11-Days Rwanda Classic Safari Expedition experiences all the highlights of Rwanda in just one trip! Travel from the capital city of Kigali to the wilderness in Akagera. Enjoy a true jungle experience in Nyungwe Forest where you can track the chimpanzees and unwind on the shores of the beautiful Lake Kivu. Your safari ends with the ultimate highlight: a meeting with the world-renowned mountain gorillas of Rwanda!
Detailed Itinerary of the 11-Days Rwanda Classic Safari Expedition
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda
Welcome to the Land of a Thousand Hills! Arrive at Kigali International Airport where you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel. If you’re interested, our guide will take you on a 2-hour night tour of Kigali where you will sample the Kigali nightlife vibe before tomorrow’s activities. Otherwise, you can just stay at your hotel and enjoy the hotel amenities in a more relaxed environment.
Main Destination: Kigali
Accommodation: Kigali Marriott Hotel (Luxury hotel located in or near Kigali)
Meal plan: Dinner
Day 2: Kigali City Tour
Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a full-day guided city tour of the capital Kigali. You will visit some interesting historical sites. Learn more about Rwanda’s heart-rending history at the Genocide Memorial Centre and visit the Nyamata Church. You will also have the opportunity to stroll the colourful markets or buy traditional African handwork at the Craft Village. Visit the Rwanda museums too. Return to your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.
Main Destination: Kigali
Accommodation: Hotel Des Mille Collines (Luxury hotel located in or near Kigali)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 3: Kigali to Akagera National Park
After breakfast, we’ll be transferred to the eastern part of the country. Reaching Akagera National Park, you will be blown away by the amazing landscape and vegetation. After checking in at your accommodation, you will go for an afternoon game drive for the first introduction to Rwanda’s wildlife. This is one of the most successful lion breeding grounds in the world. Predators and prey come out to play the game of life and death on a daily here. Have your camera ready.
Main Destination: Akagera National Park
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 4: Akagera National Park
Early in the morning, we will follow the tracks in search of elephants, lions, buffalos, and a variety of birds. Return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, we will experience the park from a different perspective with a scenic boat trip along Lake Ihema. You will float quietly past herds of hippos and huge crocodiles lying lazily on the shores.
Main Destination: Akagera National Park
Accommodation: Mantis Akagera Game Lodge (Mid-range lodge located inside Akagera NP)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 5: Akagera National Park to Kigali
Enjoy another morning game drive before we head back to Kigali. Spend the afternoon at leisure and the possibility to explore the city at your own convenience. There are crafts centres and women’s clubs to visit this afternoon. Otherwise, you can choose to just stay at your hotel and enjoy the facilities.
Main Destination: Kigali
Accommodation: Kigali Marriott Hotel (Luxury hotel located in or near Kigali)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 6: Kigali to Nyungwe Forest
After breakfast, transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the southern part of the country. En route, we will make a stop to visit the Royal Palace Museum in Nyanza, and the Rwanda National Museum in Butare, which houses one of the finest collections in East Africa. We will have lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we’ll continue to the mysterious rainforest of Nyungwe, a true birder’s paradise renowned for its many species of primates.
Main Destination: Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 7: Chimpanzee Tracking & Canopy Walk
Spend the whole day today enjoying the magical surroundings of Nyungwe Forest National Park. This morning, we will kick start the day with chimpanzee trekking. The trek will bring you face-to-face with several species of primates. Expect to see the black and white Colobus monkeys and golden monkeys among other species. After lunch, we shall take you to the suspended bridge on Nyungwe for a canopy walk. You will have a bird’s eye view of everything below you in the forest.
Main Destination: Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)
Accommodation: Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel (Luxury hotel located outside Nyungwe NP)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 8: Nyungwe to Lake Kivu
Depart Nyungwe Forest after breakfast and proceed to the beautiful Lake Kivu for some relaxation. It is the largest lake in Rwanda and is beautifully located amid mountains and green hills. Enjoy lunch in the romantic town of Kibuye, before checking in at your accommodation in Gisenyi. Enjoy a boat cruise to monkey island this afternoon. Join the local fishermen for a fishing village experience in the evening.
Main Destination: Lake Kivu
Accommodation: Moriah Hill Resort (Mid-range resort located in or near Lake Kivu)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 9: Lake Kivu to Volcanoes National Park
In the morning, you have the opportunity to visit the nearby Hot Springs of Bralirwa and explore the area’s rich birdlife. After lunch, we will have a short drive to one of the most beautiful national parks in the country, Volcanoes National Park. This is the home of the world-famous mountain gorillas of Rwanda.
Main Destination: Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range lodge located just outside Volcanoes NP)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 10: Gorilla Trekking
Spend a precious one hour with the highly-sought endangered mountain gorillas of the Virungas. You will make a beautiful hike through the green landscape and hills of the Virunga Volcanoes in the quest for Africa’s quintessential safari experience. Enjoy a magical moment with these gentle giants while your guide explains everything about the gorilla family and their behavior. Nothing stimulates man’s imagination like coming face to face with these great apes that share 98% of DNA with humans.
In the afternoon, you will visit the village Iby’Iwacu, located in the shadows of the Virunga Volcanoes, where reformed poachers showcase the traditional Rwandan way of life. They will sing and dance for you. You’re free to join in.
Main Destination: Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range lodge located just outside Volcanoes NP)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Day 11: Volcanoes National Park to Kigali (Departure)
Have a relaxed breakfast and enjoy the beautiful scenery one more time as we calmly transfer back to Kigali with a packed lunch. Depending on the time of your international flight, you will be dropped off at Kigali International Airport.
Main Destination: Kigali
Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)
Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch
End of tour 11-Days Rwanda Classic Safari Expedition experiences
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