8 Days Rwanda Luxury Gorilla Safari Tour
Embark on an exciting 8 days Rwanda luxury gorilla safari tour to track mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Rwanda’s protected rainforests. Visit a research center founded by Dr. Dian Fossey, who spent 18 years researching gorillas in the Virunga Mountains, and get up close to these wonderful and majestic creatures in their natural environment. While on safari in Akagera National Park, look for the “big five”—lions, leopards, elephants, and Cape buffalo—and hear about the extraordinary conservation efforts that have restored this once-disastrous battleground.
Highlights for 8 Days Rwanda Luxury Gorilla Safari Tour
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking
Day 4: Golden Monkey Trekking
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Day 7: Northern Circuit Game Drive and Transfer Back to Kigali
Day 8: Kigali City Tour and Airport Drop off
Detailed Itinerary for 8 Days Rwanda Luxury Gorilla Safari Tour
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Depending on your time of arrival in Kigali, you will be met by a representative from Explore Rwanda Tours. After a brief meet and greet session, you will drive to your hotel for check-in and spend the rest of your evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to pay your respects to the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide while learning about this tragic chapter in the country’s history. Later, take a community stroll around the bustling Nyamirambo district and eat a local lunch at the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre. Travel to northern Rwanda in the afternoon and check into our lodge, which is located on the outskirts of Volcanoes National Park and offers breathtaking views of the rising hills.
Volcanoes National Park shares a boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park and Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This area is home to five of the Virunga Mountains’ eight volcanoes. The park’s mountains and highlands are covered with lush rainforest and bamboo, which gorillas like as snacks. While the mountain gorilla is the most well-known inhabitant, there is lots of other animals to see: buffaloes, bushbucks, golden monkeys, hyenas, various bird species, and some elephants live here.
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking
Embark on an exciting jungle trip with a park ranger in search of mountain gorillas. When we come across a bunch of gorillas, we see their intriguing social interactions up close. It should be noted that the duration and difficulty of these excursions vary depending on where the gorillas are found. Return to our lodge for lunch, followed by a tour to a nearby village to see ordinary rural life.
There are currently around 800 mountain gorillas in the wild. They’re found in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. Gorillas inhabit comparable habitats and locations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. These three locations are home to highland gorillas.
Rwanda has approximately 10 habituated gorilla families that welcome visitors; a visit to a gorilla family is made once per day, with a maximum of eight trekkers per group, and the duration of the visit is one hour with the gorilla family. The amount of time spent with them is limited owing to conservation concerns and the desire to have the least influence on the gorilla family’s daily lives. It is essential to be properly prepared for the walk since you never know if your journey will be short or lengthy. A journey can last anywhere from 4 to 9 hours, depending on where the gorillas are, as they are continuously moving.
Touching gorillas is not permitted. Making loud noises or quick movements is also prohibited. You should strive to preserve a 7m distance from the gorillas; however, the gorillas are ignorant of this and will frequently get extremely near, in which case you should try to carefully walk away. Always follow the advice of the trackers and rangers.
Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Golden Monkey Trekking and visit Karisoke Research Center
Set off on a guided hike across lush, jungle-covered hills with a park ranger to pursue a rare and endangered species: the golden monkey. Observe these active, fascinating creatures in their native environment before heading to the Karisoke Research Center. Visit the public display and participate in immersive activities such as a 360-degree theater and a reproduction of Dian Fossey’s original cabin before meeting with some of the organization’s gorilla specialists. Listen to their experiences and anecdotes from working for the world’s largest gorilla conservation group, and ask them questions.
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Return to Kigali for lunch and then proceed east to Akagera National Park. Armed violence previously ravaged this region of Rwanda, followed by many years of neglect and abuse. Nonetheless, the park’s savannas, wooded hills, and wetlands were repopulated with species thanks to the committed efforts of local residents. Learn more about this interesting conservation success story during a behind-the-scenes tour to the African Parks headquarters. Later, settle into our cozy lodge, which overlooks the breathtaking Lake Ihema.
Akagera National Park has a great conservation narrative and is home to the Big Five, zebras, giraffes, elephants, and hundreds of bird species. The park, which runs straight along Tanzania’s border, comprises 1,122 km2 (433 square miles) and features a range of environments such as mountains, savannah plains, marshes, wetlands, and lakes.
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Wake up before sunrise for an early morning safari trip in search of the “Big Five.” Keep a lookout for lions, buffalo, hyenas, and antelopes feeding here. Return to the lodge for lunch and free time to rest or swim in the pool. In the afternoon, take a boat ride along Lake Ihema, keeping an eye out for hippos and crocodiles. More species, including elephants and buffalo, can be seen gathering near the shoreline to drink water. Keep a watch out for birds such as herons, shoebill storks, fish eagles, and kingfishers.
Day 7: Northern Circuit Game Drive and Transfer Back to Kigali
Set off with a packed breakfast for our final safari trip in the early morning, when animals are most active. Look out for giraffes, gazelles, impalas, baboons, Burchell’s zebras, leopards, and lions. Later that morning, leave through the park’s northern border and return to Kigali for dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 8: Kigali City Tour and Airport Drop off
After your breakfast, depending on your flight departure schedule, you will embark on a tour of Kigali city, where you will visit Caplaki craft village and Kimironko market, where you can grab some last-minute souvenirs for yourself and loved ones. Drop off at Kigali International Airport.
End of the 8 Days Rwanda Luxury Gorilla Safari Tour.
