Exploring Rwanda, excluding gorillas, 9 days.
To enquire about rates, availability or to make a booking for this Rwanda safari , please email us at tours@tourseastafrica.com or telephone/watsapp +44790.863.9450.
Overview
We invite you to consider booking our 9 days explore Rwanda safari. The safari holiday combines golden monkey trekking tours in Rwanda, with tracking chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest, spend time meeting local Rwandan and learn about their culture, history, traditions and dances. Discover what Rwanda is all about with this safari holiday at an unbeatable price.
This is a bespoke tailored and private Rwanda safari tour, with a private expert Rwanda tour guide, as well as a Rwanda tour specialist at hand to assist you through the safari booking process, as well as tailoring the tour to your preferred Rwanda tour objectives. The main attraction to travel to Rwanda is usually gorilla trekking, but we can assure you that there is more to Rwanda than just gorillas. This tour will prove to you why we assert so. After arriving to Kigali, you are only 2.5 hours’ drive away from the legendary Volcanoes National Park where the mountain gorillas are habituated for human tracking on the slopes of the Virunga mountain and volcanoes ranges.
Rwanda is rarely visited in isolation. A Rwanda gorilla safari can easily be combines with other East African safari destinations, including Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania. Explore the lush green hills of Rwanda, track chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest, bird watching in Nyungwe and visit Akagera for opportunities to view game in an African savannah setting and thereafter continue to Kenya’s Masai Mara or Tanzania’s Serengeti for a true African game safari experience in search of the big 5, or simply continue next door to Uganda a land of contrasts and superlatives from gorillas, lakes, rivers, Batwa pygmies, chimpanzees in Kibale, lions and the other big 4 in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National park and so much more.
Day 1: Kigali city tour.
On the first day, our expert driver guide will meet you on arrival at Kigali airport or collect you from your Kigali hotel if you are already in Kigali. You will be briefed about your safari itinerary over the next 8 days. You will start your safari with a Kigali city tour that will take you to visit the Gisozi Genocide memorial site. You will visit an artisan shopping centre to purchase local Rwanda arts and crafts. You will also visit the Kigali museum to learn about the history of Rwanda, its cultures, traditions and peoples.
In the evening you will check into one of Kigali’s boutique hotels for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Butare.
On the 2nd day of your Rwanda safari holiday, we shall depart from Kigali and drive to the 2nd largest Rwanda city of Butare. This used to be the capital city of Rwanda before it was transferred to Kigali. Butare remains the education capital of Rwanda and hosts a number of institutions of higher learning. Enroute we shall pass through beautiful rolling hills, with dramatic views of what characterize much of Rwanda, fondly called The Land of a Thousand Hills. We shall have a scheduled stop over in Nyanza for lunch and for a visit to the King’s Palace of Nyanza. While in Nyanza, we shall also visit with the art museum at Rwesero in Nyanza to appreciate and learn about Rwanda’s traditional and modern art. After lunch in Nyanza, we shall proceed to Butare where you will get a chance to visit the National Museum of Rwanda for a deeper intellectual understanding and appreciation of Rwanda’s history, culture and traditions.
We later check into your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest.
On day 3 we continue with our enchanting exploration of Rwanda, a beautiful small country but packed with so much to offer a visitor. Today we depart from Butare and continue to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Our journey will take us through the middle of this Afromontane forest of Nyungwe that boasts of hosting 13 primates species including the chimpanzees, the blue monkeys, L’hoest monkeys,, Angolan black & white monkeys and the colobus monkeys. Nyungwe Forest is also home to an enviable number of bird species making it a birder’s paradise.
You will continue to your Nyungwe hotel, passing through beautiful tea plantations. You will check into your hotel for lunch and relaxation, before heading out for a canopy walk experience over the forest or tracking of colobus monkeys.
You will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Track chimpanzees.
It is an early rise today at around 05am and you transfer to the chimpanzee tracking trailheads. The chimps can be elusive especially on rainy days as they tend to range far into the forest. You will be led into the forest by experienced ranger guides who will assist you track the chimpanzees. When you locate them you will have a chance to observe them as they play and swing from tree to tree, feed and simply go about their daily life.
You will later return to the lodge and in the afternoon get a chance to choose from either participating in tea harvesting with the locals. You may also visit a local tea factory for a first -hand experience of “from crop to cup” tea production process. You will pick your own tea leaves and witness as they get turned into some of East Africa’s best tea which you will have a chance to taste as a brewed cuppa. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye.
Today morning after breakfast, we leave beautiful and magnificent Nyungwe Forest and head to Kibuye on a scenic drive along the shores of Lake Kivu. We shall stop enroute and visit a local village with a local school and market. This will give you a chance to interact with local Rwandans as they go about their daily lives and hustling to earn an income. We shall then continue our tour to the lakeside town of Kibuye in time for a late lunch.
Lake Kivu is the largest fresh water in the great rift valley region. A boat ride on the lake in a dug-out canoe is a beautiful experience that is worth undertaking after checking into Cormoran Lodge which is perched on the shores of Lake Kivu. You would not be blamed for wishing to spend more days in the serene town of Lake Kivu and its environs.
Kibuye is Rwanda’s most attractive city given its location on the shores of Lake Kivu. Kibuye is situated in between gently rolling hills and offers visitors dramatic views of the Lake Kivu, its islands and a beautiful countryside that could pass for Switzerland. Kibuye is truly one of Rwanda’s hidden gems and a truly stunning lakeside resort.
Dinner and overnight at Cormoran Lodge.
Day 6: Transfer to Gisenyi.
There is no rush departing from Kibuye, but leave we must for the next destination of our Rwanda exploration safari. After a late breakfast, we pack our bags and continue to the lakeside town of Gisenyi, which is close to the border with DRC. If you prefer you can cross over on foot to the DRC town of Goma, a busy town bustling with traders. Gisenyi is another wonderful town with sandy beaches and a relaxed atmosphere.
It is a beautiful place to relax, we offer you the chance of spending the afternoon at leisure relaxing at the beach, soaking in the great Rwanda and Lake Kivu atmosphere and lake breeze. If you prefer you may instead spend the afternoon visiting a coffee plantation or coffee factory or alternatively take a walk/drive to one of the hotsprings.
You may also participate in a short Congo Nile walking trail or simply visit a local project to interact with project participants and the locals.
Dinner and overnight at either Kivu Serena Hotel or Paradis Malahide Resort.
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.
Morning transfer to Volcanoes National Park. The drive from Gisenyi to Ruhengeri/Musanze is a comfortable and short 1,5hours on a very good road. On arrival to Volcanoes National Park, you will visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village since renamed Gorillas Guardian Village. At the village you have the opportunity of interact with locals and learn about Rwanda’s traditions, forklore, dance, drums, culture, foods, history and so much more.
Evening walk to the twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo and later check into your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Golden Monkey tracking.
Early morning transfer to the park headquarters for pre-briefing of golden monkey tracking.
The afternoon will be spent visit a local school or local market in Musanze town.
Day 9: Transfer to Kigali.
Today is the last day of our Rwanda safari tour. After breakfast at the lodge we shall transfer to Kigali. A comfortable 2.5 hours drive on a smooth winding road through forested areas with gently rolling hills. Lunch is envisaged in Kigali, before connecting to the airport for your departure flight.
Safari Price will Include:
Services of a professional, French/English-speaking driver guide, his meals and accommodation.
A fueled safari 4×4 vehicle.
Airport transfer
Accommodation in comfortable lodges/hotels
Park entrance fees where applicable.
Entrance into King’s Palace at Nyanza
Entrance into Rwanda’ National Museum
Entrance into the gencide memorial site in Gisozi
Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village tour,
Golden monkey permit,
Chimpanzee permit
Colobus Monkey permit
Canopy walk permit in Nyungwe.
Kigali City Tour.
Local community visits.
Tea/coffee plantation/factories visits
Prices Exclude.
Boat rides on Lake Kivu
Meals at restaurants
Visas
Giving back to the community: Through our corporate social responsibility, we give back 10% of our revenues to the community through direct funding of community-based projects. The charge per person ($60.00 USD) for the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village visit goes directly to the Local Community Trust Fund, which supports community projects to increase both incentives for conservation and linkages to community socio-economic development.