This Rwanda-Uganda gorilla trekking safari avails you with the opportunity to visit Volcanoes National Park well known for grabbing all the gorilla related attention in Rwanda and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where the ultimate gorilla experience begins with 100% opportunity to meet with the rare gentle giants since half of the world’s mountain gorillas are found in this park. Drive through the unwinding hills into the home of endangered and most loved creatures, (mountain gorillas).
Your safari commences from Urban to the village setting with a spectacular yet undiscovered wildlife, Beautiful scenery, and comfortable weather all year round and above all friendly people that will make your holiday a journey to remember in both the land of a thousand hills and the pearl of Africa. These parksare habitats to variety of primate species that you may encounter during your trekking. The parks also avails an array of bird species and other wildlife. This is a life time experience that pushes you to fulfill your travel and discovery dream that will gather great memories to share with your loved ones.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, You will be welcomed by Kagoma Eye Safaris representative, who will meet you in the airport lobby, please look for a white sign board with your name. You will then be transferred to The Retreat by Heaven which is 20 minutes away from the airport for Dinner and overnight stay.
Town & Country and The New York Times call The Retreat in Rwanda one of the top new hotels of the world in 2018. The Retreat is an 11-room luxury boutique hotel located on a tree-lined street steps from Kigali City Center and 20 minutes from the airport. It is Kigali’s first eco-friendly resort and features solar electricity, with friendly and professional staff. The Retreat is the perfect choice to host guests for 1 night or several days as it offers innovative, curated cultural experiences and exciting activities in and around Kigali.
DAY 2: PRECOLONIAL RWANDA / NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK
Wake up very early in the morning to enjoy your breakfast before checking out of your hotel room for a 2 hours drive heading to the southern province. While on your journey, stopover at Nyanza and visit the King’s palace museum which offers a detailed look into the Rwandan monarchical system and its abolition in early 1960s due to colonialism. The palace was restored to its 19th Century state as a replica and was made entirely with traditional materials. You will also enjoy the king’s cows with long horns. After this visit, continue another three hours drive to Nyungwe National Park with a panoramic view and a beautiful, arrive in time for late lunch and spend your afternoon at leisure.
Dinner & Overnight: One & only Nyungwe House.
One and only Nyungwe is a paradise situated in the mountains of Rwanda with unbelievable beauty, competent and wonderful staff on site that exceed your high expectations. It is a five hours drive from Kigali by car and located in the middle of unbelievably beautiful nature with wooden houses integrated into the landscape baring a beautiful African design and luxurious furnishings.
DAY 3: CHIMPANZEE TREKKING & CANOPY WALK
Depart your hotel with packed breakfast to experience the misty rain forest of Nyungwe prominently known for having 13 species of primates including the famous chimpanzees that you all anxiously interested in today, and also as a birders paradise. Drive for one hour to Cyamudongo, the park office for a briefing before you undertake on the chimpanzee trekking activity, after an interesting and memorable.
Search for the chimpanzees in the forest, you are privileged to spend 1 hour with them taking photographs and videos and return to the hotel for lunch. Later in the afternoon, prepare yourself tofor a canopy hike which gives you a panoramic view of the forest a glimpse of birds and then return in the evening for Dinner & Overnight stay.
DAY 4: TRANSFER TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK (9hours drive)
After your morning breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up and drive you to Bwindi with a stopover at Musanze for lunch. After your lunch, you will embark on your journey through Kihihi, Kanyantorogo, Butogota and finally Buhoma where the park headquarters are located. While on your journey, you will pass through a ragged terrain with beautiful terraces dug by the farmers of the area, pass through tea plantations that will create beautiful scenery. On arrival, you are taken to check in at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp for Dinner and overnight stay.
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp’s unique interpretation of camp living offers unrivalled seclusion and space in the ancient rainforest in one of Africa’s most remarkable landscapes. Once-in-a-lifetime encounters with Uganda’s endangered gorillas waits when you stay in one of these only eight private luxury tents in the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Ecologically respectful, contemporary-yet-classic in style, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp blends in sensitively with the dramatic African mountain landscape and, situated uniquely inside the national park, you are only 5 minutes walk away from the starting point of your gorilla trekking adventure.
DAY 5: GORILLA TREKKING EXPERIENCE
The highlight of your safari is a meeting with the gentle giants of Bwindi! All visitors most especially hikers love this challenging rugged steep slopes of gorilla trekking in the beautiful ecosystem of the park. It is difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike, however it may take two to eight hours. Expect to walk a long distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. But it will definitely be worthwhile as you observe them closely while they eat, play and rest while taking photographs and videos. A unique and unforgettable experience! For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. The ranger guide always briefs you on how to behave with these giant apes then later return to the camp for lunch. In the evening, spend your day at leisure enjoying the camp amenities including a camp fire. Dinner & Overnight at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Gorillas in the mist.
DAY 6: GORILLA TREKKING EXPERIENCE
After an early morning breakfast, you will once again take a 5 minutes’ walk to the park’s headquarters for a briefing by the ranger guide about the requirements, rules and regulations governing Gorilla tracking and group distribution before you head off to the jungle in search for these gentle giants. You will make a beautiful hike through the green landscape of the Impenetrable forest. Expect to walk a long distance in the steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. But it will definitely be worthwhile as you observe them closely while they eat, play and rest a unique and unforgettable experience. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour with allowance of taking as many photographs, videos and selfies as your Cameras and phone memories can accommodate.
After trekking, you will be transferred to the camp for Lunch before checking out and hitting on the road to be transferred to Kinigi (4hrs Drive). On arrival, check in at five volcanoes boutique hotel for dinner and overnight stay
Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel will impress you with an outstanding comfort and service. The hotel is tucked away in a lush setting of trees and plants that attract many birds, with wonderful staff. The rooms are very comfortable and the meals are delicious served in the covered outdoor dining area. They also have a large pool and hammocks for relaxing.
DAY 7: DIAN FOSSEY HIKE
After an early morning breakfast, you will have a short drive to the park offices for a briefing at exactly 7:00 AM. The walk from the park boundary to the research center where the Dian’s grave is, takes about 1 hour and half hours and affords good views of forest hogs, forest elephants, a variety of primates and bird species. This hike is an incredible experience physically, emotionally and intellectually. It is so inspiring to learn about someone who was so dedicated and left a legacy that exists even today. The hike involves moving through the forests and hiking up the slopes and therefore requires some relative degree of fitness and patience. At the site you will find the house from where Dian Fossey was mysteriously murdered in 1985 but the more peaceful is the place where she was buried just next to her favourite gorilla friend.
Later return the hotel for Lunch before hitting on the road to find our way back to Kigali while you enjoy the beautiful scenery one more time. (3hours Drive) Dinner and overnight: The Retreat by Heaven
DAY 8: HISTORICAL KIGALI / DEPART RWANDA
After a morning breakfast at your hotel, your driver guide will pick you up and lead you for a guided city tour in the vibrant capital of Kigali where you visit interesting historical sites. Learn more about Rwanda’s heart-rending history at the Genocide Memorial Centre where 259,000 bodies of genocide victims were given a descent burial.
After the visit, you will then be driven to Hotel des mille collines for lunch. Later in the afternoon, take on a bean to cup coffee tour for specialty coffee master class where you will immerse yourself in coffee culture, history, making and tasting. You are always free to take photographs. Enriched with an experience of a lifetime and unforgettable memories you will say goodbye to the land of a thousand hills. Depending on the time of departure you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back home.