5 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
5 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari : Rwanda is also well-known as the land of a thousand hills; Rwanda has spectacular scenery offering unique experiences in the remarkable wildlife and primates destinations in Africa. The destinations are blessed with extraordinary biodiversity with incredible montane rainforest, and wildlife adventure in Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe national park and Akagera national park. This 5 Days Rwanda Africa’s best destination for Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park and Rwanda’s only wildlife savannah national park – Akagera national park.
Volcanoes national park is one of the only 3 countries in the world where we find the endangered mountain gorillas. The park occupies part of the eight Virunga Mountains on the Rwanda side shared with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park is the most expensive gorilla trekking experience where a gorilla permit is $1,500 per person per day. The experience of trekking gorillas in this park is quite easier as compared to Bwindi national park and Virunga national park. There are about 10 habituated gorilla families for visitors to see. Apart from Rwanda gorilla trekking, Volcanoes national park is also a home to the endangered golden monkeys. The park also offers hiking experience such as the Karisimbi Hike, Bisoke hike and Dian Fossey Hike, with about 200 different bird species. Akagera national park on the other hand is the wildlife park located in the eastern part of Rwanda in the savannah areas good for wildlife experience especially to see the big five game. Enjoy remarkable game drives for animals such as Buffaloes, Antelopes, Elephants, Giraffes, Leopards, Hyenas, lions, rhinos to mention a few. Other excursions include Kigali city tour will offer you more understanding of Rwanda and its history and beauty
Highlights of 5 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
- Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes national park and visit Iby’wacu Cultural Village
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes National Park
- Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park – evening game drive
- Day 4: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat cruise.
- Day 5: Return to Kigali – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes national park and visit Iby’wacu Cultural Village
When you arrive at Kigali international airport in the morning with your confirmed booked flight, or if you are located in Kigali, you will be met by your safari driver who will serve as your guide throughout your entire trip, meet and greet, pack up your luggage in the safari vehicle, and drive to Volcanoes national park.
It takes about a three-hour drive from Kigali to Musanze, where we will be able to see the endangered mountain gorillas that live in Musanze.
Arrive at Musanze in plenty of time to have lunch after checking-in to your booked accommodation. Afterward, visit the Iby’wacu Cultural Village, which operates under the umbrella of a non-profit organization that strives to provide conservation incentives to reformed poachers as well as community enterprise development and livelihood projects that are aimed at improving the lives of those around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
A visit to this place will be rewarding as you will be guided around to learn about the traditional Kinyarwanda culture as you enjoy the Intore dance, traditional ceremonies, and the guided community walk. Connect to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight stay at the lodge
Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes N.P
In the morning, after a breakfast, you will be transferred with your trekking gear to the Kinigi park headquarters for a briefing about the endangered mountain gorillas, followed by a trekking trip.
In order to start your Rwandan gorilla trekking adventure, you will have been assigned a gorilla family to trek, then you will connect to the starting point and you will begin your gorilla trekking adventure under the guidance of the armed ranger guides and the ranger guides themselves.
According to the gorilla’s movements, this activity may take between 2 and 8 hours in order to search for the gorillas. Nevertheless, meeting them is so rewarding and you will be spending as much as an hour with them as you take your time studying them and taking pictures and videos of them.
As soon as you have spent some time with the fascinating mountain gorillas, you will be transported back to the base where you will meet your driver to take you to your lodge for lunch and a chance to refresh yourself. Spend the rest of your day at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at booked lodge
Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park – evening game drive
After breakfast, we will travel via Kigali city to the Akagera national park, which is located in the eastern part of Rwanda. Due to the savannah vegetation cover surrounding this area and the relative flatness of the area, this area is quite different from other hilly areas of Rwanda. Musanze is a six-hour drive through Kigali to Akagera national park, and it is a six-hour drive from there to Musanze. As soon as you arrive in the park, you will be taken to your lodge, check into your room, have lunch, and enjoy an evening game drive. Before nightfall, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 4: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat cruise.
After enjoying a delicious breakfast in the morning, you will embark on a morning game drive around the park to take in the sights and sounds of wildlife. It is possible to witness the Big five, such as Lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cape buffaloes, and rhinoceroses that have recently been introduced to the park as well as other animals such as giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, hyenas, and different types of antelopes.
Expect to also see over 500 species of birds. The game drive may last for about 3-4 hours. Return to lodge for lunch and relax as you wait for the next activity.
On the afternoon of your trip, you will be picked up by the driver to take a boat ride on Lake Ihema, the second largest lake in Rwanda after Lake Kivu. The boat trip exposes you to plenty of wildlife on the lake shores which come to cool off and drink water including hippos, buffaloes, huge crocodiles and birds such as malachite kingfisher and fish eagle. After the amazing boat trip, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay
Day 5: Return to Kigali – Departure
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and transfer back to Kigali by road. Upon arrival in Kigali, have lunch and proceed to Kigali airport for your onward flight back home.
End of the 5 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
