7 Day Great Apes & Akagera National Park Safari

Arrival at the Airport meet the guide and gives you the full briefing and orientation of the trip and transfer you to the hotel. Dinner & overnight at The Court Boutique Hotel

Start historical-minded exploration of Kigali city with visits to landmarks from colonial, post-independence, genocide and post-genocide times i.e. Kigali Genocide memorial site where over 259,000 genocide victims were put to rest in mass graves, Dr. Richard Kandt Museum who was the first Germany explorer to settle in Kigali, Belgian camp where they killed the 10 Belgian UN soldiers who were protecting the moderate prime minister before the start of genocide etc.

Transfer to Bugesera in the afternoon to visit the reconciliation village where the survivors of genocide live together in harmony with the perpetrators that killed their own families, Nyamata and Ntarama genocide churches where thousands of innocent people were butchered in the house of God. Dinner & overnight at The Court Boutique Hotel.

Early Transfer to Akagera National Park for a thrilling boat ride on Lake Ihema to go see schools of hippos, the giant Nile crocodiles, African elephants and lots of water birds.

In the afternoon, Search for the big 5 that include lions, Rhinos, Leopards, Elephants and buffaloes plus the 12 species of antelopes including the biggest antelopes such as the eland cape and roan antelopes, some of the 525-bird species including 4 rare birds of Akagera, reptiles, amphibians, plants, magnificent landscapes, historical sites; a place with the highest concentration of birds per square kilometer than any other national park of Africa and hundreds of hippos etc. Overnight Akagera Game Lodge.

Breakfast at the lodge followed by a full game drive from south and exit in the north in search of the unseen game on the previous game drive. You will have a packed lunch box and soft drinks for the day. Transfer to Musanze. Dinner & overnight at Five Volcanoes Hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel followed by a visit to a local association that teaches how to make sorghum and Banana beer; banana and sorghum are some of our staple food products in Rwanda and they are used in different ways such as food, local beer production and so forth.

They are very important in our cultural practices and ceremonies most especially during our traditional wedding ceremonies, setting of disputes between community members, bonding relationships between different families, etc. Dinner & overnight at Five Volcanoes Hotel

After breakfast, we transfer to the park. After completing park formalities embark on a once in a lifetime experience of tracking mountain gorillas.

Once you spot them you are allowed to spend an hour watching your closest long-lost cousin. This is perhaps one of the most breathtaking wildlife experiences on earth!!! You get so close to these awesome giant primates. You stare at each other blankly not knowing who to break the long silence first. Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga is a magical experience. 

Be back at the base in time for lunch! Some gorilla families, however, are more elusive and tracking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy. Visit the twin Lakes Burera and Ruhondo in the afternoon. Dinner & overnight at Five Volcanoes Hotel

Go to the entrance of the Park early this morning to see the Golden Monkeys. It is now believed the only feasible population of these Golden Monkeys resides only in Volcanoes National Park part of the Albertine Rift Valley and endemic monkeys. They are beautiful and endangered primates which have become quite habituated to humans, making it possible to observe them closely.

After lunch, transfer to Kigali and to the Airport.