In this 9 days birding and primate safari in Rwanda will give travelers interested in the wildlife safaris in Rwanda to access a number of different bird species as you explore the different national parks in Rwanda like volcanoes national park where you will hike the Virunga mountains to watch the different bird species, in nyungwe national park, you will hike the karamba birding trail and while you participate in birding in akagera national park, watch out for the endangered shoe bill stork while you embark on the boat cruise on lake ihema. Interesting about the safari is the fact that you will also enjoy the primate safari where you will have the chance to participate in gorilla trekking in Rwanda which will give you access to the endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda and also get to participate in golden monkey trekking which will give you access to the endangered golden monkeys, an Albertine endemic species and also get to watch the playful chimps when you participate in chimpanzee trekking in nyungwe national park. Continue with the itinerary below for more insight of your Rwanda safari
Highlights of your safari
Day 1: Transfer to Akagera national park and game drive
Day 2 : Full day bird watching tour and the boat cruise
Day 3: Transfer to nyungwe forest national Park and canopy walk
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda
Day 5: Full day birding in Nyungwe
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes NP
Day 7: Birding in volcanoes national park
Day 8: golden monkey trekking in Rwanda
Day 9: Gorilla trekking and departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Akagera national park and game drive
You will be met by your driver guide at your agreed location in Kigali to transfer to Akagera national park where you will arrive in time to embark in a game drive that will give you the chance to watch a number of game animals especially the herbivores like the elephants grazing within the plains, the rhinos, you will also get to see a number of remarkable views for the park and a number of rewarding attractions after your game drive you will you will head to your hotel for refreshments, dinner and overnight stay. At akagera game lodge(mid-range) Ruzizi tented camp (luxury)
Day 2 : Full day bird watching tour and the boat cruise
After enjoying your morning breakfast, you will enjoy a boat trip along Lake Ihema which will give you the opportunity to get close to the plentiful water birds, including numerous African fish eagles, marabou stork, crowned cranes, open-billed stork, cormorants, king fishers, herons and egrets. If you are lucky, you may even get to see the elusive shoebill stork! During the boat trip along Lake Ihema you will see game like hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and elephants quenching their thirst from the river banks. After this, you can embark on the rest of your bird watching journey an Akagera National Park! Visitors are always impressed by what they find, including a variety of bird species ranging from water, forest, savannah, and migratory species. Many of these birds are endemic to the park, and some are exceptionally rare like the papyrus Gonolek. Head back to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park and canopy walk
In the morning, you will be picked by the driver from your hotel in Akagera and drive southwards to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Along the way, you will make a stopover at the king’s palace in nyanza, have lunch and later in the afternoon, you will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk-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 Nyungwe top hill view hotel (can be used as both mid-range and luxury accommodation)
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in rwanda
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will make your way to the park where you will transfer to the park where you will embark on the briefing session for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda. After the briefing session you will transfer to the forests of the park in order to track the habituated chimpanzee troops, during the transfer, you will get to see a number of rewarding attractions like bird species for instance Pockefellers’s sun bird, Chapin’s flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, strange weaver, red throated alethe, primate species like colobus monkeys, l’hoest’s monkey, grey cheeked Mangabey, red tailed monkey and so many more. When you get to the troop observe their feeding patterns, feeding patterns, how they co- exist with one another among other rewarding aspects of the primates. At the climax of your time with the chimpanzees, you will take pictures with and after you will transfer back to your park headquarters, where you will be presented with your chimpanzee trekking certificate.
Day 5: Full day birding in Nyungwe
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will then embark on your full day birding experience in Nyungwe national park which will take you on the Karamba birding trail, a trail notable for birding in Nyungwe National Park. Some of the bird species that can be seen include; the blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, coqui Francolin, long tailed cisticola, bubbling cisticola, Miombo wren warbler, Chubb’s cisticola among other the bird species and many other rewarding attractions. After the experience, head to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes NP
Have breakfast and connect to have the cultural experience offered by the park, get to interact with the local community around the park and exit the park to connect to Volcanoes National Park via Kigali. You will have lunch from Kigali and continue to Ruhengeri town for the night in anticipation of the gorilla trek the following day. Dinner and overnight will be at the selected lodge of accommodation. Hotel five volcanoes (luxury) Da Vinci hotel(mid-range)
Day 7: Birding in Volcanoes National Park
Wake up early, have breakfast and participate in the full day birding experience in Volcanoes national park. the safari experience will give you access to over 350 bird species in Rwanda. Some of the birds that you will get to watch in the forests along the Virunga mountains include; the long-crested eagle handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis Dusky turtle love, paradise flycatcher, archer’s ground robin, African Rwenzori, double collared sunbird, marsh harrier, Ruwenzori turaco, common moorhen Ruwenzori night jar, grey throated tit, the dusky crimson wing, red-faced woodland warbler etc. After the experience, head back to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: golden monkey trekking in Rwanda
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will head to the headquarters, where you will participate in the briefing session for golden monkey trekking in Rwanda. After the briefing session, you will be assigned to a guide and a ranger who will ensure you’re safe during your experience. You will hike through the thick vegetation cover along the Virunga mountains in Rwanda. Golden monkey trekking is quite different from gorilla trekking in Rwanda because the monkeys are found in higher elevations of the Virunga mountains in Rwanda. when you get to the species, spend time with them take pictures and once the one hour elapses. Head back to your starting point, connect with your guide to transfer you back to your hotel for refreshments, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9: Gorilla trekking and departure
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, transfer to the habituated golden monkey troop, you will see a number of primate species like dent’s monkey, vervet monkey and the black and white colobus monkeys among other monkey species swinging in the tree branches as you get to the habituated gorilla family, you will have the chance to see a number of rewarding aspects of the gorillas observing a number of features that you will find fascinating about the primates for instance their feeding patterns, the co-existence with one another among other memorable aspects. At the climax of your time with the gorillas you will take pictures with and after you will have lunch en-route Kigali and if you have more time you may visit the Kimironko market to purchase some local souvenirs for the people back home and also get to interact with the community.
Quotation Includes;
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Park entrance fees
- All accommodation as per the itinerary
- safari van & Fuel
- Full-time English-speaking driver/ guide
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise
- Vehicle entrance fees
- Bottled mineral water while on safari
- All activities as indicated
- All meals as indicated
- French speaking guide
Excludes;
- All optional activities as indicated
- Tips
- Visa fees
- Air tickets
- All items of a personal nature like laundry, phone calls, beer, e.t.c
- Anything else not included in the itinerary
