Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you are met by a Journey's Intent representative and transferred to Kigali Serena Hotel for overnight (20 minutes’ drive). Dinner is under your own arrangements.
Kigali Serena Hotel
Situated in Central Kigali, 10 km from the international airport, Kigali Serena Hotel comprises of 148 air-conditioned rooms in various categories. The hotel features a swimming pool and spa on the ground floor – the perfect location to relax and recover after a long flight. The restaurant serves a variety of international cuisine and is a mixture of buffet and ala-carte dining. The décor has a uniquely Rwandan element that flows through the hotel highlighting the countries strong sense of fashion design.
After breakfast, you will transfer 2hrs to Akagera National Park, check-in at Magashi Camp.
Magashi Camp is situated in the productive and phenomenally diverse north-eastern corner of Akagera National Park, overlooking beautiful Lake Rwanyakazinga. Akagera comprises some of the most scenic savannah in East Africa – open plains, woodlands, lakes, swamp, and grassy low mountains – and is home to one of Africa’s highest hippo densities, some very large crocodiles as well as well as the rare sitatunga and more than 520 bird species.
Six spacious and airy tents offer uninterrupted views over Lake Rwanyakazinga, while Magashi’s main area comprises a luxurious lounge, dining and bar area, pool, and expansive viewing deck with a convivial fire pit. The architecture and interiors pay homage to traditional Rwandan culture.
Explore the park for the entire day. Teeming with plains game, Akagera now also boasts a healthy population of lion, which were reintroduced into the park in 2015 after a 20-year absence, as well as black rhino which were reintroduced in 2017. Magashi – the only exclusive-use area in Akagera – also harbours a good density of leopard.
Enjoy your last day exploring this amazing national Park.
Today, check-out and drive back to Kigali, stop for lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon take a city tour, visit the Genocide memorial and the craft markets. Later check-in at Kigali Serena Hotel.
Dinner on own account.
Today, drive 6hrs to Nyungwe National Park. Upon arrival at Nyungwe House, check-in with time then lunch. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the house.
After breakfast go for an early morning adventure and go on a Chimpanzee trek. After the trek, you will be returning to the lodge in the afternoon.
Lunch is at the Nyungwe House.
In the afternoon, you will be taken for the canopy walk adventure. This gives you the opportunity to explore the forest canopy from above. Dinner and overnight at the house.
After breakfast a road transfer of 6hrs will take you to Gisenyi with a stop in Kibuye for lunch.
Afterwards proceed to Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, check-in then dinner and overnight. Lake Kivu Serena Hotel is located in the resort Rwandan town of Gisenyi, on the shores of Lake Kivu, the sixth largest lake in Africa. The hotel is ideally situated on a sandy palm lined beach, with the nearby Virunga Volcanoes providing a spectacular backdrop on one side and a panoramic view of the lake on the other.
After breakfast, you will be taken for Kayaking on the lake Kivu followed by a lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you check-out and a road transfer of 1hr30 takes you to the Volcanoes National Park, check-in at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge then dinner and overnight.
All the eight secluded guest cottages are very spacious and private with en-suite bathrooms, a sitting area and fireplace for the chilly evenings as well as a sheltered verandah. The property was refurbished in 2017 and the décor has a warm English country cottage feel to it in the midst of the mountains. Be prepared for the 90+ steps up from the carpark to the lounge area which provide excellent practice for your gorilla tracking adventure.
After an early breakfast, drive to Volcanoes National Park HQs to be allocated a gorilla tracking group. (approximate driving time is 25 Minutes)
at 07:00 a Gorilla tracking briefing will be given to you by your trackers. Once done, you will get back into the vehicles and be transfered to the trail head for the start of an amazing adventure.
Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is often described as “life changing” and with good reason. With only an estimated 880 Gorillas left in the world, to see these gentle creatures in their natural habitat is a truly unique moment.
Gorillas make their homes in and amongst the bamboo-covered slopes of the Virunga Mountains in the Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda. Trek to see them and you’ll be introduced by your expert trackers and guides to one of the fully-habituated families of mountain gorillas and you can stay with them for an awe-inspiring hour, often crouching just a few feet away, whilst the gorillas go about their daily lives.
Hikes in the mountains can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours + depending on the family allocated to your group and their location. The journey back can take just as long, but you are often carried along by the euphoria you feel at seeing the gorillas!
Expert guides give a pre-trek briefing on specific protocols and rules for visiting the gorillas that live within an altitude of 2500 and 4000m. Porters are available to help carry backpacks and cameras, as well as helping you with your footing along your hike which can be hard work, but well worth it
Lunch back at the lodge.
The afternoon take a tour to the Ex-poachers village:
This is a interesting excursion that was set up by ex poachers who realised the importance of the forest and wanted to showcase their culture to the visitors who came to see the gorillas. The village displays traditional homes and there is even an example of a Kings home, you can meet the medicine man and see what plants he uses to make his cures or try your hand a shooting bows and arrows. There are also various traditional dances that you can watch during your afternoon excursion.
After an early breakfast you will be driving to the Gorilla Tracking Headquarters by your Journey's Intent driver guide for your second gorilla tracking adventure. The procedure will be the same as the day before and once you have had the briefing you will meet your porter and then be driven to the trail head.
Back at your lodge for lunch. Afternoon you will be taken for canoeing in Mukungwa river, an activity which start from Musanze town.
Back at your lodge then dinner and overnight.
After breakfast, you will transfer back to the Park offices for your Golden Monkey tracking.
Besides tracking mountain gorillas in Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park is where silver meets gold! The golden monkeys are fascinating creatures that are worth tracking while on safari in Rwanda. The trek can last up to four hours with one hour of face to face encounter with the primates. Most of these unique species largely live within the bamboo forest of Volcanoes National Park. The procedure will be similar to what you experienced with the gorilla tracking – you will meet your guide and group at seven am at the headquarters where you will be allocated a family to track as well as meeting your porters. The golden monkeys move a little faster through the trees than the gorillas so be prepared for a slightly swifter pace.
Lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon, drive back to Kigali for check-in at Kigali Serena Hotel.
Dinner on own account then overnight.
Depending on your departure flight, you will be transferred by road to the Kigali International Airport for your departing flight home.