Overview.
You will spend your 12 days on Rwanda double gorilla trek and wildlife tour in Nyungwe forest national park where you will trek chimpanzees and do a nature walk on the canopy, you will then visit volcanoes national Park for your double gorilla trekking experience together with the hike to the Dian Fossey’s grave who was a primatologist who died while on her research in volcanoes national Park.
You will also visit Akagera national Park which is savanna for activities like game drives and boat cruises on Lake Ihema. You will also relax your minds on Lake Kivu as you take part in the beach activities. Do a city tour to look at the good attractions in the city of Kigali and end your 12 days from the airport as you fly back.
Detailed Safari.
Day 1: Day 1: Arrival in Kigali.
Welcome to the Land of a thousand hills Rwanda sometimes also called Africa’s Switzerland and you will meet our guide driver who will be guiding you to your destinations throughout the 12 days you will spend in Rwanda. Drive to the lodge of your booking for your dinner or lunch depending on your time of arrival.Day 2: Ascend From Nyakalengija (1648m) to Nyabitaba (2651m).
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park and canopy walk
You will have your breakfast in the morning thereafter you will be driven by your driver guide to the Nyungwe forest national park which hosts 13 primates including the chimpanzees. This park is like Kibale National Park of Uganda you will check in at the lodge for lunch and after lunch, you will do a canopy walk in Nyungwe.
While on your canopy walk you will be on the same level with the trees in Nyungwe enjoying the beautiful scenery, looking at the birds and primates closer then take more than enough photos while on top of the trees and if you fear heights please don’t risk your life. Return to the lodge.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking, driving Lake Kivu
Chimpanzee trekking will begin with a delicious breakfast and then transfer to the park headquarters for briefing after you will start your trek in the tropical forests to look for these chimpanzees accompanied by a park ranger guide who will help allocate the chimpanzee family or group for you.
You will take about 4- 6 hours searching for these endangered primates but when found, you will only be given one hour to watch them and can also ask any questions about the chimpanzees and whether they are living in the forest. You will also be looking at other primates like a silver monkey, Dents Mona monkey, Las monkey and many more that will make your experience more
enjoyable.
Return to the lodge for lunch and after checking out from the lodge and drive to Lake Kivu which is a boundary between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Move to the lodge of your booking near Lake Kivu or in Gisenyi.
Day 4: Full day at Lake Kivu
Wake up, have your breakfast head for any beach activity of your choice on Lake Kivu. You can wish to take part in sport fishing, enjoy sunbathing on the sands of lake Kivu, swimming, enjoy breathtaking nature from both Rwanda and Congo’s thick forests and many more and your day will end with your dinner at your lodge.
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Have your breakfast and then drive to volcanoes national Park one of Africa’s oldest parks found in the Northwestern part of Rwanda with a lot of biodiversity that has existed for thousands of years.
This park is having 12 families of mountain gorillas thus being one of the gorilla destinations in Africa. Drive to the lodge of your booking near volcanoes national Park.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking and relax
Be served with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning then pack your lunch and head to the volcanoes national Park headquarters to meet the Park guide who will lead you to the jungle to trek the mountain gorillas for your first time but you will have to be briefed before heading to the park to search for the gorillas.
Mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda is done in a group of 8 people and only those that are above 15 years of age and free from any infectious disease will be allowed to come into contact with the mountain gorillas.
Contact with the gorillas takes only one hour but the whole experience can last for about 5-7 hours and the one hour given to you can be spent watching over their behaviors and taking photos as well. Return to the lodge after the experience to relaxing
Day 7: Gorilla trekking and Dian Fossey’s grave hike
On your second gorilla trekking day, you will wake up in the morning have your breakfast then head to the park for trekking gorillas. Today’s experience will not be like yesterdays because you will trek with a different gorilla family thought the behaviors of the mountain gorillas may not differ but be assured of looking at the behaviors you missed seeing in the other family.
Have your lunch and then hike to the grave of Dian Fossey. Dian Fossey was a primatologist who was doing her research on gorillas from Rwanda and she contributed much to the remaining population of the mountain gorillas in volcanoes national Park as she helped on reducing the poaching of these apes and her grave is one Karisoke volcano. Later move back to the lodge for dinner after the hike.
Day 8 -9: Transfer to Kigali city tour
After your double gorilla trekking day, you will transfer to Kigali city where you will spend your two nights.
You will have a city tour and you will visit places like the Kigali genocide memorial site to look at the remains of the thousands of the Tutsi and Hutu who were killed in 1994 this will live you with the real history of Rwandan politics, visit art centers and museums for the art of the Rwandan people, visit the King’s Palace, Kimironko Market to taste on the fruits of Rwanda.
End of Safari.