This safari takes you from the vibrant capital city Kigali to the magnificent Akagera National Park, for the thrilling game drive experience and the most tranquil sunset boat ride. You’ll get to explore the famous Volcanoes National Park, with a memorable Mountain Gorilla and Golden Monkey trekking experience and a visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
Your safari starts with you being picked up from Kigali International Airport or your hotel and continues with a scenic road trip from Kigali to Akagera National Park, an outstanding wildlife reserve known to be Central Africa’s largest protected wetland and home to the Big Wild Five. After arriving, you’ll have a chance to unwind before going on a marvellous sunset boat ride on Lake Ihema. While enjoying the boat ride, be on the lookout for hippos sunbathing, crocodiles lazing on the shores of the water, and various types of bird species. After your sunset ride on the lake, you’ll return to the Akagera Game Lodge for dinner and a restful overnight stay.
On the second day of the safari, prepare for a thrilling full-day game drive in Akagera National Park early in the morning, your experienced driver guide will take you to explore the park’s diverse habitats, from savannahs to wetlands, and here you have to keep your eyes peeled your chance to spot the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo) and many other wildlife such as giraffes, zebras, and antelopes, etc. One of the other impressive facts about this park is that its rich flora and fauna offer never-ending opportunities for photography and wildlife observation. After the game drive, you’ll be transferred back to Kigali for an overnight stay.
After breakfast, you will enjoy a guided city tour that showcases the city’s rich history and lively culture. By visiting noteworthy sites such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where you can learn about Rwanda’s tragic past, and explore local markets that showcase Rwanda’s crafts. In the afternoon, you’ll head to Musanze, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park and visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, where you can expect to learn about the ongoing conservation efforts of Rwanda’s mountain gorillas. Later, check in to your hotel, have dinner and have a restful night preparing for the next day’s adventure.
On the fourth day of your safari, you will have an early start with a healthy and tasty breakfast to prepare for the trek. After that, you will go to a quick briefing session at the park headquarters where you will learn about the dos and don’ts of the trek, safety protocols, and a few other things, then proceed to take on the forest. The trekking can take between 2 to 8 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas. Later on, after the trek and a good delicious lunch, your visit to the Gorilla Guardian Village will start, where you can expect to engage with the local community, learn about the Rwandan culture, and understand the community’s efforts in gorilla conservation. Some of the activities that take place there are like: traditional dance performances, crafts, and storytelling, and you can get to participate in them. After enjoying your day full of adventure, you will head back to the hotel for a restful night.
The final day of the safari is for an exciting experience of golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Early in the morning, at the park headquarters, you’ll be shortly briefed and assigned a park guide to start the tracking of these playful primates in their natural habitat. In the afternoon you’ll be transferred back to Kigali, and along the way you can visit some craft shops for either gifts or souvenirs to take back with you. Later, you’ll be dropped off at Kigali International Airport for your departure.
