8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari − DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY

Day 1 of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari: Arrive In Rwanda Via Kigali International Airport & Transfer to the Hotel.

Arrive at Kigali International Airport the main gateway to Rwanda. Meet your driver-guide to offer you a courteous welcome to Rwanda and a briefing about the country and this 8 days Rwanda adventure safari in particular, after which you transfer to the hotel for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Most associate Rwanda with the horrific 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, but this is a country that has been striving to restore its economy for years and has a lot to offers to visitors. And, though the past won’t, and shouldn’t, be forgotten, the future of Rwanda’s tourism is looking bright thanks to its friendly and welcoming people, abundant lakes, and the stunning Virunga Mountains.

Accommodation:-

Upmarket/Luxury: – Hôtel Des Mille Collines/Protea by Marriot Kigali/Serena Hotel Kigali

Midrange/Standard: – Hotel 2000 Kigali/Hotel Chezlando

Budget/Basic: – Hotel Chezlando

Meal Plan: – Dinner

Activities & Services of the day:-

• Transfer to a hotel in Kigali

Day 2 of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari: Do Kigali City Tour On Foot.

Have breakfast at 8.30 am and then embark on a whole day encounter in Kigali city exploring its heritage on foot. As you tour Kigali, one of the first things you notice is that the city is spotlessly clean. This is not only because plastic bags are banned, but Umuganda (the country’s monthly cleaning project) has resulted in one of the cleanest cities you have seen, and not just in Africa but also the whole world.

Also, as you move through Kigali, it is inevitable to be confronted with the effects of the 1994 Rwandan genocide horror in which almost 1 million people lost their lives in just 100 days. On this tour you have an opportunity to stop at the Presidential Palace Museum which was the home of President Juvenal Habyarimana whose death sparked off the genocide and wreckage from Habyarimana’s presidential plane can still be seen where it was shot down – just over his garden wall.

This tour also takes you to the Kigali Genocide Memorial and Museum which opened in 2004 to mark the 10^th anniversary of the Genocide. The illuminating tour of this genocide memorial is emotionally moving, but it is an important way to understand the sheer courage and resilience of the people of this beautiful, tiny nation. It includes poignant displays of victims’ photographs and belongings, bringing the realities of the atrocities to life.

The day-long walk also takes you to other various sights and sounds of Kigali including the impressive Kigali markets to explore the real business life of the local people, Uburanga Art Studio is a famous art studio that produces counts of paintings along with sculptures that have moved Rwandan art a distance and Muslim quarters or the up class suburb of Nyarutarama. Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of the day: – Kigali Genocide Memorial visit.

Accommodation:-

Upmarket/Luxury: – Hôtel Des Mille Collines/Protea by Marriot Kigali/Serena Hotel Kigali

Midrange/Standard: – Hotel 2000 Kigali/Hotel Chezlando

Budget/Basic: – Hotel Chezlando

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services of the day:-

• Street walks in Kigali
• Visit the Presidential Palace Museum
• Kigali Genocide memorial visit
• Tour Kigali markets
• Visit the Uburanga Art Studio
• Walkthrough the Muslim quarters or the up class suburb of Nyarutarama

Day 3 of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari: Transfer to Musanze (Ruhengeri) & Do Musanze Caves Walk.

Enjoy your breakfast at around 8.30 am breakfast and then embark on a 116km (2-3 hours) drive Musanze-Volcanoes National Park. Drive through impressive hills of Rwanda that have earned her the naming of the Land of a Thousand Hills, making stops at ideal spots for sightseeing and photography.

On arrival in Musanze, undertake the Musanze caves tour taking 2½ hour-walk in the 2km cave that is over 65 million years old formed as a result of the lava flow from the two Volcanoes of Sabyinyo and Bisoke. The Musanze cave feature 31 entrances and the cave was significant in Rwandan history as it would provide refuge in times of war and even the genocide time.

After this exciting adventure, connect to the lodge after the cave walk for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of the day: – Exploring the 2km long ancient Musanze cave on foot.

Accommodation:-

Upmarket/Luxury: – Bisate Lodge/Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Virunga Lodge

Midrange/Standard: – Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Budget/Basic: – Muhabura Hotel

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive & time:-

Activities & Services of the day:-

• Musanze cave tour

Other optional activities you can choose to do on this day include:-

•  Visit Buhanga Eco-park, an area where the Rwandan kings once held their enthronement ceremonies.

Day 4 & 5 of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari: Hike Mount Karisimbi in Volcanoes National Park & Explore to Dain Fossey Site.

Wake early for breakfast (at around 6.00 am) and then head out of the lodge to meet your guide at Volcanoes National Park headquarters for a briefing. After the briefing, embark on a thrilling hike to the 4507m-high Karisimbi Volcano, the highest in Rwanda, the 6th highest in Africa, and the highest of the 8 Virunga massifs.

You have 2 days to reach the summit of Karisimbi and descend back. Trek through different vegetation zones, starting with the bamboo forest on the lower slopes, where you visit the Dian Fossey site at 2067m where this famous gorilla conservationist was mysteriously murdered in 1985 and later buried next to ‘Digit’ her favorite gorilla friend. Continue to the higher slopes through Hagia-hypericum forest, and the open hillside is dotted with surreal giant lobelia and Senecio. The Virunga Mountains are home to a wide array of wildlife and birds, and keep an eye out for special birds as you go.

Camp for the night at 3,700m: a basic mountain camp with small, backpacking-style tents. Here you can enjoy a well-earned rest and a hearty meal before settling into your sleeping bag for the night. The following morning wake up early, at around 5.30 am, to make the push for the summit. Although no climbing skills are required, the final ascent is physically demanding as you hike up relatively steep slopes at high altitudes.

After around 2 hours you reach the top, from where you can peer down into the steaming crater below. You’re on the edge of the Congolese border, and on a clear day, the views from the top are beautiful. Enjoy the breathtaking panoramas, with Nyiragongo to the west, Bisoke to the east, and Mikeno to the north. Then descend to the starting point which takes about 6 hours. Retire from the activity for relaxation, lunch, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of the days: – Hiking the magnificent Karisimbi Volcano as you walk in the footsteps of famed primatologist, Dian Fossey

Accommodation:-

Luxury/Upmarket: – Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge/ Virunga Lodge

Mid-range/Moderate: – Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Budget/Basic: – Muhabura Hotel

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services of the day:-

• 2 days hike to Mount Karisimbi
• Diani Fossey site exploration

Optional activities you can choose to do on this day include:-

• Golden monkey tracking

Day 6 of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari: Do Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park & Transfer to Gisenyi.

Enjoy your breakfast at around 6.00 am and the drive to Volcanoes National Park headquarters at Kinigi where you’re assigned to a group, meet your ranger guide, and be briefed about the gorilla trekking experience (at 8.00 am). Then embark on an exhilarating trek into the forest to meet a family of mountain gorillas. The gorilla trek lasts from 2 to 6 hours including the one hour of direct encounter with the gorillas.

You watch the scout up ahead hack a path with his machete… then, a quiet word from your guide and you see a flash of dark fur against the green. You have found what you are looking for: a troupe of rare mountain gorillas. So similar to humans in so many ways, the mothers gather for a chin-wag, the toddlers gambol and play, exasperating their teen babysitters, all watched over by the great silverback patriarch.

Your hour spent silently in the company of this extended family must be the most moving wildlife experience in Africa – arguably in the world. Put down your camera and sit awhile, just observing their social rituals, the keenness of their relationships, and the depth and range of their emotions. There are only a few hundred of these gentle giants left, and watching them at the brink of potential extinction is, for many, a transformative moment.

Retreat to the starting point and connect to Gisenyi (Lake Kivu) 110km about 2 hours’ drive arriving in the afternoon. Lake Kivu beaches offer a remarkable evening experience like swimming, beach sports, boat cruise, kayaking among others.  Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of the day: – The face-to-face encounter with the Mountain Gorillas for one intimate hour.

Accommodation:-

Upmarket/Luxury: – Serena Resort Lake Kivu

Midrange/Standard: – Paradise Kivu Resort/Cormoran Lodge Kibuye

Budget/Basic: – Hotel Paradis Malahide

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: – Approx. 110km or 2 hours

Activities & Services of the day:-

• Gorilla trekking
• Transfer to Gisenyi (Lake Kivu) for relaxation

Other optional activities you can choose to do on this day include:-

• Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
• Sunset kayak on Lake Kivu
• Swimming

Day 7 of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Drive along the Congo Nile Divide.

Have your breakfast at around 8.00 am and then embark on a 294km (7-8 hours) drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Drive along the Congo Nile divide with magical sceneries of the water catchment area for these two prominent rivers arising from the heart of Africa. Enjoy the stunning views of Lake Kivu and the resort towns of Kibuye and Cyangungu before approaching Nyungwe Forest Park. Retire for dinner and overnight.

The 1,020 km² Nyungwe Forest is a stunningly beautiful and Biodiverse Park, containing the largest swathe of the remaining montane rainforest in East Africa. It is a highly captivating destination for birders, primate watchers, botanists, and keen walkers, with its 130km network of walking trails and features the highest canopy walkway in East Africa.

Nyungwe contains more than 1,068 plant species, including 140 orchids and 250 Albertine Rift Endemics, along with at least 120 butterfly species. The vertebrate fauna includes 85 mammals and 322 birds. Primates are the main attraction as the park hosts 13 species of primates (10% of all Africa’s primates), including an estimated population of over 500 chimpanzees of which two communities are habituated for tracking. There are also several monkeys including the acrobatic Ruwenzori colobus and the localized L’Hoest’s monkey.

The highlight of the day: – The drive along the Congo Nile divide with magical sceneries.

Accommodation:-

Upmarket/Luxury: – One & Only Nyungwe House

Midrange/Standard: – Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel

Budget/Basic: – Gisakura Guesthouse

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: Approx. 294km or 7-8 hours

Activities & Services of the day:-

• Transfer from Gisenyi to Nyungwe Forest National Park

Day 8 of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari: Do Adventurous Nyungwe Forest Canopy Walk & Transfer Back to Kigali.

Have breakfast around 8.30 am and relax at the lodge as you enjoy the spectacular views of the Nyungwe forest. In the afternoon after lunch, connect at Uwinka Visitor Center to embark on the 2-hour Nyungwe Forest canopy walk, on the 160m long and 70m high suspension bridge.

The walk on top of the forest canopy offers you impressive views of the forest and the species that thrive in it including primates and birds. The bridge is accessible as part of a guided tour along the Igishigishigi trail or to those hiking the Imbaraga or Umuyove trails. Retreat from the activity and embark on the transfer back to Kigali.

The highlight of the day: – The adventurous Nyungwe Forest National Park canopy walk.

Accommodation:-

Meal Plan: – Breakfast& Lunch

Activities & Services of the day:-

• Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest

Other optional activities you can choose to do on this day include:-

• Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe
• Bird watching in Nyungwe Forest
• Hiking and nature walk in Nyungwe
• Colobus monkey tracking
• Visit the Nyanza palace and Ethnographic museum in Butare en route to Kigali

End of the 8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari

Getting There

Transport Means to Your Safari Destinations

Accommodations/ Safari Lodges/ Safari Hotels to Your Safari Destinations

8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari − SAFARI INCLUSIONS

• Gorilla Permit (for gorilla trekking safaris)
• Chimpanzee Permit (for chimpanzee trekking safaris)
• Full Board Accommodation on Safari
• Transportation in either 4X4 Safari Van or 4X4 Safari Land Cruiser all with Pop up roof & AC
• Fuel
• Professional English Speaking driver guide. Any other foreign language speaking guide can be arranged on request.
• Entrance fees to the tourist sites including Protected areas mentioned
• Activity fees of the tourist activities mentioned
• Bottled water while on safari
• Border crossing fees (for cross border safaris)

8 Days Rwanda Adventure Safari − SAFARI EXCLUSIONS

• General tips for the driver guide, site guides, and service staff at the lodges
• Laundry Services
• Other Beverages/drinks of personal nature like Alcohol
• International Flights (Arranged on request)
• Domestic Flights (Arranged on request)
• Visas
• Optional Activity fees
• Other extras not mentioned in the Itinerary
• Airport Transfer (Arranged on request)
• Accommodation in Kampala or Kigali unless it is part of the Itinerary (Arranged on request)

Price per Person for Different Numbers of People

Number of people against price per person

2 – $na pp

3 – $na pp

4 – $na pp

5 – $na pp

6 – $na pp

Links Of Related Safari Accommodation In The Featured Safari Destinations For The 8 Days Uganda Adventure Safari Holiday In Africa

Accommodation in Kigali

• Luxury accommodation in Kigali
• Midrange accommodation in Kigali
• Budget accommodation in Kigali

Accommodation in Volcanoes National Park

• Luxury accommodation in Volcanoes National Park
• Midrange accommodation in Volcanoes National Park
• Budget accommodation in Volcanoes National Park

Accommodation in Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)

• Luxury accommodation in Gisenyi
• Midrange accommodation in Gisenyi
• Budget accommodation in Gisenyi

Accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park

• Luxury accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park
• Midrange accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park
• Budget accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park

14 Days Uganda Rwanda Adventure Safari

8 Days Uganda Adventure Safari − GORILLA TREKKING TIPS

• Carry plenty of water and some quick calories. The trek is relatively tiresome.
• Put on strong hiking shoes/boots
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt/t-shirt, thick trousers.
• Strong gardening gloves for protection against stinging plants are also recommended
• Bring a warm sweater/fleece as it is often cold at the outset
• Carry a rain jacket or poncho since it can rain at any time in the tropical rainforest of Bwindi
• It is also a good idea to have sunscreen and sunglasses

Follow this link to read more about gorilla trekking tips and advice.