11 Days Best of Rwanda Safari

Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park

After an early morning breakfast, your Best of Rwanda Safari will begin as you are transferred to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En-route,you will visit Nyanza King’s Palace that was the headquarters of the ancient Rwanda Kingdom, the National Museum of Butare, and the genocide memorial of Murambi.

This drive from Kigali to Nyungwe Forest National Park takes about 5 hours as you enjoy the green fields of tea scattered across the hillsides and the small unique wooden houses surrounding Nyungwe Forest. Arrive at Nyungwe Forest National Park in the evening and check in to the hotel.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest lodge / Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel / Gisakura guest house

Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Have an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters for a briefing. With a park ranger enter the forest for Chimpanzee trekking on your Best of Rwanda Safari. Enjoy chimps viewing as they swing from tree to tree, branch to branch and the little ones feeding on fruits s as you follow them from nest to nest.

After lunch, you will enjoy a walking safari on the trail that leads to the Canopy Walk-a swing bridge 60 meters suspended from large trees and 90 meters above the forest floor. You will be able to see the amazing rain forest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you and birds flying above you.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest lodge / Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel / Gisakura guest house

Day 3: Coloubus Monkey Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Have an early breakfast and enjoy yet another day in the Nyungwe forest National Park. Track and follow around the colobus monkeys darting through the trees. The Colobus monkeys can easily be recognized by their black body with stark white whiskers, shoulders and tip of the tail.  Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to over 400 coloubus monkeys, and they are the largest group of primates that are social and curious primates.

After lunch you will enjoy a nature walk that is conducted in the company of a park ranger. You will catch glimpses of many monkeys in large groups and different bird species including; the Rwenzori Turaco. Return and rendezous at the lodge and later retire for an overnight.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest lodge / Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel / Gisakura guest house

Day 4: Transfer to Kibuye Via Gisakura

With a morning breakfast,you will be transferred to Kibuye via Gisakura as you enjoy the stunningly beautiful views from Lake Kivu up to Gisenyi. The Best of Rwanda Safari offers you the beautiful countryside with valleys full of agricultural farms makes Kibuye the most beautiful of all the three resort towns on Lake Kivu. You can choose to relax at the shores of Lake Kivu, take a boat safari and visit the various islands or swim in the refreshing waters or stroll to the nearby villages  across a number of hills.

Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena / Golfe Eden Rock Hotel / Bethanie Guesthouse

Day 5: Transfer to Gisenyi

Have an early breakfast, and either drive or conduct an enjoyable speed-boat trip to Gisenyi. On this Best of Rwanda, you will encounter local fishermen, fishing villages and also the residents of Idjwi Island (Congo) who are rowing long distances in their dugout canoes to visit the Rwanda markets.

After lunch cross the border to Goma and see how it was devastated by the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano. The visit shows the fantastic capabilities of the local population to overcome this natural phenomena. The Nyiragongo volcano erupted in 2002 eruption and destroyed part of Goma town and displaced people into Rwanda.

Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena / Golfe Eden Rock Hotel / Bethanie Guesthouse

Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park via Kinigi

After breakfast before transferring to Gisenyi,visit the Ross Carr’s Imbabazi Orphanage that  was founded by Mrs Rosamond Halsey Carr in late 1994 at Mugongo to care for the genocide orphans as she witnessed the gluesome genocide of 1994. Later take a stroll on the lake and also visit other local villages. After lunch drive to Ruhengeri to Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi .

Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View lodge / Le Bambou Gorilla lodge / Hotel Muhabura

Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

With an early breakfast, drive to the park headquarters for gorilla briefing in Kinigi where you will be allocated trekking groups and a tour guide to begin your Rwanda Classic Safari. Along with your trekking gear, drinking water and packed lunch, the driver will drop you off at the starting point to trek the gorillas together with the ranger guides. Tracking the gorillas lasts between 1-8 hours and meeting them is so rewarding as you spend 1 hour with them as you take time studying them and taking pictures and videos and this is the climax of your Best of Rwanda Safari.

Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View lodge / Le Bambou Gorilla lodge / Hotel Muhabura

Day 8: Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and visit the Iby’iwacu community

After an early morning, you will be transferred to Volcanoes National Park where you will be briefed allocated a group and Ranger guide. you will track another of the Volcanoes National Park’s primate inhabitants, the beautiful golden monkeys which can only be found in the Volcanoes Conservation Area.The Golden Monkeys are playful and are accustomed to visitors. This means you’ll be able to view the golden monkeys playing, feeding, and leaping from tree to tree.

After lunch, take a cultural walk to Iby’iwachu Cultural Village-a Non-Profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around  Volcanoes National Park .

Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View lodge / Le Bambou Gorilla lodge / Hotel Muhabura

Day 9: Transfer to Akagera National Park via Kayonza

After breakfast drive for 3 hours to Akagera National Park, passing via Kayonza to the Eastern part of Rwanda, arrive at the lodge in the afternoon and rendezvous before lunch park. After  lunch you will conduct a game drive at the giraffe valley. The giraffes of Akagera National Park were trans-located from Kenya in early 1986 to help restock the giraffes that were depleted by many years of poaching.

The giraffes were first put in an enclosure on the Rurama peninsula. One night they escaped as the barrier was broken down by elephants. They crossed the Kiyonza ridges and settled on the Nyamwashama plains, since then also named as the giraffe valley. 

Accommodation: Akagera game lodge / Dereva hotel / Ruzizi tented camp

Day 10: Game Drives and boat safaris

After an early breakfast, enjoy the astonishing views over Lake Ihema on your Boat safari. This is outstanding experience for viewing large number of hippos, huge Nile crocodiles and many birds’ species. Continue exploring along the lakes of Kivumba, Hago; Mihindi and Rwanyakizinga. It is an ideal place for Birders.

After lunch, enjoy an evening game drive around the park for a rewarding wildlife views. Expect to encounter the Big five including the Lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cape buffaloes and the recently introduced Rhinos and other animals including; giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, hyenas and different antelope species. The park is also home for over 500 species of birds that you might see on your game drive, the game drive may last for about 3-4 hours.

Accommodation: Akagera game lodge / Dereva hotel / Ruzizi tented camp

Day 11: Transfer to Kigali

After breakfast,you will be transferred to Kigali where you will buy souvenirs to take back home. Later take a flight back home.

End of the Best of Rwanda  Safari.