12 Days Exotic Rwanda Safari
This 12 Days Exotic Rwanda Safari is the perfect safari plan for visitors looking to stay in Rwanda for a long vacation. This tour allows you to spend quality time exploring Rwanda’s rich cultural heritage, nature and wildlife. During this tour, you will get to visit all three national parks in Rwanda that include; Nyungwe forest national park, Volcanoes national park and Akagera national park. You will also get a chance to tour Kigali city and Lake Kivu.
Highlights for 12 Days Exotic Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Kigali City Tour
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park (Approximately 6 hour’s drive)
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk
Day 5: Black and White Colobus Trek and Afternoon Hike
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Kivu and Sunset Boat Cruise.
Day 7: Morning Coffee Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 8: Gorilla Trek and Ibyi’wacu Village Tour
Day 9: Golden Monkey Trek
Day 10: Transfer to Akagera National Park via Kigali
Day 11: Full Day Game Drive
Day 12: Morning Game Drive and Transfer Back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary for 12 Days Exotic Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport or at pick up from your hotel, our guide will welcome you and transfer to Kigali city and depending on the time of your arrival; you will go for a short city tour with in Kigali and visit the genocide memorial site. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 2: Kigali City Tour
After having breakfast at your hotel, meet up with your driver guide and head out for a tour of Kigali city. Some places of interest that you can visit during your city tour in Kigali include; Kigali genocide memorial center, Azizi life, Inema Arts Center, Nyamirambo Women’s center, Caplaki craft village and Kimironko market among others. Lunch and dinner will be served at your hotel.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast on the second day of your 12 days Exotic Rwanda Safari, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En route, you will pass through wonderful and magnificent hills and cultivated countryside. Have a stopover at the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Continue and visit the cultural museum at Rwesero. Proceed and reach Butare town where you will have lunch after lunch you will visit the Rwanda National Museum for a tour around the site.
Proceed and reach the lodge in the evening. Dinner and overnight at hotel/lodge.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk
On the third day of your 12 days Exotic Rwanda Safari, you will have an early morning breakfast then report to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. However, it is advisable to organize packed lunch and plenty of water prior to this expedition since it can sometimes last over 6 hours. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 individuals in a group.
After your gorilla trek, you will also enjoy a 2hour hike to and from the Canopy walkway bridge- a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. This hike takes about 2 hours to and from the canopy walkway bridge. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before night fall, you will return to the hotel for dinner as above. Return late in the afternoon. Return for dinner and Overnight at your hotel/lodge.
Day 5: Black and White Colobus Trek and Afternoon Hike
Have your breakfast early in the morning and drive to the park’s briefing point, ensure to carry your packed lunch from the hotel/lodge. After your briefing, you will head into the forest in search for black and white colobus monkeys. This trek takes about 3-6 hours of more depending on their location. You will be given only an hour to spend with the primates once you have located them. Head back to your lodge to relax and later you will embark on an afternoon guided hike in the park, exploring one of the 19 nature trails in the park depending on your interest.
Later return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Kivu- Sunset Boat Cruise
Have your breakfast early in the morning and embark on about a 4 hours’ drive to Lake Kivu in Gisenyi arriving in time for lunch at your hotel. Later in the afternoon you will head out for a boat cruise on Lake Kivu where you will get a chance to explore some of the islands on the lake as well as birdlife; and also get to see the famous ‘singing fishermen of Lake Kivu.’
Drive back to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Coffee Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Later meet up with your guide and head out for a coffee tour at Kinunu washing station in Gisenyi. Take a tour of the facilities and learn more about how coffee is made in Rwanda right from harvesting, processing and packaging. Wind up your coffee tour while sipping on a hot cup of coffee and you can also support the locals by purchasing some of the home-made coffee. You will have lunch and drive to Volcanoes National Park where you will check into your lodge and later have dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla Trek and Afternoon Visit to Ibyi’wacu Village
Wake up early and have breakfast at your lodge. You will then grab your packed lunch which the lodge prepared for you and head out to the park’s briefing point in time for your morning brief. (In case you don’t want to have packed lunch, you can have hot lunch at your lodge; however, kindly pack some snacks in case you get hungry during your gorilla trek.
You will then head into the forest in search for gorillas which can take between 1-6 hours or more depending on the location of the gorilla family. Once you have located a gorilla family, you will be given an hour to spend with the gorillas. Have lunch and then proceed for a cultural tour at Ibyi’wacu Village where you will spend time with the locals who are also famously known as the ‘Gorilla Guardians.’
Later have dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 9: Golden Monkey Trek
After having breakfast at your lodge, you will drive to the park’s briefing point. After your briefing, you will be placed into groups of eight trekkers and then head into the forest in search for a group of golden monkeys. Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda takes between 1-5 hours depending on the location of the monkeys. Once you have located a group of golden monkeys, you be given only an hour to spend with the monkeys before heading back to base where you will find your driver guide waiting for you. Drive back to your lodge for lunch and spend the rest of your evening relaxing at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 10: Transfer to Akagera National Park via Kigali
Have breakfast early in the morning and then check out of your hotel/lodge. You will set off early from your lodge and head to Akagera National Park with a stopover for lunch in Kigali city before proceeding to Akagera. Upon your arrival in the park, you will check into your lodge and later have dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Full Day Game Drive
Following an early breakfast at your lodge, you will head out for a full day game drive in the southern and northern parts of Akagera National Park. Look out for a variety of wildlife in the park including lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, buffalos and so many more. You will have both lunch and dinner at your lodge.
Day 12: Morning Game Drive and Transfer Back to Kigali
On the last day of your 12 days Exotic Rwanda Safari, you will have breakfast early in the morning and head out for a morning game drive in the northern part of the park. Do look out for any wildlife animals that you might not have seen in your previous game drive in the park. You will then exit the park and head back to Kigali with a stopover for lunch. Drop off will be in Kigali at any location of your choice as you will advise your driver guide.
