20 days Rwanda Classic Safari
20 days Rwanda Classic Safari : Take on a very eventful 20 days spent in the small but beautiful Rwanda exploring the most that this country could offer. This is an ideal package for the guests who have ample time to explore this land of a thousand hills. This Rwanda safari takes guests to all the national parks of the country and guests get to enjoy the beauty of each of these destinations.
Trip Highlights
- Day 1: Arrive and drive to your hotel
- Day 2: Connect to the Nyungwe forest national park
- Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking
- Day 4: Forest Nature Walk and optional tea harvesting
- Day 5: Experiential Canopy walk
- Day 6: Drive to Kibuye for a day
- Day 7: Other primate trekking in Gishwati Mukura national park
- Day 8: Connect to Gisenyi for a day
- Day 9: Connect further to Ruhengeri
- Day 10: Mountain gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes national park
- Day 11: Golden Monkey trekking
- Day 12: Hike the Dian Fossey trail
- Day 13: Hike the Mount Bisoke
- Day 14: Drive to Kigali
- Day 15: Connect to Akagera national park with enroute cultural experience
- Day 16: Morning Game Drive and Lake Ihema boat trip
- Day 17: Full day game drive in Akagera national park
- Day 18: Nature walk and Night game drive
- Day 19: Drive back to Kigali
- Day 20: Drop off at the Kigali International Airport
Trip Description
Day 1: Arrive and drive to your hotel
Your driver guide will be at the airport waiting to drive you to your booked hotel in Kigali. If you have time, you may have some enroute Kigali city tour visits to the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Kimironko market for a chance to interact with the Rwandan people.
Arrive at your hotel for lunch or dinner. You will spend the night in Kigali.
Budget accommodation; Step Town Motel
Midrange accommodation; Hotel des Milles Colline
Luxury accommodation; Kigali Serena Hotel
Day 2: Connect to the Nyungwe forest national park
On the 2nd day of your 20 days Rwanda Classic Safari, Right after having breakfast, your driver guide will take you on this 6 hour road transfer with an enroute lunch at Butare. You may visit the Butare museum and the Nyanza King’s Palace and continue to your hotel in Gisakura close to the Nyungwe Forest national park.
Dinner and the night will be spent in the Nyungwe forest national park
Budget accommodation; Gisakura Visitor Center
Midrange accommodation; Nyungwe Top Hill View hotel
Luxury accommodation; One and Only Nyungwe house
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking
As early as 5 am, you will be at the chimpanzee trekking starting point ready for this chance with these playful creatures. You will hike for about 2 hours until you meet a troop of the chimpanzees. These chimpanzees tend to live and stay in big groups so you are surely in for a treat.
Connect back to your hotel after enjoying the chimpanzees for a refreshing lunch. If the chimpanzee trek takes longer, you will have your packed lunch. You will spend the second night in Nyungwe as night before.
Day 4: Forest Nature Walk and optional tea harvesting
Have breakfast and at leisure connect with your driver guide to drive to one of the walking nature trails of the Nyungwe forest. You will explore the park on foot, watching some birds, enjoying the waterfalls on the Isumo waterfall hike or the high altitude swamps.
You will have lunch at your hotel and as the sun cools down, you may connect for an optional tea plantation visit for a chance to see how the tea is planted, harvested until a cup of tea is made. Enjoy dinner and a third night in the Nyungwe forest as the night before.
Day 5: Experiential Canopy walk
The Nyungwe forest national park has a 200 meter long 90 meter high suspended bridge where guests can view the forest from the top. Enjoy the breathtaking bird’s eye views as you spot some wildlife move below the canopy bridge. This is a 2 hour activity and can be booked by all individuals above the age of 6 years.
Dinner and night stay will be in Nyungwe as nights before.
Day 6: Drive to Kibuye for a day
You will wake up to leave Nyungwe for Kibuye right after breakfast. The Kibuye town is one of the touristy towns on the shores of the Lake Kivu. Lake Kivu is recognized as one of the largest freshwater lakes in the Great Rift Valley. Enjoy a stopover at the L’Esperance Orphanage in Kigarama and maybe support the cause of the organization.
Connect to your hotel in time for check in and dinner. You will spend the night in cozy hotel in Kibuye town.
Midrange accommodation; Comoran lodge
Luxury accommodation; Emeraude hotel
Day 7: Other primate trekking in Gishwati Mukura national park
On the 7th day of your 20 days Rwanda Classic Safari, You will wake up quite early to drive an hour to the Gishwati Mukura national park, the newest addition to the national parks of Rwanda. The Gishwati Mukura national park is a home to golden monkeys and many other primate species. You will go on this search for a chance to spot more than one primate in the park.
You will connect to your hotel to rest for the next days ahead.
Budget accommodation; Uwinka campsite
Midrange accommodation; Emeraude hotel
Luxury accommodation; Gishwati lodge
Day 8: Connect to Gisenyi for a day
Leave Kibuye and connect to Gisenyi town for an experience on the Lake Kivu. Get to enjoy boat trips, soak your feet in the waters of this fresh water lake, or sit by the shores and enjoy the breeze.
If you are interested, you may connect to the hot springs that enlighten guests on how the volcanic mountains in the area were formed or simply visit an initiative of the local women in Gisenyi. Connect for dinner and night stay in Gisenyi.
Budget accommodation; Paradise Malahide
Midrange accommodation; Le Palme Beach resort
Luxury accommodation; Lake Kivu Serena hotel
Day 9: Connect further to Ruhengeri
Right after you have finished with your breakfast, you will check out of your hotel to connect to Ruhengeri town, the home of the Volcanoes national park mountain gorillas. The driving distance is estimated at 1 hour and 30 minutes before you arrive at your hotel. Enjoy a warm lunch at your hotel and relax.
Later in the evening, you may take on the Iby’iwachu cultural village visit. Enjoy the local dances and performances for about an hour. Connect back to your hotel for dinner and night stay.
Budget accommodation; Hotel Muhabura
Midrange accommodation; Le Bambou Gorilla lodge
Luxury accommodation; 5 Volcanoes Gorilla boutique hotel
Day 10: Mountain gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes national park
Wake up ready and excited for this day. You will have a very early breakfast and drive out to the Volcanoes national park headquarters in Kinigi, attend a briefing ahead of the trekking and enter the forest in search of the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes national park is strenuous because of altitudes but gorillas are met in a shorter time.
Spend the magical hour with the gorillas as you watch them, take photos of them and after exit the park back to your hotel to spend the rest of the day at leisure. This night will be spent in the Volcanoes national park as night before.
Day 11: Golden Monkey trekking
On the 11th day of your 20 days Rwanda Classic Safari, Have breakfast and connect back for yet another adventurous primate trek. You will attend a briefing ahead of the golden monkey trekking and head out to the forest for a chance with the small but playful primates.
Return to your lodge right after the golden monkey trekking to rest as the next few days will be demanding.
Day 12: Hike the Dian Fossey trail
Wake up energetic enough for this hike heading out to the research center of the much celebrated but fallen primatologist Dian Fossey and further to her tomb where her body was laid to rest. Dian Fossey was a strong lady who stood and protected the mountain gorillas from poachers which virtues could have claimed her life.
After this 6 hour to and fro hike, you will connect back to your hotel for dinner and night stay as before.
Day 13: Hike the Mount Bisoke
Mount Bisoke is one of the Virunga volcanic mountains but is currently a dormant one. The Mount Bisoke is a one day hike which is usually completed in 5 hours to and back. View the volcanoes forest from the top and at a breathtaking distance. Once you have completed the safari, you will connect back to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay as night before.
Day 14: Drive to Kigali
With the past demanding days, this will be more of a leisurely day as you will leave the Volcanoes national park to Kigali for a night. You will have an enroute visit at the Dian Fossey Fund museum for the 3D representation of the Virunga mountains and the works of the late Dian Fossey. Arrive in Kigali for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
The night will be spent in Kigali
Budget accommodation; Step Town motel
Midrange accommodation; Des Milles Colline Hotel
Luxury accommodation; Kigali Serena hotel
Day 15: Connect to Akagera national park with enroute cultural experience
Leave Kigali after breakfast headed to the Akagera national park, Rwanda’s only wildlife safari national park. You will drive for about 2 hours to enjoy the cultural experience in the community outside the park. After the experience, enter the park looking at making it to your hotel in time for check in.
Dinner and overnight stay in the Akagera national park.
Budget accommodation; Akagera Game Lodge
Midrange accommodation; Karenge Bush Camp
Luxury accommodation; Ruzizi Tented lodge
Day 16: Morning Game Drive and Lake Ihema boat trip
On the 16th day of your 20 days Rwanda Classic Safari, Wake up for a morning game drive in the Akagera national park for a chance to spot the wildlife of this park, the lions, leopards, hyenas, giraffes, rhinos, and the smaller game like the impalas. You may opt to take on the boat trip before lunch or after lunch for a chance to spot the aquatic life of the Lake Ihema such as the hippos and crocodiles.
Dinner and second night in the Akagera national park as night before.
Day 17: Full day game drive in Akagera national park
On the 17 day of your 20 days Rwanda Classic Safari, You will get up ready for a full day wildlife viewing game drive for about 7 hours in the Akagera national park starting from the south sector to the north sector for a chance to spot more of the wildlife of this park. Get to spot even the largest antelope in the world in this park.
Return to the lodge in time for dinner and third night will be in Akagera national park.
Day 18: Nature walk and Night game drive
Once breakfast has been served, you will connect for your nature walk in the park, this is a guided nature walk to explore this park on foot. This is a great chance to do some birding and Akagera is an IBA important bird area so do not miss out on the species. In the evening, you will grab your night vision binoculars and head out for the night game drive to spot the nocturnal animals in this park.
Day 19: Drive back to Kigali
Gather your belongings and head out for breakfast at your lodge. Once all is done, your driver guide will be ready to drive you to connect back to Kigali. This are the last moments of this safari so ensure to make the most of it in case you have some pending visits enroute.
You will arrive for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 20: Drop off at the Kigali International Airport
This is the last day of the safari. Depending on the time of your flight, you will have your meals at the hotel and connect to the Kigali International airport for your flight back home in time for check in.
End of Safari
