7 Day Highlights of Rwanda Safaris
7 Day Highlights of Rwanda: Welcome to Rwanda, the “land of a thousand hills” as sometimes referred to. This tour will begin and end in Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city. This safari has been planned to show you the best highlights of this enthralling country from chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park. On a canopy walk to close encounters with the gorillas of the mist. After this tour, you will have a great experience!
Brief Itinerary of 7 Day Highlights of Rwanda :
Arrival to Kigali
Visit Genocide Memorial & Travel to Nyungwe Forest
Chimpanzee Tracking & Canopy Walk
Explore Lake Kivu
Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla Tracking
Return to Kigali/departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Kigali
on this 7 Day Highlights of Rwanda , Upon your arrival at Kigali international airport, you will be greeted by your Mum and Dad Uganda Tours guide. And driven to your hotel in a quiet verdant street in the heart of down-town Kigali. Arrive at your pre-booked hotel/lodge for a free drink by the hotel’s pool bar, you get briefed by your guide on the details of your upcoming memorable adventure. However if you arrive in Kigali in time your guide will take you and explore the city on this day. Take a city tour or visit the craft markets. To browse amongst the pottery, carvings, batik, weaving, musical instruments, leather and fabrics on offer. Dinner and an overnight at
Accommodation: The Retreat by Heaven
Meal plan: lunch and dinner
Day 2: Visit Genocide Memorial & Transfer to Nyungwe Forest
On this day after breakfast, setoff for Nyungwe Forest national park. However you will first visit the Genocide Memorial in town before. The Genocide Memorial is a place of commemoration for the 250,000 victims buried in mass graves after the brutality of the 1994 genocide. The exhibit is an intensely emotional experiences but also an educational one. Where you will learn about the darkest hour in Rwanda’s recent history. After this experience and lunch you will continue to western part of Rwanda. Passing through the town of Butare which is about 135km from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city.
7 Day Highlights of Rwanda: In Butare you can visit the national Museum displaying a range of ethnographic objects that will give you an insight into the rich traditional life and culture of Rwanda. You arrive Nyungwe forest in the evening. The park known as the world’s oldest and arguably Africa’s beautiful rainforest. The forest houses over 13 species of primates coupled with chimpanzees the closet relative to human, other primates include the colobus monkeys, mangabeys, blue monkeys the park also over 310 bird species recorded here, 26 of which are endemic to Rwanda. Dinner and an overnight at
Accommodation options to choose from:
One&Only Nyungwe House – High end
Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel – Mid-range
Gisakura Guesthouse – Budget (non self-contained rooms)
Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking & Canopy Walk
After breakfast, you will get briefed from the park wardens about the dos and don’ts while with the chimps. Later follow the ranger guide to venture deep in Nyungwe forest National in search of the chimpanzees. During the search of Chimpanzee you have a chance to see other primates and many forest dwellers that live into the forest. Once the chimps are met are you are strictly allowed to stay with them for a period of one hour watching them interact with each other and go about their daily routine of grooming, playing and foraging is an incredible experience.
Chances of meeting the chimps are high however it’s never 100% guaranteed since they are wild animals with wills and minds of their own! Retire back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch, if the evening is free you can go for an optional activity canopy walk, enjoying the luxurious comforts of the lodge or doing one of the complimentary activities on offer there, just let your guide know in advance. . Dinner and an overnight at
Accommodation options to choose from:
One&Only Nyungwe House – High end
Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel – Mid-range
Gisakura Guesthouse – Budget (non self-contained rooms)
Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: To Lake Kivu
After breakfast make a transfer to the north along the shores of Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes in the Albertine Rift, creating a natural border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. You have a chance to explore the lake which has some of the best inland beaches on the continent. You can choose to relax at the lodge today, or you can opt to explore the shorelines and bays on a half-day kayaking tour. Dinner and an overnight stay at
Accommodation options to choose from:
Budget – Inzu Lodge
Midrange – Paradise Malahide
Upmarket – Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Meal Plans: Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner
Day 5: Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Volcanoes national park in the northern part of Rwanda. Volcanoes national park contains parts of the Virunga mountain range and its 5 volcanoes that form the border between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park has the most scenic sights in Africa, and not only that but also known as one of the three parks in the world which provide a gateway to face-to-face encounters with the iconic mountain gorillas.
7 Day Highlights of Rwanda: Not only gorilla trekking but the park has a lot to offer including , tracking trips to find the rare golden monkeys, spectacular volcano hikes and a visit to the Dian Fossey research center. If you are interested in one of the above activities, you can speak with your Travel Consultant if you would like to extend your stay in the park for an additional day to include one or more of these activities. Arrive at your pre-booked accommodation for lunch and if the evening is free you can go for cultural tour. Dinner and an overnight stay at
Accommodation options to choose from:
Budget – Inzu Lodge
Midrange – Paradise Malahide
Upmarket – Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner.
Day 6: Gorilla Tracking in volcanoes national park
On this day of lifetime experience, you first report to the park headquarters to receive short briefings about the dos and don’ts also gets you allocated to the ranger guide. In the company of an experienced park ranger you will be tracking the whereabouts of one of the habituated family groups who live in the park and can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day. Gorilla trekking is challenging yet exciting is trekking involves passing through muddy and slippery slopes, tangled vines, thick vegetation and bamboo forests before you reach the territory of these gentle giants.
The search for these gentle giants takes about 1-7 hours, your ranger will point out telltale signs of previous gorilla activity like dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots. Once the family of gorillas have been located, settle in to the environment and enjoy the one hour allowed to stray with the gorillas, observe these charming primates whose habits and gestures remind us so much of our own. After this wonderful experience retire back to the lodge for relaxation dinner and an overnight at;
Accommodation options to choose from:
Budget – Inzu Lodge
Midrange – Paradise Malahide
Upmarket – Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner.
Day 7: Return to Kigali
After an early breakfast, you will enjoy your last morning in the rain-forest today with your ranger guide. Retire back to the lodge an early lunch after, the guide will drive you back to Kigali for your departure flight if time allows enjoy city tour and visit some of the interesting places you missed on the first day. Enjoy A farewell dinner with your guide in Kigali is included in your meal plan today before you are driven to the airport to meet your departure flight back home. Should you depart on an earlier flight please let your Travel Consultant know to deduct the meal from your package.7 Day Highlights of Rwanda
End of 7 Day Highlights of Rwanda
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Included in the tour package
Airport transfers
Transportation in a 4WD All fuel for the tour
Professional English-speaking driver/guide
Accommodations
Meals
Welcome drink on arrival day
Drinking water in the vehicle
Park entrance fees
Activities as listed
1 Chimpanzee Tracking permit per person (USD 90)
1 Gorilla Tracking permit per person (USD 1500)
Excluded
International flights
Visa
Meals that are not part of your accommodation
A porter to carry your day pack during gorilla tracking (recommended)
Government tax or increments in park fees
Personal insurance (medical/travel)
Tips and gratuities to your driver/guide, rangers, site guides, porters, hotel staff, etc.
All expenses of a personal nature (e.g. drinks, laundry, souvenirs etc.)
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