7 Days Best of Rwanda Safari
7 Days Best of Rwanda Safari : A period of seven days is quite enough to experience the beauty of Rwanda, even though the country is the smallest in East Africa and has fewer attractions than the other countries. Visiting Rwanda should be one of the top destinations for anyone to Africa.
Mountain gorillas are estimated to be found in a quarter of the world’s mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park, an area shared with Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and half of them in Bwindi forest in Uganda.
There is no better place to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda than Volcanoes National Park, which is conveniently located near the Uganda-Rwanda border, making it easier to combine Uganda and Rwanda safari packages.
In Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s wildlife safari, you will find all five of the big five games along with other animals such as buffaloes, giraffes, hyenas, and various antelope species.
Highlights of the 7 Days Best of Rwandan Safari
- Day 1: Arrival and drive to Volcanoes National Park.
- Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Rwanda
- Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
- Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk
- Day 5: Transfer to Akagera national park.
- Day 6: Early morning game drive and Ihema Boat Cruise.
- Day 7: Return to Kigali & Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and drive to Volcanoes National Park.
After you have arrived at Kigali airport or depending on your location in Kigali, you will be met by your assigned safari guide at the location you have provided and at the time that has been assigned to you. Once he has briefed you on your trip, get ready for your trip to Volcanoes National Park; you will set off shortly afterward.
In accordance with the time and if you are interested, a city tour can be arranged to start off your experience of Rwanda, a country of a thousand hills. The Kigali genocide memorial, Kimoronko market, as well as other places of interest around Kigali are all worth visiting.
A trip to Volcanoes national park takes about 2-3 hours from Kigali city in the north-western part of Rwanda.
Located in the Virunga Mountains, the park is a forest that provides a home to some of the mountain gorillas that are only found in East and Central Africa due to its location as part of one of the eight Virunga Mountains. The town where we find the park is called Musanze so when you reach Musanze, given the time, have your lunch after you check-in your reserved accommodation where you will dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Rwanda
On the 2nd day of your 7 Days Best of Rwanda Safari, Upon waking in the morning, you will be greeted by your Rwanda Gorilla safari driver who will take you to the park head headquarters where you will be briefed and allocated into trekking groups of no more than eight people. After that, you will be taken into the thick and misty forest of Virunga national park, where you will set out on your gorilla trekking journey, which is expected to take between 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas.
Upon finding the gorillas, you are so excited that you put your cameras out, you may only have one hour to see the gorillas as they play and feed, so you take the opportunity to snap some photos. Thereafter, exit the forest and return to meet your guide and drive back to your reserved accommodation. The rest of the afternoon and evening is at your leisure as you wait for dinner and your overnight stay at the lodge.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes N.P
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
On the 3rd day of your 7 Days Best of Rwanda Safari, You will have breakfast at the lodge at an early hour. There will also be a cultural experience tour of Iby’iwachu cultural village before you depart for Nyungwe forest national park for the day.
This park is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda. Nyungwe forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of montane rainforest in East Africa where thirteen primate species, including chimpanzees and various monkeys, can be found. It takes approximately 6-7 hours by car to get to Nyungwe Forest from Musanze. The drive is scenic, with great views of the rolling hills, Virunga Mountains and Lake Kivu on the way. On arrival, connect to your accommodation for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk
The morning will begin with breakfast, followed by a briefing and a walk in Nyungwe forest searching for the active and playful fellows. One of the easiest ways to spot the chimpanzees is to watch them jumping from one tree to another, chatting and laughing as they go. Chimp tracking usually takes about 3 hours. You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.
Following lunch, you will be led on a hiking trail that leads you to the Canopy Walk, which is a swing bridge suspended from large trees that measures 50 meters in length. During your tour, you will be able to see the wonderful rainforest from the bird’s eye view, whilst spotting wildlife moving about beneath you as you observe. As the night falls, you will return to the hotel in time for dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera national park.
On the 5th day your 7 Days Best of Rwanda Safari, After breakfast, we will transfer to Akagera national park for the day. In Rwanda, this park is one of the few parks with a savannah-type vegetation that is suitable for wildlife habitats as it is located in the north-east area of the country. Upon arriving in Kigali, you will be able to eat lunch at a local restaurant when you arrive in time for lunch. Thereafter, proceed to Akagera national park. The whole journey takes about 6 to 8 hours’ with en-route stops. When you arrive in the park, you will be taken for a game drive en route to see any animals that may be attracted to you. Check-in your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay
Day 6: Early morning game drive and Ihema Boat Cruise.
Get up early in the morning and go for a game drive with the expectation of seeing the different animals, which rise early in the morning to graze, as well as the predators who are looking for their prey first thing in the morning. Upon completion of your game drive, you will return to the lodge to freshen up before departing on your adventure to Akagera national park, stopping en-route for lunch on your way, and arriving in Ruhengeri in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above.
Day 7: Return to Kigali & Departure
After having breakfast at your leisure, you will be transferred back to Kigali. If the Kigali city tour wasn’t possible on the day of arrival, you will have a brief city tour and transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
