RWANDA SAFARIS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Day 1 : Arrival Kigali and transfer to Hotel

Today upon arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed by one of our company representatives who will welcome you to the land of a thousand hills, give you a brief introduction about your safari and later transfer you to your booked accommodation.

Accommodation : Luxury Option: Kigali Marriott Hotel / Midrange Option: Mille Collines Hotel

Meals : Diner 

Day 2 :  Full Day Kigali city Tour 

Today morning after breakfast at your hotel, Start your day with historical exploration of Kigali city with visits to official landmarks and places from colonial, post-independence, genocide and post-genocide times to have the most educative and incredible historical facts about Rwanda.

You will be able to visit Kigali Genocide memorial site where over 250,000 genocide victims were put to rest in mass graves, visit the Belgian camp where they killed the 10 Belgian UN soldiers who were protecting the moderate prime minister before the start of genocide, explore old and new Kigali, visit Kimironko local market and in the evening return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation : Luxury Option : Kigali Marriott Hotel / Midrange Option : Mille Collines Hotel

Meals : Breakfast, lunch and Diner 

Day 3 : Visit Azizi life and transfer to Butare 

In the morning after the breakfast, you will head to Muhanga to join the locals at their hillside, to participate in their daily life activities as artists, you will be able to learn how they make the local basket weaving, learn traditional cooking, Candle Dipping and bee hive making.  

Enjoy a day full of interactions, fun, feasting and wonderful experiences. After we head to Butare and visit the Royal Kings Palace in Nyanza en route to Butare where you will have an insight about the past leadership of Rwandan kings, their traditions and cultures and after proceed to Butare where you will spend your overnight.

Accommodation : Midrange Accommodation : Boni Consili Hotel

Meals : Breakfast, lunch and Diner 

Day 4 : Visit Ethnographic Museum in Butare and transfer to Nyungwe for the canopy walk 

In the morning after breakfast, we go to visit the Ethnographic Museum, where you will learn more about Past Rwanda’s kingdoms, discovery of lifestyle of Rwandans from the colonial time up to date, and the colonial architecture that was used, After you will embark on your journey Nyungwe National park, driving through unwinding rolling hills and landscapes for roughly 2 hours.

Upon arrival head for a canopy walk experience. This 70 meters suspended metallic bridge will give you a great overview of Nyungwe forest and on a luck day spot one or two more primates in the forest as you take a walk on this bridge and later continue to your lodge for relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight stay. 

Accommodation : Luxury option: Nyungwe Top View hill Hotel / Midrange option: Emeraude Kivu Resort

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 5 : Chimpanzee tracking & waterfall hike  

Today, after your early morning breakfast, you will leave your hotel to experience the natural forest of Nyungwe well known for having 13 species of primates, and transferred to the park for briefing and chimpanzee trekking. You will be entitled to one hour on finding the chimpanzees. After doing the chimpanzee trek, head for lunch before heading for a waterfall hike inside the impenetrable Nyungwe NP.  Later return in the afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.  

Accommodation : Luxury option: Nyungwe Top View hill Hotel / Midrange option: Emeraude Kivu Resort

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 6 : Visit Tea plantation & afternoon Boat ride in Kibuye

Today you will visit the Gisakura tea plantation where you will have a crop to cup tea experience you will visit the tea fields and interact with the farmers on how tea is grown, and harvested, you can also participate in the process of harvesting and then later visit the processing factory to see the other final stages until you tea is served in a cup.

Later head to Kibuye along Lake Kivu shores, you will have fantastic views of the country of a thousand hills. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride in Lake Kivu and visit Napoleon and Amahoro Islands for short hikes where you will discover the rare Angola fruit bats, watch numerous bird species, and enjoy the beauty and history of the island. Return back to lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation : Luxury option: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel / Midrange option: Kivu Paradise 

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 7 : Congo - Nile Trail Excursion and afternoon at relaxation

On this day discover the historical Congo-Nile trail from Gosenyi to Kimbiri. You will be able to explore the beauty and unique sites along the trail of which include experiencing coffee , local livelihoods. In the afternoon back to your lodge for the diner and overnight stay.  

Accommodation : Luxury option: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel / Midrange option: Kivu Paradise

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 8 : Community Projects in Gisenyi and transfer to Volcanoes National Park

In the morning after breakfast, you will visit the community projects for women that make art craft materials, at Atalie de pupe, spend time interacting with them and learning how to weave, and come up with beautiful art crafts such as baskets, beads, and have an insight about the traditional lifestyle and later drive to go visit the Madam Carr Museum. Then continue to Musanze for the diner and overnight stay. 

Accommodation : Luxury Option: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel / Midrange Option: Ingagi Park View Lodge

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 9 : Gorilla Trekking Adventure and relaxation 

Early morning cup of coffee, then prepare for the gorilla trekking briefing from the park headquarters and thereafter, you will be briefed before you enter the jungle with your packed lunch to search the shy mountain gorillas and enjoy their life style in their real home. After meeting the gorillas, you can sit around these great apes for a whole hour watching their social life as you take pictures. On a gorilla safari, a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as walking shoes, packed food and mineral water, insect repellent, sun screen and hut. The gorilla tracking experience takes half or whole day depending on the movements of these primates.

After this gorilla tracking experience you will return to your lodge for lunch. After lunch, relax at your lodge while waiting the diner and overnight stay. 

Accommodation : Luxury Option: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel / Midrange Option: Ingagi Park View Lodge

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 10 : Golden Monkey Trekking and Ibyi’wacu Cultural Village

On this day after you’ve had your warm breakfast you will be picked by your driver guide to the park headquarters same as gorilla trekking, you will be briefed about golden monkey trekking rules and later head into the jungle forest trying to catch a glimpse of these shy but yet jumpy endangered golden monkeys, you will spend roughly 2 – 4 hours in search which is not as strenuous as for gorillas and also one hour you will be given unto you to spend with the primates observing their lifestyle and behaviors in the forest as they are usually swinging from tree to tree which will give you a wonderful adventure.

Return to the lodge for your lunch and in the afternoon visit the ibyi’wacu cultural village to get an insight about traditional lifestyle of Rwandans, enjoy the traditional performances that will spice up your day.

Accommodation : Luxury Option: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel / Midrange Option: Ingagi Park View Lodge

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 11 : Transfer to Akagera National Park

In the morning, after a relaxed breakfast we will embark on a transfer to Akagera National Park driving through unwinding hills. Upon arrival in the park relax at your lodge spending your evening at your leisure. 

Accommodation : Luxury option: Ruzizi Tented Lodge / Midrange option: Akagera Game Lodge

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 12 : Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat trip

After morning breakfast, you will be picked by your driver to the park headquarters where you will have a short briefing about your game drive, after this drive to the park for you game drive, Have encounters with Wildlife species including the big 5 animals among other animals such as antelopes, giraffes, primates like monkeys, zebras etc.

You will return to the lodge as lunch time is approaching, enjoy your lunch in the afternoon go for a boat trip on lake Ihema. This boat ride is magical and it gives you the opportunity to watch animals such as crocodiles, hippos, elephants and other animals that come to quench their thirst on the lake, view numerous bird species while you enjoy the amazing calm nature and wilderness. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation : Luxury option: Ruzizi Tented Lodge / Midrange option: Akagera Game Lodge 

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Diner 

Day 13 : Full Day Game Drive in Akagera and back to Kigali 

After morning breakfast, you will be picked by your driver to the park headquarters where you will have a short briefing about your game drive, after this drive to the park to start your incredible game viewing adventure, you will drive  heading to the north where there is always much animal concentration, searching for animals and you will be able to watch numerous Wildlife animals including the African Big 5 such as Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, rhinoceros and on a good day, you may as well spot a leopard. Other animals to watch in the Akagera include zebras, warthogs, different kinds of antelopes like the impalas, elands, spot some primates like baboons, monkeys and watch numerous bird species. At a certain point you will have your picnic lunch in the park, after proceed with your game drive while exiting the park and back to Kigali 

Accommodation : Luxury Option: Kigali Marriott Hotel / Midrange Option: Mille Collines Hotel 

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 14 : Departure

After a morning breakfast, you will be dropped off to the airport to catch up with your departure flight.

Depending on your departure flight you can have prior visit to Ntarama and Nyamata genocide memorials. 

Meal Plan : Breakfast & lunch. 

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