12 Days Rwanda Classic Safari
12 Days Rwanda Classic Safari: This 12 Days Rwanda Classic Safari is one of our long haul safari packages. This 12 days Rwanda safari offers you the opportunity to experience a lot of pleasurable activities during your visit to Rwanda including gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park, Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park and wildlife viewing in Akagera national park. Conclude your 12 days Rwanda classic safari in style with a hot air balloon tour and champagne in Rwanda’s only savannah national park, Akagera national park.
Highlights for 12 Days Rwanda Classic Safari.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking & Canopy Walk
Day 4: Forest Nature Walk
Day 5: Transfer to Gisenyi
Day 6: Transfer to Ruhengeri
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Parc National Des Volcans
Day 8: Golden Monkey tracking
Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park
Day 10: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
Day 11: Cultural Tour and Evening Game Drive.
Day 12: Hot Air Balloon Tour and Transfer back to Kigali city
Detailed Itinerary for 12 Days Rwanda Classic Safari.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kanombe International Airport or at pick up from your hotel, our guide will welcome you and transfer to Kigali city and depending on the time of your arrival; you will go for a short city tour with in Kigali and visit the genocide memorial site. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast on the second day of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En route, you will pass through wonderful and magnificent hills and cultivated countryside. Have a stopover at the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Continue and visit the cultural museum at Rwesero. Proceed and reach Butare town where you will have lunch after lunch you will visit the Rwanda National Museum for a tour around the site.
Proceed and reach the Park late afternoon. Upon arrival you will visit the new Visitor’s Interpretive Centre to give you more information about the park such as number of primate species found in the park, types of bird species and other tourist activities carried out with in the Park. Dinner and overnight at lodge.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking & Canopy Walk
On the third day of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari, you will have an early morning breakfast then report to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. However, it is advisable to organize packed lunch and plenty of water prior to this expedition since it can sometimes last over 6 hours. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 in a group. Have lunch and head back out for the Canopy Walk– a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you there after connect to your accommodation to spend the evening at leisure.
Return late in the afternoon. Return for dinner and Overnight stay a t lodge.
Day 4: Forest Nature Walk
After having breakfast on the fourth day of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari, you will embark on the forest Nature walk with in the park which will enable you to explore the Park’s unique tourist features including waterfalls and orchids in the high altitude swamps. Return to the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or Participate in the tea harvesting in the neighboring local communities or Visit a tea factory and learn about the production processes. Dinner and overnight at lodge.
Day 5: Transfer to Gisenyi
After having breakfast on the fifth day of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari, you will continue with your safari to Gisenyi town. This offers beautiful and excellent views of Lake Kivu and it’s a great place to relax while feeling its waterfront and sandy beaches. Upon arrival, you will have lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or visit the host springs which will help you learn more about the formation of the Virunga Volcanic Mountains. Alternatively you can also visit the local projects in the area and interact with project members or visit the local artisans and a local women’s weaving association. Overnight in Gisenyi town at hotel.
Day 6: Transfer to Ruhengeri
Breakfast will be served early this day on the sixth day of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari and then after, you will check out from your Hotel and later transfer to Ruhengeri. En route you will visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village where you may have a wonderful and interactive experience about the Rwandan traditions, culture and way of life. After this you will continue to the Park reaching in the late evening. Dinner and overnight at lodge.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Parc National Des Volcans
The seventh day of this 12 Days Rwanda Safari highlights a gorilla trekking activity. Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the RBD officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This experience of gorilla tracking is a once in a life time adventure. The rangers will lead you deep into the forest in search for the Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about 1 hour. The activity in Rwanda can take 3-5 hours since the gorillas move up and down.
This is an awesome and exciting moment. En route there are a lot of other primate species such as the monkeys, birds and so more. Return for lunch at the Lodge and relax for the rest of the evening. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge.
Day 8: Golden Monkey tracking
After breakfast on the eighth day of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari, you will go for golden monkey tracking. This activity also takes like 2-3 hours in the Virunga forest. Later return back to your lodge for early lunch and transfer back to Kigali city reaching in the afternoon. Take a city walk in the evening around Ruhengeri. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park
After breakfast on the ninth day of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari, you will depart for Kigali for lunch and also a short city tour to the Gisozi Genocide Memorial site. You will later transfer to Akagera national Park. En route you will pass through the country’s phenomenal landscape which will give you views of the country’s beauty and also the life style of its people. Upon arrival in the park, you will go for a short southern Lake Ihema game drive. Look out for animals such as elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and many more like Antelopes. Dinner and overnight at lodge/camp.
Day 10: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
The tenth day of this 12 Days Rwanda Safari highlights more activities in Akagera National Park. Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a Northern circuit game drive to search for animals that you may have missed out in the previous game drive. It was not a guarantee that all the animals can be seen in the evening game drive.
There are some that are early risers and can only be seen in the morning. Return back to the lodge for a small relation as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema which will offer you with views of the surrounding areas, hills and swamps. Expect to see Hippos, crocodiles and more bird species. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge/camp.
Day 11: Cultural Tour and Evening Game Drive.
On day 11 of your 12 Days Rwanda Safari, have relaxed breakfast at your lodge/camp. Today you will embark on a cultural tour to one of the local communities near Akagera National Park. Get an opportunity to interact with the friendly locals, watch folk dance performances from the local intore dance troupe. You will also get to learn how to prepare a traditional Rwandan delicacy and even get to eat your meal with your host family. Later drive back to your lodge/camp and rest.
In the evening, you will meet up with your guide and head to out for an evening game drive in the park. This will give you an opportunity to view wildlife animals that you might have missed seeing during your first game drive especially the Big Cats lions, leopard, and cheetah. Later drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge/camp.
Day 12: Hot Air Balloon Tour and Transfer back to Kigali city
Day 12 marks the highlight of your 12 Days Rwanda Classic Safari. Your experience starts with arrival to take off area which is located at Kayitaba after 5 minutes’ drive from the park’s southern entry gate. Your hot air balloon tour will start at 5:15am in the morning (this time will be adjusted depending on sunrise time). During the flight, you will get to experience the serenity of flight together with amazing view of Akagera National Park. Get to watch the sunrise over Lake Ihema and conclude your hot air balloon tour experience with champagne and bush breakfast after landing. Return back to Kigali city. Depending on your time of departure, you will be transferred to the Airport for your flight back home or your hotel in Kigali as you will advise. End of Safari.
