Overview

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Kigali – Nyungwe National Park

You’ll depart from Kigali after breakfast for the long but beautiful drive south to Nyungwe National Park.  Along  the  way  you’ll  come  to  understand  why  they  call  Rwanda  ‘The  Land  of  1000  Hills’.The trip will be broken up with a number of stops. You’ll pay a visit to Nyanza, where you can visit the former palace of the last Rwandan king. Further you will make a stop the Butare National Museum. After lunch, you’ll proceed to Nyungwe, passing through the forest along the way. You’ll have the chance to see playful primates playing by the road as you travel. You’ll arrive at your Nyungwe accommodation in time for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Accommodation  Options:  Nyungwe  Top  View  Hotel  (Luxury),  Chimpanzee  Lodge

(Mid-range), EAR Ken Barham guest house (Budget)

Day 2: Nyungwe National park

You’ll rise early for breakfast as you go off in search of Rwanda’s enigmatic and endangered

chimpanzee  population.  With  only  four  hundred  chimpanzees  in  the  country,  there’s  no guarantee you’ll see chimps during your day’s hike, but your guide will do all he can to get you a glimpse of our closest relatives in the animal  kingdom. Even  if  you  aren’t  lucky  enough  to  spot  a  chimpanzee,  the  national  park  is  a  wonderfully diverse  place  that  you’ll  get  a  chance  to  explore  both  in  the  morning  in  your  hunt  for chimpanzees and after lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll go in search of another of the park’s primate residents – the cheeky black  and  white  colobus  monkey.  These  playful  primates  are  an  easier  hike  than  the chimpanzees, and you’ll delight in their antics.

Accommodation  Options:  Nyungwe  Top  View  Hotel  (Luxury),  Chimpanzee  Lodge

(Mid-range), EAR Ken Barham guest house (Budget)

Day 3: Nyungwe – Lake Kivu

You’ll start your day with your choice of a guided waterfall walk or a walk along the Nyungwe

Forest National Park’s famous elevated canopy walk. Both offer a unique perspective on this beautiful park, and you’ll find a new appreciation for Rwanda’s natural beauty as you move through this dense forest. After your morning activity, you’ll make your way to Karongi on the shores of Lake Kivu. The drive to this beautiful city takes you along one of the most scenic stretches of road you’ll ever encounter – wending your way through hills and valleys along the way.

Accommodation Options: Cleo lake kivu Hotel (Luxury), Moriah Hills resort (Mid-

range), Delta Hotel (Budget)

 Day 4: Lake kivu – Volcanoes National park

You’ll start your day with a morning boat ride on Lake Kivu, taking in the serenity and beauty

of  this  massive  freshwater  lake.  As  you  enjoy  your  boat  ride,  you’ll  take  in  the  gorges,mountains, creeks, and islands that make for one of Rwanda’s most beautiful panoramas. After a sumptuous lunch, you’ll continue on to Musanze on the outskirts of Volcanoes National Park, where you’ll pay a visit to the Gorilla Guardian Village to learn more about Rwanda’s pre-colonial past. 

Accommodation  Options:  Virunga  Inn  resort  &  SPA  (Luxury),  Fatima  Hotel  (Mid-range),

Virunga Homestay (Budget)

                                                                                                                            Day 5: Gorilla trekking

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you’ll proceed directly to the Volcanoes National Park’s

headquarters to meet your guides. After completing the briefing, you’ll embark on the once in

a lifetime experience of tracking the enigmatic mountain gorillas.

There is no guarantee how long or difficult your tracking experience will be as it depends on

where the family of gorillas is and on weather conditions, It can take anywhere from two up to six  hours  of  trekking  through  the  mountain  forest  at  relatively  high  altitudes.  Fitness  is

definitely recommended for those wishing to undertake the excursion.

One of the most memorable experiences you’re likely to ever have, you’ll be allowed an hour of close contact with the gorillas once you’ve found them. You’ll be privileged enough to come within mere metres of a family of these rare and beautiful animals, observing their family dynamics and getting to learn a bit about each gorilla’s distinct personality in serene silence.

Accommodation  Options:  Virunga  Inn  resort  &  SPA  (Luxury),  Fatima  Hotel  (Mid-range),

Virunga Homestay (Budget)     Day 6: Golden Monkey trekking – Kigali

Today after breakfast, we transfer again to the briefing area but this time for golden monkey

trekking. Golden monkeys are primates that reside in the Virunga regions of Uganda, Rwanda

and DR Congo. The golden monkey is generally more active than the gorillas. This requires

that for great photos you will continuously follow them as they forage for food especially the

delicious bamboo shoots. Sometimes they are seen getting into the surrounding gardens for

potatoes. However, to note is that they are generally not located too far so the trek to their

habitat is much more manageable than some of the gorilla families. You will receive a briefing at the park headquarters before you start your golden monkey trek just like the previous day.

You can carry packed lunch but usually the trek lasts a few minutes and you are able to return to the

lodge for lunch. After lunch the driver guide will transfer you to Kigali as he transfer you to the Hotel

for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation  Options:  Radisson  Blu  Hotel  (Luxury),  ONOMO  Hotel  (Mid-range),  Ikaze

B&B(Budget)    

Day 7: Kigali city tour – Departure

After  breakfast  you’ll  be  treated  to  a  city  tour  covering  some  of  the  city’s  most  famous  sites

including  the  craft  markets,  genocide  memorial  and  the  campaign  against  genocide  museum.

Get your last-minute shopping done, and then it’s off to the airport for your onward journey.

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