Our 11 Days Rwanda Family Vacation Safari without Gorillas is exactly what you need if you are traveling to Rwanda with your children. This 11 days Rwanda family vacation safari has been tailor-made to enable parents enjoy the entire safari with your children. The itinerary does not include gorillas trekking or chimpanzee tours. Get to enjoy a tour of Kigali city, guided nature walks in Volcanoes and Nyungwe forest national park. You will get also enjoy viewing wildlife in Akagera national park as you embark on game drives in the park and get to enjoy a boat cruise on lake Ihema.
Highlights for 11 Days Rwanda Family Vacation Safari without Gorillas.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Kigali City Tour and Optional Visit to Fazenda Sengha
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 4: Canopy Walk and Optional Tea Tour in Gisakura
Day 5: Forest Nature Walk
Day 6: Optional coffee tour in Huye & Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu
Day 7: Transfer to Gisenyi
Day 8: Free Day in Gisenyi
Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park
Day 10: Afternoon Boat ride on Lake Ihema
Day 11: Morning Game Drive and Transfer back to Kigali city
Detailed Itinerary for 11 Days Rwanda Family Vacation Safari without Gorillas.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport or at pick up from your hotel, 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 Des Milles Collines (Midrange)
Day 2: Kigali City Tour and Optional Visit to Fazenda Sengha
Have breakfast at your lodge and proceed for a tour of Kigali City where you can visit interesting places in the city like Caplaki Craft Village, Kimironko market, Nyamirambo Women’s Center and Kigali Genocide Museum. Have lunch at one of the restaurants in Kigali. You can also visit Fazenda Sengha if you wish to do more interesting activities with your family. The site offers a number of activities such as horseback riding, archery, donkey riding, zip-line, Bungee, quad biking and pentaque among others. Dinner and overnight at Des Milles Collines Hotel. (Midrange)
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast on the third day of your 11 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 Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange)/Gisakura Visitor Centre (Budget).
Day 4: Canopy Walk and Optional Tea Tour in Gisakura
Have breakfast at your hotel and drive to the park. You will be briefed and the embark on a 2 hours hike along the to and from the Canopy walkway– 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 there after connect to your accommodation to spend the evening at leisure. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 in a group. There is an option of visiting Gisakura tea estate after having your lunch at the hotel. If you are interested in the tea tour, you can arrange for this activity with your guide.
Return late in the afternoon. Return for dinner and Overnight at Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange)/Gisakura Visitor Centre (Budget).
Day 5: Forest Nature Walk
After having breakfast on the fifth day of your 11 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 Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange)/Gisakura Visitor Centre (Budget).
Day 6: Optional coffee tour in Huye & Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu
You will have an early morning breakfast then transfer to Lake Kivu. You can opt to first head to Huye for an optional coffee tour at Huye Mountain coffee. Lake Kivu 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 Le Palme Beach Hotel
Day 7: Transfer to Gisenyi
After having breakfast on the seventh day of your 11 Days Rwanda Safari, 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 visit the host 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 at Paradise Malahide
Day 8: Free Day in Gisenyi
Have breakfast at leisure at your hotel. Today you will spend the entire day at leisure and you can get to spend the day exploring Gisenyi town and even visit the beautiful beaches in the area like TamTam Beach. Dinner and overnight at Paradise Malahide.
Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park
After breakfast on the ninth day of your 11 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 Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange)
Day 10: Afternoon Boat ride on Lake Ihema
The tenth day of this 11 Days Rwanda Safari highlights more activities in Akagera National Park. Early in the morning after breakfast, you will spend the largest part of the morning relaxing at your lodge. You can opt for a community tour outside the park if you wish. Have lunch at your lodge.
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 at Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange) as above
Day 11: Morning Game Drive and Transfer back to Kigali city
Early morning after breakfast and embark on a morning game drive as you exist the park. Get a chance to explore the northern sector of the park and view a variety of wildlife animals. End of Safari.
