7-day Rwanda Gorilla Tour and Wildlife Safari

Transfer to Nyungwe National Park

In the morning, after breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kigali, and you’ll embark on a scenic drive to Nyungwe National Park. On the way, there will be a stopover at King’s Palace Nyanza, a traditional seat for the Rwandan king. Here, you’ll delve into the history of ancient Rwandan royals, their styles, and the authority of pre-colonial Rwanda kings. Get to meet the royal cows and their herders who sing for them. Additionally, you’ll witness the walls of the simple modern home of the country’s last king.

Continue the journey with another stop in Butare town to visit the Ethnographic Museum. Explore its seven galleries showcasing textiles, architecture, hunting weapons, and designs created by the people. After lunch, proceed to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the late afternoon. Nyungwe National Park is home to 13 primate species, including over 500 wild chimpanzees. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at Gisakura Guest House (budget), Emeraude Kivu Resort (deluxe/mid-luxury), or One and Only Nyungwe House (high-end).

Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon Forest Canopy Walk

After breakfast, you will head to the park head office for a briefing before venturing into the forest for an exciting chimpanzee tracking adventure. The trek typically takes 2-3 hours, guided by a ranger through the lush tropical surroundings. Once you catch up with the chimpanzees, you will have the opportunity to observe them and also search for other primates such as l’hoest, blue, mona, red-tailed, and owl-faced monkeys, as well as black and white colobus, olive baboons, bush babies, along with diverse bird species and unique plants.

Throughout the trek, your guide will provide insights into the behavior of these apes and share information about ongoing conservation efforts. Upon reaching the chimpanzees, you will be allowed to stay and interact with them for a maximum of 1 hour, capturing photos to your heart’s content. Later, you will return to your lodge for a well-deserved lunch.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to the Uwinka Visitor Center for a forest canopy walk adventure in Nyungwe Forest. The canopy walkway provides breathtaking views across the forest, offering an eye-level perspective of monkeys and birds that may not be easily spotted from the ground. After the adventure, return to your lodge for a delightful dinner and a peaceful overnight stay.

Transfer to Volcanoes national park

After enjoying a morning breakfast, you will proceed to transfer to Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi via Gisenyi in Ruhengeri. Along the way, you will pass through tea plantations, offering spectacular views of the neighboring communities and beautiful sceneries. The journey will take approximately 3-4 hours, and you are expected to reach your destination in the evening.

For your accommodation, you will have the option of staying at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Gorilla Solution Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, or Kinigi Guest House. Dinner and overnight stay will be arranged at your chosen lodging.7 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari

Gorilla trekking and cultural visit

In the early morning, after breakfast, you will embark on a briefing at the park headquarters. At 8 am, a ranger will guide you into the jungle through the volcano forest in search of the mountain gorillas. Gorilla tracking may take 1 to 7 hours, as some gorilla families are elusive, and the tracking process can extend to a full day, especially in wet and muddy conditions. The activity is relatively tiresome and challenging.

In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit the Iby’iwachu cultural village. Here, you can engage with local people and discover their home and heritage treasures, including lifestyles, activities, artifacts, and ways of living. The Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village is dedicated to showcasing traditional ways of living, cultural practices, and dances to tourists.

Transfer to Akageera national park

Depart for Akagera National Park with en-route lunch in Kigali. Drive east to Akagera National Park, passing through amazing countryside landscapes, including the areas of Rwamagana, where you may encounter the long-horned cattle known as Inyambo. The journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. Upon arrival, check into your accommodation for relaxation. Enjoy dinner and spend the night at Akagera Safari Lodge.

If interested, you can opt for a sunset boat cruise or a night game drive. Akagera National Park is the only savannah reserve in Rwanda, where you can observe large mammals such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, rhinos, and lions.

Akagera National Park Game drive

Wake up early at 6:30 am for a cup of coffee and start a morning game drive in Akagera savannah that lasts 3-4 hours. This time is excellent for spotting predators, and the unforgettable sight of the sun rising over the plains awaits you. Look out for elephants, zebras, black rhinos, giraffes, lions, leopards, warthogs, waterbucks, roan antelopes, elands, impalas, and Topis.

Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride along Lake Ihema, where you can see huge crocodiles, hippos, and spot buffaloes and elephants gathering at the lakeshores to drink water. Keep an eye out for a variety of birds; there are almost 500 bird species around the lake and the surrounding wetlands.

Finish your day with dinner and an overnight stay at Akagera Safari Lodge.

Drive back to kigali and visit Kigali genocide memorial

After breakfast, begin your drive back to Kigali. Upon arrival, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, an incredible site built on the burial grounds of over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi tribe.

Learn about the events that led to the tragic 100 days, during which nearly a million Rwandese were brutally attacked by their neighbors. The center is profoundly moving, challenging, educational, and ultimately inspiring. It’s a great place to understand the causes, tragedies, and the remarkable progress and reconciliation the nation has achieved to date.

If time allows, you can also take a city drive and explore local markets, art galleries, craft centers, and other fascinating places. From there, head to the airport for your flight.