9 Days Rwanda Safari Tour

Escape Into Rwanda’s Nature in 9 days

Overview

Book our 9 Days Rwanda Safari Tour and get an opportunity to experience the beautiful countryside of Rwanda. Grab this opportunity to track Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, hike to Dian Fossey’s Gravesite, track chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park and also view savannah wildlife and track white rhinos in Akagera National Park.

Highlights

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali

Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park (approximately 3 hours’ drive)

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes NP Rwanda.

Day 4: Hike to Dian Fossey Gravesite

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park (approximately 5-6 hours’ drive)

Day 6:  Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy walk

Day 7: Transfer Back to Kigali

Day 8: Transfer to Akagera National Park and Afternoon Boat Cruise

Day 9: Rhino Tracking and Transfer to Kigali.

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Day 1: Arrival in Kigali

Following your arrival, you will be welcomed by our company representative/driver guide and transferred to your hotel in Kigali. If you wish, you can opt for a short tour of Kigali city where you will visit places like the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Kimironko market, Caplaki craft village, and Nyamirambo Women’s center among others. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park (approximately 3 hours’ drive)

 Wake in the morning and have breakfast at leisure from your hotel. You will then meet up with your guide and transfer you to your hotel/lodge in Volcanoes national park arriving in Ruhengeri. Have lunch at your lodge and later in the afternoon, you will head out for a cultural tour of the Ibyi’wacu cultural village. Learn more about the locals in this community and how they have reformed from being poachers to now active participants in the conservation projects to protect mountain gorillas in the park. You will also get to learn more about the unique Rwandan cultures as you tour the village and watch dance and singing performances from the local store dance troupe. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes NP Rwanda

Wake up to an early morning breakfast and report to the park headquarters for briefing and allocation of Gorilla trekking groups. Later, you will head into the cold and misty forested slopes of Virunga national park for your Gorilla trek.

The trek can be anywhere between 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the Gorillas and upon finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to see and take photos after which you exit the forest.

Meet your driver/guide and transfer back to the lodge. If you feel strong, you may opt for a cultural tour of Musanze Caves. Dinner and overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 4: Hike to Dian Fossey Gravesite

Breakfast will be served early and drive back to the park headquarters for a briefing. You will then embark on a guided hike to Dian Fossey Gravesite where you will get a chance to see where Dian Fossey was buried near her favorite gorilla called Digit. After your tour, you will hike back to base and return to the lodge to have lunch and spend the rest of your evening resting at your lodge. Dinner and overnight at lodge.

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park (approximately 5-6 hours’ drive)

Wake up to a tasty breakfast, check out of your hotel, and embark on your transfer to Nyungwe forest national arriving in time for lunch. Spend the rest of your afternoon relaxing at your hotel/lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy walk

Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing before entering the forest, searching for the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. Remember to carry your packed lunch from the lodge/hotel before driving to the park. The Chimpanzees are easy to spot, as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimp tracking usually takes about 4 hours. After lunch, you will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk, a swing bridge 50 meters in length that are suspended from large trees. This hike takes about 2 hours to and from the canopy walkway bridge. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before nightfall, you will return to the hotel for dinner as above. You will then exit and connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay same as the previous night.

Day 7: Transfer Back to Kigali

Wake up at leisure and have breakfast at your hotel. You will reconnect with your guide and drive back to Kigali with lunch en route and a stopover visit to the King’s Palace in Nyanza and the national museum in Butare. You can also opt for a coffee tour at Huye mountain coffee cooperative. Upon your arrival in Kigali, you may opt for a tour of Kigali city where you may visit places such as Caplaki craft village, Kimironko market, Kigali Genocide museum, and Umusambi crane village to mention but a few. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 8: Transfer to Akagera National Park and Afternoon Boat Cruise

Have breakfast and transfer to Akagera national park where you will arrive in time to embark on the late afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you will see the game like hippopotamuses, Crocodiles, and many bird species that live around the lake and the surrounding swamps. Dinner and overnight stay at a lodge.

Day 9: Rhino Tracking and Transfer to Kigali

Rise up early and go for rhino tracking which will give you an opportunity to have close encounters with both white and black rhinos in the park. After the game drive, return to connect with your driver guide to embark on your transfer back to Kigali with lunch en-route. If you didn’t have a city tour on the first day, you may have it on this day before you are dropped off in Kigali or at the airport as you may advise. End of Safari!