Day 1: Arrival

Arrival: Upon arrival, a representative from the hotel will welcome you and transfer you to Mille Collines Hotel for accommodation and diner, a short drive away from the airport.

Day 2:

Kigali Genocide Memorial and transfer to Musanze After the breakfast, we have a quick introduction on the two weeks ahead of exploring the natural beauty and nice people of Rwanda. We have a brief tour of Kigali City, the cleanest City in Africa, and we visit Kigali Genocide Memorial until lunch time. At the memorial, clients will understand the events leading up to the genocide of 1994. After lunch we drive northwards to Musanze, a Town of Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys. On the way, we have a brief stop at NYIRANGARAMA Enterprises to stretch our legs and toilets; The accommodation is at DAVINCI Gorilla Lodge, a medium tourist accommodation around on the foothill of Sabyinyo Volcanoes.

Day 3:

Trekking Mountain Gorilla and afternoon cultural village The unique opportunity to see gorillas in their natural habitat is unforgettable, some even say life changing. Encounters with gorillas as they go about their daily lives are carefully managed, with expert trackers and guides leading small groups of tourists up bamboo-covered slopes to spend a precious and awe-inspiring hour just a few feet away from the gentle creatures. There are twelve gorilla families living in the Volcanoes National Park, which are fully habituated, with a few others habituated solely for scientific research. The groups, or troops, consist of at least one silverback along with several females and youngsters. After breakfast, we drive to Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi at 7am (as it is required), and were allocated a family group according to fitness levels, as well as being briefed on protocols and rules for visiting the gorillas. After trekking, which can go until lunch time, we drive to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, we have a brief break and at 4pm we drive to Gorilla Guardian Village and we entertain with the reformed poachers. We will learn more about the traditional life in Rwanda including traditional wedding, traditional healing, local banana beer making, etc. Later afternoon, we drive to the hotel for dinner and accommodation.

Day 4:

Tracking Golden Monkey and transfer to Nyungwe All activities at Volcanoes NP start at 7am with reporting at the office where a warming tea or coffee and brief introduction to the attraction is offered. As previous day, we report at the office at 7am; after briefing on tracking of Golden Monkeys we drive the foot hill of Sabyinyo Volcano, at Kabatwa Hill, which give the name of this group of Golden Monkey. The monkeys are easily found where they are swinging from the bamboo trees in the forest while others are collecting the remaining of Irish potatoes in the recently harvested farms. You stay 1 hour taking pictures, learning the family behaviours and ecology of these endemics primates to the Albertine Rift, from guides. The trekking ends between 11am and 12am when we start our drive to Nyungwe NP. On our drive, we have a brief stop in Rubavu (1 hour and 30 minute drive), a colonial town bordering DRC for lunch. Afternoon we proceed to Nyungwe NP via KIVU Belt road and we reach Ken Barham Guest House around 6pm.

Day 5:

Chimpanzees trekking and canopy walk: Nyungwe NP is a home to over 13 species of primates including Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). We start our journey to trek chimpanzees at 5am with our packed breakfast and trekking can go up to lunch time. We spend only one hour with the Chimpanzees and also get another opportunity of observing them very closely in the treetops. Afternoon (at 3pm) we go for canopy walk, the unique bridge in East Africa and we can feel the fresh breeze of nature forest and we can see some primates jumping from trees to trees and canopy birds like colorful birds like Rwenzori, Black-billed and Greater Blue Turacos; at 5pm we drive to Ken Barham Guest House for dinner and accommodation.

Day 6:

Morning walk in natural forest and transfer to Huye (Butare): We have a morning nature walk up to the Isumo (Waterfall). From the car parking, clients have a relaxing walk within the tea plantation before entering the most densely vegetated and steepest rainforest ravines on any trail at Nyungwe. The walk is about 2.3 km trail descend into one of the cool moist air and the murmur of a river rise from below, mingled with calls of birds, tree frogs and insects. Ferns, mosses, lichens and flowers are exceptionally abundant in the high humidity. On this trail we can also encounter Black and White Colobus Monkeys with movement parades in treetops. After lunch we drive to Huye and our accommodation is at Gallileo Hotel

Day 7:

Museums, Coffee processing and Transfer to Akagera via Kigali: After the morning breakfast, we have an experience of coffee processing at Maraba Coffee washing station. We learn how coffee is planted and other process until the final product ready to be consumed. After coffee, we visit the Ethnographic Museum to learn more about Rwandan culture and general life before, during and after colonial period. After lunch we drive to Akagera NP, via Kigali. We have our accommodation at Akagera Rhino Lodge.

Day 8:

Game driving and Birding in Akagera National Park We have a full day game drive on different sides of the park, savannah, rolling hills, along wetlands and lakes. Akagera NP is the only Big Five Reserve in Rwanda and on our morning safaris we can some of them among other Elephants, Buffaloes and many more like Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Waterbuck, etc. We will also see different species of birds like Black-bellied Bustard, Grey Crowned Crane, Ross’s Turaco, etc. The morning drive takes us at lunch time which is organized on terrace where visitors have meals at the same time exploring the conservation treasures of Akagera National Park and hills of Western Tanzania. After a lunch break, we drive to Lake Ihema, the biggest lake of the park and second biggest in Rwanda after Lake Kivu. The lake offers a relaxation time with varieties of wildlife among others Crocodiles, Hippopotamus, Elephant coming for watering and flocks of Waterbirds i.e Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, African Darter, Cattle Egret, etc; The sunset boat goes up to 6pm and we drive back to Akagera Game Lodge for dinner and accommodation.

Day 9:

Game driving and transfer to Kigali: Our second day in a savannah park will be on the lake circuits, along the Akagera River, the physical border with the Republic of Tanzania. Along this circuit we have the good scenery of the park as well as the western side of Tanzania and learn different stories of the park, ecology and behaviours of different animals. We will see different wildlife among others Topi, Waterbuck, Olive Baboons, Velvet Monkeys, Bushbuck and we can see lions and Rhino and after lunch we drive to Kigali; accommodation at Mille Collines Hotel

Day 10:

A day in Kigali, craft shop and departure: After breakfast in the morning, we visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. This memorial also serves to educate about how the Genocide against the Tutsi took shape and examines genocide in the 20th century. At this place, visitors understand the events leading up to the genocide and how it was perpetrated. The Memorial is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi while gardens provide a place for quiet contemplation about the history of the Genocide. The place allows visitors to reflect on how we all have a personal responsibility to prevent discrimination and mass atrocity. After lunch, we go to the craft shops before heading to the airport for the evening flight. END