9- Day Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps Trekking & Big 5 in Akagera safari

Experience all the highlights on just this 9- Day Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps Trekking & Big 5 in Akagera safari.

From the Genocide Memorial sites in Kigali to the wilderness in Akagera National Park to spot the Big 5 & Big Cats, the African jungle in Nyungwe Forest to track the Chimpanzees and  Volcanoes National Park for Gorilla Trekking and Mount Bisoke Hiking.

Today morning on your first day of 9- Day Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps Trekking & Big 5 in Akagera safari, we leave for Akagera national park right after your breakfast, the driver guide will pick you up from your hotel. The journey to Akagera national park takes about 2 hours depending on the stopovers along the way. 

With the beautiful landscaper en route to the park, feel free to ask the guide for stopovers to capture some photos. On arrival at the park, we shall proceed to our accommodation after a short game drive and check-in.  We order lunch and later take a boat trip on Lake Ihema to watch Hippos and crocodiles in the water or by the shores.

Lodge: Akagera Game Lodge

Enjoy early morning breakfast and start your game drives in an open-roofed vehicle. A full day game drive here offers you an opportunity to spot a variety of game including elephants, buffalos, hippos, lions, Masai giraffe, gazelles, impala, baboons, oribi, Butchel’s zebra, topi, bush baby, leopard, and bushbuck, etc.

Proceed for an evening game drive after lunch. Return to your lodge for dinner.

Lodge: Akagera Game Lodge

Have breakfast and then enjoy a morning game drive, we shall return to Kigali.  Visit interesting spots which may include the craft market, Gisozi genocide memorial site.

Afterwards depart for a 2 hour drive to Musanze, the second largest town in Rwanda, with its stunning backdrop of five volcanic mountains – The Virungas. 

Later visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. These beautiful twin lakes are located at the base Volcano Muhabura and close to the border of Rwanda and Uganda in the northern part of Rwanda, on the outskirts of Musanze on your 9- Day Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps Trekking & Big 5 in Akagera safari.

Hotel: The Garden Place Hotel

This tour starts with an early morning pick-up (4:30 am) by your driver/guide from your hotel in 

Kigali and transfers you to Volcanoes National Park, Musanze province.

You will go for briefing at the park headquarter which starts at 7.00 am. 

The trek starts early morning from the RDB offices in Kinigi. Your driver-guide drops you at the 

office where you receive a briefing and join other hikers to Mt Bisoke. 

Your hiking guide will brief you on expectations while you hike Mt Bisoke and what you should be 

aware of. 

After the briefing, your driver-guide will transfer you to the starting point which is about 30 minutes 

away because of the nature of the road.

The hike aims to give tourists a learning experience about the works of the famous American primatologist and conservationist, Dian Fossey, who dedicated her life to research about the mountain gorillas. She set up a research camp in the valley between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke hence the name ‘Karisoke’.

Her works to protect the mountains gorillas and their habitat would lead her into conflict with negative forces including poachers and she was eventually killed. She was buried among the gorillas near her Karisoke Research Center. 

The hike is done in the morning.

You report to the park office in Kinigi at 7am to the meet the ranger guides for briefing and at about 8am drive for about 30 minutes to the base of the Mount Bisoke where the trekking starts just outside the park at the car parking.

A walking stick will be provided at the starting point, free of charge, and porters will found here that you can hire to carry your bags and provide some support along the hike.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After an early morning breakfast, you will transfer to the park headquarters together with your packed lunch early enough to be briefed about the code of conduct while with the gorillas.

This will be followed by entering the forest in search of the gorillas in the forest which may take 2-6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas in the jungle. Meet and stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour. 

Hotel: The Garden Place Hotel

After early morning breakfast at the lodge, visit Lake Kivu and enjoy the morning breeze at the shores, this is an hour drive to Rubavu. Spend just an hour there then return on the road to proceed on your 4-5 hours drive to Nyungwe national park with lunch en route.

Nyungwe forest is the oldest and largest rain forest in East Africa. Arrive in the park in the late afternoon and connect to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay on your 9- Day Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps Trekking & Big 5 in Akagera safari.

Resort: Emeraude Kivu Resort

Today, after your early morning breakfast, you will leave your hotel for a chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park Rwanda experience. Nyungwe forest is well known for having 13 species of primates and was transformed into a park for briefing and chimpanzee trekking.

You will be entitled to one hour stay on finding the chimpanzees. After doing the chimpanzee trek, head for lunch at the hotel. After lunch you head to Nyungwe National Park for a canopy walk and return in the afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.

Resort: Emeraude Kivu Resort

Have an early morning breakfast and after transfer back to Kigali. En route to the City you will have lunch and also visit the Rwanda National Museum in Butare town.

Proceed to Kigali where you will be dropped off at the Airport to catch your flight back home on your last day of 9- Day Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps Trekking & Big 5 in Akagera safari.