10 Days Rwanda Primates, Wildlife and Birding Safari
This 10 Days Rwanda Primates, Wildlife and Birding Safari is the perfect safari package for tourists visiting Rwanda on holiday and wish to have combined activities. Main highlights of this 10 days Rwanda primates, wildlife, and birding safari include; a tour of Kigali city, game drive in Akagera National Park, Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Gorilla and golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park, and also birding in both Akagera and Nyungwe parks.
Highlights for 10 Days Rwanda Primates Wildlife and Birding Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Day 2: City Tour in Kigali
Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
Day 4: Full Day Game Drive combined with Birding
Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk
Day 7: Birding in Nyungwe Forest
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and Visit Ibyi’wacu Village
Day 9: Gorilla Trek and Visit Dian Fossey Centre
Day 10: Golden Monkey Trek and Drive back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary for 10 Days Rwanda Primates Wildlife and Birding Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kigali 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 within Kigali and visit the genocide memorial site. Dinner and overnight stay at your accommodation.
Day 2: City Tour in Kigali
Wake up in the morning and have breakfast at the 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, 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 your hotel.
Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
You will be met by your driver guide at your hotel in Kigali to transfer to Akagera national park where you will arrive in time to embark on a game drive in the park and later after lunch proceed for the late afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you will see game like hippopotamuses, Crocodiles and many bird species that live around the lake and the surrounding swamps. You can also use this opportunity to look out for the prehistoric Shoebill stork. Dinner and overnight at your selected lodge.
Day 4: Full Day Game Drive combined with Birding
Rise up early and go for a game drive with great anticipation of seeing the different animals which rise early to graze and predators looking for their early morning kill. You will be accompanied by a birding expert guide from Akagera park who will guide you to the birding hotspots in the park. Akagera National Park is home to more than 100 bird species including the African fish eagle, Black-headed Gonolek, Red-faced Barbet, and many more. After the game drive and combined birding tour, return to connect with your driver guide to embark on your transfer back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast, 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 of 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 the lodge in the evening. Dinner and overnight at your selected lodge.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk
You will have an early morning breakfast, then report to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for a briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. However, it is advisable to organize a 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 a variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, black and white casqued hornbill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 in a group.
After your gorilla trek, you will also enjoy a 2-hour hike to and from the Canopy walkway bridge- a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. This hike takes about 2 hours to and from the canopy walkway bridge. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before nightfall, you will return to the hotel for dinner as above. Return late in the afternoon. Return for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Birding in Nyungwe Forest
After an early breakfast, you will head to the park’s briefing point. After your briefing, your guide will lead you into the forest in search of birds. Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to over 345 bird species, including the Kivu ground Thrush, Regal Sunbird, and Mountain Masked Apalis, to mention but a few. Lunch and dinner will be served at your accommodation.
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and Visit Ibyi’wacu Village
Breakfast will be served early this day on the sixth day of your 10 Days Rwanda Primates Wildlife and Birding Safari and then after, you will check out from your Hotel and later transfer to Ruhengeri. En route, you will visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village where you may have a wonderful and interactive experience about the Rwandan traditions, culture and way of life. Have lunch at the lodge and spend the rest of your evening relaxing. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 9: Gorilla Trek and Visit Dian Fossey Centre
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 of 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. 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 your accommodation.
Day 10: Golden Monkey Trek and Drive back to Kigali
As early as 6 am, 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 7 am.
You are given guidelines during this brief before you are allowed to start the trek. This golden monkey trek can take anywhere from 2 hours to half a day, as it’s unpredictable. When you finally find the gorillas, you will have to maintain a 6 meters’ distance and you are allowed one hour to admire and take photos of the monkeys.
After your gorilla trek, you will have your packed lunch and head back to base, where you will find your driver guide waiting for you. You will then drive back to Kigali, where your driver guide will drop you off at a hotel of your choice or Kigali International Airport.
End of Tour!
