Day 1: Kigali 

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, you are met by Wild Excursions Uganda representative/guide. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Kigali where you will have a briefing on your safari. Overnight: Kigali Serena Hotel. (Bed and Breakfast)

Kigali Serena Hotel  

Ideally located on one of Kigali's most charming boulevards, the five-star Kigali Serena Hotel is built around a polished granite atrium, which showcases the very best of Rwandese cultural art. Relaxed yet elegant, the hotel features an Executive Lounge and Bar, which opens onto a wide sundeck overlooking the newly refurbished swimming pool. Also overlooking the pool, the popular Milima Restaurant offers a wide range of all-day buffet schoices, while the relaxed Sokoni Café offers inside and outside poolside seating

Day 2: Kigali –   Akagera National Park (2.5 hrs)

Have breakfast at your hotel;

Take up a city tour of Kigali including a visit to the Genocide Memorial site a grim reminder of a senseless massacre of innocent’s lives in 1994. Learn about Rwanda’s history from pre-colonial times to the 1994 genocide; learn about other genocides in the world and how this country has dealt with that past. Tour more and see the new developments in Rwanda; the recovery has been incredible, a testament to humankind’s resilience. The history of Rwanda dates back centuries, Kigali has been a part of it for 100 years. Founded in 1907 as a German settlement, Kigali did not become the capital until Rwanda’s independence in 1962 when it replaced the colonial seat of power in Butare.

You will have lunch in Kigali;

Then drive to Akagera National Park. Once arrived you will enjoy an afternoon game drive. Overnight: Ruzizi Tented Lodge. (Full Board)

Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is located in the north east of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. It is named after the Akagera River that flows along its eastern boundary and feeds into a labyrinth of lakes of which the largest is Lake Ihema. The rolling hills of Acacia and Brachystegia Woodland coupled with scattered grassland and swamp-fringed lakes along the meandering Akagera watercourse combine to create a park of breath-taking scenic beauty.

Ruzizi Tented Lodge

The Ruzizi Tented Lodge, a 20-bed tented eco-camp linked together using boardwalks, is the first of its kind in Rwanda. Ruzizi is built on the shores of Lake Ihema, Rwanda's second largest lake, tucked away in a tract of unique riverine forest.

Day 3: Game drive– Boat ride

Today in the morning, depart to the park for a scenic game drive.

The Akagera National Park is home to a variety of game, it's an exciting reserve in which to spend a few days and an interesting contrast to the more mountainous central and western parts of Rwanda. There are plenty of animals around and the birdlife is quite exceptional. Mammals include a healthy population of Elephant and Buffalo, lions, plus 11 species of antelope including Impala, Common Duiker, Defassa Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Oribi, Tsessebe, Cape Eland and the rare Sable Antelope. Zebra and Giraffe still roam the more open acacia dotted plains. 

In the afternoon, you will enjoy a boat ride on lake Ihema where you can catch sight of hippos and crocodiles. Overnight: Ruzizi Tented Lodge. (Full Board)

Day 4: Akagera National Park – Volcanoes National Park (5 hrs)

Today you will exit the park with more game viewing and depart to Ruhengeri the base for Gorilla trekking at the Parc National des Volcans. 

Stop for lunch in Kigali. Afterwards proceed to Ruhengeri. Ruhengeri town itself, located only 25km from Uganda border, is relatively a small city. The constant flow of humanity is quite remarkable. The Town has great views of the surrounding volcanoes. People are very friendly here and although a former Belgian colony (and thus French-speaking), many people speak English here. 

Overnight: Virunga Lodge. (in a deluxe cottage - Full Board) (Inclusive of local beverages and laundry service)     

Volcanoes Virunga Lodge

The magnificent Virunga Lodge is perched high on a ridge and has stunning views of the Virunga Volcanoes and the twin lakes Bulera and Ruhonda. The premier luxury destination for Rwanda wildlife safaris and tracking the endangered mountain gorillas-The Virunga safari lodge in Rwanda been described as having ‘the best view in the world’ and as ‘one of the finest lodges in Africa’. The organic, ‘bush-chic’ design reflects the local building style and offers eco-luxury comforts to all guests. Each banda has its own terrace with breath-taking views of the Virunga volcanoes or twin lakes, while sensitive installations such as low-flush toilets and solar power ensure you enjoy luxurious comforts while maintaining a crucial sensitivity to the environment.

Parc National des Volcans

In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat," wrote the eminent primatologist Dian Fossey, "are great, old volcanoes towering up almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest - the Virungas". Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range - home of the rare mountain gorilla - and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath. The mysterious rainforest is alive with the calls of colourful birds and chattering of the rare golden monkey, and littered with fresh spoor of the mountains’ elusive populations of buffalo and elephant. Through gaps in the forest canopy, the magnificent peaks are glimpsed, easily accessible and among the highest in Africa, beckoning an ascent.

Day 5: Volcanoes National Park – Gorilla Trekking

Early breakfast at your lodge. 0600 hrs: transfer to the Volcanoes National Park HQs

0700 hrs: Registration, where the park staff determines which group of gorillas you will visit. The park staff discusses your fitness level and advises you of the trekking times and conditions to the various groups based upon their location in the park the previous evening. There are a total of 80 gorilla permits available each day with a maximum of eight trekkers visiting any one group.

Once the trekkers are put into groups, each group’s Lead Guide briefs the trekkers of the trekking procedures as well as the “do’s and don’ts” while in the presence of gorillas. After the briefing, trekkers return to their respective vehicles for the drive up the mountain to the starting point.

Porters may be hired for the trek to carry your backpack and gear. The cost, US$10 per person/per day. We advise that you utilize this service. 

Please remember to bring your passport for registration, appropriate, water proof hiking boots and a light rain coat. To protect from stinging nettles, we recommend long pants and long sleeved tops. A pair of old gardening gloves can help grabbing onto the vegetation while most hotels/lodges provide a walking stick that come in very handy especially when hiking downhill.  A small waterproof backpack is an excellent idea to carry a light snack, bottled water as well as protection for your camera.

After the trek, join your driver guide for a transfer back to your lodge.

Overnight: Virunga Lodge. (in a deluxe cottage - Full Board) (Inclusive of local beverages and laundry service)     

Day 6: Volcanoes National Park – More Gorillas 

Have an early breakfast at your lodge. 0600 hrs; Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park’s Office to undergo the now familiar gorilla trekking formalities. Then enter the forest for the second trek, visiting a different family from yesterdays. After the trek, rejoin your driver guide for a transfer back to your lodge.

Overnight: Virunga Lodge. (in a deluxe cottage - Full Board) (Inclusive of local beverages and laundry service)     

Day 7: Volcanoes National Park – Kigali– Departure (2.5 hrs)

Today you will enjoy the scenic drive back to Kigali and proceed to the airport for your departure flight.