8 Days Rwanda Tour
8 Days Rwanda Tour.
8 Days Rwanda Tour is an exclusive Rwanda Tour with the main highlights of the tour being; Kigali City Tour, Game Drive and Boat Cruise in Akagera National Park, Gorilla Trekking, Iby’iwacu cultural tour and hike to Mount Bisoke in Volcanoes National Park. Later transfer to Nyungwe national park where you will trek habituated chimpanzees and hike the canopy walkway; with an option of Gisakura Tea Estate.
Summary Itinerary for 8 Days Rwanda Tour.
Day 1: Arrive in Kigali.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera national park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
Day 3: Early morning game drive and transfer to volcanoes national park.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking and Iby’iwacu Cultural Village.
Day 5: Hike Mount Bisoke.
Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park & Canopy Walk.
Day 7: Chimpanzee Trekking & Visit Gisakura Tea Estate (Optional).
Day 8: Transfer Back to Kigali & Departure.
Detailed Itinerary for 8 Days Rwanda Tour.
Day 1: Arrive in Kigali.
Arrive in Kigali: Following your arrival, you will be welcomes by our company representative together with the guide and transfer you to your hotel in Kigali OR, depending on your time of arrival, enjoy a brief tour of Kigali city including Kimironko market and the Genocide memorials and transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight at Kigali City Blue Hotel, Kigali Serena.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera national park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
Transfer to Akagera & Afternoon Boat Cruise: Have breakfast and transfer to Akagera national park where you will arrive in time for lunch at the lodge and later embark on the sunset boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you will see game like hippopotamuses, Crocodiles and many bird species that live around the lake and the surrounding swamps. Dinner and overnight at Akagera Game Lodge, Rusizi Tented Camp.
Day 3: Early morning game drive and transfer to volcanoes national park.
Morning Game Drive: Rise up early and go for a game drive with great anticipation of seeing the different animals which rise early to graze and predators looking for their early morning kill.
Transfer to Volcanoes: After the game drive, return to the lodge to freshen up and embark on your journey to Volcanoes national park with lunch en-route, arriving Ruhengeri in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay at Muhabura Gorilla Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking and Iby’iwacu Cultural Village.
Gorilla Trekking: Wakeup to an early morning breakfast and report to the park headquarters for briefing and allocation of Gorilla trekking groups. Later, you will head into the cold and misty forested slopes of Volcanoes national park for your Gorilla trekking journey. The trek can be anywhere between 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the Gorillas and upon finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to see and take photos after which you exit the forest. You will be given ample time to have your lunch which you should pack from your lodge.
Iby’iwacu Cultural Village: After your gorilla experience, proceed for a community cultural tour to Iby’iwacu cultural village. This community is adjacent to Volcanoes national park and it is mainly composed of reformed poachers. You will have an opportunity to interact with the friendly locals and watch tradition dance performances from the local intore dance troupe.
Dinner and overnight stay in same lodge as above.
Day 5: Hike Mount Bisoke
Hike Mount Bisoke: You will enjoy breakfast and set out for Mt. Bisoke hike which is part of volcanoes national park; home to Rwanda gorillas. On reaching the summit, you will discover a beautiful crater lake and the whole experience is overwhelming! Along the trail, you will discover a lot of birdlife and captivating scenery – the reason Rwanda is referred to as the “land of a thousand hills”. If you are not interested in climbing Mount Bisoke, you can substitute it for a hike to Dian Fossey Gravesite or Golden monkey trekking.
After the hike, you will have lunch and transfer back to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park & Canopy Walk
Transfer to Nyungwe National Park: Have your breakfast and then transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Enjoy the scenic views around Lake Kivu on your way to the park. Upon your arrival in Nyungwe, check into your lodge and have lunch.
Canopy Walk: After lunch, you will embark on a guided nature walk that will take you to the Canopy Walk, a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. 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 and overnight at Gisakura Guest House, Nyungwe Top Hill View.
Day 7: Chimpanzee Trekking & Visit Gisakura Tea Estate (Optional).
Chimpanzee Trekking: Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing before entering the forest, searching for the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are the easy to spot, as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimp tracking usually takes about 3- 4 hours. You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.
Visit Gisakura Tea Estate (Optional): After having your delicious lunch, you can head out for an optional tour of Gisakura Tea Estate. You will get an opportunity to tour tea plantations and also tea processing plants. At the end of it all, you will get to taste some of Rwanda’s finest tea. Please let me know if you would love to include this to your itinerary.
Dinner and overnight same as above.
Day 8: Transfer Back to Kigali & Departure.
Transfer Back to Kigali & Departure: Wake up at leisure and have your breakfast. Later meet up with your guide and proceed with your transfer to back to Kigali where your guide will drop you off at Kigali International Airport; or you can embark on a short city tour prior to your departure and visit other places you might have missed out on the first day. End of Tour.
