8 days Rwanda Safari: Chimpanzee, Gorilla, Iby’Iwachu & Twin Lake
This tailored 8 Days Safari to Rwanda, offers you the opportunity to visit Nyungwe Forest National park for chimpanzee & canopy walking tour, and latter connect to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking, Dian Fossey, then visit the twin lake of Ruhondo & Bulera. Both parks are also homes to a number of bird species, which makes it ideal for avid birders.
Detailed Itinerary of the 8 days Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Airport pick – Kigali City Tour
Meet with our company representative who will welcome you, and guide you through your itinerary overview, after the transfer you for a city tour to some of the genocide memorial center, the old town of Nyamirambo, the new handicraft village, the Batwa pottery and dance center, and the Kimironko fruits. Enroute; have lunch and proceed to your hotel to relax. Dine and sleep in the hotel.
Day 2: Through Butare cultural tour to Nyungwe Forest NP
Following your breakfast, proceed to Nyungwe forest national , arriving in the early evening at in Gisakura guest house or Nyungwe Forest Lodge. Enroute; visit
Butare, Nyanza (presently Nyabisindu, the former Mwami’s palace (King’s palace) and the base of the feudal kingdom) and have lunch as well
Day 3: Nyungwe Forest Primates walk
Assemble at Uwinka tourist information center for a briefing on the code of conduct for tracking chimpanzees. Besides chimps, you might encounter other primates; large communal troops of Angolan Colobus monkeys, colobus monkeys, Silver monkeys, the Grey cheeked Mangabeys, L’hoests monkey and many bird species.
Return for lunch at the lodge and later embark on an afternoon canopy walk over on along meter bridge over the forest for 2-3hours, though not for the faint hearted.
Dinner and Overnight at Gisakura Guest House / Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Day 4: Nyungwe Forest – Kibuye
Rise for a leisurely breakfast, and embark on your journey to Kibuye, traversing through green fields of tea plantations before driving around the shorelines of Lake Kivu. Kibuye is the most spectacular resort of the three towns on Lake Kivu. To refresh from trekking in Nyungwe, you may spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Dinner & overnight rest at your hotel
Day 5: Kibuye – Gisenyi Kinigi
At the break of dawn, proceed for a speed-boat trip to Gisenyi instantly after breakfast. Explore the fishing villages of Lake Kivu and also have a chance of interacting with people of Idjwi Island, it is believed to be the largest inland island in Africa the worlds 8th largest. Idjwi is roughly midway the DRC and Rwanda. You can also cross the boarder to Goma in Congo (Optional).
Arrive in the early evening at Kinigi Guest House / Mountain Gorilla’s Nest for dinner & and an overnight.
Day 6: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After early breakfast, drive for an assemble at Kinigi Park Head quarters with packed lunch, where you will meet with ranger guide for a briefing about rules of gorilla trekking. You will trek along the foot hills of Virunga to look for mountain Gorillas, which may take from 2 to 8 hours. You will be allowed to spend atmost 1 hour in the presence of the Mountain Gorillas, after which you will return to the headquarters to be transferred to the lodge for lunch.
Proceed for an evening cultural experience within the Iby’Iwachu cultural community or Return for dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 7: Dian Fossey Tomb hike & Ibyiwachu
On this day after breakfast, you will head for a 30 minutes drive to the trail head which leads to most sought after Dian Fossey Tomb at Karisoke research camp in Volcanoes National Park. You will then walk for 10 minute to the park boundary to start your wolk to the Dians Fossey grave , which takes about 90 minutes. The trail feature incredible encounter of forest hogs, forest elephants, a variety of primates and bird species.
Hiking to the grave offers Physical, emotional and Intellectual, experience, to learn about a famous primatologist who dedicated her entire life to protect the gorillas from evil behavior of poaching.
The Dian Fossey hike is complimentary to the major tourist activities Rwanda has to offer including gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, volcano hiking, caving and a visit to Bulere and Buhondo twin lakes.
Return for lunch at the lodge after then head to visit the beautiful lakes of Lake Bulera and Ruhondo, where you will have spectacular views of the Virunga ranges of Volcanoes national park.
Day 8: Depart for Kigali
On this day we come to the end of our 7 days Rwanda safari to Nyungwe forest, Lake kivu in Kibuye and Volcanoes national park. You will wake up early for breakfast, and head for a Dian Fossey Hike, where you will return for lunch at the lodge, thereafter set off for Kigali city at once to catch up with your flight back home.
End Of 8 Days Rwanda Safari
The tour quotation Includes:
– Gorilla and Chimpanzee tracking permits
– Ground transport in a comfortable 4WD safari van equipped for game viewing, photography and touring
– Full board accommodation
– All park entrance fees to include government taxes
– Full-time English speaking professional driver/guide
– All tour activities as detailed in the itinerary
– Bottled water while on safari
– Airport transfers
The tour quotation excludes:
– Tips
– Laundry services
– Beverages/Drinks
– International flights
– Visas
– Items of a personal nature
-Optional activities and any other extras not described in the above itinerary in the above itinerary