| Duration: | 10 Day(s) - 9 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Eco Tours |
Day 1: Kigali city tour & transfer to Akagera National Park
A drive and Guide from Green Hills Ecotours will meet you at the hotel orAirport in Kigali by morning, brief you about your trip and proceed for a city tour in the beautiful Kigali. Areas to visit include the 1994 Gisozi Genocide Memorial site, local arts and crafts shops, Kigali Museum and learn the history of Kigali and Rwanda’s pre-colonial and colonial period as well as the colonial masters in Rwanda. Later in the afternoon, transfer to Akagera National park (3hrs), arrive in time for a boat ride on lake Ihema, dinner and overnight at Akagera game lodge.
Day 2: Akagera National Park Game drive
Have breakfast at the lodge and proceed with the southern game drive alongside the Lake Ihema circuit where a plenty of animals can be seen, including Elephants, Masai Giraffes, Buffaloes, Zebras, Hippos, Nile Crocodiles and also many other mammal species. This game drive will also enable you to clearly view the gentle hills blending beautifully with lowland swamps and water bodies.
After lunch, go for another game drive in the northern circuit of the park. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and landscape through the northern circuit where you will see hippos, crocodiles and even more wildlife than on the lake circuit. Dinner and overnight at Akagera Game Lodge.
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Breakfast at the lodge and hit the road to Volcanoes National park via Kigali. This is a fantastic journey through beautiful rolling hills that characterize much of Rwanda. We shall have several stops for photographing, to arrive at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge or Gorillas Nest Lodge relax as we wait for tomorrow’s gorilla trekking adventure, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla Tracking in volcanoes
Have early breakfast and transfer to Kinigi station for a 30 minutes briefing about mountain gorilla tracking. Tracking Gorillas is very strenuous and tiresome but meeting and staying with these giant apes is worth the effort. You will be allowed to stay with gorillas for 1 hour for observation and photographing. Descend to the lodge for late lunch and if the evening is free, you can take a walk to Ruhengeri Market, providing you with an opportunity to see and buy local Rwandan fabrics, foods, arts and handicrafts. Dinner & overnight at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge or Gorillas Nest Lodge.
Day 5: Second Gorilla Tracking
This is another change to see gorillas in the wild. You can choose a different gorilla family or same as the previous day. If the evening is free, we can have a brief excursion to the spectacular panoramic views of the Twin Lakes; Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo and the Virunga mountain chain.Overnight at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge or Gorillas Nest Lodge.
Day 6: Golden Monkey Tracking and Iby'Iwacu Cultural Excursion
Have early breakfast at the lodge and enter the forest in search for Golden Monkeys and other primates. The trek will expose you to excellent birding and other primates like Colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, Red tailed monkeys and Grey Cheeked Mangabeys among others.
Return early enough for lunch and drive to Musaze District to Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village for a wonderful and interactive experience, learning all about Rwandan traditions, culture, songs and dance. You may also participate in the local activities and taste local foods and wines. You will spend the night here, in traditional houses and participate in Gitaramo, a cultural tradition of sharing stories, song and dance while sitting around a warm fire.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Kivu/Boat
Have breakfast then transfer to Gisenyi on the shores of Lake Kivu. Take a boat ride to the Hot springs, relax on the beach in the evening. Overnight at Paradise Marahide Hotel / Lake Kivu Serena Hotel.
Day 8: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest (Home of primates)
Nyungwe forest is made up of a variety of habitats including montane forests, bamboos, grasslands, and swamps. This is a home to 13 primate species such as Chimpanzees, endangered Golden monkeys, Blue Monkeys, colobus, red tailed monkeys and grey checked mangabeys. There are also about 300 bird species. Relax in the evening as we wait for dinner and Overnight at Peace Guest House/Nyungwe Forest Lodge.
Day 9: Chimpanzee & Colobus Monkey trekking Expedition
Have breakfast enter Nyungwe forest in search for 13 primates species and over 300 bird species, making it a bird watcher's paradise! Nyungwe Forest is one of the destinations in the world where you can see up to 13 primates species; these include chimpanzees, the Blue Monkeys, L'Hoest's Monkeys, endangered golden monkeys and the Angolan black and white Colobus Monkeys among others. Nyungwe forest has huge concentrations of habituated primates whose troops can include 400 to 500 individuals! This is a unique tourism phenomenon. Return to your lodge for lunch and relax at the lodge.
You can relax after lunch or go for colobus monkey tracking or canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest. Dinner and overnight at Peace Guest House / Nyungwe Forest Lodge.
Day 10: Nyungwe – Butare – Kigali
Depart for Kigali after breakfast, enroute visit to Murambi Genocide memorial museum and stop in Butare town (Second to Kigali) to visit the National Museum, lunch and proceed to Step Town Motel in Kigali where the tour ends.
End of the tour
