10 Days Rwanda Classic Safari (without gorillas)
10 Days Rwanda Classic Safari (without gorillas) : The 10 Days Rwanda Classic Safari does not include gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park. It however carters for other primate trekking activities that visitors can take part in during your visit to Rwanda like doing chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park. This itinerary is very budget friendly and perfect for visitors travelling with family, friends or as a group.
Summarized Itinerary For 10 Days Rwanda Classic Safari (without Gorillas).
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali.
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking.
Day 4: Forest Nature Walk.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu.
Day 6: Transfer to Gisenyi.
Day 7: Transfer to Ruhengeri for cultural tour.
Day 8: Transfer to Akagera National Park.
Day 9: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema.
Day 10: Nature walk and transfer back to Kigali city.
Detailed Itinerary 10 Days Rwanda Classic Safari (without Gorillas).
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your hotel in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kanombe International Airport or at pick up from your hotel, our guide will welcome you and transfer to Kigali city and depending on the time of your arrival; you will go for a short city tour with in Kigali and visit the genocide memorial site. Dinner and overnight stay at Step Town Motel
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast on the second day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En route, you will pass through wonderful and magnificent hills and cultivated countryside. Have a stopover at the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Continue and visit the cultural museum at Rwesero. Proceed and reach Butare town where you will have lunch after lunch you will visit the Rwanda National Museum for a tour around the site.
Proceed and reach the Park late afternoon. Upon arrival you will visit the new Visitor’s Interpretive Centre to give you more information about the park such as number of primate species found in the park, types of bird species and other tourist activities carried out with in the Park. Dinner and overnight at Gisakura Guesthouse/Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking
On the third day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari, you will have an early morning breakfast then report to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. However, it is advisable to organize packed lunch and plenty of water prior to this expedition since it can sometimes last over 6 hours. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 in a group. Return late in the afternoon. Return for dinner and Overnight Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel
Day 4: Forest Nature Walk
After having breakfast on the fourth day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari, you will embark on the forest Nature walk with in the park which will enable you to explore the Park’s unique tourist features including waterfalls and orchids in the high altitude swamps. Return to the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or Participate in the tea harvesting in the neighboring local communities or Visit a tea factory and learn about the production processes. Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel
Day 5: Transfer to Kibuye along the shores of Lake Kivu
On the fifth day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari, you will have an early morning breakfast then transfer to Lake Kivu. The lake is one of the great lakes in Africa and is the largest of the fresh water lakes that gleam in the Albertine (Western) rift of the Great Rift Valley. On the shores there is the Kibuye town which is one of the country’s most attractive of lake ports, nestled in a series of interwoven and undulating hills and will offer you spectacular views of the lake and its islands plus the surrounding countryside.
En route to the Lake, you will Visit the L’Esperance Orphanage in Kigarama village. You will see how the orphaned children have been helped by donations from different organizations and also from tourists like you. Arrive at your lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Cormoran Lodge
Day 6: Transfer to Gisenyi
After having breakfast on the sixth day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari, you will continue with your safari to Gisenyi town. This offers beautiful and excellent views of Lake Kivu and it’s a great place to relax while feeling its waterfront and sandy beaches. Upon arrival, you will have lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or visit the host springs which will help you learn more about the formation of the Virunga Volcanic Mountains. Alternatively you can also visit the local projects in the area and interact with project members or visit the local artisans and a local women’s weaving association. Overnight in Gisenyi town at Paradise Malahide
Day 7: Transfer to Ruhengeri for cultural tour.
Breakfast will be served early this day on the seventh day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari and then after, you will check out from your Hotel and later transfer to Ruhengeri. En route you will visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village where you may have a wonderful and interactive experience about the Rwandan traditions, culture and way of life. After this you will continue to the Park reaching in the late evening. Dinner and overnight at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
Day 8: Transfer back to Kigali and to Akagera National Park
After breakfast on the eleventh day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari, you will depart for Kigali for lunch and also a short city tour to the Gisozi Genocide Memorial site. You will later transfer to Akagera national Park. En route you will pass through the country’s phenomenal landscape which will give you views of the country’s beauty and also the life style of its people. Upon arrival in the park, you will go for a short southern Lake Ihema game drive. Look out for animals such as elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and many more like Antelopes. Dinner and overnight at Akagera Game Lodge
Day 9: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Lake Ihema
The twelfth day of this 10 Days Rwanda Safari highlights more activities in Akagera National Park. Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a Northern circuit game drive to search for animals that you may have missed out in the previous game drive. It was not a guarantee that all the animals can be seen in the evening game drive.
There are some that are early risers and can only be seen in the morning. Return back to the lodge for a small relation as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema which will offer you with views of the surrounding areas, hills and swamps. Expect to see Hippos, crocodiles and more bird species. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Akagera Game Lodge as above
Day 10: Nature walk and transfer back to Kigali city
Early morning after breakfast on the last day of your 10 Days Rwanda Safari, you will go for a nature walk to search for different bird species. Return to Kigali city. Depending on your time of departure, you will be transferred to the Airport for your flight back home or your hotel in Kigali as you will advise. End of Tour.
