9 Day luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari
9 days Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari offers Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest & Wildlife in Akagera National Park. This 9 days Luxury Gorilla safari in Rwanda featuring stunning scenery, vibrant culture, and wildlife viewing possibilities, promises to be a memorable experience. Trekking with gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, tracking chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park, watching wildlife in Akagera National Park, and touring Kigali, Kigali capital city, constitute a typical itinerary. Lake Kivu is an excellent destination where one can relax along its shores or explore adjacent cities.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is the main location for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, in addition to offering a canopy walk. The canopy walk at Nyungwe is the finest in all of East Africa. Proceed from Nyungwe Forest to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking. Gorilla safaris in Rwanda provide an unparalleled experience, allowing trekkers to inhabit the mountain gorilla habitat and spend up to one hour in proximity to the gorillas. A wildlife excursion will occur at Akagera National Park, featuring a boat ride on Lake Ihema and a game drive across the savannah plains. The park, characterized by forest-fringed lakes, undulating grasslands, papyrus swamps, and savannahs, is renowned as the most picturesque in Africa.
Highlights of the 9-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary
Day #1: Welcome to Kigali, Kigali city tour, transfer to the hotel
Day #2: Transifer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day #3: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day #4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day #5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
Day #6: Golden Monkey trekking or hiking Mount Bisoke in Volcanoes National Park.
Day #7: Drive to Akagera National Park and have an evening boat cruise on Lake Ihema
Day #8: Half day Game drive in Akagera National Park
Day #9: Depart to Kigali International Airport.
A Detailed 9-Day Rwanda Gorilla Safari
Day 1: Kigali International Airport, Kigali City Tour, transfer to accommodation.
On day 1 of your 9 days Luxury 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 introduction, your local guide will escort you to Kigali for a city tour and lunch. Once lunch is over, you will be taken to a hotel in Kigali city that you have already booked. You check in, unwind, dine, and stay overnight.
Meal Plan: Dinner
Choices for Accommodation: Luxury: Serena Hotel Kigali; Mid-range: Hotel Chez Lando; Budget: Iris Guest House.
Day 2: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
On day 2 of the 9 days Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari, you will enjoy breakfast at your convenience before being transported to Nyungwe Forest National Park. The journey from Kigali city to Nyungwe Forest takes approximately 4 to 5 hours. Upon arrival, you register at your resort, partake in lunch, and unwind in the evening.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Choices for Accommodation: Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge / One & Only Nyungwe Forest House; Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel; Budget: Gisakura Guest House
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
In the early morning, you will have breakfast before being transported to the park headquarters to begin a chimpanzee tracking activity. You continue for a while until you discover the location where the chimpanzees rested the previous night. Chimpanzees exhibit rapid movement between trees, accompanied by their Noise; their agility and playfulness influence the quantity of photographs captured and the duration of observation. Upon completing the trip, you return to the starting point where you meet the driver-guide for transportation to the hotel for lunch and rest.
In the evening, you engage in a canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest for approximately 2 hours. Subsequently, you return to the hotel for rest and dinner. You spend your night at the previous night’s accommodation.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After enjoying breakfast at your convenience in Nyungwe Forest, you will be taken to Volcanoes National Park. The journey endures approximately 5 to 6 hours, culminating in the afternoon. You register at an accommodation of your preference.
Accommodation choices: Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge; Mid-range: Gorilla Solution Lodge; Budget: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: 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 Kinigi park headquarters, you will first receive a training on the guidelines and limitations of gorilla trekking in Rwanda from the park warden. At 8:30 am, the park ranger guide will escort you to the starting location for the gorilla Trek. Eight travelers with a trekking permit for Rwanda, priced at USD 1500 each, are assigned to one gorilla family. A group of eight individuals typically need 2 to 6 hours to travel through the bamboo forest in the rainforest, 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. After one hour with a gorilla family, you return to the park headquarters to meet the tour guide for your transfer back to the hotel.
Accommodation Options: Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge; Mid-range: Gorilla Solution Lodge; Budget: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Trekking for Golden Monkeys or ascending Mount Bisoke in Volcanoes National Park
Get ready for an early morning of trekking with golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park, a habitat where these primates live side by side with mountain gorillas. Golden monkeys possess distinctive traits and can be readily recognized by their coloration. Arrive at the park headquarters at 7:00 am for a briefing prior to the trip. In Rwanda, there are two populations of golden monkeys, with the largest colony, including approximately 80-100 individuals, located on Mount Sabinyo, which is the most frequented area in the park. Following the trip, you are transported back to your accommodation for lunch. You have a leisurely evening. On this day, you may choose to hike Mount Bisoke, a dormant volcano located in the Virunga Mountains.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Choices for Accommodation: Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge; Mid-range: Gorilla Solution Lodge; Budget: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge.
Day 7: Drive to Akagera National Park and partake in an evening boat excursion on Lake Ihema.
After breakfast in the gorilla foothills, you will be transported 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. Subsequent to the boat excursion, you will proceed to the reserved lodging for check-in, dinner, and an overnight stay.
Choices for accommodation: Ruziza Tented Camp (Luxury), Akagera Game Safari Lodge (Mid-range) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 8: Half-day safari in Akagera National Park
In the early morning, breakfast is given, followed by a four-hour game drive in the picturesque savannah plains, contingent upon animal sightings and personal interests. The observable wildlife includes the Big Five game: buffaloes, rhinoceroses, elephants, lions, and leopards. Additional wildlife species comprise giraffes, zebras, hyenas, Cape bushbuck, topis, oribis, roan antelopes, duikers, impalas, Cape eland, among others. You may either relax during the evening or partake in an additional game drive. You spend the night at the previously reserved hotel.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Departure to Kigali International Airport, conclusion of the 9-day Rwanda Goilla Luxury safari.
On the final day of your 9 days Luxury Rwanda gorilla safari, you may enjoy breakfast at your convenience, contingent upon your departure schedule. 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 should you like to make a purchase.
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
Conclusion of 9-Day Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari Itinerary
Inclusions
English speaking driver-guide
Entry fees and taxes including 2 gorilla permits
Safari Vehicle
Lunch
Water on board
3 nights’ accommodation
Exclusions
Any purchases of personal kind
Any changes to the Itinerary
International flights and visas