This 6 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Akagera Wildlife Tour offers one of the most rewarding wildlife experiences in tropical Africa. You will visit Volcanoes National Park, a mountain gorilla destination that is spread over five majestic dormant volcanic mountains. The other destination for this trip is Akagera National Park. It warrants a five-star rating simply for its incredible scenery and the opportunity to encounter Big 5. You can’t miss it.
Day 1: Safari to Akagera National Park and Afternoon Game Drive
Following your arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be transferred to Akagera national park for a two day stay during which you will experience game drives, nature walks and boat cruises. Located in the north eastern region of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania, Akagera is a lush savannah where you stand good chances with the Sitatunga and Shoebills.
Its landscape is awe-inspiring, with wide views over escarpments, freshwater lakes, escarpments, rolling mountains, open savannah and swamps and lakes.
Akagera is one of the best places in Virunga region to see lions. During the late dry season, when hungry prides spend their days snoozing below lakeside trees, ready to pounce on any antelope comes within range.
If you have a delicate skin, you can carry a screen guide to protect you.
The game drive provides you with the opportunity to view animals like lions, elephant, buffalo, Giraffe, zebra and more than a dozen types of antelopes.
Overnight Akagera Game Lodge (Dinner, Bed and Breakfast)
It is a colonial styled hotel with old world charm.
DAY 2: – Game drive, boat cruise and relaxation.
You will also love every minute of the game drives and nature walks. Due to lack of poaching, you stand great chances of encountering all the Big 4, elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos, most of these are descendants of a generation that was translocated into the park over the last 20 years. This followed the uncontrolled poaching that befell Rwanda in the early 1990s, mostly as a result of inter-human wildlife conflicts.
Thanks to immense sensitization of the locals and adaptation of policies that make them beneficiaries of tourism, this problem has been tamed down.Today, wildlife highlights include the aggregations of several dozen zebras, giraffes, leopards and toppi that frequently converge at the lakes to quench their thirst.
Boat cruise
In our opinion, it is Lake Ihema that is the real star of Akagera. A favourite activity here is a motorboat adventure along the shoreline, which provides an exciting opportunity to see nile crocodiles, hippos and over….species of birds at close quarters.
Akagera Game Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 3: – Game Drive and Transfer Back to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Volcanoes national park ahead of your gorilla tracking experience. It lies at the eastern tip of Lake Kivu, one of the attractions you will explore before departing Rwanda. The others include the Dian Fossey Museum and the Dian Fossey Tomb, both of which were established in memory of Fossey for going above and beyond to protect gorillas.
Today’s accommodation will be at Villa Gorilla Lodge.
This is a small bungalow type hotel situated on the foothills of Africa’s ultimate gorilla destination, Volcanoes National Park. It has priceless views of the three dormant mountains found in the park. The rooms are very clean and well decorated with authentic local handicrafts. Considering it’s found at a high altitude where temperatures are low, the hot water bottles they provide is a beautiful thought.
DAY 4: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Early morning wakeup call for Gorilla trekking. It is a very smooth and well-managed adventure, with a few Dos and Don’ts that are purposed to ensure gorillas aren’t adversely affected by visitors. For instance, you will be required to keep a 7 meter distance from the gorillas so as to avoid possible transfer of a respiratory infection. Compared to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the 1-4 hours gorilla tracking experience here is often considered an ‘easier’ trek because the terrain is less steep. However, if you wish to experience something more intense, we can book for you a trek to Susa B group. They spend much of the year in the higher altitudes of Mountain Karisimbi.
Overnight: Villa Gorilla Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
DAY 5: Golden Monkey Trekking
Early morning wake up for Golden monkey trek. During this half day adventure, you will visit the bamboo zone to encounter a troop of habituated golden monkeys comprising of close to 40 members. It is a strikingly unique species now only found in Virunga region, due to deforestation elsewhere within its restricted range.
Overnight at Villa Gorilla Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
DAY 6: Drive to Kigali
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will take you back to Kigali, and if time permits you will have a city tour or visit different souvenir shops. Thereafter, you will head to the airport for your departure flight.
