8 days classic Rwanda Wildlife and Primate Safari

8 DAYS CLASSIC RWANDA WILDLIFE AND PRIMATE SAFARI

The 8 Days classic Rwanda wildlife and primate encounter safari starts from Kigali city and ends at Kigali international Airport Rwanda. The safari was planned to give you an unforgettable wildlife experience and an ultimate primate encounter in Rwanda. On this adventurous tour, you will meet eye-to-eye with the magical Mountain gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Golden monkeys in their natural habitats, get a close encounter with many African wildlife species such as the African big five mammals (Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Rhino and Caped Buffalo) and the beautiful landscapes. If you are a keen Bird lover, this is an ideal tour to spot several African bird species. This private tour will take you through Rwanda one of Africa’s fabulous wildlife destinations to explore several destinations and wildlife species such as Akagera National Park, for two days to discover the big 5 games of the African Jungle, have a boat trip on Lake Ihema, Volcanoes national park to experience one of the world's greatest wildlife encounters “Mountain Gorillas” and golden monkey tracking in their natural habitats, Nyungwe national park for 2 nights where you will see the chimpanzee trekking and enjoy the adventurous canopy walk experience, and conclude with Kigali city tour.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Kigali City – Drive to Volcanoes national park - Visit Iby’ Iwacu cultural village center commonly known as “Gorilla guardians’ village”

On this day, you will be warmly met by our company representative and safari guide at your place of residence to meet and greet, be briefed about your 8-day classic Rwanda safari, have all your travel bags loaded in the safari and thereafter, start your adventurous safari to On this day, rise up very early in the morning at (0600 am) to have breakfast, get all your bags loaded in the vehicle, check out of the lodge and then drive to the park for another morning game drive to search for more wildlife species and to fully explore the park. Later at 0900 am leave the park and drive to Volcanoes national park. Volcanoes national park is one of the only four protected areas in the world that inhabits mountain gorillas. The park covers an area of about 160 km² of rainforest and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes found in the Virunga Mountains, namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga, and Sabyinyo. Volcanoes national park is home to the endangered mountain gorillas and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems which embraces an evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, and swamp. It was named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: these include Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant Crater Lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura and part of Virunga Conservation Area which includes Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga national park in DR Congo and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda. On arrival at Volcanoes national park, drive straight to check in at your reserved lodge, have lunch, relax for some time, and later in the evening visit Iby’ Iwacu cultural village center commonly known as “Gorilla guardians’ village” for a cultural walk. The Gorilla Guardian cultural village is well-known for combining all of Rwanda’s known cultural traditions, people, and history into one place for display and a personal experience. This is will get you to see what life was like in a typical African society setting such as the lifestyle, houses, traditional dances, dress code, food, herbs, and how the ancient kingdoms were generally organized. Also, you will have an opportunity to learn African ancient hunting skills and try weaving baskets/mats, and carpentry which provides a unique experience it is a great place for relaxation and purchasing some locally handmade craft souvenirs to keep your memories. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Davinci Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range)

Meal plan: Lunch/ Dinner

Day 2: Volcanoes National Park – Mountain gorilla trekking – Spend the evening at leisure

After having breakfast, head to the park headquarters to meet other guests for the pre-trekking briefings for the guidelines to follow during your adventurous gorilla trekking by your ranger guide, and then start your forest walk in search of the mountain gorillas, your guides will help you to establish where the gorillas are located. In the course of mountain gorilla trekking, you may encounter many other wildlife species such as Bush pigs, forest Elephants, white and black colobus monkeys, and many bird species. Your guide will be able to give you information about everything that you will encounter which will make your forest walk so exciting. The time taken while looking for mountain gorillas is not known but is expected to be between 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the movements of the mountain gorilla family you are tracking and when you meet them, you will have a maximum of 1 hour to stay with the gorillas while enjoying their actions like young ones playing and adults making nests. You will be allowed to take as many photos as you would want therefore, your camera has to be on standby and fully charged such that you do not miss out on any moment uncaptured. After an hour with the mountain gorillas, return to your lodge to have lunch and spend your afternoon relaxing till time to be served dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Davinci Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range)

Meal plan: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Day 3: Volcanoes National Park – Golden monkey trekking – Drive to Lake Kivu – Spend the rest of the time at leisure

Wake up very early in the morning to have breakfast and transfer to the park information offices for the pre-trekking briefings for the guidelines to follow during golden monkey tracking and then start the forest hike to search for the beautiful golden monkeys. Golden monkeys are species of the Old-World monkey only found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, including four national parks: Mgahinga gorilla national park, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes national park, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga national park and Kahuzi-Biéga, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Compared with other monkey species, the golden monkeys are gorgeous in appearance, they have bright-colored fur with long golden hair mixed with orange. The overall estimate currently stands between 2000 and 4000 individuals and since they are only found in the Virungas conservation area, they have been classified as endangered species. After your trek, you will return to the lodge to have lunch, check out of your lodge, and then drive to Lake Kivu for leisure. Lake Kivu is the largest, is like a giant inland sea with some interesting lakeside towns. It is a relaxing retreat for swimming, canoeing, and water skiing. Dinner and wonderful overnight.

Accommodation: Paradis Malahide (Mid-range)

Meal plan: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Day 4: Lake Kivu (Gisenyi) – Coffee experience tour to – Drive to Nyungwe forest national park

Today, wake at your convenient time, be served breakfast, get on the boat, and cruise from Gisenyi to Nyamirundi island, from here you will view the process of the crop to cup and after you will be able to visit the coffee plantation of Rwanda cooperative known as Igoboka that is a backbone of many Rwanda families that depend on the plantation to get a good life, so this means your visit gives an upper hand to my humble families in Rwanda, you will pick the coffee beans and then proceed to the washing station at Gashashi where the coffee beans are washed in 20 steps., then you will experience roasting of the beans on an open fire after you will taste the thrilling coffee. You will be allowed to have lunch with the coffee cooperation representatives where you will ask questions and get direct answers from the local farmers. After the coffee experience, get on the boat and get back to the mainland and then start your drive to Nyunwge forest national park. The park is home to approximately 13 different species of primates making up about 20-25% of all the primates of Africa such as Grey-cheeked mangabeys, Angolan Colobus monkeys, Olive baboons, Velvet monkeys, Crowned monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, owl-faced and many others in chimpanzees our closest relatives sharing 98.8% human DNA. On arrival at the park drive straight to your booked lodge to check in, have lunch and relax while waiting for your second chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk safari. Dinner and an overnight

Accommodation: Emeraude Kivu Resort (Superior room)

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch/ Dinner

Day 5: Lake Kivu – Drive to Nyungwe national park – Chimpanzee tracking safari – Evening canopy walking safari

After your early morning coffee and breakfast, leave your lodge and drive east to Nyungwe National Park. Nyunwge national park is home to 13 different species of primates making up about 20-25% of all the primates of Africa such as Grey-cheeked mangabeys, Angolan Colobus monkeys, Olive baboons, Velvet monkeys, Crowned monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, owl-faced and many others in chimpanzees our closest relatives sharing 98.8% human DNA. On your arrival at the park, drive straight to the park information office to meet other guests for the pre-tracking briefings about the guidelines to follow during chimpanzee tracking, get allocated to a chimpanzee family to track, and then set off for a forest walk to search for the chimpanzees. Once you meet them, you will have a maximum of one hour to stay with them, taking as many photos as you would want and asking questions. During chimpanzee tracking, you may encounter other primates, many bird species plus other mammals and your guide will be able to give you much information about everything that you will encounter that will make your walk so adventurous. After chimpanzee tracking, return to the park starting point to relax and enjoy your refreshment and lunch. Later, go for the Nyungwe canopy Walk. This walk is part of the Igishigishigi Trail the high suspension bridge with views over the valley and surrounding forests. A trail runs to the Kamiranzovu Marsh, with its birdlife, orchids, and waterfall. The canopy walk is about 2 hours walk, these include a 30-minute walk to the bridge, 1 hour on the bridge, and a walk back. The forest canopy walk experience is an ideal opportunity to enjoy the canopy views of the forest and you may have a chance to spot several wildlife species like some primates and birdlife its central point, reaches a height of around 90 meters. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Emeraude Kivu Resort (Superior room)

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch/ Dinner

Day 6: Nyungwe national park – Visit Nyanza King's Palace Museum - Drive to Akagera national park

On this day, rise up very early in the morning at (0600 am) to have breakfast, get all your bags loaded in the vehicle, check out of the hotel and then drive to King's Palace Museum, this Palace is a beautifully-crafted thatched dwelling shaped like a beehive. In olden times, Nyanza was the heart of Rwanda. According to oral tradition, it was the site of battles and power struggles and Ethnographic Museum which is one of the six museums that make up the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda was built in 1987 with help of the Belgian government as gift from Belgium’s King, and it is now one of Africa's finest ethnographic collections. Its seven galleries display historical, ethnographic, artistic, and archaeological artifacts accompanied by visual aids, giving visitors a rich insight into the culture of Rwandans. The exhibits open with geographical and geological displays, moving on to items used in hunting, agriculture, animal husbandry, pottery, weaving, and woodwork. The traditional clothing and architectural methods as well as the social importance of cattle. After exploring the Royal Palace and Ethnographic Museum, continue with your drive to Kigali city to have lunch and then proceed with your safari to Akegera national park in the northeast of Rwanda. The drive will take you through the most scenic acacia woodland and open grassland, local villages, and small towns while watching the indigenous people on their animal farms and carrying out other activities like laying bricks. You will be excited by their style of working as they do not use much of modern technology but they get more yields, enjoy the beautiful sceneries of the countryside, and have some stopovers to take memorial photos of the best sights which will make your drive so adventurous. On arrival at the park, check-in at your lodge to refresh, be served dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (Mid-range)

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch/ Dinner

Day 7: Akagera national park – Morning game drive safari – Afternoon boat cruise -Night game drive safari

On this day, wake up very early in the morning (0600 hrs) to have breakfast and then leave the lodge for your early morning game drive through the park to search for the wildlife species in the park. This game drive will take you through vast Savannah plains, woodlands, and lake shores to look for Zebras, Elephants, Buffaloes, Giraffes, Lions, black-tailed Mongoose, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, colobus monkeys, and bush babies. Have a short break to relax, have refreshments, lunch, and later proceed with your safari with an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema to enjoy an afternoon boat safari where you will see several crocodiles, schools of hippos, and other land mammals such as Elephants and Buffalo, Zebras as they have come to quench thirty and swimming. After the afternoon adventurous boat cruise on Lake Ihema, return to your lodge to relax while preparing for your night game drive safari to search for the nocturnal species such as Leopard, Lions, spotted hyenas, Civets, bush babies, and many others which are very rare to see during day time. The night game drive will also give an opportunity to experience how other animals spend their night time. Akagera national park is characterized by woodland, swamps, low mountains, and savannah vegetation. In case you are interested in seeing large animals, then Akagera national park is the right place to meet them in big numbers. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (Mid-range)

Meal plan: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Day 8: Akagera national park – Morning game drive – Short Kigali city tour – Return to Kigali international park

On this day, rise up very early in the morning at (0600 am) to have breakfast, get all your bags loaded in the vehicle, check out of the lodge and then drive to the park for another morning game drive to search for more wildlife species and to fully explore the park. Later at 0900 am leave the park and drive to Volcanoes national park. On your way to Volcanoes national park, you will have a stopover at Kigali city to have lunch, and refreshments, relax for some time, and then conclude with a Kigali city tour to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Ground, where more than 250,000 Rwandan victims of the 1994 Genocide were laid to rest in a mass grave. There are details to read and video clips to listen to, as well as a tour of the museum. Visit Kimironko Market: The best place to learn about the culture of a new place is in their markets. Kigali has many local markets where residents go shopping for local items and foodstuffs. Kimironko is one of the most popular for shopping for spices, herbs, vegetables, fruits, salt, meat, and fish. You will also find individuals selling different art pieces and more.

Nyamata church: This is one of the many genocide sites found in different parts of the country and one of the most prominent in Kigali. About 50,000 people were killed inside this church. They had sought shelter in this church hoping that they would be spared by the Interahamwe. Unfortunately, the church turned out to be a death trap as the killers spared no one. On a visit, one can still see skulls, bones, blood-stained clothes, national identity cards, and machetes that were used by the Interahamwe. A mass grave can be seen outside the church where most of the victims were buried. This will conclude your city tour and then in the evening depending on your return flight time, return to the airport to prepare for your return flight this will be the end of your 8-Days classic Rwanda wildlife and primate encounter safari

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch

The package price includes;

• Private transport for 8 days using a well-modified safari land cruiser which is a 4WD, air-conditioned, and pop-up roof

• Fuel for 8 days

• Professional Spanish-speaking safari guide for 8 days

• Airport drop-off after the safari

• Private mid-range accommodation for 7 nights on full board (Breakfast /Lunch/ Dinner)

• All en-route meals and bottled mineral water throughout the tour

• All park entrance fees and government taxes

• Iby’Iwacu Cultural village community tour (Gorilla Guardian Village)

• 1 Mountain gorilla trekking permit

• 1 Golden monkey tracking permit

• 1 Chimpanzee tracking permit

• Lake Ihema afternoon boat cruise

• Night game drive safari at Akagera national park

• Night and morning game drive at Akagera national park

• A visit Nyamirundi island for a coffee experience safari

• Canopy walking safari at Nyungwe forest national park

• Boat cruise on Lake Kivu

• A visit to the Royal Palace and Ethnographic Museum

• Short Kigali city tour

The package price excludes;

• Country entry visa

• Domestic and international flights

• Personal travel insurance

• Tips, laundry, and telephone bills

• Souvenirs and gifts

• Extra meals and activities

• Alcoholic and other soft drinks (Sodas, beers, Gins, Wines, and special juice orders)

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

New York, United States