Rwanda is famous as the land of a thousand hills because its hilly landscapes that is blessed with an abundance of flora and fauna despite its small size. The country is punctuated with a variety of habitats that range from bamboo, moorland; acacia dotted Savannah, areas of forest to mountainous landscapes.

It is these suitable habitats and vegetation that act as home to a variety of species and wildlife to enhance their survival! Such wildlife includes the big five, chimpanzees and most importantly the mountain gorillas, which are the prime attraction.

The Rwanda safari will offer you experiences in the city of Kigali, during which you will enjoy wonderful views of the mountainous landscape. Drive along the hills on which the city is built enjoying wonderful views of the mountainous landscape. We shall visit among other places the Genocide memorial, museums, local markets, and major landmarks.

Visit the ethnographic museum in Huye shortly before proceeding to Nyungwe Forest National Park. At 8am, depart to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the southwest of Rwanda. Along the way, visit the ethnographic museum in Huye. The museum displays the cultural history of the people of Rwanda and the region.

Thereafter transfer to your lodge and spend the rest of the evening taking in the amazing views of the forest. Nyungwe contains 13 primate species that include chimpanzees, the Rwenzori colobus among others. For bird enthusiasts, the park is home to an estimated 280 bird species whose sounds and activities make the safari further pleasurable. While here, you will do chimpanzee tracking and have scenic views of nature during the canopy walk within the forests.

Meet the park guides and drive to the starting point of the trek in the forest. You will set out to track a community of habituated chimps in Nyungwe forest and also see several other unique wildlife in the forest. Over 500 chimpanzees live in Nyungwe Forest National Park, and they are part of the 13 species found in the park.

You will have an early breakfast and report to the park headquarters for a briefing on Chimpanzee tracking rules. You will then start the trek for the chimpanzees during which you will also come across other primates such as Golden monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, Angola colobus, silver monkey, Hamlyn’s Monkey, Dent’s Mona Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, and Olive Baboon.

Do not miss out on the popular canopy walk in Nyungwe forest which provides breath-taking views over the forest and is more interesting in the afternoon hours.

You will also see various types of birds in the verdant flora of this ancient forest. After the chimpanzee trek you will go for the 2-hour famous Nyungwe Forest Canopy walk. The canopy walkway is suspended 50 meters in the air between big trees and stretches over a steep and deep valley across a massive forest cover offering breath-taking views across the misty forest.

You will have sightings at eye-level of a number of unique wildlife inhabiting the canopies including birds, butterflies, and several monkey species. For those who lack the guts for the canopy walk you can choose to go for a nature walk around the park or relax at your lodge.

Drive to Kibuye for boat cruises on Lake Kivu, in the morning, set out for a boat ride on Lake Kivu, one of the most beautiful lakes in Central Africa, and explore the amazing scenery and visit some islands.

You can take a nature walk, go birding on a boat ride, explore some islands, visit the nearby hot springs, go fishing, or visit the Congo boarder. You can also visit the Ndaba Falls or take a walk around Kibuye town to acquaint you with the lifestyles of the inhabitants.

Thereafter we shall check out and transfer to Volcanoes National Park in the north of Rwanda for the most Rwanda popular safari: Gorilla trekking. At Volcanoes, there over 400 mountain gorillas that are categorized into many families, 10 of which are habituated for tourism. While here, you will carry out gorilla trekking safari on one of the families. The sight at the gorillas playing, eating and conducting their daily activities is humbling! You will also do golden monkey trekking.

In the morning, have another activity in the park before departure. The golden monkeys trek is wonderful adventure tracking the stunning monkeys. The monkeys are easy to find because they live in the bamboo forests are found the in lower zone of the mountain.

Transfer to Akagera National Park in the east of Rwanda. Akagera National Park is the only park in Rwanda that contains typical Savannah animals like the giraffes, lions, elephants among others. While here, you will do game drives during which you will have spectacular views of animals like antelopes, leopards among others.

Do a game drive in the southern part of the park. We shall look out for the rhinos, leopard, and antelopes such as the oribi. In the afternoon we shall go for a boat ride on the Lake Ihema which is good way to watch some water wildlife such as hippos and crocodiles and many birds.

Set out for a game drive to the north of the park that is more populated with wildlife and we hope to see lions, hyena, elephants, giraffes, warthogs and several antelopes.

The park management has vehicles available to hire for game drives, that come with their own driver and guide, and a choice of half day or full day drives. However, it is also possible in Akagera to self-drive your own vehicle round the park.

Guides are available to accompany you on your drive. The guides can direct you to areas where wildlife is most abundant and guide you to stunning scenic spots that you may otherwise miss.

There is a two-tier guiding system in the park with 10 park-employed guides and 15 community freelance guides. As a park visitor, and subject to availability, you may choose to take a park-employed guide who has guiding experience ranging from 2 to 12 years in Akagera National Park, and has undertaken training in content, interpretive guiding and first aid in the past 2 years. Or, you can choose one of the Community Freelance Guides, who are enthusiastic, fast learners. They have completed an in-house training and assessment program. You will also visit Lake Ihema where you will have stunning views of hippos, crocodiles and birds.