Tour overview
The tour starts and ends in Kigali. The tour takes you to the Volcanoes National Park (PNV) in northern Rwanda, home to more than half of the Virunga gorilla population. The park hosts about 30 mountain gorillas. After the gorilla trek, you will also enjoy golden monkey tracking in the park. Later travel to Lake Kivu, the largest lake in Rwanda. There are lots of adventure activities to take around the area including kayaking, swimming in bilharzia free water, island tour and more.
Things to Do
- Enjoy a Kigali city tour
- Golden monkey trekking
- Visit to Lake Kivu and enjoy boat cruises
Tour Highlights
Day 1: Arrival and Drive to Volcanoes National park
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park (PNV)
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking & transfer to Lake Kivu
Day 4: Have a boat cruise & transfer to Kigali city
Day 5: Enjoy a Kigali city tour & Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Drive to Volcanoes National park
On your arrival at the airport, the guide will meet you and welcome you to Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. Go for a Kigali city tour where you will tour the Gisozi Genocide Memorial Centre, Caplaki Arts & Crafts, and the local market place. You can buy handi crafts that you can take home as souvenirs and also get oriented to Rwanda's lifestyle. After the tour, have lunch in Kigali. Later embark on a drive to Musanze (formerly called Ruhengeri), a journey that takes over two and half hour. During the drive, get oriented to Rwanda, a scenic country with the unique landscape that is characterized with the highlands and the green vegetation. The country hosts variety of the flora and the fauna of Rwanda also includes mountain gorillas, and these are admired by the international tourists and also I the most improving tourist hub in East Africa as well as Africa. Upon arrival, check in at your lodge.
Accommodation option
Luxury: Mountain Gorilla view lodge
Mid-range: La palme
Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Meal plan: Full board
Day 2: Gorilla trekking tours
Have breakfast and then take a short drive to the park headquarters and meet with the beautiful local guides and the trackers who will give you a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking tours. We shall then hike into the forest to where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point. The trek can take from 1 to 6 hours and the climb to the altitudes not in excess of 7,500 feet. We shall also hike into the forest to be these gorillas were seen the night before and track from that. The terrain is o rough and at times so muddy. Even though the hike is physically demanding, the beauty of this forest and the surrounding scenery that makes the trekking worthwhile. Once these are located, all the fatigue will be forgotten, as the adventure is also described as being the most deep natural history adventure in the world. The picnic lunches are also provided an it’s vital to take lots of water. The cameras and fast speed films are also recommended. It can also rain in a few minutes’ notice, hence water poof clothing is also good including the water proof bags for cameras and film.
Later, visit the twin lakes in the evening and relax or you might also stay at the lodge in order to relax for the evening.
Accommodation option
Luxury: Mountain Gorilla view lodge
Mid-range: La Palme
Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Meal plan: Full board
Day 3: enjoy golden monkey trekking & transfer to Lake Kivu
Have breakfast and then report to the offices for briefing about golden monkey trekking with in the park. The tracking of these monkeys is an exciting adventure most especially when you meet face to face with them and also associate with them in many different ways as they hide, play seek which is a great deal to the guests. The golden monkeys also live in Virunga Conservation area and thee have also been modified in two groups. The Kabatwa group also lives near the park headquarters and the Masanga group is also near the Karisimbi which is longer distance. The tour is also adventurous and is full of photo opportunities.
You will also have lunch and then have a tour to Gisenyi on the shorelines of Lake Kivu with in the Albertine Rift valley. The lake is also among the great African lake which is also situated on the DRC and Rwanda border, the lake also covers over 2700 km with its depth of 480m, the laker is also ranked 15th in the world. In the lake, there also lies the world’s tenth largest Inland Island and the minute Island of the Tshegera which also lies in the Margins of Virunga National park. The settlements of the shores of the lake also include Sake , Bakuvu , Kalehe, Goma, as well as Kibuye, Kibuye and the Cyangugu in Rwanda.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Kivu serena Hotel
Moderate: Kivu sun set Hotel
Budget: malahide Paradise
Meal plan: Full Board
Day 4: Boat cruise on Lake Kivu & transfer to Kigali
Have breakfast and then enjoy a boat ride to some of the Islands in Lake Kivu, you will also visit the Napoleon Island , Nkombo, the Amahoro islands and the tour around the fishing villages, the rural coffee washing stations and the Nyamyumba hot springs. You will also return to the main land for dinner and an overnight at the Hotel.
Day 5: Enjoy a Kigali city tour & Departure
You will also organise your departure and in case you missed some of the places on the Kigali tour, you will also visit the genocide Memorial centers, Gisozi and the Murambi with in Kigali where the real history of this genocide took place. You will also have a safari to the genocide memorial for as great adventure. You will move to the airport for your departure.
END OF SAFARI
Tour inclusions
- Gorilla trekking permits
- full board accommodation,
- Full time English speaking professional driver/guide,
- All tour activities as detailed in the itinerary,
- Bottled water while on safari,
- Transport
Tour Exclusions
- Kigali hotel fees (the eve of the safari and the night after the safari)
- Tips
- Laundry services
- Beverages/ drinks
- international flights
- Visas,
- Items of a personal nature,
- Optional activities in the itinerary
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