DAY 1: KIGALI
You arrive at Kigali International Airport, where your private guide will greet you and bring you to your Rwandan hotel to relax after your travel. The trip to the hotel in Kigali takes around 15 minutes. You'll check in here and spend the night.
DAY 2: AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK
We wake up early today and travel to Akagera National Park. We want to spend the day at the park, which is around 2-3 hours away from Kigali.
It is Rwanda's only savanna park, and it is being restored to Big 5 status through translocations and the introduction of new species such as lions and rhinos as part of an incredible conservation story. We'll visit the park, go on a drive, and then do a boat safari on Lake Ihema. Lunch will be given at the park, and we will return to Kigali in the evening for an overnight stay before traveling south to Nyungwe National Park.
DAY 3: KIGALI - NYUNGWE
Take the RN1 to Nyanza and Huye after waking up in the smart city. The journey starts in Kigali and heads south. We'll go to the King's Palace and the Museum. This is an enlightening glimpse into Rwanda's culture and monarchy. It's also well located to break up the long trek to Nyungwe Forest. We may also visit the National Museum of Rwanda in Huye. Prior to arriving at the resort.
DAY 4: CHIMPANZEE TRACKING
Trekking to view the chimps in Nyungwe Forest National Park may be an unforgettable adventure. While it can be difficult to spot them in the dense forest, watching them cavort in the tree tops with their all-too-human characteristics on display makes this a particularly rewarding half-day excursion. The trip begins at 5 a.m. Rwanda time, necessitating an early morning wake-up call. You'll then return to the lodge for lunch. We went for a canopy walk on the park's suspension bridge after lunch. At 70m and 16okm, this is one of Africa's tallest canopies, providing a bird's eye view of the park. You may connect with the communities and enjoy a tour (optional) in the afternoon.
DAY 5: LAKE KIVU
The Nyungwe woodlands give way to stunning views of Lake Kivu and its islands as you travel north today, all the way to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It's not a long drive - around three hours - but with the option to stop whenever you want, you can spend as much time as you like clicking photographs or just soaking in the scenery before arriving at Cormoran Lodge. Check in before embarking on an evening sail on the lake to visit the islands and shoot the sunset.
DAY 6: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK & IBY’IWACHU CULTURAL CENTRE
This morning, you'll leave the lake behind and drive north over more rugged terrain, arriving at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park and the stunning setting of Virunga Lodge after about four hours. You'll pass various tea or coffee farms along the road, as well as the occasional hamlet, so if you want to stop and explore, or even walk around the Museum of the Environment at Kibuye, talk to your guide; the option is yours. Visit the gorilla guardians' community to learn about Rwanda's history and culture.
DAY 7: GORILLA TRACKING AND TWIN LAKES
We've never encountered anything like gorilla trekking in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. Meeting a gorilla family in their natural habitat is an unforgettable natural adventure, led by a dominant male silverback and a swarm of females and young.
Your Kigali driver-guide will take you to the park headquarters and introduce you to your hiking group and park ranger.
After tracking, return to the resort for a rest and a visit to the twin lakes (Burera and Ruhondo).
DAY 8: GOLDEN MONKEY TRACKING
Spend the morning in Volcanoes National Park looking for golden monkeys. These endangered monkeys are distinguished by their golden-orange fur and can only be found in the Albertine Rift region. You'll be able to see them jump through the bamboo and hunker down to eat on bamboo leaves while keeping an eye on you for an hour.
Your driver-guide from Kigali will transport you to the park headquarters and introduce you to your hiking group and park ranger. The road back to Kigali winds through western Rwanda's beautiful, rolling hills. It's a fascinating three-hour journey, depending on the stops you make along the route; discuss your options with your driver. When you arrive in Kigali, you will check into your hotel.
You have the option of spending the night in the city.
DAY 9: CITY TOUR
You'll be driven about Kigali to see the city's highlights, such as the Genocide Memorial and Museum. This will give you an interesting, though gloomy, insight of Rwanda's modern history. It's incredible to see how far Rwanda has come in such a short period of time, and it surely adds to one's understanding of the Rwandan people.
You will then proceed to the airport to leave.
