13 Days Rwanda Budget Wildlife & Primates tour
13 Days Rwanda Budget Wildlife & Primates tour: Rwanda is incredibly interesting to visit in its incredible scenic hilly landscapes, making her famous as “Land of a thousand hills” rich in biodiversity. This 13 Days Rwanda budget safaris is one of the longest way of spending your safari in Kigali and takes you to Rwanda’s most visited primates’ destinations that is Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe national park and Akagera national park with a bit of relaxation during the trip at Lake Kivu. Volcanoes national park is the most popular park unique for gorilla trekking along with other 2 parks in Uganda and 1 in Congo. Volcanoes national park has about 10 habituated gorilla families for tourism. Apart from gorilla trekking, Volcanoes national park is also a home to the endangered golden monkeys and a few of the forest animals and the park hosts about 200 different bird species. Nyungwe forest national park on the other hands is home to the endangered chimpanzees and 12 other species of primates. Trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest is one of the most scenic experiences under the montane rainforest and walking on a canopy above the forest is an added beautiful experience. Akagera national park which is located in the eastern part of Rwanda in the savannah areas good for wildlife experience especially to see the big five game. Enjoy other excursions include visiting Lake Kivu bordering Congo and a city tour in Kigali city.
Safari highlights of the 13 Days Rwanda Budget Wildlife & Primates tour:
- Day 1: Airport pick up – Hotel
- Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy walk
- Day 4: Forest nature walk
- Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu
- Day 6: Explore Gisenyi – Lake Kivu
- Day 7: Transfer to Parc National Des Volcans
- Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 9: Golden Monkey tracking
- Day 10; Mount Bisoke hike
- Day 11: Transfer to Akagera National Park via Kigali
- Day 12: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
- Day 13: Transfer back to Kigali city
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Airport pick up – Hotel and Kigali city tour
Upon arrival at Kigali international airport with your confirmed booked flight, you will be met by your safari driver who will be your guide throughout the trip, meet and greet, pack your luggage in the safari vehicle and drive to your booked accommodation in Kigali city. Depending on your time of arrival, doing a city tour on this day will be the best. Visit some of the interesting places in Kigali including the Kigali genocide memorial, drive to one of the hills in Kigali for a city view and a market tour. Return in the evening to your Hotel for dinner and overnight stay at Kigali Serena Hotel for Luxury option/ Mid-range option: Des Mille Collins Hotel/ Budget option: Step Town Motel
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After enjoying your delicious breakfast at leisure, embark on your journey to Nyungwe forest national park which is a 6-7 hours’ drive from Kigali. Drive through the rolling and magnificent cultivated hills and great views of Virunga Mountains. Have a stopover at the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Continue and visit the cultural museum at Rwesero. Proceed and reach Butare town where you will have lunch after lunch you will visit the Rwanda National Museum for a tour around the site.
Upon arrival in Nyungwe forest, you will visit the new Visitor’s Interpretive Centre to give you more information about the park such as number of primate species found in the park, types of bird species and other tourist activities carried out with in the Park before you connect to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge – Luxury option: One and Only Nyungwe House/ Mid-range option: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel/ Budget option: Gisakura Visitors Centre
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. While in the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turacco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 in a group. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos before you drive back to your lodge for lunch.
Connect for a canopy walk. You will go on a walking trail 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 below you. Dinner and overnight stay at provided lodge as above
Day 4: Forest nature walk – coffee tour
After having breakfast, you will embark on the forest Nature walk with in the park which will enable you to explore the park’s unique tourist features including waterfalls and orchids in the high altitude swamps. Return to the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or Participate in the tea harvesting in the neighbouring local communities or Visit a tea factory and learn about the production processes. Dinner and overnight at your lodge as above
Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu
You will have an early morning breakfast then transfer to Kibuye. Lake is one of the great lakes in Africa and is the largest of the fresh water lakes that gleam in the Albertine western rift of the Great Rift Valley. On the shores, there is the Kibuye town which is one of the country’s most attractive of lake ports, nestled in a series of interwoven and undulating hills and will offer you spectacular views of the lake and its islands plus the surrounding countryside. En-route to the Lake Kivu, you will Visit the L’Esperance Orphanage in Kigarama village where the orphaned children have been helped by donations from different organizations and also from tourists. Arrive at your lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Cormoran Lodge
Day 6: Explore Gisenyi – Lake Kivu
After having breakfast, you will continue with your safari to Gisenyi town. This offers beautiful and excellent views of Lake Kivu and it’s a great place to relax while feeling its waterfront and sandy beaches. Upon arrival, you will have lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or visit the host springs which will help you learn more about the formation of the Virunga Volcanic Mountains. Alternatively you can also visit the local projects in the area and interact with project members or visit the local artisans and a local women’s weaving association. Overnight in Gisenyi town at Paradise Malahide for budget/ Lake Kivu Serena lodge for luxury/Palm Garden Hotel for mid-range
Day 7: Transfer to Parc National Des Volcans
After breakfast, check out from your hotel and later transfer to Ruhengeri – home of the mountain gorillas. It’s about 2-3 hours’ drive through the beautiful scenery. Check-in your lodge for lunch then visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village where you may have a wonderful and interactive experience about the Rwandan traditions, culture and way of life. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge for mid-range option/ 5 Volcanoes gorilla lodge for Luxury option/ Hotel Muhabura for budget option
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience
After early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the Kinigi park headquarters with your trekking gears for a briefing about the endangered mountain gorillas. You have been allocated a gorilla family to trek, connect to the starting point and start trekking along with the guidance of the armed ranger guides together with the ranger guides. This activity may take between 2-8 hours searching for the gorillas depending on their movement. However meeting them is so rewarding and you will spend maximally 1 hour with them as you take time studying them and taking pictures and videos. After spending your time with the fascinating mountain gorillas, return to the base and meet your driver to connect to your lodge for lunch and refresh. Spend the rest of your day at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at booked lodge as above
Day 9: Golden Monkey tracking
After early morning breakfast, drive back to the park headquarters for briefing about the endangered golden monkeys and be allocated a group. Connect to the tracking starting point and enter the forest to search for the rare golden monkey. This activity can take about 1-5 hours and is done at closer view of the other primates in the park like the red tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys among other. After viewing the rare golden monkeys for an hour while taking pictures and studying their behaviours, return to the base and meet your drive back to the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 10; Mount Bisoke hike
You will enjoy breakfast and set out for Mount Bisoke hike which is part of volcanoes national park. After briefing about hike with your hiking gears, set off for the hike. It’s a day hike through the steep slopes of the mountain. On reaching the summit, you will discover a beautiful crater lake and the whole experience is overwhelming! Return and relax at your lodge with great memories. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 11: Transfer to Akagera National Park via Kigali
After breakfast, you will depart for Kigali for lunch then transfer to Akagera National Park. En route you will pass through the country’s phenomenal landscape which will give you views of the country’s beauty and also the life style of its people. Upon arrival in the park, you will go for a short southern Lake Ihema game drive. Look out for animals such as elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and many more like Antelopes. Dinner and overnight at Ruzizi tented camp for luxury option/Akagera game lodge for mid-range option/Dereva hotel for luxury option
Day 12: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a Northern circuit game drive to search for animals that you may have missed out in the previous game drive. It was not a guarantee that all the animals can be seen during a game drive. There are some that are early risers and can only be seen in the morning. Return back to the lodge for a small relation as you wait for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema which will offer you with views of the surrounding areas, hills and swamps. Expect to see Hippos, crocodiles and more bird species. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 13: Transfer back to Kigali city
After breakfast, you will go for a nature walk to search for different bird species. Return to Kigali city. Depending on your time of departure, you will be transferred to the Airport for your flight back home or your hotel in Kigali as you will advise.
End of the 13 Days Rwanda Budget Wildlife & Primates tour
