Rwanda Uganda 8 days / 7 nights
Day 1: Arrival in Rwanda
Today you will arrive in Kigali, Rwanda and you will be welcomed by your safari guide who will drive you to your accommodation. Depending on your time of arrival, you will be assisted by your guide to change money or take a stroll on the calm streets of Kigali. You may also rest at your accommodation.
Accommodation: Inside Afrika Boutique Hotel / Hotel Mille Collines.
Day 2: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park; visit Butare museum
After breakfast you will drive to Nyungwe Forest National park. Along the way you will stop and have a tour of Butare Genocide Museum. Nyungwe Forest is the largest tropical afro Montane rainforest east or central Africa.
The rain forest receives over 2000mm of rain each year and its Rwanda’s largest water catchment area and home to two thirds of all Rwanda’s water. The forest also feeds both the river Congo and the River Nile with water.It is a remarkably rich center of biodiversity, with 86 mammal species, 280 birds, and about 100 varieties of orchid. It is the most important birding site in Rwanda.
Accommodation: Gisakura Guest House / Top view Hotel.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and afternoon canopy walk
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest starts off from three reception centers, that’s Uwinka, Kitabi and Gisakura where the tourists meet the park rangers and trek into the forest. The tourists spend only 1 hour with the chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest National Park, and get to observe them so closely going about their own lives and see the human like features and behavior that makes them our closest relatives with 98.7% DNA. Nyungwe forest national park is also home for 10 other primates’ species that include Silver monkeys, L’Hoest Monkey, Owl faced monkeys, golden monkeys, the red tailed monkey, crowned monkey, the Dent’s Mona Monkey, vervet monkey and the Olive baboon. In the afternoon you will do a canopy walk. This is on a bridge adjourned between the huge trees 60m above the forest floor. Apart from the freshness in the air and the wonderful aerial view of the trees, you will also enjoy the sights of the fantastic birds that fly across as you enjoy the walk
Accommodation: Gisakura Guest House / Top view Hotel..
Day 4: Drive to Kibuye, boat ride to Gisenyi
Today you will depart Nyungwe Forest national park headed for Gisenyi town. The journey will use two means: by road and by water. You will drive to Kibuye on the waterfront of Lake Kivu where you will take a boat to Gisenyi town. The boat will drop you at your accommodation while your guide drives to meet you there. In Gisenyi you can choose to relax or take a light town walk.
Accommodation: Paradis Malahide / Hakuna Matata.
Day 5: Optional activities on Lake Kivu, drive to Volcanoes National Park
This will be your day to relax. However, there are numerous exciting activities you can opt to do on and around Lake Kivu. These include: a 1-hour boat ride on the lake, kayaking, biking along the lake shores or a visit to the fishing village. You will inform our guides prior so that the above activities can be can be arranged. In the evening you will drive to Musanze town near Volcanoes national park.
Accommodation: Hotel Lapalme / Mt. Gorilla view Hotel.
Day 6: Golden monkey trekking Volcanoes National park, drive to Bwindi
Golden monkeys are rare species are also listed as endangered – and Volcanoes national park currently has two habituated golden monkeys’ troops that are available for visiting by tourists in the park, both of which make about 80 members. Golden monkeys in Rwanda live in the bamboo vegetation towards the base of the volcanoes and habituation has helped them to overcome their initial shyness to accept their daily visit by researchers and tourists.
They are very active creatures and playful in the trees. The activity take 2-4 hours. After trekking you will have lunch and drive across the border to Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Accommodation: Gorilla Valley Lodge / Ichumbi Lodge.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Begin your gorilla trek in the early morning, and set off into the tangled and mist-shrouded forests with guides and trackers who are very experienced at locating the gorillas by finding the nest the family had used the previous night. The search for these majestic animals goes through thick untamed rainforest, where you’ll be scrambling over mossy rocks and through deep undergrowth and it can be arduous at times, but the encounter is worth the effort. Watching gorillas in their natural habitat is a memory that will last a lifetime. The experienced ranger guides will willingly share with you a lot of information about history and lifestyle of the Gorillas. After spending an hour with the gorillas we head back to the lodge and relax.
Accommodation: Gorilla Valley Lodge / Ichumbi Lodge.
Day 8: Return to Kigali, city tour and departure
After breakfast you will drive back to Kigali and take a city tour of Kigali. Top on the Menu is Gisozi Genocide memorial. You will be guided around the museum and given an account of how events leading to the 1994 Rwanda Genocide transpired. The memorial is a resting place of thousands killed during the genocide and a reminder of the dark past that Rwanda endured.
You will also visit a local market in town. After lunch you will be transferred to Kigali Airport to catch your flight back home.
Included
- Accommodation in all the mentioned lodges for both options.
- An experienced English speaking Safari Guide
- Transportation in 4*4 safari Vehicle with a pop up roof.
- Fuel, transportation and meals as indicated on respective days.
- All activities indicated in the itinerary.
- One Gorilla trekking permit per person.
- All Entrance Fees and relevant government Tax.
- Mineral Water on the entire Safari.
- Administration fees.
Excluded
- Meals and beverages, other than specified.
- International, regional and local Airfares.
- Airport taxes.
- Passport and visa fees and service charges for obtaining visas.
- Excess baggage charges levied by airlines.
- Gratuities to driver/guides and other conveyance attendants.
- Laundry and other items of a personal nature such drinks, telephone calls ETC
- Personal and baggage insurance.
- Cost for anything not specifically mentioned in the listing above.
- Insurance coverage is available for Baggage, Accident and Trip Cancellation/Interruption at special low-cost group rates.