DAILY ITINERARY

Day 1 : Kigali

 

You will be met at the Kigali International Airport, escorted to the hotel and assisted with check-in formalities before enjoying an easy, unstructured evening after your journey.

 

OVERNIGHT: Urban Boutique Hotel

MEALS-B

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Day 2 : Kigali / Akagera National Park

 

After breakfast, your driver/guide will take you on a city tour including the Kigali Memorial and Craft Centers. Later, a three-hour drive brings you to your quiet and intimate forest retreat overlooking Lake Ihema.

 

OVERNIGHT: Ruzizi Tented Camp

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Day 3 : Akagera National Park / Kirambo

 

This morning we take a boat ride on the meandering Akagera River, the most remote source of the River Nile. Amid swamps and lakes, Akagera National Park is a mix of tangled acacia woodland and open grassland, home to vast herds of wildlife. The lakes are teeming with over 500 species of water birds. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon game drive.

 

OVERNIGHT: Ruzizi Tented Camp

MEALS-B/L/D

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Day 4 : Kirambo / Volcanoes National Park

 

Leave Kirambo after breakfast and return to Kigali for a lunch stop, on your way to mountain gorilla country! The panoramic views of the Virungas mountains, the contemporary African design of the lodge, and its beautifully landscaped grounds will help you relax and refresh.

 

OVERNIGHT: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

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Day 5 : Volcanoes National Park / Rubavu

 

This morning, drive to Volcanoes National Park to join your gorilla-tracking group and hear a briefing by your trackers before the start of your amazing adventure! Our exhilarating trek brings you into a lush rainforest environment, where you’re serenaded by a chorus of birdcalls. Once close to the gorilla family, you’ll watch them go about their daily life: feeding, playing, resting, and raising their young. It’s truly one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth! After lunch at the lodge, tour the nearby village, founded by former poachers who have became conservation activists.

 

OVERNIGHT: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

MEALS-B/L/D

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Day 6 : Rubavu / Karongi

 

Decide whether to spend a relaxing morning at the lake, visit a local tea factory or brewery or seek out the area’s natural hot springs. After lunch, drive to Kibuye, to your prestigious new lodge, boasting exquisite lake and island views.

 

OVERNIGHT: Cormoran Lodge

MEALS-B/L/D

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Day 7 : Kibuye / Nyungwe Forest National Park

 

After breakfast, we drive to Nyungwe, check into the lodge, and have lunch. Your afternoon is free to enjoy optional walks.

Canopy Walk: East Africa’s highest canopy walk with spectacular views across Nyungwe Forest. At such a height, the walk allows access to the upper parts of the forest, to view some unique ‘canopy’ species that live in the forest’s roof. Seen at eye-level, or from above, it’s an unforgettable and intimate experience.

 

OVERNIGHT: Nyungwe Forest Lodge

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Day 8 : Nyungwe / Kibeho / Nyanza / Farewell

This morning, drive to Kibeho to visit the Marian apparition site, where, in the 1980s, students claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary. Afterward, drive to Nyanza, for a visit to the restored Royal Palace, then tour the adjacent Rwesero Art Museum. After lunch, you will drive back through the scenic countryside to Kigali, then transfer to the airport for your late departure flight.

 

Rwanda Gorilla Viewing Permits: We obtain your viewing permits for you. Decide early on your travel dates, as permits are strictly limited. Rwanda permit: $1500

 

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