7 Days Rwanda Safari holiday
Tour Overview
The 7 Days Rwanda safari package offers you to 3 iconic destinations to explore the country’s wonders. The key destinations to focus on a full-week primate and wildlife tour in Rwanda include Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.
At Akagera National Park in the Eastern Province, expect to enjoy a guided game drive and launch cruise. Akagera National Park is most popular for its abundant Big 5 game –elephants, cape buffaloes, leopards, lions, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, and road antelopes, plus over 500 bird species.
Nyungwe Forest National Park offers the best of chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk. It is a special primate tour destination, a home to more than 13 primate species. The park shelters different primates including over 500 chimpanzees, 400 colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, olive baboons, Dent’s Mona monkeys, crowned monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and more.
Volcanoes National Park will be your area of focus for gorilla trekking. This will involve searching on foot the mountain gorillas in the wild. About 13 gorilla groups live in this park including include the Susa A, Agashya, Susa B, Amahoro gorilla group, Kwitonda gorilla group, Hirwa, Umubano, Ugenda, and others.
Tour Details
Highlights of the 7 Days Rwanda safari
- Gorilla trekking
- Chimpanzee tracking
- Canopy walk
- Game drives to see the Big 5 game
- Launch cruise to watch the aquatic life
- Ground transportation
- Accommodation & meals
- Presence of an English-speaking driver guide
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up & transfer to Akagera from Kigali
Day 2: Game drive and boat cruise
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest
Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking & canopy walk
Day 5: Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri
Day 6: Enjoy a gorilla trekking adventure & a cultural tour
Day 7: Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up & transfer to Akagera from Kigali
You will have a delicious breakfast in the morning and after, you will be picked up in your respective hotels in Kigali Capital. Get a short briefing about the special 7 days Rwanda safari and after, have a guided city tour in Kigali. On the Kigali city tour, you will pay a visit to the Kigali memorial site, historical site, and craft shops, etc.
When you are done with the 2-hour city excursion, expect to enjoy lunch in one of the top restaurants or hotels. Later, you will be driven to Akagera National Park located in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. You will spend only 2.5 hours and you will be at Akagera National Park.
Accommodation options
- Luxury: Magashi Tented Camp/Rusizi Tented Camp
- Midrange: Akagera Game Lodge
- Budget: Dereva Hotel
Meal plan: Lunch and dinner
Travel time: 2.5 hours
Day 2: Game drive and boat cruise
Enjoy a hefty breakfast and after, you will embark on a guided game drive through the best game tracks in Akagera National Park. Along the game tracks of Akagera, the focus will be to encounter wildlife such as elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, antelopes, bird species, zebras, giraffes, and others.
The game drive will go for about 2-3 hours then you will get back to have lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, you will end the day in Akagera with a boat cruise and this will also go for about 2-3 hours on Lake Ihema. On Lake Ihema launch cruise, you will be exposed to hippos, crocodiles, and aquatic bird species.
Accommodation options
- Luxury: Magashi Tented Camp/Rusizi Tented Camp
- Midrange: Akagera Game Lodge
- Budget: Dereva Hotel
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest
Pick up early morning after you have enjoyed a delicious breakfast. Today, you will be heading to Nyungwe Forest National Park. It will be a long journey but enriching. At Butare, you will make a stopover to explore the ethnographic museum, king’s palace and also settle for lunch. From Butare, drive to Nyungwe for you to check in your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Accommodation options
- Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House
- Midrange: Nyungwe Top View Hotel
- Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking & canopy walk
Have a special cup of tea/coffee and after, you will be heading to briefing point early enough. Get to know the guidelines to be observed during the chimp tracking and also to be allocated the park ranger guide. Expect to begin your Nyungwe chimpanzee trek at around 8:00 am and you will spend about 2-5 hours. This covers one hour for you to closely observe the distinct behaviors of chimpanzees and taking photos.
A leisurely lunch will had at the lodge and you will return to the jungle for a canopy walk experience. The 2-hour guided walk along the canopy walkway in Nyungwe National Park allows you enjoy sights of different primates, birds, and the scenic Nyungwe Forest canopy.
Accommodation options
- Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House
- Midrange: Nyungwe Top View Hotel
- Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 5: Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri
Enjoy a delicious breakfast and after, you will transferred to Volcanoes National Park with en route great views from Lake Kivu. Arrive at Volcanoes National Park to check in your lodge for relaxation, dine, and retire for the night.
Accommodation options
- Luxury: Kwitonda Lodge/Bisate Lodge
- Midrange: Da Vinci Lodge/La Palme Hotel/Le Bambou Lodge
- Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse
Day 6: Enjoy a gorilla trekking adventure & a cultural tour
Have a tasty breakfast and later, join others for briefing about gorilla trekking rules and allocation of gorilla groups plus park guides. Today’s briefing will be conducted at Kinigi and at around 8:00 am, you will begin your gorilla trek which will take 2-6 hours.
The gorilla trek to see mountain gorillas includes one hour for photography and a close interaction with these large apes in the wild. Return from the gorilla encounter to chill in your lodge till late afternoon when you will head to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for a cultural experience.
Accommodation options
- Luxury: Kwitonda Lodge/Bisate Lodge
- Midrange: Da Vinci Lodge/La Palme Hotel/Le Bambou Lodge
- Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 7: Departure
Breakfast early morning and after, you will check out of the lodge then set off to Kigali City. Drop off at the hotel/airport on arrival at Kigali and today marks the end of the rewarding 7 days Rwanda safari.
End of safari
Inclusions
- Valid gorilla permits
- Game drives & boat cruise
- Transportation
- Accommodation for 6 nights plus meals
- All trip activities but exclusive of optional
Exclusions
- Tips
- Laundry services
- Insurance
- Cigars
- Telephone bills
- Shopping
- Souvenirs
- Alcoholic drinks
- Visas
- Passports
- All optional activities in the trip plan
