9 Days Akagera Nyungwe Experience

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our driver guide who will then take you to your hotel in Kigali for an overnight and dinner.

Day Itinerary

• TBA: Proposed arrival flight time in to Kigali
• TBA: VIP meet & greet through immigration procedures.
• TBA: Pick up from Kigali International Airport for a 20 minutes transfer to Kigali Hotel.
• TBA: Arrival at Hotel for Check in.
• TBA: Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Accommodation Options

Retreat By Heaven Luxury.
Kigali Marriot Mid-Range
Hotel des Mille Collins Standard

Meal Plan: Dinner.

Driving Time: 10 Minutes.

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park

Start the day with morning breakfast and drive Nyungwe Forest National Park situated in south-western Rwanda, the Nyungwe Forest National Park is known for its exceptional biodiversity and its wide range of endemic species. The park is composed of lush tracts of rainforest set high up on fertile mountain slopes. It is one of Africa’s most ancient forests and the home of Rwanda’s sole remaining chimpanzee population, as well as 85 additional mammal species, 43 reptile species, nearly 300 bird species and over 1000 plant species. Visitors can enjoy spotting Colobus monkeys and chimpanzees hiding in the trees, hiking on a well-maintained network of trails passing through lush equatorial rainforest and catching a glimpse of a beautiful array of colourful birdlife. Don’t miss the thrilling Canopy Walk, it is one of its kind in Africa and offers impressive views of the forest.

A stopover at a King’s Palace known as a traditional royal residence. The King’s Palace is a beautifully-crafted thatched dwelling shaped like a beehive and it’s very interesting to learn about the history and customs in Rwanda as they lived before the arrival of Europeans. Have lunch at Strafford resultant and after visit the Ethnographic Museum.

Drive Time: 6 Hours/Optional Flight Time:45 Minutes 30min.

Day Itinerary

• 07:30: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 08:00: Prepare for a transfers to Nyungwe Forests.
• 11:00: Visit the King’s Palace.
• 11:00: Estimated time to arrive at Nyungwe forests.
• 13:00: Take on lunch at the Strafford resultant.
• 14:30: Visit the Ethnographic Museum.
• 17:00: Estimated time to arrive at the lodge.
• 18:00: Overnight and dinner at the Lodge.

Accommodation Options

One & only Nyungwe House (Luxury Facility)
Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel (Mid-Range Facility)
Top View Hill Hotel (Standard Facility)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch ,Dinner.

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking & Canopy walk

The Nyungwe Forest National Park Cyamudongo Forest Chimpanzee Trekking provides visitors with a unique chimpanzee experience. Visitors will follow a path through the lush vegetation to a point where they will be able to witness the chimpanzees acting out their daily activities, such as waking up, eating and socializing within their natural environment.

Canopy Walk

Suspended above ravine amidst the lush vegetation and montane forest of the Nyungwe National Park, Canopy Walk offers participants an exhilarating perspective atop the ancient treetops and wildlife. The 160 meters long suspended bridge is accessible as a part of a guided hike along the Igishigishigi trail or those hiking the Imbaraga and Umuyove trails.

Day Itinerary

• 05:00: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 05:30: Prepare for transfers to Park headquarters for Chimpanzee trek briefing.
• 05:30: Start the Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forests.
• 12:30: Estimated time to return from the jungle.
• 13:30: Lunch at the Lodge and entire day relaxing and winding at the Lodge.
• 15:00: Take on a Canopy Walk experience
• 18:00: Overnight and dinner at the Lodge.

Accommodation Options

One & only Nyungwe House (Luxury Facility)
Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel (Mid-Range Facility)
Top View Hill Hotel (Standard Facility)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch ,Dinner.

Day 4:Isumo Waterfall Visit and Transfer to Kibuye for sunset cruise

Visit Isumo Waterfall

After the early morning breakfast at the lodge, set off for the Isumo Waterfall Trail. This is the most exacting trail within the forest which takes you by some steep ravines interspersed with slippery stretches with about 2.3 km fall downwards into one of the thickest vegetation and sharpest rainforest ravines on different trails in Nyungwe and is forcefully 17 m in height, Isumo Waterfall is stunning to the force with which it shoots through a narrow gap into a magnificent amphitheater and.  You will feel free to enjoy the forest’s cool breeze and the melody sound of streams with wonderful breathtaking views of the forest. Visitors take part in observing different primates of species such as trees, birds, and the butterfly mammal. 

Sunset Boat Cruise

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise expedition in Kibuye to witness one of nature’s most incredible displays. From a two-hour trip to a full-day adventure, we can design the perfect experience for you. Charter a private cruise and design your itinerary of your dreams, complete with a captain and crew who will cater to every detail of your experience. A sunset cruise entertaining loved ones aboard a luxurious boat.

Driving Time: 2:30 hrs.

Day Itinerary

• 06:00: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 06:30: Transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing.
• 08:00: Start the walk in the forest.
• 12:00: Estimated time of returning from the jungle.
• 12:20: Transfer back to the Lodge.
• 12:40: Early lunch at the Lodge.
• 13:30: Transfer to Kibuye.
• 15:30: Estimated time to arrive at lodge the lodge.
• 16:00: Sunset Boat Cruise.
• 18:00: Back to the Lodge.
• 19:00: Dinner and overnight stay at the Lodge.

Accommodation Options :

Cleo Lake Kivu Hotel (Luxury Facility)
Lake Kivu Serena (Mid-Range Facility)
Paradise Kivu Resort (Standard Facility)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch ,Dinner.

Day 5:Transfer to Volcano National Park & Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus.

Begin the day with a morning breakfast and then embark on to Volcano National Park- bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park is best known as a sanctuary for the region’s rare mountain gorillas. Visitors flock here to experience a face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures. The park is set high on the jungle-covered slopes of the volcanic Virunga Mountains. Highly regulated treks through the reserve allow visitors to spend an hour at a time with these incredible primates in their natural habitat. While the gorillas are without a doubt the main draw card, visitors can also look forward to exploring a network of scenic hiking trails, visiting the tomb of the world-famous Dian Fossey and the Karisoke Research Centre, and enjoying a beautiful day hike to the Crater Lake on Mount Bisoke.

Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, whose main mission of existence is to create more space for engaging the different stakeholders in conservation including scientists, tourists, conservation partners, students, and local community members around Volcanoes National Park. Bringing together these stakeholders is one of the ways of advancing the collective goal of protecting mountain gorillas and the planet in general.

Driving Time:3 hrs

Day Itinerary

• 08:00: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 08:30: Transfer to Volcanoes. Travel time 3hrs.
• 09:00: Visit the Genocide memorial center..
• 11:30: Estimated time to arrive at the lodge.
• 13:00: Lunch for the day and prepare to visit Ellen DeGeneres Campus
• 14:00: Ready to visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus to have an insight for tomorrow’s gorilla experience.
• 18:00: Dinner and overnight stay at the Lodge.

Accommodation Options

One& only Gorilla Nest (Luxury Facility)
Bishop House (Mid-Range Facility)
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Standard Facility)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch ,Dinner.

Day 6: Gorilla trekking, and Visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

After the early morning breakfast at the lodge, set off for Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park which offers visitors the unique opportunity of discovering the 10 families of gorillas that live within the national park. Visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee before the trek starts and will be separated into groups of 8 depending on their physical abilities. Each group is guided by a guide and two scouts who are well trained in emergency situations. The amount of time set aside per trek is different depending on where the gorilla family is situated. Some trips may take as little as half an hour and some taking the better part of the day.

Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

Offering an adventurous stay in a traditional rural, Rwandan village that has existed for centuries living with and next to mountain gorillas in Parc National des Volcans.  Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village gives you a rare chance to meet local people, in their environment, with a taste of our culture and traditions. The community you visit will genuinely welcome you as a special guest while they proudly present to you aspects of their traditions and beliefs. This will truly be an experience of a lifetime as you home stay with the community and become part of their family.

Day Itinerary

• 06:00: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 06:30: Transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing.
• 08:00: Start the gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
• 12:00: Estimated time of returning from the jungle.
• 12:30: Transfer back to the Lodge.
• 13:00: Lunch at the Lodge.
• 15:00: Visit to Iby’ Iwacu cultural village.
• 18:00: Dinner and overnight stay at the Lodge.

Accommodation Options

One& only Gorilla Nest(Luxury Facility)
Virunga INN (Mid-Range Facility)
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Standard Facility)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch ,Dinner.

Day 7:Drive to Akagera National Park

Begin the day with morning breakfast after embark to the two and half hours to Akagera National Park bordering Tanzania in eastern Rwanda, Akagera National Park is central Africa’s largest protected wetland and the last refuge for savannah-adapted species in the country. Stretching across a vast expanse of low-lying mountains and savannah plains, the park takes in the rolling highlands woodlands, swamp-fringed lakes, and wetlands of the Kagera River along the way. Crocodiles and hippos wallow in the park’s watery basins, predators’ prowl through its acacia groves, and elephant, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and other animals roam across its grassy plains. Bursting with a rich biodiversity, the park features a variety of rare species, as well as a plentitude of mammals and hundreds of bird species

Driving Time: Approximately 6 hrs.
Helicopter flight; 40 minutes.

Day Itinerary

• 0700: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 0800: Transfer to Akagera National Park to the Northern gate.
• 1030: Arrival at the Akagera National Park. North gate-optional for luxury. Eastern gate optional for mid-range.
• 1100: Get into the Akagera National Park.
• 1200: Arrival at the lodge and check-in.
• 1300: Lunch and afternoon activities by the lodge.
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at the Lodge.

Accommodation Options :

Magashi Camp (Luxury Facility)
Akagera Game Lodge (Mid-Range Facility)
Akagera Rhino Lodge (Standard Facility)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch ,Dinner.

Day 8:Morning Game Drive, and afternoon boat trip

Game Drives

Explore the area in an open 4×4 vehicle with each vehicle able to accommodate a maximum of seven guests, allowing each individual an outside seat.

Boating Cruise

Magashi/the park offers boating in eight-seater swamp cruisers. This is an excellent way to view the water birds and many other aquatic animals seen around Lake Rwanyakazinga.

Day Itinerary

• 06:30: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 07:00: Morning game drive in Akagera National Park and other day’s activities.
• 14:00: Boat safari in Akagera on Lake Rwanyakazinga.
• 18:00: Dinner and overnight stay at the Lodge.

Accommodation Options

Magashi Camp (Luxury Facility)
Akagera Game Lodge (Mid-Range Facility)
Akagera Rhino Lodge (Standard Facility)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch ,Dinner.

Day 9: Transfer to Kigali International Airport with stopover at Kigali Genocide Museum

Start the day with morning breakfast and drive back to Kigali with road side scenic view with a stopover at Kigali Genocide Museum.

Kigali Genocide Memorial & Museum was created by a joint partnership of the Kigali City Council and the UK-based Aegis Trust. The centre is an extremely moving, challenging, educational and ultimately inspiring as well as a great place to understand the cause, tragedy and successful rebuilding post-genocide.

The memorial hosts a tour which is transparent and educational but very sombre and humbling when guests realise that over 250,000 deceased are buried on the site of the memorial.

Later you will drive to Kigali International Airport for your evening flight.

Driving Time: 3 hrs.

Helicopter flight: 30 minutes.

Day Itinerary

• 07:30: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 08:00: Drive to Kigali.
• 11:00: Estimated time to arrive at Kigali Genocide Museum.
• 13:30: Have lunch in Kigali.
• 14:30: Transfer to Kigali International Airport

Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch