Rwanda Gorilla Trekking
Land of 1000 Hills

12 Days / 11 Nights

Kigali & Akagera ~ Nyungwe Forest ~ Volcanoes
National Parks

Itinerary Overview:

Day 1

Arrive Kigali, The Retreat, (B)

Day 2

City Tour, including Genocide Memorial & Richard Kandt Museum, Kigali, The Retreat, (B)

Day 3

Transfer from Kigali to Akagera National Park, Magashi Camp, Full Board plus Activities (FB+)

Day 4

Morning and Afternoon Game Drives and Sunset River Cruise, Akagera National Park, Magashi Camp, FB+

Day 5

Morning Game Drive Followed by Transfer to Kigali, The Retreat, B

Day 6

Transfer from Kigali to Nyungwe National Park, One&Only Nyungwe House, Full Board (FB)

Day 7

Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk, Nyungwe National Park, One&Only Nyungwe House, FB

Day 8

Transfer from Nyungwe National Park to Volcanoes National Park, with Boat Cruise and Lunch at Lake Kivu, Virunga Lodge, FB

Day 9

Gorilla Trekking, Volcanoes National Park, Virunga Lodge, FB

Day 10

Choice of Optional Activities: Rest at Lodge, Visit the Dian Fossey Fund’s Ellen DeGeneres Campus, Golden Monkey Tracking, 2-3 Hour Hike to Dian Fossey’s Grave on Karisoke, Visit a Local Community, Hike one of the Virunga Volcanoes, Volcanoes National Park, Virunga Lodge, FB

Day 11

Transfer from Volcanoes National Park to Kigali, The Retreat, B

Day 12

Departure for Home

Welcome to Rwanda!

Day 1

Your Personal Guide will meet you at Kigali International Airport (KGL) and transport you to your home for the next two nights, The Retreat.

Due to its high elevation, Kigali is cooler than its surrounding Equatorial Neighbors. Your Kigali home is tucked away in the heart of downtown, amongst trees and lush Rwandan flora. The Retreat is fully solar-powered and eco-friendly. Each Villa includes:

• Breakfast

• 1 complimentary 30 minute welcome massage per person (valid one
  time only per booking and subject to availability)

• Fruit basket

• Snack jar

• Welcome amenity

• Complimentary minibar on a daily basis

• Private plunge pool

Day 2

After enjoying a hearty African Breakfast with Rwandan Arabica Coffee, set out with your Private Guide for a full day touring Kigali.

The morning starts with Genocide Memorial. Dedicated to the victims of the Rwandan Genocide, the Kigali Genocide Memorial is a place of remembrance, understanding, and learning. The Memorial offers a powerful experience, promoting Peace and Reconciliation.

The Memorial hires many Genocide Survivors. Oliver Nduwumukiza was 11 years old at the time of the Genocide. He is the only member of his Family to survive.

Please note: Every District in Rwanda has a dedicated Memorial. Visits to additional Peace and Reconciliation Sites may be planned for your visit.

After Lunch at a local Restaurant, head out the Kandt House Museum. The Museum consists of three main parts. The beginning starts with all aspects of Rwandan life; followed by the Rwandan experience under Colonialism; and lastly the history of Kigali.

Before Dinner, enjoy shopping in Kigali’s vibrant markets. Rest well for an early start the next morning!

Day 3

With a boxed Breakfast, head out at 6:30 am for a four hour journey to Akagera National Park, Central Africa’s largest protected Wetland and home to Rwanda’s Savannah adapted Wildlife.

Arrive at the North Gate and meet your Magashi Guide at 11:00 am. Enjoy your first Game Drive on the transfer to the Camp. Have Lunch, relax & before heading out for a Sunset Boat Cruise & Night Game Drive.

“The Big Five” - Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros - roam the National Park. During your Safari you may also encounter Antelope, Zebra, Giraffe, Baboons, and Monkeys. The park is home to 490 Bird Species. Lions from South Africa have been reintroduced. In 2021, 30 southern White Rhinos were translocated from South Africa. With Calves being born each year since, the relocation is a Wildlife Conservation success. Lake Ihema boosts large pods of Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, in addition to a great many Waterfowl.

Overlooking Lake Rwanyakazinga, Magashi Camp has only 8 Tented Suites. Here you will become part of one of Africa’s greatest Wildlife Rehabilitations.

Day 4

Wake up for your early Morning Game Drive. Enjoy refreshing Rwandan Coffee or Tea in the Bush. Following your Game Drive, head back to Camp for Breakfast.

After relaxing during the mid-day heat, head out for your Afternoon Game Drive. Enjoy Sundowners on your Sunset Cruise, followed by Local Cuisine Dinner and Traditional Stories, Songs, and Dancing at the Camp.

Day 5

Enjoy a leisurely Breakfast, followed by a Game Drive as you transfer to the North Gate.

Enjoy Dinner and a relaxing Evening in Kigali. The next day you head out for Nyungwe Forest National Park!

The Retreat

Day 6

Following Breakfast, set out on the 6 Hour Road Trip to Nyungwe Forest National Park.

On the way into Kigali, stop by the Azizi Life Coffee Shop and Factory. Enjoy a late Morning Rwandan Coffee or Tea and shop, supporting local women - directly.

Stop along the way for Lunch at one of the many local Coffee Shop Cafes.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa. Nyungwe’s biodiversity and spectacularly beautiful mountains teem with wildlife. The region is home to a small population of Chimpanzees, as well as 12 other species of primate, including the L’Hoest’s Monkey, endemic to the Albertine Rift.

There are 75 known Mammals in the Park, including the Cerval Cat, Mongoose, and Congo Clawless Otter. If Flora is your interest the Park offers 1,068 plant species and 140 orchids. The Birdwatching in Nyungwe is among the best in Africa with 322 birds species including Red-collared Babbler and 29 other Albertine Rift endemic species.

Located in the middle of a working Tea Plantation, One&Only Nyungwe House, borders one of Africa’s oldest Rainforests.

Included Activities:
Private Yoga Lessons
From Field to Teapot
Dining in the Tea Field
Evening around the Boma
Traditional Rwandan Frame Painting

Please Click on Photos for Gallery. Nyungwe House Photos ©Flyga Twiga™ LLC

Day 7

Explore Nyungwe Forest National Park with Chimpanzee Tracking in the Morning (3-6 Hours) & a Canopy Walk in the Afternoon (approximately 1 -2 Hours).

Currently, three Communities of Chimpanzees can be visited by tourists every day. The trekking takes between 3 to 6 hours, depending on the location and movement of the chimpanzees. You will trek in either Uwinka or Cyamudongo.

The trademark “pant hoots” and “loud screams” of the Chimps can be heard from a distance. Once you have reached them, you will spend one hour observing and following the Chimpanzees through the forest. You may observe the chimps swinging through trees, pant hooting, slapping the tree barks and screaming to locate each other.

After the experience, you will return to the Visitor Center where your guide will be waiting for you. A boxed Snack will also be awaiting your return. You will then return to the Nyungwe House for Lunch.

In the afternoon, another highlight of Nyungwe Forest awaits: the Canopy Walk!

The Canopy Walk Tour includes a trek on the Igishigishgi Trail and the walk over a 160 meter bridge (Canopy Walkway) that suspends over a deep forested valley 74 meters above the ground, providing such incredible views across the Forest and eye-level sightings of Monkeys and Birds in the Canopy, which are not easily visible from the ground.

Enjoy a delicious Dinner at Nyungwe House and rest well after your adventurous day.

Day 8

After enjoying Breakfast in the Tea Field, head out for the 6 hour drive to Volcanoes National Park.

Along the way, enjoy Lunch in Kivu and Tour a Coffee Farm. Part of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, Lake Kivu, in western Rwanda, is surrounded by magnificent mountains. The lake has deep, emerald green waters, covering a surface area of 2,700 km2. Lake Kivu is Rwanda’s largest lake and the 6th largest in Africa.

Here you will learn about Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee’s Collaborative Trade™ model, which takes direct and Fair Trade one step further. The initiative fully supports local Coffee Farmers, meeting their Social, Economic, and Spiritual needs, by providing Clean Water, Healthcare, and Education.

Volcanoes National Park is situated in the far Northwest of Rwanda. The Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent Mountain Range – home of the Endangered Mountain Gorilla and a rich montane ecosystem, which encompasses Evergreen and Bamboo Forest, open Grassland, Swamp, and Heath. Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant Volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant Crater Lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura.

Arrive at Virunga Lodge in time for a Pre-Dinner Discussion a Local Gorilla Veterinarian. Enjoy either a Communal Dinner or Private Dinner in your Room.

Overlooking beautiful Lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera, Virunga Lodge has 10 luxurious Cottages, each named after Rwandan lakes. Each Cottage provides:

• A spacious bedroom with a cozy fireplace

• Private terrace with sweeping views of the landscape

• Rustic design with stone walls, wooden flooring, and vibrant Rwandese fabrics

• En-suite bathrooms with solar-heated water, eco-friendly toilets, and indoor and outdoor showers

• Each Guest gets a Complimentary 1 Hour Massage, per visit
  

Day 9 - Gorilla Trekking Day!

Wake up bright and early. Today you get to see the Silverbacks!

Within the gorgeous scenery of Rwanda’s tropical Rainforest and majestic Volcanoes you will experience a breath-taking encounter with the Endangered Mountain Gorillas. You will trek to the Endangered Mountain Gorillas through the mysterious intimacy and mist of the Rain Forest, alive with the calls of 200 species of colorful birds and chattering of the Rare Golden Monkey.

After an early breakfast, and dressed in your Hiking Gear, you will be heading to the Kinigi Visitor’s Center. Here you will meet the Rangers for briefing at 7:00 am and are allocated a Gorilla Group on according to your fitness levels.

There are 12 Habituated Gorilla Families living in the Volcanoes National Park, with a few others habituated solely for Scientific Research. The family groups, or “troops”, consist of at least one Silverback (male) along with several females and youngsters.

A maximum of 8 people are allowed to visit one Gorilla Family on a day. Hikes up to their various locations can last anything from 30 minutes to four or more hours, reaching an altitude of between 2,500m and 4,000m. Porters are available to carry your Backpacks and Cameras, as well as to offer a helping hand along the route.

It is recommended to take at least 2 litres of Water per Person* and a boxed Lunch – the Virunga Lodge will provide you with Water Bottles and a boxed Lunch in the morning before you head out. There Trekking Assistants/Porters for you to hire. They come from the Local Community. They help you to carry your Backpack / Water and give you a helping hand if the Trekking becomes tough. The minimum fee for a Tracking Assistant is $20 USD.

Your Rwanda Wildlife Authority Ranger will extensively brief you on how to behave around the Gorillas; the meaning of their grunts and gestures; and what to do if one were to charge. The last is most unlikely. The timing of your Gorilla Trek is set to coincide with their having eaten. Their post meal rest time is when the Habituated Gorillas are most docile. Once you have reached the Gorillas, you have an hour to observe and admire these Gentle Giants – fascinating and one of the most unique experiences in Africa!

* Please note: it is imperative that you stay hydrated to avoid Altitude Sickness. Should you begin to feel the effects of the Altitude, Virunga Lodge’s Chef Ildephonse has a Hydration Drink Recipe, which I personally gave to him. In addition, Virunga Lodge’s Gorilla Trekking Day Lunch is created to assist your Hiking at High Altitude. be sure to eat!

Day 10

Engage in an optional activity or spend the day relaxing at the Lodge

Optional Activities:

• Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus/Dian Fossey Fund

• Golden Monkey Tracking

• 2-3 Hour Hike to Dian Fossey’s Grave on Karisoke

• Visit a Local Community

• Hike one of the Virunga Volcanoes

Gorilla Photos © Flyga Twiga™ LLC

Day 11

After Breakfast, begin the Road Transfer to Kigali. Stopping for Lunch along the way. Pass by Azizi Life, one more time, if you like!

In the evening, last minute’s shopping in Kigali, for gifts you may want to take home.

Enjoy relaxing at The Retreat.

Day 12

Depart for home. We look forward to your next African Adventure!

Please note, this is a Luxury Gorilla Trekking Safari. There are numerous places in Rwanda to fit your lifestyle and budget. Also, if you have difficulty with motion/car travel, we can plan a fly-in/fly-out from Uganda to an airstrip near the border with Rwanda. This is an Aerolink Flight, not a Charter. Therefore, cost effective. Please feel free to contact me & start planning the Gorilla Trekking Safari of your dreams!