10 Days Ultimate Rwanda Safari
10 Days Ultimate Rwanda Safari
On this 10 Days Ultimate Rwanda Safari you will trek to see mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys in their natural habitat. You will also go on a Big Five safari, take a cruise on calm Lake Ihema, canoeing on Lake Kivu and visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village where you will watch a traditional Intore dance, among other cultural experiences.
Highlights of 10 Days Ultimate Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Arrival and visit Inema Arts Centre
Day 2: Game Viewing Safari in Akagera National Park
Day 3: Big Five game drive and Boat Cruise
Day 4: Brew Banana Beer
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking and Visit Ib’Iwacu Cultural Village
Day 6: Golden Monkey Trek or Dian Fossey Hike
Day 7: Canoe on Lake Kivu and Visit fishing village
Day 8: Travel to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 9: Chimpanzee Trek and Forest Canopy Walk
Day 10: Departure
Detailed Itinerary of 10 Days Ultimate Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Arrival and visit Inema Arts Centre
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our driver-guide. After a briefing about the safari you will head to the Inema Arts Centre, which is a dance, arts and crafts centre in Kigali.
If there is time, you might also visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. This incredibly moving and multifaceted memorial is a place of both remembrance and learning.
Overnight at Kigali Serena Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Game Viewing Safari in Akagera National Park
After breakfast, head east to Akagera National Park. On arrival you check into your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon go for a game drive. Ever since black rhinos and lions were reintroduced in 2017, Akagera is once again a host to the Big Five. Also, there is plenty of other large animals to look for like giraffes, wildebeests and zebras among others.
For birders, you are in for a retreat as there are over 482 recorded species in the park including the rare prehistoric Shoebill stork.
Overnight at Akagera Game Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Big Five game drive and Boat Cruise
This morning you go on another game drive in Akagera National Park to spot more wildlife. Later in the day, you can choose to do one of the two optional activities. Firstly, you might like to join a behind-the scenes conservation tour to learn about the park and how its been reviving and protecting its wildlife. Secondly, there is the option of taking a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. On this experience you get to experience a different ecosystem of Akagera, one which includes crocodiles and hippos.
Overnight at Akagera Game Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Brew Banana Beer
Today, we go on a tour of the banana beer-making process. Banana beer is a traditional alcoholic drink made from fermented mashed bananas, with sorghum, millet or maize flour added as yeast. It is the most popular alcoholic drink in Rwanda and has strong taste. The tour includes a guided walk to meet villages and learn about their lives.
Later in the day you travel to Volcanoes National Park in the far northwest corner of Rwanda.
Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking and Visit Ib’Iwacu Cultural Village
Today we do the long-awaited gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park. Enjoy early breakfast and head to the park headquarters for briefing about gorilla trekking, what to expect and the right way to behave while in the forest. In groups of 8 people, head into the forest looking for a gorilla family assigned to you.
The trek takes approximately 30 minutes to 4 hours or more depending on the movement of the gorillas and where they spent their previous night. You will spend one hour in presence of the gorillas observing them just relaxing, playing, eating and grooming.
Later, you will head to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village to watch an Intore dance. Dressed in tradition garb, men beat drums while others perform a dance that originated as a military performance and hence is sometimes referred to as the Dance of Heroes.
Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Golden Monkey Trek or Dian Fossey Hike
Today we have two optional activities available. Firstly, there is the option of hiking to see the grave of primatologist Dian Fossey, an American primatologist who studied gorillas in Rwanda for two decades until her murder in 1985. Secondly, you can do a guided trek to look for golden monkeys. These beautiful primates can only be found in four national parks in the world spreading between Uganda, DR.Congo and Rwanda. These beautiful primates earned their name for the golden-orange patches on their upper legs and backs.
Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Canoe on Lake Kivu and Visit fishing village
Enjoy early breakfast and travel to Lake Kivu on the western border with the DR.Congo. This is by far Rwanda’s largest lake and important fishing ground. You get to canoe on the lake, which is a great way to observe the local fishing industry and also see the hillside village. Later, you are taken to meet a fishing community where you can interact with the villagers and learn about their traditional way of life.
Overnight at Lake Kivu Serena Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Travel to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Today we drive south to Nyungwe Forest National Park, the primate haven of Rwanda. This is a large, mountainous park that is covered in tall, thick, ancient rainforest, although there are sections that savannah and swampland too.
The forest is home to several primate species including chimpanzees, olive baboons, and black and white colobus monkeys. There are also over 300 bird species, including the Albertine owlet, red-collared babbler and Rockefeller’s sunbird. In the afternoon you can go for Colobus trek on which you will see black and white colobus monkeys.
Overnight at Nyungwe Top Hill View Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Chimpanzee Trek and Forest Canopy Walk
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park headquarters for briefing about chimpanzee trekking, a senior ranger guide will take you through rules and regulations to follow while in the presence of the chimpanzees. Head into the forest with your ranger guide looking for chimpanzees, the trek takes approximately 2 to 4 hours or more including one hour of observing them in their natural habitat.
In the afternoon, you can climb up to the treetop walkway, which is an impressive retreat. The metal walkway allows you to walk among and above the canopy, the scenery is sublime and those who aren’t shouting their enthusiasm could spot some excellent birdlife.
Overnight at Nyungwe Top Hill View Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Departure
After a leisurely breakfast, we travel back to Kigali to catch your flight back home. If there is time before your departure you and you would like to visit some markets and shops to support local artists and artisans. Rwanda is known for its modern garments inspired by traditional prints. Also it is well-known for its fabulous single – origin coffee beans, buy a bag of coffee making a perfect souvenir.
End of 10 Days Ultimate Rwanda Safari
Price Includes
- All accommodation
- All meals
- Drinking water
- Airport transfers
- All transport in a spacious safari car with pop-up roof (petrol included)
- Professional, English-speaking Follow Alice guide and driver
Exclusions
- International airfares
- Rwandan visa
- Traveller’s insurance
- Optional activities
