Lowland Gorilla Trekking Vs Mountain Gorilla Trekking

9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park

9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park

Trip summary:

9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park : Take on a 9 day experience in Rwanda and the eastern part of the Democratic republic of Congo. This safari gives you a chance to visit the major attractions of the region. Get to visit the Akagera national park for a wildlife experience and the Volcanoes national park for a chance to trek the mountain gorillas. Get to trek the chimpanzees and go on a canopy walk in the Nyungwe forest national park. Conclude your trip with a visit to the Kahuzi Biega national park for a chance to trek the lowland gorillas.

Get to visit the savannah park of Rwanda that is the Akagera national park, the mountain gorilla park of Rwanda the Volcanoes national park, the chimpanzee hub of Rwanda that is the Nyungwe forest national park and conclude your safari in the Kahuzi Biega national park of the DR Congo.

Trip highlights

  • Day 1: Transfer to Akagera national park from Kigali for Lake Ihema boat trip
  • Day 2: Day Game drive and Evening game drive
  • Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
  • Day 4: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
  • Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
  • Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park
  • Day 7: Transfer to Kahuzi Biega national park
  • Day 8: Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park
  • Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali via Nyungwe forest

Trip description

Day 1: Transfer to Akagera national park from Kigali for Lake Ihema boat trip

Your driver guide will find you at your hotel ready for pick up to start your 9 day safari. You will receive a briefing and head out to the Akagera national park for your experience in the savannah lands.

You will drive north of Rwanda headed to the Akagera national park through community land and reach at the Akagera national park gates in time to connect for lunch at your hotel. You will check in and have lunch at your hotel and later in the afternoon head out for a boat cruise on the Lake Ihema. You will get to enjoy 1 hour on the waters spotting the aquatic life of the park like the hippos and the crocodiles. Return to your lodge for dinner and spend your first night in Akagera.

9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park
9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park

Hotel options in Akagera national park

  • Akagera Game lodge for budget
  • Karenge Bush camp for midrange
  • Ruzizi tented camp for luxury

Day 2: Day Game drive and Evening game drive`

You will get up early ready to explore this savannah park. The Akagera national park is a home to the Big 5 animals and you will get to visit these animals on your game drives in the Akagera national park. Get to see the lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and the smaller game like the antelopes, the kobs, impalas, elands.

You will take on a morning game drive to catch the early risers and later in the evening, you will head back to the savannah plains for a second chance to spot the animals you may have missed earlier and also catch the nocturnal animals. Be sure to carry a pair of night vision binoculars for the night game drives.

Head back to your hotel in time for dinner and spend another night in Akagera national park Rwanda.

Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

Wake up on a lighter note ready for your next destination. You will have breakfast and check out of your hotel and meet your driver guide who will be waiting to transfer you to Volcanoes national park. You will drive for about 6 hours via Kigali from the Akagera national park to reach the Volcanoes national park.

You will have an enroute lunch in Musanze and continue further to check into your hotel in Volcanoes national park to spend the rest of the day at leisure. If you are interested, you may take on the Iby’iwachu cultural center visit for an insight in the culture of the Rwanda people. Dinner will be served and you will spend a night in the Volcanoes national park.

9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park
9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park

Hotel options in the Volcanoes national park

  • Muhabura hotel for budget
  • Le Bambou gorilla lodge for midrange
  • 5 Volcanoes boutique hotel for luxury

Day 4: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park

Wake up for this big day to an early breakfast ahead of your mountain gorilla trekking. You will drive to the briefing point before you enter the forest. You will receive a briefing from the park rangers and after follow them into the forest to trek the mountain gorillas. You will search for about 1 hour to 2 hours and once you meet your gorilla family of the day, you will spend the magical hour in their presence and after head out back to your hotel to end the day.

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

At the break of dawn, you will be up ready for breakfast and ready to head out to your next destination. You will drive south via the Lake Kivu headed to the Nyungwe forest. This is a 6 hour road transfer where you will have an enroute lunch.

Arrive at your hotel in time for check in. Settle in as you wait for dinner to be served and spend your first night in Nyungwe forest national park.

Hotel options in Nyungwe forest national park

  • Gisakura visitor center for budget option
  • Nyungwe top hill view hotel for midrange option
  • One and only Nyungwe house for luxury option

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park

By 5 am, your driver guide will be ready to drive you to the Gisakura reception for your chimpanzee trek. You will join the team headed into the forest in search for the chimpanzees. You will hear the chimpanzee sounds right from the reception and you will see them swing from one tree branch to another so trying to get a photo may be tougher than the mountain gorillas.

9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park
9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park

After the chimpanzee trekking, you will head back to the hotel for a late breakfast and wait for the sun to calm down and after lunch, head back to the park for the canopy walk experience in the Nyungwe forest. You will be able to view the forest from above. Return to the hotel for dinner and spend another night in Nyungwe forest.

Day 7: Transfer to Kahuzi Biega national park 

Have breakfast and pack your luggage ready to head out to cross into the Democratic Republic of Congo via the Rusizi border headed to the Kahuzi Biega national park. You will drive about an hour to reach the Rusizi border, check in with the immigrations office and drive further to Bukavu town.

You will connect to your hotel to check in and have lunch. Spend the rest of the day at leisure and have dinner served at your hotel.

Hotel options in Bukavu- Kahuzi Biega national park

  • Hotel Elizabeth for budget option
  • Panorama hotel for midrange option
  • Orchid Safari lodge for luxury option

Day 8: Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park

Right after breakfast, you will drive to the Kahuzi Biega national park for the briefing ahead of your lowland gorilla trekking. You will arrive at the park headquarters, have the briefing and enter the forest in search of the lowland gorillas.

9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park
9 days Akagera national park, Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Kahuzi Biega national park

You will meet the lowland gorillas in a shorter time compared to the mountain gorillas. Enjoy an hour in their presence at a 6 meter distance. After the experience, you will drive back to your hotel for a late lunch and the rest of the day will be spent at the lodge. Dinner will be served and you will spend another night in Bukavu.

Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali via Nyungwe forest

Breakfast at your hotel will be served and you will enjoy your last meal in Bukavu. Check out of your hotel and embark on your direct transfer back to Kigali. You will drive 7 to 8 hours via the Nyungwe forest and have an enroute lunch in Butare continue further north of Rwanda to arrive back in Kigali in the late evening hours.

Trip quote to include

  • Full time safari vehicle with fuel
  • English/ French speaking driver guide
  • Accommodation
  • Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Activities and permits as described in the itinerary
  • On ground transfers
  • DR Congo tourist visa

Trip quote to exclude

  • International flights
  • PCR Covid tests and designated hotel fees
  • Personal needs like laundry, gratuities, porter fees, insurance or medicines etc

 

 

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