14 Day Rwanda Adventurous safari
14 Day Rwanda Adventurous safari : Rwanda is incredibly interesting to visit in its incredible scenic hilly landscapes making her famous as “Land of a thousand hills” rich in biodiversity. This 14 Days Rwanda Safaris is the longest way of spending your safari in Kigali and takes you to Rwanda’s most visited primates’ destinations that is Volcanoes national park and Nyungwe national park with a bit of relaxation during the trip. Volcanoes national park is the most popular park unique for gorilla trekking along with other 2 parks in Uganda and 1 in Congo. Volcanoes national park has about 10 habituated gorilla families for tourism. Apart from gorilla trekking, Volcanoes national park is also a home to the endangered golden monkeys and a few of the forest animals and the park hosts about 200 different bird species. Nyungwe forest national park on the other hands is home to the endangered chimpanzees and 12 other species of primates. Trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest is one of the most scenic experiences under the montane rainforest and walking on a canopy above the forest is an added beautiful experience. Nyungwe forest is quite challenging because it takes longer hours before finding the chimpanzees. This puts Kibale forest national park of Uganda at an advantage over Nyungwe forest national park as it has a 99% of seeing the chimpanzees and there are over 5000 individual chimpanzees. Other primates’ visitors come to see include the Angola Colobus Monkeys, Dent’s Mona Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys, Hamlyn’s Monkeys, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Olive Baboon, Red tailed Monkeys, Silver Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, White and Black and Colobus monkeys. Akagera national park which is located in the eastern part of Rwanda in the savannah areas good for wildlife experience specially to see the big five game. Enjoy other excursions include visiting Lake Kivu bordering Congo. Akagera national park is located in the eastern part of Rwanda in the savannah areas good for wildlife experience specially to see the big five game. Enjoy remarkable game drives for animals such as Buffaloes, Antelopes, Elephants, Giraffes, Leopards, Hyenas, lions, rhinos to mention a few. Other excursions include visiting Lake Kivu bordering Congo and a city tour in Kigali city.
Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali – Rwanda/Kigali city tour
- Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes national park – Community tour
- Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 4: Golden monkey tracking
- Day 5: Hike mount Bisoke and transfer to Gisenyi
- Day 6: Full day excursion Lake Kivu
- Day 7: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
- Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk
- Day 9: Colobus monkeys and waterfalls hike
- Day 10: Birding experience and tea plantation tour
- Day 11: Transfer to Kigali city
- Day 12: Transfer to Akagere national park
- Day 13: Game drive and boat trip on Lake Ihema
- Day 14: Return to Kigali – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali – Rwanda
On the 1st day of your 14 Day Rwanda Adventurous safari, upon arrival at Kigali international airport with your confirmed booked flight, you will be met by your safari driver who will be your guide throughout the trip, meet and greet, pack your luggage in the safari vehicle and drive to your booked accommodation in Kigali city. Depending on your time of arrival, doing a city tour on this day will be the best. Visit some of the interesting places in Kigali including the Kigali genocide memorial, drive to one of the hills in Kigali for a city view and a market tour. Return in the evening to your Hotel for dinner and overnight stay at Kigali Serena Hotel for luxury/Des Mille Collins Hotel for mid-range/Step Town Motel for budget
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes national park – Community tour
After breakfast, check-out of the hotel and embark on your journey to transfer to Volcanoes national park. It’s a 2-3 hours’ drive from Kigali to Musanze where we find the home of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Arrive in Musanze at good time for lunch after checking-in your booked accommodation. Later afternoon, visit Iby’wacu Cultural Village-a Non-Profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood based projects. It’s a rewarding place where you will be guided around the place as you enjoy the Kinyarwanda traditions including the Intore dance, traditional ceremonies and a guided community walk. Connect to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight stay at 5 Volcanoes Gorilla lodge/Virunga lodge for luxury option/Le Bambou Gorilla lodge/Da Vinci Gorilla lodge for budget/ Hotel Muhabura/Kinigi Guesthouse for budget
Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
After early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the Kinigi park headquarters with your trekking gears for a briefing about the endangered mountain gorillas. You have been allocated a gorilla family to trek, connect to the starting point and start trekking along with the guidance of the armed ranger guides together with the ranger guides. This activity may take between 2-8 hours searching for the gorillas depending on their movement. However, meeting them is so rewarding and you will spend maximally 1 hour with them as you take time studying them and taking pictures and videos. After spending your time with the fascinating mountain gorillas, return to the base and meet your driver to connect to your lodge for lunch and refresh. Spend the rest of your day at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at booked lodge as above
Day 4: Golden monkey trekking
On the 4th day of your 14 Day Rwanda Adventurous safari, after early morning breakfast, drive back to the park headquarters for briefing about the endangered golden monkeys and be allocated a group. Connect to the tracking starting point and enter the forest to search for the rare golden monkey. This activity can take about 1-5 hours and is done at closer view of the other primates in the park like the red tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys among other. After viewing the rare golden monkeys for an hour while taking pictures and studying their behaviours, return to the base and meet your drive back to the lodge.
Day 5: Mount Bisoke Hike – transfer to Gisenyi
You will enjoy breakfast and set out for Mount Bisoke hike which is part of volcanoes national park. After briefing about hike with your hiking gears, set off for the hike. It’s a day hike through the steep slopes of the mountain. On reaching the summit, you will discover a beautiful crater lake and the whole experience is overwhelming! Return and relax at your lodge with great memories.
After lunch, check-out of the lodge and drive to Gisenyi. It’s a 2 hours’ drive from Musanze. Upon arriving in Gisenyi, connect to your booked accommodation located close to Lake Kivu shores for great views. Relax at the lodge, dinner and overnight stay at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel for luxury/Palm Garden Hotel for mid-range/Paradise Malahide Hotel for budget
Day 6: Full day excursion at Lake Kivu
After your breakfast, transfer to explore Lake Kivu and connect to Rubavu town at the shores of Lake Kivu where you will spend the rest of the day enjoying the shores while taking boat trips to the island of the lake, a town tour with lunch en-route and relaxing at the shores as you enjoy the breeze. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 7: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
After enjoying your delicious breakfast at leisure, embark on your journey to Nyungwe forest national park which is a 6-7 hours’ drive from Gisenyi. Drive through the rolling hills and great views of Virunga Mountains. Upon arrival in Nyumgwe forest, connect to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at One and Only Nyungwe House for luxury/Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel for mid-range/Gisakura Visitors Centre for budget
Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos before you drive back to your lodge for lunch.
Connect for a canopy walk. You will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk-a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees; you will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving below you. Dinner and overnight stay at provided lodge as above
Day 9: Colobus monkeys and waterfalls hike
On the 9th day of your 14 Day Rwanda Adventurous safari, after breakfast, follow the same procedure as of chimpanzee tracking, receive a briefing then enter the forest to search for the colobus monkey. These primates are quite different to spot as they keep jumping from tree to tree however, the park rangers will do their best to help you get the best view of the primates. This will take 2-5 hours and on finding them, you will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence.
After later, connect to enter the forest on a forest walk to the waterfalls, you will encounter different birds and other primates, reaching the waterfalls is relaxing and refreshing with great views of the forested mountain. Return from the hike and drive back toy lodge for lunch. Later afternoon, enjoy a coffee tour where you will learn more about coffee in Rwanda, you will also taste Rwanda coffee and even buy some for packing home. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay hotel as above
Day 10: Birding experience and tea plantation tour
After breakfast at the lodge, drive back to the park for a Nyungwe bird watching experience, you will be led by your ranger guide for the birding experience at the different trails of the park. Later afternoon, you visit tea plantations before your return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 11: Transfer to Kigali – Rwanda
After breakfast, check-out of the hotel and transfer to Kigali with en-route visit of Rwanda national museum in Butare and Nyanza Kinga’s palace in Huye with en-route lunch. Its a 6-7 hours’ drive to Kigali. Upon arrival in Kigali, locate your hotel to rest. Spend your evening relaxing at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at Kigali Serena Hotel/Des Mille Collins Hotel/Step Town Motel
Day 12: Arrival and transfer to Akagera national park – evening game drive
On the 12th day of your 14 Day Rwanda Adventurous safari, after breakfast, set off to Akagera national park located in the eastern part of Rwanda. This are is different from the other hilly areas of Rwanda given this savannah vegetation cover and relatively flat area. It’s a 2-3 hours’ drive to Akagera national park from Kigali. Arrive at the park late morning, proceed to check-in your lodge, have lunch and enjoy an evening game drive. Before nightfall, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Ruzizi tented camp/Akagera game lodge/Dereva hotel
Day 13: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat cruise.
After a morning breakfast, you will embark on your morning game drive around the park for a rewarding wildlife views. Expect to encounter the Big five including the Lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cape buffaloes and the recently introduced Rhinos along with other animals including; giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, hyenas and different antelope species. Expect to also see over 500 species of birds. The game drive may last for about 3-4 hours. Return to lodge for lunch and relax as you wait for the next activity.
In the afternoon, the driver will pick up for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema-the second largest lake in Rwanda after Lake Kivu. The boat trip exposes you to plenty of wildlife on the lake shores which come to cool off and drink water including hippos, buffaloes, huge crocodiles and birds such as malachite kingfisher and fish eagle. After the amazing boat trip, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay
Day 14: Return to Kigali – Departure
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and transfer back to Kigali. Upon arrival in Kigali, enjoy a Kigali city tour visiting Kigali genocide memorial and Kimoromko market with en-route lunch and proceed to Kigali airport for your onward flight back home. End of Rwanda safari tour
