7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari to Akagera, Volcanoes, Nyungwe
7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari to Akagera National Park, Volcanoes National Park & Nyungwe National Park is an extensive itinerary spanning one week in Rwanda. This 7 days Rwanda Gorilla, Nyungwe & Akagera safari features wildlife encounters, golden monkey tracking, chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking, and a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. This 7-Day Rwanda gorilla Safari includes an exploration of Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.
A wildlife excursion will occur at Akagera National Park, featuring a boat ride on Lake Ihema and a game drive across the savannah plains. Akagera National park, characterized by forest-fringed lakes, undulating grasslands, papyrus swamps, and savannahs, is renowned as the most picturesque in Africa. From Akagera, you will proceed to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking. 7 days Gorilla safaris in Rwanda provide an unparalleled experience, allowing trekkers to inhabit the mountain gorilla’s environment and spend up to one hour in their presence. Nyungwe Forest is the main destination for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, in addition to offering a canopy walk. The canopy walk at Nyungwe is the premier attraction in all of East Africa.
Highlights of the 7-Day Rwanda Gorilla Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and transfer to hotel
Day 2: Proceed to Akagera National Park and partake in an evening boat excursion.
Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
Day 5: Trekking for Golden Monkeys in Volcanoes National Park and subsequent travel to Nyungwe Forest.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy hike in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Day 7: Departure to Kigali International Airport
A Detailed 7 Days Rwanda gorilla Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and transfer to hotel.
On day 1 of your 7-days Rwanda Gorilla safari, a tour guide will be present at Kigali International Airport to receive you. The guide will be immediately recognizable since they will be holding a placard with your names. Following the meeting and greeting, your local guide will transport you to a reserved accommodation in Kigali city. You check in, unwind, dine, and spend the night.
Meal Plan: Dinner
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Serena Hotel Kigali; Mid-range: Hotel Chez Lando; Budget: Iris Guest House.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park and have an evening boat cruise.
On the day 1 of your 7 days Rwada gorilla safari, a Rwanda safari guide will collect you from Kigali, either at a hotel or the airport. Following the meeting and greeting, you will be transported for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to Akagera National Park. Upon arrival for lunch, you partake in a meal and thereafter unwind while awaiting a boat excursion. The boat excursion on Lake Ihema provides excellent views of hippos and crocodiles in the water. Elephants and buffaloes can be observed along the lake’s edges. Following the boat ride, you check in, have dinner, and spend the night in an accommodation that you have reserved.
Options for lodging: Luxury: Ruziza Tented Camp; Mid-range: Akagera Game Safari Lodge. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Day 3: Morning safari and transportation to Volcanoes National Park
on the early morning, breakfast is provided, followed by a game drive on the picturesque savannah plains lasting around four hours, contingent upon animal sightings and interests. The observable fauna includes the Big Five game: buffaloes, rhinoceroses, elephants, lions, and leopards. Additional wildlife species encompass giraffes, zebras, hyenas, Cape bushbuck, topis, oribis, roan antelopes, duikers, impalas, Cape eland, among others. Following the morning wildlife drive, you will have lunch before transferring to Volcanoes National Park. The journey from Akagera will traverse Kigali city and various picturesque villages. You will reach a reserved lodge in Volcanoes National Park in the evening.
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge; Mid-range: Gorilla Solution Lodge; Budget: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, your driver-guide will collect you from the lodge for a journey to the park headquarters. Upon arrival at the park headquarters in Kinigi, you will first receive a briefing on the guidelines and regulations of gorilla trekking in Rwanda from the park warden.
At 8:30 am, the park ranger guide will escort you to the commencement location for the gorilla hike. A total of eight tourists, each holding a trekking permit for Rwanda priced at USD 1500, are assigned to one gorilla family. A group of eight individuals need around 2 to 6 hours to trek through the bamboo forest in the rain forest, accompanied by armed ranger guides. Nevertheless, merely 1 hour (60 minutes) is allocated to the observation of the mountain gorillas. The duration of the journey is variable, contingent upon the movements of the gorilla troop; nevertheless, the population in Rwanda is recognized for traversing shorter distances, so facilitating the trekking experience. Upon spending one hour with a gorilla family, you return to the park headquarters to meet the tour guide for transportation back to your accommodation.
Accommodation Choices: Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge; Mid-range: Gorilla Solution Lodge; Budget: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Day 5: Golden Monkey trekking in Volcanoes and transfer to Nyungwe Forest
In the morning, you will embark on Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park, where they cohabit with the mountain gorillas. Golden monkeys possess distinctive traits and can be readily recognized by their coloration. Arrive at the park headquarters by 7:00 am for the pre-trek briefing.
In Rwanda, there exist two troops of golden monkeys, with the largest group being on Mount Sabinyo, including approximately 80 to 100 monkeys, making it the most frequented in the park. Following the trek, you will be transported back to your hotel for lunch before being taken to Nyungwe Forest National Park. You will spend the night at a chosen accommodation near the park.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Options for Lodging: Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge / One & Only Nyungwe Forest House; Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel; Budget: Gisakura Guest House
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park
In the early morning, you will have breakfast before being transported to the park headquarters to commence a chimpanzee trekking Safari. You walk for a while until you discover the location where the chimpanzees spent the previous night. Chimpanzees exhibit rapid locomotion between trees, accompanied by vocalizations; the velocity of their movements influences the quantity of photographs captured and the duration of observation.
Upon completion of the trip, you return to the starting point where you meet the driver-guide for transportation to the hotel for lunch and leisure. In the evening, you engage in a canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest for around two hours. Subsequently, you return to the hotel for rest and dinner. You spend the night at the preceding night’s lodging.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Diner
Day 7: Depart For Kigali International Airport, end of 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla safari
On the final day of your 7 days Rwanda Gorilla safari to Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park & Volcanoes National Park, you may enjoy breakfast at your convenience, contingent upon your departure date. Your driving guide will facilitate transportation to Kigali International Airport for your departing flight. You may request your guide to make a stop at craft shops in Kigali if you wish to make a purchase.
Conclusion of the 7-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary