8 Days Birding Safari in Rwanda
This 8 Days Birding Safari in Rwanda will give you the chance to explore the different destinations for birding in Rwanda. The safari experience will lead you to the national parks in Rwanda where you will also have the opportunity to participate in activities like the game drives in akagera national park where you will enjoy watching the big five animals in Rwanda, the boat cruise in akagera national park where you will track the endangered shoe bill stork, you will also make your way to nyungwe national park where you will watch the chimps and n volcanoes national park, you can take part in golden monkey trekking or gorilla trekking in Rwanda as complimentary activities to Birding in Rwanda. Continue with this 8 Days Birding Safari in Rwanda itinerary and explore the beauty of the different attractions they have to offer.
Highlights of your safari
Day 1: Transfer to Akagera National Park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
Day 2: full day bird watching tour and the boat cruise
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 4: chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk.
Day 5: Full day birding in Nyungwe
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 7: Birding in Volcanoes National Park
Day 8: Golden monkey trekking and departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Akagera National Park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
You will be met by your driver guide at your agreed location in Kigali to transfer to Akagera national park where you will arrive in time to embark in a game drive that will give you the chance to watch a number of game animals especially the herbivores like the elephants grazing within the plains, the rhinos, you will also get to see a number of remarkable views for the park and a number of rewarding attractions after your game drive you will you will head to your hotel for refreshments, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2 : full day bird watching tour and the boat cruise
After enjoying your morning breakfast, you will enjoy a boat trip along Lake Ihema, which will give you the opportunity to get close to the plentiful water birds, including numerous African fish eagles, marabou stork, crowned cranes, open-billed stork, cormorants, king fishers, herons, and egrets. If you are lucky, you may even get to see the elusive shoebill stork! During the boat trip along Lake Ihema, you will see game like hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and elephants quenching their thirst from the river banks. After this, you can embark on the rest of your bird watching journey at Akagera National Park! Visitors are always impressed by what they find, including a variety of bird species ranging from water, forest, savannah, and migratory species. Many of these birds are endemic to the park, and some are exceptionally rare, like the papyrus Gonolek.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
In the morning, you will be picked up by the driver from your hotel in Kigali and driven southwards to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Dinner and overnight at Gisakura guest house (budget) Nyungwe top hill view hotel (mid-range)
Day 4: chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk.
Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. On finding them, spend an hour taking pictures and videos. You will then return to your hotel to freshen up, have lunch, and then check out. Later in the afternoon, participate in After lunch, you will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk 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. Thereafter, connect to your accommodation to spend the evening at leisure Nyungwe top hill view hotel (mid-range accommodation), Gisakura visitor center(budget)
Day 5: Full day birding in Nyungwe
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will then embark on your full-day birding experience in Nyungwe National Park, which will take you on the Karamba birding trail, a trail notable for birding in Nyungwe National Park. Some of the bird species that can be seen include: the blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, coqui Francolin, long-tailed cisticola, bubbling cisticola, Miombo wren warbler, Chubb’s cisticola, among other bird species and many other rewarding attractions. After the experience, head to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Have breakfast and connect to have the cultural experience offered by the park, get to interact with the local community around the park and exit the park to connect to Volcanoes National Park via Kigali. You will have lunch from Kigali and continue to Ruhengeri town for the night in anticipation of the gorilla trek the following day. Dinner and overnight will be at the selected lodge of accommodation. Hotel muhabura(budget) Da Vinci hotel(mid-range)
Day 7: Birding in Volcanoes National Park
Wake up early, have breakfast, and participate in the full day birding experience in Volcanoes National Park. The safari experience will give you access to over 350 bird species in Rwanda. Some of the birds that you will get to watch in the forests along the Virunga mountains include; the long-crested eagle handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis Dusky turtle love, paradise flycatcher, archer’s ground robin, African Rwenzori, double collared sunbird, marsh harrier, Ruwenzori turaco, common moorhen Ruwenzori night jar, grey throated tit, the dusky crimson wing, red-faced woodland warbler etc. After the experience, head back to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 8: Golden monkey trekking and departure
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, transfer to the habituated golden monkey troop, you will see a number of primate species like dent’s monkey, vervet monkey and the black and white colobus monkeys among other monkey species swinging in the tree branches as you get to the habituated golden monkey troop, you will have the chance to see a number of rewarding aspects of the golden monkeys observing a number of features that you will find fascinating about the primates for instance their feeding patterns, the co-existence with one another among other memorable aspects. At the climax of your time with the golden monkeys, you will take pictures with and after you will have lunch en route to Kigali, and if you have more time, you may visit the Kimironko market to purchase some local souvenirs for the people back home and also get to interact with the community.
End of the 8 Days Birding Safari in Rwanda.
Quotation Includes;
- Park entrance fees
- All accommodation as per the itinerary
- safari van & Fuel
- Full-time English-speaking driver/ guide
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise
- Vehicle entrance fees
- Bottled mineral water while on safari
- All activities as indicated
- All meals as indicated
- French-speaking guide
Excludes;
- All optional activities as indicated
- Tips
- Visa fees
- Air tickets
- All items of personal nature like laundry, phone calls, beer, e.t.c
- Anything else not included in the itinerary
