This 6 Days Rwanda Kayaking and Bwindi Gorilla Tour is just what you are looking for if you want to spend quality time with family during your safari vacation. During this 6 Days Rwanda and Uganda Safari, you will get to enjoy kayaking on Lake Kivu in Rwanda, golden monkey trekking and hiking Mount Bisoke in Volcanoes National Park. You will then wind up your tour with a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda and also embark on a cultural experience to the famous Batwa Village near the park. This tour will start and end in Kigali, Rwanda.
Highlights for 6 Days Rwanda Kayaking and Bwindi Gorilla Tour
DAY 1: Pick Up and Transfer to Lake Kivu for Kayaking
DAY 2: Golden Monkey Trek in Volcanoes National Park and Visit Iby’iwacu Village.
DAY 3: Mount Bisoke Hike
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi National Park and Batwa Cultural Tour
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 6: Transfer Back to Kigali.
Detailed Itinerary for 6 Days Rwanda Kayaking and Bwindi Gorilla Tour
DAY 1: Pick Up and Transfer to Lake Kivu for Kayaking
On your first day with us according to this itinerary you will be met by our representative who will pick you up from the airport or your preferred location. You will be taken for a city tour, visiting the Rwanda genocide memorial grounds, some craft shops and your driver guide will give you some information on the culture and history of Rwanda.
You will also have lunch depending on your time of arrival. After enjoying Kigali, you will then embark on a journey to Lake Kivu in Gisenyi for a kayaking experience on the lake. Enjoy 3 hours of Kayaking on the lake and later drive to Volcanoes national park where you will check into your lodge for the night.
Dinner will be at the hotel. Overnight at your preferred lodge.
DAY 2: Golden Monkey Trek in Volcanoes National Park and Visit Iby’iwacu Village.
As early at 6am, you will be expected to be up for breakfast and ready to set off for the trek. Our guide will meet you after having your breakfast and your lunches packed and he will take you to Kinigi Headquarters where you are expected to be given a brief before starting the golden monkey trek. This brief is done at 7am. You are given guidelines during this brief before you are allowed to start the trek. This golden monkey trek can take to about 2 hours to half a day as it’s unpredictable. When you finally find the golden monkeys, you will have to maintain a 6 meters’ distance and you are allowed one hour to admire and take photos of the primates.
After the trek, you will have lunch and taken back to your hotel as the night before to relax and reminisce on the experience. You can ask the guide in case you want to have another activity in the evening at your own cost and he will advise. You will later go for the Ibyi’wacu Cultural Visit where you will visit the former King’s palace, dance to traditional Rwandan folk songs and dress in traditional attires. Dinner and overnight will be at the same hotel as the night before.
DAY 3: Mount Bisoke Hike
Mount Bisoke is one of the Virunga volcanic mountains but is currently a dormant one. The Mount Bisoke is a one-day hike which is usually completed in 4-6 hours to and back. View the volcanoes forest from the top and at a breathtaking distance. Once you have completed the safari, you will connect back to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay as night before. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi National Park and Batwa Cultural Tour
Wake up in time to have breakfast at your lodge. You will meet-up with your driver guide and embark on about a 2 hours’ drive to Bwindi impenetrable national park in Uganda, crossing the Rwanda-Uganda border at Cyanika in Kisoro. On the way you will enjoy great views of rolling hills in Rwanda, terraced farmlands, beautiful scenery among others. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge in time for lunch and relax for a while.
Later in the afternoon, you will head out for a community tour to the indigenous Batwa communities that stay near the park. Get immersed in the Batwa culture as you interact with the friendly locals and also get a chance to participate in their traditional dance and singing performance. Later head back to your lodge and overnight stay at your preferred lodge.
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast on the fifth day of the 6 Days Rwanda Kayaking and Bwindi Gorilla Tour, you will carry packed lunch from the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing. After the briefing you will start trekking in the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species such as l’Hoest monkeys, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, different plant species, birds among others.
Once the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to observe their habits, behaviors, watch gorillas feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home after the safari. After the one-hour encounter with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be rewarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and then meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight as above.
Day 6: Transfer Back to Kigali.
Gather your belongings and head out for breakfast at your lodge. Once all is done, your driver guide will be ready to drive you to connect back to Kigali. This are the last moments of this safari so ensure to make the most of it in case you have some pending visits enroute.
You will arrive in Kigali for lunch and then your driver guide will drop you off at a hotel of your choice or Airport as you will advise.
End of 6 Days Rwanda Kayaking and Bwindi Gorilla Tour!
