10 Days Epic Rwanda Safari
10 Days Epic Rwanda Safari: This fantastic safari will take you to Nyungwe, a large highland forest in Rwanda’s south-west. This is a well-known large forest in Central Africa, covering an area of over 10,000 square kilometers. This natural forest is well-known for its enormous groups of colobus monkeys, chimps, butterflies, and a diverse range of orchids.
This woodland is located at a reasonably high elevation and has a rocky steep slope. The journey then continues to Lake Kivu, a magnificent lake with a lot to offer before heading to Parc National des Volcans, a safe sanctuary for mountain gorillas. Take in the splendour of Virunga’s massive tropical rain forest. Finish with a tour of Kigali, including stops at the Genocide Memorial at Gisozi and the Rwanda National Museum.
Highlights for 10 Days Epic Rwanda Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Day 2: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking
Day 4: Guided Nature Walk
Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye and Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Kivu.
Day 6: Transfer to Gisenyi
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking
Day 9: Free Day with Optional Activities
Day 10: Transfer Back to Kigali and Departure.
Detailed Itinerary for 10 Days Epic Rwanda Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Arrival at Kigali International Airport in Kanombe. Before transferring to Kigali, meet and welcome the guide.
Optional: Depending on your arrival time, take a city tour and visit the genocide memorial site as well as art and craft centres. Alternatively, you can check into the hotel directly from the airport. Dinner and Overnight at Milles Collines Hotel/ Kigali Serena Hotel.
Day 2: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park after an early breakfast. This journey takes around 5 hours. Make stops to local marketplaces and the Nyanza traditional castle. Continue to Butare, where you may see the Botanical Gardens and a cultural museum. Pass through green tea farms dotted over the slopes and the modest distinctive wooden cottages that encircle Nyungwe Forest before checking into the lodge for the night. Dinner and Overnight at Gisakura Guesthouse/ Nyungwe Top Hill View/ Nyungwe One & Only Lodge.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking
After a leisurely breakfast, proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing. Enter the jungle with a park ranger to go Chimpanzee trekking. View chimps as they swing from tree to tree, branch to branch, with the young nibbling on fruits or hiding behind their moms. Follow them from nest to nest until you’ve had enough. Then, before leaving the forest, take either the Canopy walk or the waterfall trail walk. A combination of all of these activities, or just one of these things, is a tremendous reward and experience. Later, return to the lodge to spend the night.
Day 4: Guided Nature Walk
Enjoy a nature stroll after an early breakfast. This will be done in the presence of a park ranger. On this nature walk, look for the largest groups of colobus monkeys – enjoy seeing numerous monkeys in huge groups as well as several bird species such as the Rwenzori Turaco. After the hike, take a break and relax in the center of the forest with a picnic lunch. Make your way back to the lodge after lunch. Relax at the lodge before retiring for the night.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye and Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Kivu.
With a morning breakfast, Kibuye is used. Enjoy the breathtaking views from Lake Kivu to Gisenyi; lovely terrain with valleys filled with agricultural crops. Kibuye is the most attractive of Lake Kivu’s three tourist towns. After that, unwind on the shores of Lake Kivu. Take a boat out on the lake to visit the different islands. Swim in the cool waters or take a walk to one of the local communities, which are spread across a variety of hills. Dinner and Overnight at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel.
Day 6: Transfer to Gisenyi.
After breakfast, you can either drive to Gisenyi or have a speedboat ride. Local fisherman, fishing communities, and people of Idjwi Island (Congo) traveling long distances in their dugout boats to access Rwanda marketplaces will be encountered.
Before returning to the resort, you will be picked up in Gisenyi for lunch. Alternatively, if time allows, you will make plans to cross the border to Goma (Optional). The explosion of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano destroyed Goma. The tour demonstrates the local population’s incredible ability to overcome this natural disaster!
The Nyiragongo (3470 m) volcano recently erupted following a 2002 eruption, destroying a portion of Goma town. The majority of Goma’s residents fled the encroaching lava flows by crossing the border into neighboring Rwanda. Later on, retire to the lodge for the night. Dinner and Overnight at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel.
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Visit the Ross Carr’s Imbabazi Orphanage after breakfast. Mrs Rosamond Halsey Carr established the Imbabazi Orphanage in Mugongo in late 1994 to care for genocide orphans. She observed every historical event in Rwanda, including the horrible genocide of 1994. She wrote “Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda.” Later, take a walk around the lake and explore other nearby settlements. After lunch, drive to Ruhengeri before continuing on to Kinigi for the night. Dinner and overnight at Le Bambou/ Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Five Volcanoes.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking
Drive to the park headquarters for a gorilla briefing after an early breakfast. Before traveling into this massive forest, bring a packed lunch, suitable clothes, shoes, and a walking stick. The amount of time spent gorilla tracking varies, ranging from 2 to 8 hours before encountering a family of these lovely creatures. Each gorilla family’s position is determined by temperature, food range, and movement the previous day.
Enjoy this one hour (the only time allotted to each gorilla family each day) to see and photograph this unforgettable experience as they go about their daily routines, the young ones playing around the elderly ones, feeding each other, and eating vegetation. The sight of these magnificent creatures is the highlight of the entire safari. Later, retire to the lodge for the night. Dinner and overnight same as previous night.
Day 9: Free Day with Optional Activities
After an early breakfast, you have the option of tracking the golden monkeys, climbing the breathtaking Visoke volcano, or trekking to the Karisoke Research Centre, which was established by the famous primatologist Dian Fossey, a brave lady who protected and saved many of these gentle creatures from in-human savages.
Alternatively, explore the surrounding villages. After your chosen activity, check out of the resort, eat lunch in Ruhengeri, and then travel back to Kigali. Make various pauses for picturesque sightseeing on your trip to Kigali; the drive to Kigali takes roughly 3 hours due to Rwanda’s tiny size. Dinner and Overnight at Milles Collines Hotel.
Day 10: Transfer Back to Kigali and Departure.
Enjoy a Rwanda city tour depending on the time of your departing flight. Visit the Kigali genocide monument before transferring to Kigali International Airport for your flight out. This journey will take around 30 minutes.
