10 Days Best of Rwanda and DRCongo tour

10 Days Best of Rwanda and DRCongo tour: Take on a 10 day safari to visit the main parks of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This safari takes you to Virunga national park, Kahuzi Biega national park both found in the Democratic republic of Congo and the Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe national park and Akagera national park.

You can book this safari any day of the week and it starts from Kigali

Trip Highlights of the 10 Days Best of Rwanda and DRCongo tour

Mountain gorillas
Mount Nyiragongo
Lowland gorilla trek
Chimpanzee trek
Canopy walk
Game drive
Boat trip
Kigali city tour
Cultural tour
Lake kivu

Trip Description

Day 1: Pick up to Volcanoes NP

Meet up with your driver guide at your agreed pick up point in Kigali and take on a Kigali city tour taking you to visit the Kigali Genocide memorial grounds and the Kimironko market where you will get to interact with the local community of Rwanda.

Have lunch and continue to Ruhengeri the home of the mountain gorillas where you will check into your hotel for dinner and night stay.

Accommodation options in Volcanoes national park include

Muhabura hotel for budget

Le Bambou gorilla lodge for midrange

5 Volcanoes gorilla lodge for luxury

Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking

Connect to the dining area for a hot cup of coffee and to grab your packed lunches and set out to the park headquarter for the morning brief given to the trekkers. Arrange with the porters if there is need for one and enter the forest in search of the mountain gorillas. You will hike in the mountainous area for about 2 to 6 hours depending on how far the gorillas maybe in the forest that day of trekking.

When you encounter the mountain gorillas, you will spend an hour with them at a 6 meter distance as recommended. Exit the forest and meet your driver guide who will be waiting to drive you to your next destination. You may opt to go for the Iby’iwachu cultural village visit if you are interested or drive back to the hotel to spend the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner will be served and you will spend the second night as the night before.

Day 3: Transfer to hike up Mount Nyiragongo

As early as 6am, you will be driving out of Volcanoes national park to connect to the Goma Gisenyi border to check in with the Virunga tourism office at the Grande barrier border building. Receive your hike permit and join the security team headed to Bukima ranger post where the Mount Nyiragongo hike starts from.

Get the briefing and set out on this 5 hour hike up hill with 2 stopovers reaching the Nyiragongo summit in the evening hours. Enjoy the views as the day comes to an end and spend the night in the Nyiragongo summit shelters.

Day 4: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and take a boat to Bukavu

Wake up to catch the sunrise from the top of the volcano and enjoy the last moments at the top of the volcano. Have breakfast and set out on the descent back to the trailhead of the hike. Your driver guide will be waiting to transfer you to the Goma port where you will catch an afternoon speed boat transfer to Bukavu.

You will arrive in Bukavu where you will be driven to your hotel in Bukavu to check in and spend the evening. You will have dinner and rest as you anticipate for the next day’ activity.

Accommodation options in Bukavu

Hotel Elizabeth for budget

Hotel Panorama for midrange

Orchid hotel for luxury

Day 5: Lowland gorilla trek in Kahuzi Biega

By 8 am, you will be expected to be done with breakfast and ready for the transfer to Kahuzi Biega national park for your lowland gorilla trek. You will start with a briefing before you enter the forest for the trek on the expectations, the dos and don’t while on the trek. Book your porters if you will need one and set out into the forest.

Lowland gorilla trek is less strenuous than the mountain gorilla hike mainly because of the terrain of the area. Search for the lowland gorillas with the guidance of the trackers and when you meet the gorillas, spend an hour enjoying and studying them at a 6 meters distance. If you would like to spend more hours with the lowland gorillas, you can request and that will be charged differently.

Exit the park and connect back to your hotel for a late lunch. You will thereafter spend the evening at leisure as you relax, reminisce or enjoy the hotel’s facilities as you wait for dinner to be served and spend the second night in Bukavu as the night before

Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe National park

Wake up, pack your bags and connect for breakfast at your hotel in Bukavu. Thereafter check out of your hotel and drive to the Rusizi border to exit the Democratic Republic of Congo. You will drive about 4 hours before you reach the Nyungwe forest national park connecting to your hotel to reach in time to check-in and have lunch.

The evening will be spent at leisure, or if you are up for a more active evening, you can go on an optional coffee tour with your driver guide and get back before it gets dark and in time for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation options in Nyungwe forest include:

Gisakura visitor centre for budget
Nyungwe top hill view hotel for midrange
One and only Nyungwe house for luxury

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk in Nyungwe national park

Chimpanzees are early risers so you will also be expected to wake up early by 6 am to get to the park headquarters to start the trek in search of the chimpanzees whose echoes you will hear right from when you enter the forest. After the trek, exit the park and connect back to the hotel for a late breakfast and relax for the rest of the morning.

At 2pm, you will be at the expected at the park for you canopy walk. The canopy walk in Nyungwe national park is a 2 meter long bridge that is hung up 9 meters giving you a bird’s view of the forest. Connect back to the hotel for dinner and a second night at the lodge.

Day 8: Transfer to Akagera via Kigali

The journey from Nyungwe t Akagera is about 9 hours which is a full day drive via Kigali. You will dive past Butare headed to Kigali for lunch.

You will stretch abit and continue northwards to reach Akagera national park in the evening before the gates close. You will check into your hotel, have dinner and spend your first night in Akagera.

Accommodation options in Akagera include;

Akagera Game lodge for budget and midrange

Rusizi Tented camp for luxury

Day 9: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat trip

After having breakfast at your hotel, your driver guide will be ready to transfer you to the park headquarters at 9 am to start your half day game drive in Akagera national park. Akagera offers you the chance to see game like the lions, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and the smaller game like the antelopes. Have a bush lunch and after connect for the afternoon Lake Ihema boat trip.

The lake Ihema boat trip is a 2 hour boat trip giving the viewing point of Akagera’s aquatic life the several bird specs of the park. It is a great activity for the birders. Drive back to your hotel in time for dinner and the second night in Akagera national park.

Day 10: Transfer back to Kigali

Have a leisurely morning at the hotel after breakfast, pack your bags to check out of the hotel and drive back to Kigali. This is a 2 hour drive. You will reach in time for lunch and after, you may opt to have the Kigali city tour if it was not possible the day before or be dropped off at the airport in time for your flight out of the country.

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