12 Days Explore Rwanda Safari
The 12 Days Explore Rwanda Safari is an interesting primate and wildlife safari that starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda. The safari will take you to Akagera national park which is one of the biggest national parks located in the Eastern part of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Lake Kivu. During the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will be able to view different wildlife species including the big five mammals like buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and other animals like waterbucks, duikers, roan antelopes, giraffes, impalas, zebras, hippos, hyenas among others during the game drives and boat cruise on Lake Ihema. You will also engage in an adventurous chimpanzee and gorilla trekking experience where you will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees and mountain gorillas in their natural environment.
Highlights of the 12 days Explore Rwanda safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Kigali city tour
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy swamp walk
Day 5: Colobus monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Kivu
Day 6: Boat cruise and relaxation
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes national park-twin lakes tour
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking
Day 10: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 12: Morning game drive and departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kigali
Depending on your arrival time at Kigali International Airport on the first day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will be picked by our driver guide from the airport, brief you about the safari and then transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Kigali City tour
On the second day of the 12 days Explore Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast at leisure and then your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to go for a city tour where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial centre, Kimironko market, presidential museum, art and craft centres, Kandt house among others. After the city tour, you will have lunch where after you continue with the city tour or spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast on the third day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will check out of the hotel and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Nyungwe forest national park. On the way, you will have a stopover at the former Kings palace and another stopover for en-route lunch. After lunch, you will continue the journey with stunning views of the beautiful landscape, hills, traditional homesteads among others. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk tour
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and an experienced park guide who is knowledgeable about chimpanzee trekking trails. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where they are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view different bird species, other primate species, plant and tree species among others. Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, habits, take photos, watch them carry out their daily activities and record the incredible moments to show people back home. After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Canopy walk tour
After lunch, you will go for an adventurous canopy walk tour which starts at Uwinka Visitors Centre. During the canopy walk, you will be able to view different bird species, primates, animals, enjoy aerial view of the forest, tree tops among others. After the canopy walk, you will drive back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Colobus monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Kivu
On the fifth day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Uwinka park headquarters for colobus monkey trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the colobus monkeys and once found spend one hour with them in their natural environment. After colobus monkey trekking, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Kivu which is the largest lake in Rwanda and upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Boat cruise on Lake Kivu and relaxation
After a relaxed breakfast on the sixth day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for an amazing boat cruise on Lake Kivu where you will be able to explore some of the islands, enjoy beautiful views of the landscape among others. After the boat cruise on Lake Kivu, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes national park-twin lakes tour
On the seventh day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast at leisure and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Volcanoes National Park. On the way, you will enjoy great views of the beautiful scenery, landscape among others. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch where after you will go for a twin lakes tour of Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo where you will be able to enjoy stunning views of the terraced farmlands, bird species among others. From the twin lakes, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast on the eighth day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will carry your lunch box and meet up with your driver guide to go for gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the mountain gorillas which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where they are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view different birds, other primate species among others and once the gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment where you will be able to watch them feed, play, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record videos to show people back home.
After gorilla trekking, you will meet up with your driver guide to return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes national park and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
After breakfast on the ninth day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for golden monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the golden monkeys which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where they are located and once they are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat where you will be able to watch them feed, play, jump up in tree branches, take photos and record the moments to show people back home.
After golden monkey trekking, you will meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for lunch where after you will go for an interesting Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, learn about their culture, history, lifestyle, way of living, visit their homesteads, enjoy their traditional performances among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Akagera National Park
On the tenth day of the 12 days explore Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with our driver guide to start the journey to Akagera National Park. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and enjoy great views of the rolling hills, beautiful scenery, landscape among others. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive
After an early breakfast on the eleventh day of the 12 days explore Rwanda adventure, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be rewarded with great views of animals like elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, impalas, waterbucks, warthogs which will be grazing in the open savannah plains, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas among others if you are lucky, variety of bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you will get a chance to view animals like hippos and crocodiles in water, view elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs along the shores, water birds like martial eagle, papyrus gonolek, pelicans, hornbills, African skimmers, cormorants, African spoonbills, fish eagles, king fisher’s among others. After the boat ride you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Morning game drive and departure to Kigali
Morning game drive
After breakfast on the last day of the 12e days explore Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a short game drive in the park where you will be able to view some of the animals that you might have missed during the previous game drive.
After the game drive you will drive out of the park and start the journey to back to Kigali. Upon arrival, you will have lunch and later your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali International airport for your flight or drop off at any place of advise.
End of 12 days Explore Rwanda safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Canopy walk
- Park entrance fees/ game drive
- Boat cruise fees
- Kigali city tour
- Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off in Kigali Rwanda
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
