A Detailed 12-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Kigali, Rwanda

Step right into Rwanda! Your private transfer to Kigali’s The Hemingways Retreat will begin after you touch down at the airport. We will secure accommodations for one night, which will include breakfast each day. Take it easy and savour the rest of the day.

Day 2: Kigali to Akagera National Park

After breakfast this morning, a travel agency representative will meet you at the hotel to arrange a private vehicle drive to Akagera National Park, where you will spend the next three nights.

After a hearty lunch when you reach Magashi, it’s time to meet up with your guide and fellow travellers for an afternoon of shared safari fun. At the camp, you can also have your dinner.

The stunning Lake Rwanyakazinga provides a picturesque backdrop to Akagera National Park, one of the most biologically rich and diverse ecosystems in Rwanda. There are more than 520 bird species, enormous crocodiles, and one of the biggest populations of hippos in Africa in this area, which also features grassy low mountains, swamps, lakes, and woods. The lion population has been steadily increasing since its reintroduction in 2015, so you could even get a chance to see one.

Days 3-4: Akagera National Park

While on safari, you can choose to go boating, fishing, birdwatching, or on a shared safari drive in the morning and afternoon. The camp will provide all of the meals.

Your stay at Magashi directly helps the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, so you can enjoy the gorgeous terrain and wildlife while also contributing to its conservation. Rhino reintroduction, elephant migration studies, desert lion conservation, and conservation education for local youth are just a few of the environmental initiatives tackled by this group.

Day 5: Akagera National Park to Kigali

A road transfer will take you back to Hemingways Retreat Kigali after a morning safari trip. We will secure accommodations for one night, which will include breakfast each day. Take it easy and savour the rest of the day. Cocktail making, a local drumming and dancing session, a banana wine demonstration, a cooking class, and other cultural activities are all available for 30 minutes. A restaurant in Kigali will serve dinner.

Day 6: Kigali to Nyungwe National Park

You will be escorted to the One&Only Nyungwe House by a representative from The Bespoke African Safari Co. after breakfast this morning.

Located on the outskirts of Gisakura tea plantations and Africa’s oldest rainforest habitat, this area is teeming with wildlife. While staying at the lodge for the following three nights, you can take part in a wide range of activities that bring you face-to-face with the beautiful scenery and fascinating history of the area.

You are free to relax and enjoy the rest of your day at the hotel. The lodge will provide both lunch and dinner.

Day 7: Nyungwe National Park

A chimpanzee excursion will begin early this morning, and you will be accompanied by a knowledgeable guide.

As you make your way through the dense jungle, be on the lookout for any indications of these primates. From high in the treetops, you may see a lone chimpanzee staring down at you, or you could see a group of them soaring through the branches. Standing still and watching these fascinating primates is the best way to learn about their routines, and you can be sure that they add something new to every adventure. The money from the unique permission goes straight toward chimpanzee and rainforest habitat protection.

After lunch and some downtime this afternoon, you’ll embark on a canopy hike through the jungle. The suspension bridges, which dangle 60 meters above the forest floor, provide a bird’s-eye view of the area’s varied wildlife and a chance to get a different viewpoint. Exotic birds, butterflies, and unusual primates are all part of this category. Float between enormous trees as if on air, completely oblivious to your presence on the sole treetop walkway in East Africa.

Once you return to the lodge, you are free to spend the rest of the day as you like.

Day 8: Nyungwe National Park

The day is yours to do as you choose or join in on any of the lodge’s planned activities. Visit the Gisakura Tea Estate and learn how to harvest, dry, and make your very own cup of tea. The whole thing comes to a close with a traditional tea ceremony, where you get to try all the various flavours.

Umuganda, meaning “the coming together in common purpose to achieve an outcome,” is another option that you have, if your schedule permits. On the last Saturday of each month, you can get involved with community projects like planting trees or constructing schools.

Day 9: Nyungwe National Park to Volcanoes National Park

An agent from The Bespoke African Safari Co. will be waiting to take you to Singita Kwitonda, a private villa on the outskirts of Volcanoes National Park, this morning.

During your three nights here, you may enjoy first-rate trekking and service like no other. With a focus on preserving the mountain gorillas who inhabit the surrounding forest, the lodge takes great satisfaction in its proximity to the park and its capacity to teach guests. The monkey and its environment can be better understood in the Conservation Room, where visitors can peruse diaries, artefacts, maps, and, of course, ask any questions they may have from the conservation specialists working at Singita.

“Little flower” in Kinyarwanda is the name of the nursery on the land. There are currently around 250,000 saplings, with the goal of reforesting, rehabilitating, and maintaining the gorilla’s ecology.

Once you’ve checked in, you’re free to relax and explore the property at your own pace.

Days 10-11: Volcanoes National Park

Your gorilla walk begins this morning when you are transferred to the park headquarters at Volcanoes National Park.

At this point, you will meet the park rangers who will accompany you on your adventure and be allocated to a habituated gorilla family. There are a wide range of gorilla numbers within each family. You may expect to hike for an hour or two each way on most days, and you’ll be part of a group. The walk to find the gorillas might be short or long, depending on the season.

As you make your way up the lower volcanic slopes, you’ll pass through verdant terraced farms. As the terrain gets more rugged and steep, the guides will need to use their machetes to cut through the dense undergrowth and clear a passage. Thick underbrush, clinging vines, and towering trees all contribute to the difficulty.

Signs of the massive creatures typically become noticeable at an altitude of about 8,000 feet. Because gorillas feed on young, fragile shoots and break older stems to drink the sap, damaged bamboo plants are a telltale sign. As you draw near, you could smell the gorillas on a stray breeze and hear their sounds, which range from thunderous crashes to low, resonating thuds. There is a one-hour visitation restriction after you locate the gorillas; beyond that, you must return to the park headquarters on foot. You should know that the money you pay for your permit will help preserve the gorillas’ natural environment.

After your hike, you’ll head back to the resort to have lunch. You are free to do anything you want with the remainder of the day. Take a stroll among the tree rows while sipping a cup of tea; stop by the hamlet for a snack; or drop by the nursery to hear about the reforestation project.

Day 12: Depart Africa

Your private road transfer to Kigali Airport will begin today with a meeting with a representative from The Bespoke African Safari Co. It is customary to check in for commercial flights home as soon as you reach the airport.

End of the 12-Day Rwanda Safari | Big 5, Chimps, Canopy Walk & Gorillas