanda Safari highlights a gorilla trekking activity. Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the ORTPN officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This experience of gorilla tracking is a once in a life time adventure. The rangers will lead you deep into the forest in search for the Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about 1 hour. The activity in Rwanda can take 3-5 hours since the gorillas move up and down.
This is an awesome and exciting moment. Return for dinner and overnight stay as lodge above.
Day 9, Golden Monkey tracking
After breakfast on the ninth day of your 14 Days Rwanda Safari, you will go for golden monkey tracking. This activity also takes like 2-3 hours in the Virunga forest. Later return back to your lodge for early lunch and transfer back to Kigali city reaching in the afternoon. Take a city walk in the evening around Ruhengeri. Dinner and overnight stay as lodge above.
Day 10, Hiking Mountain Bisoke
The tenth day of this 14 Days Rwanda Safari highlights a physical challenge. After breakfast at your Lodge, you will set out for a one day hike on Mount Bisoke. This will give you views of the beautiful slopes and also get a chance to see the forest while on the mountain. Return for dinner and overnight stay as lodge above.
Day 11, Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park
After breakfast on the eleventh day of your 14 Days Rwanda Safari, 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 life style of its people. Upon arrival in the park, 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(luxury)/ Akagera Game Lodge/ midrange Karenge bush camp/ budget
Day 12, Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
The twelfth day of this 14 Days 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 in the previous game drive. It was not a guarantee that all the animals can 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 relation as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema which will offer you with 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 as lodge above
Day 13: Full day Game drive
On the 13th day of your 15 Days Rwanda Safari, Rise up early in the morning have breakfast and go for a morning game drive with great anticipation of seeing the different animals which rise early to graze and predators looking for their early morning kill especially the big cats like the leopard, lions and many other carnivores. You will get to watch a number of herbivores like the rhinos grazing within the plains, elephants, gazelle, oribi and many other rewarding game animals. After the morning game drives, you will head back to your hotel for refreshments and later in the afternoon transfer to take part in the evening game drive. Get ready to watch how the park comes to life as the sunsets with a number of predators coming from their hiding spots to catch prey, the herbivores catching their last bite for the day, the crocodiles can be seen sun-basking, elephants quenching their thirst from the river banks which will make your safari quite memorable. After an amazing safari experience, you will make your way back to your camp for dinner and overnight stay. Akagera game lodge(mid-range) Karenge bush camp (budget)
Day 14: Game drive and nocturnal game drive
There’s a lot to uncover in Akagera national park and with the game drives in the park you will have an amazing safari experience. In the evening you will participate in the nocturnal game drive The drive will give you the most rewarding experience watching the park coming to life in the night with a number of carnivores hunting for prey, you will watch the lions, hyenas, leopards, hyenas catching their prey as you watch the herbivores in their hiding spots head back to your hotel for overnight stay as the night before.
Day 15: Half game drive and Departure
On the 15th day of your 15 Days Rwanda Safari, After an amazing lunch at your accommodation facility get ready to make your way back to Kigali city. You can participate in a half game drive to watch the species in the wild that you might have missed out on during the game drive. After the activity, you will make your way to the park having lunch en-route and later be dropped off at a hotel of your choice at Kigali international airport in case you have a flight to catch back home. End of Tour.
15 Days Rwanda Safari Includes:
- Airport Pick up and drop off
- Gorilla tracking permit 1500usd
- Golden monkey permit
- Chimpanzee tracking permit
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise
- Vehicle entrance fees
- Safari vehicle.
- Full time English speaking Professional Safari Guide/Driver.
- All accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary.
- Bottled drinking water while on safari.
Not included:
- International airfares & Visa fees.
- Personal expenses such as telephone calls, email, laundry, beverages or meals not indicated in the itinerary, Portage and wait staff gratuity.
