On this 7 Days Rwanda Cultural wildlife and Gorilla Tour allows you enjoy Rwandan Culture and Heritage sites with a Visit to Bugesera reconciliation village where Families that were tortured in the 1994 Genocide have been brought back with a visit to the Akagera National Park for lots of Wildlife to enjoy the Big 5 and hereafter a visit to the Pastoral Cultural Home. Rwanda’s Musanze region is one of East Africa’s finest Boasting Crystal lakes, volcanic views and plenty of Mountain Gorillas and Gorilla trekking Safari experience.
Trip Highlights:
Day 1: Pick up from Airport and Transfer to Hotel in Kigali City.
Day 2: Kigali City Tour and Bugesera Reconciliation Village.
Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park & Enjoy an Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema.
Day 4: Full Day Game Dive of Akagera National Park
Day 5: Visit the Pastoralist Heritage and Transfer back to Kigali City.
Day 6: Transfer to Musanze and Visit the Musanze Cave.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking & transfer back to Kigali Airport
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up from Airport and Transfer to Hotel in Kigali City.
After your arrival at the Kigali International Airport, You will meet and greet with the guide and who will give you a short briefing about the trip. Transfer to the Hotel for check in.
Dinner and Overnight Stay at:
Luxury Accommodation: Kigali Serena, Marriott Hotel, Mille Collines.
Midrange Accommodation: Onomo Hotel, Urban by City Blue
Budget Accommodation: Five to Five Hotel, Rwanda Youth Hostel.
Meal Plan: BB.
Day 2: Kigali City Tour and Bugesera Reconciliation Village.
Breakfast at the hotel and later start the Kigali city exploration. Get to learn more about Rwanda from the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial era as well as Genocide times. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial where over 259,000 Genocide victims were put to rest in mass graves. Visit Kandt house, the first German explore who settled in Kigali. Get to learn more about Rwanda history especially during colonial time by Germans.
Transfer to Bugesera Reconciliation village, about an hour drive from Kigali. This is a village where Genocide survivor, perpetrators and few returnees live together in harmony, get to hear testimonies from both sides and engage in different activities with them such as; agriculture, farming, traditional cooking and dancing, basket weaving. Later drive back to Kigali City for your Dinner and Overnight as above.
Meal Plan: BB
Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park & Enjoy an Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema.
Morning Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Akagera National Park. On arrival at the park reception on time for briefing later start a short game drive in search for different animals such as the big 5 animals i.e.; lions, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes and leopard. Drive to the lodge for check-in and lunch.
Afternoon drive to Lake Ihema for the boat cruise to see different wildlife including giant Nile crocodiles, schools of hippos, different species of water birds and many more. Later return to the Lodge for Dinner and overnight at:
Luxury Accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Midrange Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge
Budget Accommodation: Muyumba Campsite, Mutamba Campsite, Shakani Campsite.
Meal Plan: FB
Day 4: Full Day Game Dive of Akagera National Park
Early morning breakfast at the lodge then start a full day game drive in the park, get to see over 12 species of antelopes, over 525 species of birds including the rare ones such as the shoe bill stock, papyrus gonolek and the big 5 i.e. Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo and Elephant to name but a few.
The park has the highest concentration of birds per square kilometer, very beautiful undulating landscapes, high species numbers and endemic species plus historical and cultural sites inside the park. You will have enough water on board and picnic lunch box. Later in the evening return to the Lodge for Dinner and Overnight as above.
Meal Plan: FB.
Day 5: Visit the Pastoralist Heritage and Transfer back to Kigali City.
Breakfast at the hotel then drive out of the park to visit the Pastoralist heritage in Gatsibo. The rural life in these villages elegantly and conventionally gives a very unique experience about the culture of grazing, introduces you to the history and values of cows in Rwanda including the INYAMBO cows which were very significant in many cultural festivals.
The beauty of a cow is exhibited in the cultural dances of Rwanda. The tour takes to the village where you will observe and participate in the tradition cattle grazing; get ready to make your own traditional rain coat from grass, learn how to milk with your own hands, learn how to make ghee. Later drive back to Kigali for Dinner and overnight at:
Luxury Accommodation: Kigali Serena, Marriott Hotel, Mille Collines.
Midrange Accommodation: Onomo Hotel, Urban by City Blue.
Budget Accommodation: Five to Five Hotel, Rwanda Youth Hostel.
Meal Plan: BB.
Day 6: Transfer to Musanze and Visit the Musanze Cave
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Musanze – Volcanoes destination, stop enroute to enjoy the beautiful views and take good pictures of the Rwanda remotest villages.
On arrival check in at the hotel and have lunch later visit the Musanze cave, formed by centuries of geologic activity centered around the Virunga volcanoes, the 1.25-mile long Musanze caves are located just outside of the town they share a name with. With an enormous opening and an equally huge number of bats resident inside, the greenery outside spilling over into the twilight within makes for a fantastic photo option. Though today they are a tourist attraction, the caves were used as a shelter during wartime for many centuries leading right up into the modern era, and as such, it’s an important site to local people. Dinner and overnight at La Locanda / La Palme hotel / Five Volcanoes Boutique hotel.
Meal Plan: FB
Day 7: Gorilla trekking & transfer back to Kigali Airport
Early breakfast followed by the drive to the park headquarters for the registrations and briefing before embarking on a once in a lifetime Gorilla trek Adventure of the critically endangered mountain gorillas. Once you spot them you are allowed to spend an hour watching them closely. After return to the Hotel for Lunch and Later drive back to Kigali and to Airport.
END OF TOUR!
What is Included:
- Airport transfers
- Transportation and Fuel
- Accommodation on Full board Basis
- Water on board
- All Activities as mentioned in the itinerary
- Taxes and administrative costs.
Excluded on Tour:
- Visas
- Flights
- Travel and health insurance
- Alcoholic beverages and other caffeine drinks
- Personal expenses on laundry, tips, shopping, etc.
- Photography where charged
- Any other optional activity NOT mentioned in the itinerary.