12 Days Rwanda Adventure Holiday Safari is a classic all-round tour across “The land of a Thousand Hills,” exploring its stunning natural beauty and its cultural heritage.
The adventure combines lifetime treks along the big apes notably the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, within their rainforest homes with an exclusive wildlife safari upclose Africa’s Big 5 in a midst of stunning landscapes. This Rwanda Adventure Holiday is further spiced up with a day-hike on Mt.Bisoke, a scenic cycling tour on the edges on Lake Kivu and a thrilling canopy walk over the ancient montane forests of Nyungwe. You will wind up the adventure with an in-depth cultural expereince as you visit various museums.
Browse in our detailed itinerary below and contact us to fine-tune this adventure plan to suit your taste, your comfort and size of your party.
Safari Overview
The 12 Days Rwanda Adventure Holiday Safari will begin with a city tour of Kigali exploring its cultural and historical heritage. We will head onto Akagera NP, Rwanda’s hidden gem of wilderness park stocked with Africa’s iconic Big 5 listers, where we will explore on interpretive game-viewing drives and a boat cruise experience to encounter this diversity of game and birdlife.
Heading northwest the country into Volcanoes National Park, you will trek along the mountain gorilla family and golden monkey troops in their natural habitat. While here, you will extend the adventure with a scenic full-day hike to Mt. Bisoke following in the footsteps of the celebrated conservationists, Dian Fossey. You will have a break to refuel as you relax on the serene beaches on Lake Kivu, engaging at your pleasure in slow-paced adventures offered here like canoeing and kayaking.
Once refueled, explore the scenic lake shores of Lake Kivu on a guided bike ride that will include an educative coffee experience and spectacular scenery. Coming in at Nyungwe Forest, Africa’s most ancient montane forest, you will take a canopy walk to have a bird’s-eye view across this vast montane forest.
The diversity-rich forest is a primate’s capital, with up to 13 primates, including the chimpanzee, to which you will trek along. While here and with time on our hands, you will extend the adventure on a Canopy walk for an 360 degrees views of the vast montane forests of Nyungwe. Our return to Kigali will be interrupted with a cultural tour at the National Ethnographic Museum and Kings Palace at Nyanza to learn of incredibly rich Rwandan cultural heritage.
Itinerary for 12 Days Rwanda Adventure Holiday Safari
Arrival Day
Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be picked up by our representative to transfer you to your booked hotel. With time on your hands, do some shopping on your own.
Accomodation: Haven Boutique Hotel, FB
Day 1: Kigali City Tour and Transfer to Akagera National Park
This morning after breakfast, our guide will meet you up at your hotel for a city tour where you will visit various city highlights, from Kimirinko Market and craft villages to finally the Kigali Memorial Museum for a sobering moment about the tragic 94’ genocide that turned this beautiful country into ashes. A tour across this bustling city reveals the resilience and forward-thinking spirit of the people of Rwanda, rising from the ashes of genocide to one of the fastest-growing economies on the continent. After lunch, transfer to Akagera National Park, a two-hour’ drive from Kigali. Accomodation: Ruzizi Tented Lodge, FB
Day 2/3 Game Drives and Boat Cruises Safari in Akagera National Park
For the next two days, explore across a plethora of habitats in Akagera for a close view of a variety of game, including lions, leopards, elephants, black and white rhinos, and a plethora of wildlife. You will extend your wildlife experience on a boat cruise safari on Lake Ihema, coming up close to hippos, Nile crocodiles, and a quality list of birds. Optional activity: night game drive. Accomodation: Ruzizi Tented Lodge, FB
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
This morning, after a late breakfast, your guide will pick you up to begin a scenic drive to Volcanoes NP, across the heartland of Rwanda, with its stunning landscapes of towering terraced highlands—a land of a thousand hills. The drive will be interrupted with health stops and a lunch/coffee break along the road. Drive time should be about 5-6 hrs depending on the traffic. Arriving at Kinigi Village on the slopes of Volcanoes NP, check in at your hotel and choose whether to visit a cultural village or go on a biking tour. Accommodation: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, FB
Day 5/6: Gorilla trekking and hiking Mount Bisoke
While here at Volcanoes NP, you will trek up close and along the mountain gorillas in their montane habitats, observing their human-like behavior and interactions. The trek begins with an early check-in at the park’s visitors center to be received by ranger guides and, after a short briefing, be led onto the home range of any of the 12 gorilla families designated for trekking. Mountain gorillas are sedentary species with a vegetarian diet occurring in small family groups composed of several related females and young led by the Silverback at the helm.
On locating the gorilla family, the rangers will allow you only one hour to observe and interact with gorillas. The trek duration varies daily, but 5-6 hours is normal. Still at Volcanoes, you will hike to Mt. Bisoke to its 3711m crater-rimmed peaks for panoramic views of the Virunga chain of mountain ranges and the surroundings. Accommodation: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, FB
Day 7: Optional Golden Monkey Trekking and Transfer to Lake Kivu
Today you will have an option to trek along the beautiful golden monkeys that are restricted to these volcanic slopes. These agile monkeys are bamboo specialists and occur in large troops of over 50 individuals. Thereafter transfer to Lake Kivu. Accomodation: Hill View Hotel Lake Kivu, FB
Day 8: Relax by Lake Kivu
While at Lake Kivu, unwind on its serene lake shores hemmed in by steep and terraced highlands. Lake Kivu abounds with adventures to choose from, including walking tours, canoeing, kayaking, and visiting quiet lakeshores, or biking tours that extend to coffee experiences. Accomodation: Hill View Hotel Lake Kivu, FB
Day 9: Scenic Biking Tour and Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
A great way to explore the scenic Lake Kivu and its panoramic views is a bike tour that follows a section of the Congo-Nile trail that offers incredible views over the lake, surrounding hills covered in tea, and humble homesteads. If undertaken, your driver will be waiting for you on the main road to transfer you to Nyungwe. Accomodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, FB
Day 10: Chimp trekking Experience and Canopy walk at Nyungwe Forest
At Nyungwe Forest, you will undertake a trek along a community of chimpanzees that thrive across the vast montane forests of Nyungwe. Daily treks lead to any of the 3 habituated communities across Nyungwe forests, where activity begins early, and just like with gorillas, on locating the chimps, you will be allowed one hour with them. Chimps are more agile than gorillas, exploring all levels of the forest, but duration differs daily, where 5-6 hrs is normal. Porters for hire and walking sticks are available at trailheads. Afternoon canopy walk to have an eye’s view over the forest canopy. Accomodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, FB
Day 11: Transfer to Kigali via the National Ethnographic Museum and Nyanza Kings Palace
On our return to Kigali, we visit the National Ethnographic Museum at Huye that houses the most comprehensive collection about Rwanda and its people across the ages. After this 2-hr experience, we will extend the cultural tour with a visit to the king’s royal palace at Nyanza, a fantastic complex with an excellent royal hut and the beautiful long-horned cattle referred to as Inyambo. Lunch will be along the route, checking in at Kigali late that evening. Drop can be at the airport or guest house. Accomodation: Not available but can be arranged for you.
End of the Tour.
Included in this Tour
- A 4WD Tour Car with an English Speaking Guide
- All Park entrances and fees
- Accomodation and meal plan as mentioned
- Boat cruise fees
- 1x Gorilla trek permit
- 1x Golden Monkey trek permit
- 1x Chimp trek permit
- Hike fees for Mt. Bisoke
- cycling tour on Lake Kivu
- Canopy Walk fees
- Drinking water in the car
- Museum fees
Excluded in this Tour
- International flights and Insurance
- Accomodation on Last day (could be arranged upon request)
- Tips and gratuities
- Activities mentioned in the itinerary as Optional
- Other drinks and meals other than mentioned