Land of a thousand hills

Day 1: Kigali
Today you will arrive at Kigali International Airport. Upon arrival, you will be met by a representative who will then transfer you to Kigali Serena Hotel for overnight.

Day 2: Kigali City - Akagera National Park
After breakfast, we will head to Akagera National Park. The park is known for its forest-fringed lakes, papyrus swamps, savannah plains, and rolling hills altogether make the park the most scenic reserve in Africa. It is home to many large game species which include elephant, buffalo, topi, zebra, waterbuck, roan antelope, and eland. Of the primates, olive baboons, velvets, and the secretive blue monkey are seen during the day, with bushbabies often seen on night drives. We will enjoy an evening game drive before heading to Ruzizi Tented Lodge for dinner and overnight.  

Day 3: Akagera National Park – Lake Ihema
After breakfast, we will have an early morning game drive in the park, then return to the accommodation for some relaxation and in the afternoon we will enjoy a boat ride on Lake Ihema. We will sail along the water edge which is covered with several trees, drift past numerous giant hippos, and see several crocodiles some in the shallows of the water and another basking on the shore. Dinner and overnight at Ruzizi Tented Lodge.

Day 4: Lake Ihema – Volcanoes National Park 
After breakfast, we will start your journey to Volcanoes National Park Laying in northwestern Rwanda. It is also well-known as a haven for the rare and endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. The journey goes through the beautiful terraced hillsides that show much of Rwanda’s landscape, gradually climbing to the base of the awesome Virunga volcanoes, sometimes with as many as five peaks visible. Dinner and overnight at Virunga Lodge.

Day 5: Gorilla Trekking
Tracking the Gorillas is often referred to as a life-changing experience. Seeing the Gorillas in their natural habitats is truly an amazing experience.  After breakfast, our guide will drive you to the park headquarters for a briefing about the dos and don’ts during your gorilla trekking. The tracking will start immediately after the briefing. This is a memorable and amazing experience watching the Mountain gorillas feed, play around, and also do their day-to-day activities. This activity can take 2 hours or even up to 6 hours since it's dependent on the location and movement of the gorillas. On meeting the gorillas, you will spend one hour with them as you take photos. Later you will head to Bishop's House where you will enjoy your dinner and relax.

Day 6:  Kigali – Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kigali International Airport for your flight to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed by your guide who will transfer you to the lodge. Once you have settled in, you will go for a canopy walk. It is one of Nyungwe’s main attractions and is without a doubt the best way to truly appreciate the beautiful vegetation cover of this rainforest. The walk takes approximately 2 hours and it has three sections; the first section being 45m, the second section is 90m, and the third section is 25m. You have great views of the forest inhabitants like the black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and L’hoest monkeys plus lots of different bird species. Dinner and overnight at One and Only Nyungwe House.

 Day 7: Nyungwe Forest National Park  
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park starts very early in the morning and so this requires that we leave the lodge as early as 5.00 am to make it to the briefing area at the Uwinka overlook. The forest is rich in botanical diversity hosting over 200 species of trees and flora, 13 species of primates including, colobus monkeys, velvet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, 300 bird species with several Albertine rift endemics, and several species of butterflies. After the briefing, you will be advised on which trail you will take. After the trek, we will head back to One and Only Nyungwe Housefor dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Nungwe Forest National Park – Kigali
After early morning breakfast, we will be heading to Kamembe Airport for your flight to Kigali. Upon arrival, you will connect to your international flight back home.