Highlights of Rwanda
7 days—Highlights of Rwanda
From
$4189 USD
pp
Safari summary
About this tour
| Tour type | Custom, tailor-made, private | |
| Main focus | Primate trekking | |
| Activity level | Moderate activity | |
| Best months | May, November | |
| Countries | ||
| Parks |
Itinerary
Day 1
Day 1 Arrival – Kigali Today we will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your nearby hotel, the real-life inspiration for the film Hotel Rwanda. Here you have the chance to meet the rest of your group in a welcome drink and safari briefing. Kigali has been the capital of Rwanda since independence in 1962, and the city is attractively spread out across several hills. The ‘downtown’ city centre is located on one hilltop, and the government/diplomatic quarter on another. The city offers its fair share of colourful African bustle and energy, but on the whole is very clean and orderly when compared to most African capitals, and its wide, tree-lined streets are a pleasant place to take a stroll.
Day 2
Volcanoes
Day 2 Kigali – Volcanoes National Park This morning we enjoy a city tour of Kigali, including visits to the craft markets and the poignant Genocide Memorial. After lunch at a city restaurant, we then transfer (2hrs30mins) to our hotel for the next two nights, overlooking Lake Kivu in the beach resort of Gisenyi.
Day 3
Volcanoes
Day 3 Volcanoes National Park Today we depart early for gorilla tracking in Volcanoes NP (1hr30mins transfer). After a briefing at the park headquarters, we will start our hike to reach our allocated gorilla family. As these critically endangered primates are wild, and can cover vast distances every day, our hike to reach them could take between 1-7hrs. Once located however, all thoughts of exertion are quickly forgotten as we spend a magical hour observing these gentle giants in their natural habitat.
Day 4
Virunga | Volcanoes
Day 4 Volcanoes National Park – Kigali This morning we transfer to Volcanoes NP for a second day of tracking primates—this time our encounter is with the Golden Monkeys that reside in the bamboo forests of the Virunga volcanoes. Afterwards, we enjoy our picnic lunch before transferring to Kigali (2hrs 30mins).
Day 5
Nyungwe Forest
Day 5 Kigali – Nyungwe Forest National Park This morning we depart for Nyungwe Forest (6hrs) via visits to the National Museum in Butare and the Royal Palace in Nyanza. Upon arrival in Nyungwe, we can relax at our five star lodge, serenely located in the midst of tea plantations overlooking the forest canopy itself.
Day 6
Nyungwe Forest
Day 6 Nyungwe Forest National Park Today we depart early for chimpanzee tracking in nearby Cyamudongo Forest, returning to the lodge for lunch. This small forest was historically connected to Nyungwe , and is rich in bird species typical of the Albertine Rift Valley system. It also has a resident habituated chimpanzee group, and with the compact size of this forest, sightings are usually better here than for those trekking chimps in Nyungwe Forest itself. This afternoon, enjoy a hike in Nyungwe Forest including a chance to observe the top of the forest canopy itself by traversing East Africa’s only Canopy Walkway.
Day 7
Nyungwe Forest
Day 7 Nyungwe Forest – Kigali – Depart This morning we transfer to nearby Kamembe Airport (1hr) for our scheduled commercial flight back to Kigali. Upon arrival in Kigali, we are met and transferred to a restaurant for lunch before returning to the airport later today for our international flight home.
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