11 Days Explore Rwanda Safari: This is a 10 nights/11 days Explore Rwanda Safari that offers visitors the opportunity to tour Rwanda extensively. During these 11 Days Explore Rwanda Safari, visitors will get to tour Rwanda’s capital, Kigali; do chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park, trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park and also view wildlife in Akagera national park during a game drive and boat cruise.
Highlights for 11 Days Explore Rwanda Safari.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Kigali City Tour
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk
Day 5: Colobus Monkey Trek & Transfer to Ruhengeri
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Parc National Des Volcans
Day 7: Golden Monkey tracking and Transfer to Kigali
Day 8: Transfer to Akagera Game Lodge
Day 9: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
Day 10: Full Day Game Drive
Day 11: Transfer back to Kigali city and Departure
Detailed Itinerary for 11 Days Explore Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kanombe International Airport or at pick up from your hotel, our guide will welcome you and transfer to Kigali city and depending on the time of your arrival; you will go for a short city tour with in Kigali and visit the genocide memorial site. Dinner and overnight stay at Onomo Hotel (Midrange)/ Kigali Serena Hotel (Luxury)
Day 2: Kigali City Tour
Wake up in the morning and have breakfast at lodge and head out to meet up with your driver guide. You will embark on a tour of Kigali city where you will visit sites like Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Caplaki craft village, Inema Arts Center, Nyamirambo Women’s center and Kimironko market to mention but a few. Have lunch in Kigali and return to your hotel where you will spend the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at Onomo Hotel (Midrange)/ Kigali Serena Hotel (Luxury)
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast on the third day of your 11 Days Rwanda Safari, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En route, you will pass through wonderful and magnificent hills and cultivated countryside. Have a stopover at the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Proceed and reach Butare town where you will have lunch after lunch you will visit the Rwanda National Museum for a tour around the site.
Proceed and reach to the park arriving in the afternoon and proceed for a visit to Gisakura Tea Estate. Get to learn how Rwandan tea is made as you are taken through the tea making process from haversting, processing and packaging. Conclude your tea tour with a taste of Rwanda tea. Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange)/ One&Only Nyungwe House (Luxury)
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk
On the fourth day of your 11 Days Rwanda Safari, you will have an early morning breakfast then report to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. However, it is advisable to organize packed lunch and plenty of water prior to this expedition since it can sometimes last over 6 hours. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turacco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 in a group. After having your lunch, you can proceed for 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 about below you there after connect to your accommodation to spend the evening at leisure. Return for dinner and Overnight at Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange)/ One&Only Nyungwe House (Luxury)
Day 5: Colobus Monkey Trek & Transfer to Ruhengeri
Breakfast will be served early this fifth day of your 11 Days Rwanda Safari and then after, you will check out from your Hotel and drive to the park where you will be tracking the black and white colobus monkeys. Tracking starts at 5 am in the morning and can take between 4-6 hours or more depending on the location of the primates. Have your packed lunch and later transfer to Ruhengeri where you will check into your hotel. Dinner and overnight at Tiloreza Volcanoes Eco Lodge (Midrange)/ Virunga Inn Resort (Luxury)
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Parc National Des Volcans
The sixth day of this 11 Days Rwanda Safari highlights a gorilla trekking activity. Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the RBD officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This experience of gorilla tracking is a once in a life time adventure. The rangers will lead you deep into the forest in search for the Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about 1 hour. The activity in Rwanda can take 3-5 hours since the gorillas move up and down.
This is an awesome and exciting moment. En route there are a lot of chimpanzees and other types of the primates such as the monkeys, birds and so more. Return for lunch at the Lodge and in the afternoon, visit the Karisoke research center and the graves of Diane Fossey a woman who was murdered because she was protecting these endangered mountain Gorillas. Return for dinner and overnight stay at Tiloreza Volcanoes Eco Lodge (Midrange)/ Virunga Inn Resort (Luxury)
Day 7: Golden Monkey tracking and Transfer to Kigali
After breakfast on the seventh day of your 11 Days Rwanda Safari, you will go for golden monkey tracking. This activity also takes like 2-3 hours in the Virunga forest. Later return back to your lodge for early lunch and transfer back to Kigali city reaching in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at Onomo Hotel (Midrange)/ Kigali Serena (Luxury)
Day 8: Transfer to Akagera Game Lodge
Have breakfast at your hotel and embark on 2 hours’ drive to Akagera national park. Upon your arrival in the park, you will embark on a game drive in the southern sector of the park. Have lunch at your lodge and spend the rest of the evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange)/ Magashi Tented Camp (Luxury)
Day 9: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
The ninth day of this 11 Days Rwanda Safari highlights more activities in Akagera National Park. Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a Northern circuit game drive to search for animals that you may have missed out in the previous game drive. It was not a guarantee that all the animals can be seen in the evening game drive.
There are some that are early risers and can only be seen in the morning. Return back to the lodge for a small relation as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema which will offer you with views of the surrounding areas, hills and swamps. Expect to see Hippos, crocodiles and more bird species. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Mantis Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange)/ Magashi Tented Camp (Luxury) as above
Day 10: Full Day Game Drive
After having breakfast at your lodge. You will find your driver guide waiting for you at your lodge. Head out for a full day game drive where you will explore more of the northern circuit of Akagera national park that has a large abundance of wildlife. Have lunch and dinner at your lodge. Mantis Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange)/ Magashi Tented Camp (Luxury)
Optional Activity: Community Cultural Tour
Day 11: Transfer back to Kigali city and Departure
Early morning after breakfast on the last day of your 11 Days Rwanda Safari, you will go for a nature walk to search for different bird species. Return to Kigali city. Depending on your time of departure, you will be transferred to the Airport for your flight back home or your hotel in Kigali as you will advise.
