Rwanda Small Group Gorilla Tour

Day 1 - Arrival in Kigali

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be greeted with a warm welcome by your driver-guide, who will be waiting for you at the airport ahead of time. Exchange some money in local currency, then drive to the hotel for an overnight stay. Enjoy hotel amenities.
Overnight at One Click Hotel

Day 2 - Travel to Akagera National Park and Sunset Boat Cruise

You will have an early breakfast at your hotel and then transfer to the park on a 2.5-hour journey from Kigali, driving to the Kayonza district in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. The trip to Akagera National Park has planned stopovers along the route. Feel free to ask your driver-guide questions about the wonderful scenery and even request photo stopovers along the way. Upon arrival at the park, check in to your booked safari accommodation. You will then proceed on a sunset boat ride on Lake Ihema with a chance to see hippos and crocodiles in the lake or on the shores. Drive back to the lodge, have your dinner and rest.
Overnight stay at Mantis Akagera Game Lodge (BD)

Day 3 - Safari in Akagera National Park

Akagera is also known as one of the most scenic savannahs in East Africa. After your breakfast, you leave for a full-day safari game drive in the park. If lucky, there is the opportunity here to see the Big Five (lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard) as well as antelope, kob, and baboon, among others. Akagera National Park is a diverse habitat for wildlife species in Rwanda and a birder’s haven, boasting over 500 bird species within its boundaries. Later in the afternoon, you will be transferred back to Kigali.
Overnight at One Click Hotel (B)

Day 4 – Travel to Nyungwe National Park via Nyanza

You will have your breakfast at the hotel, then embark on a short city tour and visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a place of remembrance and learning dedicated to the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. You will then drive to Nyungwe National Park, the home of chimpanzees. The journey southwest passes through the beautiful, terraced hillsides that characterise much of Rwanda’s landscape. To learn more about ancient Rwandan history, there is a stop at Nyanza. Well worth a visit is the King’s Palace, a reconstruction of the traditional royal residence, a beautifully crafted thatched dwelling shaped like a beehive. At the back live a few long-horned Ankole cattle, descended from the king’s herd, whose keepers carefully tend and sing to them. Continue with the drive to Nyungwe, check in to your hotel, and enjoy the property's amenities.
Overnight stay at Ken Barham Guest House (B)

Day 5 - Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk

On this day, enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a thrilling hike in search of chimpanzee communities. The Rwandan chimpanzee population is thought to consist of approximately. 400-500 individuals, confined to the Nyungwe National Park, including a small community in the Cyamudongo Forest. Prepare to hear these excitable primates before you see them, as their pant-hoots travel through the deep forest. During your hike, you may also spot migratory birdlife, including the Ross’ turaco, grey-cheeked hornbill, red-breasted sparrow hawk and regal sunbird. In the afternoon, take a canopy walk to experience the forest from a different perspective.
Overnight stay at Ken Barham Guest House (B)

Day 6 - Tea Plantation and Lake Kivu

After breakfast at your lodge, it is time to discover Rwandan tea. This tea plantation experience is a fun activity around the park, offering plenty of opportunities for engagement with the local people. Learn the skills of picking tea and take some great pictures. You will then take a scenic transfer to the shore of Lake Kivu (Kibuye side) and have the evening at leisure, enjoying the hotel amenities.
Overnight stay at Rwiza Cultural Village (B)

Day 7 - Boat Cruise and Coffee Experience

A morning boat cruise awaits you today, where you can explore the different islands located on the lake and enjoy the beautiful views. Then, you will drive to Volcanoes National Park, home to mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and several hiking trails. On your way, you will make a stopover to enjoy the Rwanda coffee experience at Kopakaki Cooperative. On arrival, check in to your hotel and rest, preparing for the next day’s adventure.
Overnight stay at Home Inn Hotel (B)

Day 8 - Gorilla Trekking

Fill up with your early breakfast and proceed to the home of mountain Gorillas, the Volcanoes National Park headquarters. Meet your guides for the day and attend a pre-trek briefing where you will receive important information about the trek, safety precautions, and park regulations. After completing park formalities, you will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience of trekking to meet the Mountain gorillas. Once you spot them, you are allowed to spend an enchanting hour watching and observing them do their daily playful activities in their natural setting. After your wonderful encounter, you will return to your lodge. In the afternoon, there is an afternoon cultural experience at the Gorilla Guardians Village, formerly the Iby’iwacu Culture Village Centre.
Overnight stay at Home Inn Hotel (B)

Day 9 - Volcanoes National Park

It is another early morning as you head to the park headquarters and join a group of hikers ready to hike to the summit of the Bisoke volcano, where a beautiful crater lake awaits. (This is included, but optional, and you are welcome to stay at the hotel and relax for the day) The hike starts at the base of Mt. Bisoke, a 3,711-meter-tall extinct volcano, and leads through a rainforest inhabited by the famous mountain gorillas and the endangered golden monkeys. The total hiking time is 6 to 7 hours, including a 2-hour descent back to the base. As you ascend, you will be treated to breathtaking views of the surrounding volcanic landscape and the distant shores of Lake Kivu. Upon reaching the summit, take a moment to catch your breath and soak in the awe-inspiring sight of Bisoke’s crater lake, nested within the caldera. After a well-deserved rest, descend back to the starting point. The return journey offers new perspectives on the terrain. You will meet your driver guide and drive back to the hotel, where you will rest and have the evening at leisure.
Overnight stay at Home Inn Hotel (B)

Day 10 - Golden Monkey Trekking and return to Kigali

Start the day by heading back to the park headquarters to meet your guides for a Golden Monkey trekking activity. Attend a pre-trek briefing where you will receive important information about the trek, safety precautions, and park regulations. Then you embark on the trek, which takes you through the lush bamboo forests and picturesque landscapes as you search for these playful primates known for their striking fur and lively antics. Upon finding them, which is usually easy, you spend approximately one hour observing them closely in their natural habitat. Return to the headquarters and then transfer back to Kigali (approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes' drive). Drop off at your hotel (please ask for details) or at Kigali International Airport. Please do not book a flight departing before 6pm.