7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari
This 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari takes you on a remarkable safari journey as you visit top tourism destinations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. During the 7 Days Congo and Rwanda combined safari, you will be visiting Virunga National Park in Congo for gorilla trekking and then transfer to Rwanda where you will be visiting Lake Kivu in Gisenyi, track golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park and finally transfer to Akagera national park for game drives and a boat cruise on Lake Ihema.
Highlights for 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Pick up in Kigali and Transfer to Virunga National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Virunga
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park-Ibyi’wacu Village
Day 4: Golden Monkey Trek and Visit Karisoke Centre
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Day 7: Drive Back to Kigali and Departure
Detailed Itinerary for 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari.
Day 1: Pick up in Kigali and Transfer to Virunga National Park.
During the first day of your 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari, your driving guide will collect you up early and begin the travel to Virunga National Park via the Goma Grande Barrier border, which takes around four hours. On the journey, you’ll stop for lunch and enjoy stunning views of Rwanda’s rolling hills, magnificent countryside, and sceneries. From Goma, you will join the Virunga security convoy and travel to Bukima, where you will check into the lodge, have supper, and stay overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Virunga
Following an early breakfast on the second day of your 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari, you will carry a packed lunch and meet with your driver guide to proceed to the park headquarters for a training on gorilla trekking laws. Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park in Congo takes place in groups of eight individuals, with each group assigned a gorilla family and a park guide who is familiar with the forest’s pathways.
Trekking the mountain gorillas in the park takes between 30 minutes and 6 hours, depending on where the gorillas are situated, and you will see a variety of bird species, other primates, plant and tree species, among others.
Once the gorillas are located, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural surroundings, learning about their lifestyle and activities while taking photographs and recording the events. After your one-hour visit with the mountain gorillas, you will hike to the park headquarters, where you will meet your driver guide and be transferred to the lodge for an evening of leisure, supper, and lodging.
Day 3: Transfer to Gisenyi for a boat cruise and Drive Volcanoes National Park-
After having breakfast at your lodge, you will check out and meet up with your driver guide. You will embark on a 2-3 hours’ drive to Volcanoes national park. You will first have a stopover visit in Gisenyi for lunch and a boat cruise on Lake Kivu before proceeding with your drive to Volcanoes National Park. Upon your arrival in the park, you will get to check in at your lodge and later have dinner and overnight stay at your selected lodge.
Day 4: Golden Monkey Trek and Optional Visit to Karisoke Centre
On the fourth day of your 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda safari, you will pack a lunch and meet your driving guide at the park headquarters for a lecture on golden monkey trekking laws and regulations. Following the briefing, you will be divided into groups of eight and assigned a golden monkey family to hike with a park guide who is familiar with the forest’s routes.
Golden monkey trekking tours in Volcanoes National Park takes between 30 minutes and 6 hours, depending on the location of the monkeys. During the trek, you will see other primates such as vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, forest birds, animals such as bush pigs, duikers, buffaloes, and tree species. When the golden monkeys are discovered, you will be permitted to spend one hour with them in their natural environment, allowing you to learn about their lifestyle, snap photographs, and film the events.
After a thrilling encounter with the habituated golden monkeys, you will return to the park headquarters and be granted a golden monkey trekking certificate for participation in golden monkey trekking. You will then meet your driver guide and be transferred to the lodge for dinner and stay. If you wish to explore more, you can do an optional visit to Karisoke Centre which was formerly used as a research base by the late primatologist and conservationist Dian Fossey.
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Enjoy breakfast and check out of your lodging. You will next travel around 5 hours to Akagera National Park via Kigali. You will eat lunch on the drive to the park, with a few stops along the way to take photographs of the stunning surroundings. When you arrive at Akagera National Park, you will settle into your lodge before embarking on an evening game drive across the park’s southern region.
Later, enjoy dinner and spend the night at your lodging.
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Rise early and go for a game drive, excited to witness the many animals that rise early to graze and predators searching for their early morning meal. Look for animals such as elephants, antelopes, civets, zebras, rhinos, lions, leopards, buffaloes, and many others. After the game drive, return to your resort for lunch and some time to relax.
After lunch, take a late afternoon boat tour on Lake Ihema, where you will observe game-like hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and a variety of bird species that inhabit the lake and its adjacent marshes. Your lodge will serve dinner and provide overnight accommodation.
Day 7: Transfer Back to Kigali and Departure
On the final day of your 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet your driver guide for the return trip to Kigali.
Upon arrival in Kigali, you will see several noteworthy places like as the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center and the Kimironko Market, among others. Following the city tour, you will proceed to Kigali International Airport for your next departure.
End of 7 Days Virunga and Rwanda Safari!
