8 DAYS RWANDA PRIMATES EXPERIENCE
RWANDA IN A GLANCE
Murakaza neza! Rwanda, a magical landscape of a thousand hills and a million smiling faces. Etched into global consciousness by the brutality of the 1994 genocide, the social and economic repair that has occurred since is nothing short of miraculous, the country is stable and tourism once again a key contributor to the economy. The jewel in the jungle green crown of the country lies in the majestic Virunga Volcanoes where populations of endangered mountain gorilla still roam, fiercely protected by a passionate people, and attract curious visitors from around the world. Primate safaris may be the primary drawcard for the country, but its not all monkey business – go beyond the gorillas, step into an adventure playground waiting to be discovered by the active traveler and experience a country breathtaking in its beauty and graced by a people generous in their welcome.
Our Rwanda Active itinerary encompasses all the iconic attractions Rwanda is famous for. From the contemporary city vibe of Kigali to the village clad rolling hills of the countryside, we bike, kayak and trek our way from the sparkling streets of the capital city and the sweeping savannahs and lakes of Akagera National Park, into the lush green rain forests of Nyungwe National Park, along the sparkling shoreline of Lake Kivu and ending in the shadows of extinct volcanoes tracking endangered mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park.
ACTIVITIES
Safari, Primate Tracking, Boating, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Trekking.
DAY 1: ARRIVE IN KIGALI
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed to a VIP lounge while we clear your luggage through immigration. You will thereafter meet a Palast Tours representative for a short briefing and trip introduction and then transfer on a 1min drive to the Kigali Serena Hotel for check in. dinner will be on your own arrangement, though we are happy to recommend depending on your arrival time.
Overnight: Kigali Serena Hotel (BB)
The Kigali Serena Hotel welcomes you to Rwanda’s capital city with 5-star sophistication and impeccable service. The hotel provides a luxurious home away from home for business and leisure travelers. Settle in to your beautifully appointed room or suite, which features floor-to-ceiling windows, pillow top bedding, flat-screen TVs and more. Take advantage of free internet.
DAY 2: NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK/CANOPY WALKWAY
Morning breakfast & checkout followed by a private road transfer to the airport (approx. 15min drive). You will take a commercial flight to Kamembe, departing at 8:00 am (50min flight). On arrival, you will be met for a private road transfer to One&OnlyNyungwe House (45min drive).
One & Only Nyungwe House
Alongside ancient rain-forest, within the lush green expanse of a working tea plantation, One&Only Nyungwe House offers an exclusive window to Africa’s fascinating wildlife and culture. Curating immersive tailored experiences, from gastronomic picnics to wild chimpanzee tracking and indigenous open-air spa treatments, awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime moments are sure to amaze you at every turn.
After noon Canopy walk
02:00pm, after lunch you will drive through the beautiful Nyungwe Forest to Uwinka park office for the adventure of Canopy Walk which is a very exciting experience but not for the faint hearted. The canopy walk consist of three bridges and three towers, the bridge leading to the first tower is 37 meters long and 20 meters high, the main bridge has a length of 86 meters and a height of 60 meters, the final exit bridge is 25 meters long and a height of 15 meters .The total length of the canopy way is 150 meters. Nyungwe forest has about 280 bird species, 25 of which are endemic, Nyungwe is one of the most important and still undiscovered bird watching destinations in Africa.
Dinner & overnight One & Only Nyungwe House (FB)
DAY 3: CHIMPANZEE TREKKING /TEA PLANTATION
At 5:30am you will drive to Cyamudongo Forest & there after proceed for Chimpanzee trekking.
There is a lot more in Nyungwe than just chimps. Colobus monkeys, mangabeys, various other primate species plus lots of forest dwelling birds will be encountered on the way. If you are interested in botany, the flora in Nyungwe comes as an added bonus; you will also have a chance to view the other habitants of the forest like reptiles and butterflies.
After trekking you will return to the lodge for lunch before visiting the Tea plantation
You will go on a 3:00pm tea plantation visit on the rolling hills of the western borders of NyungweForest National Parkis Gisakura Tea estate. One of the most famous and beautiful tea estates in Rwanda. You will discover how tea is harvested, processed, and even get to taste the results.
Dinner & overnight One & Only Nyungwe House (FB)
DAY 4: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast at the lodge, you will check out of the hotel and transfer to the airstrip for your 40-minute scheduled commercial flight to Kigali departing at 0910hrs. On arrival in Kigali you will be met and taken to lunch before embarking on a 3-hour drive to Musanze. You will arrive the Mountain in time for check in and dinner.
Dinner and overnight: Amakoro Songa Lodge (FB)
Nestled in a small village outside the town of Kinigi 10 min drive from the Gorilla trekking office, Amakoro Songa Lodge is a genuine blend of conservation and tourism, it is within 7 acres of land and still expanding. Its Luxurious cottages are designed and built to take advantage of its serene surroundings that give everyone who visits the sense of being far away from everything and so at peace.
DAY 5: GOLDEN MONKEY TREKKING EXPERIENCE
Early breakfast at the lodge. At 6:40 in the morning, you will set off on a golden monkey trekking experience, stopping by the park headquarters, a 10-minute drive away, for briefing and assigning a guide. After the golden monkey trek, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon you will visit the ex-poacher’s cultural village, Gorilla Guardians.
This is a non-profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood based projects.
Dinner & Overnight: Amakoro Songa Lodge (FB)
DAY 6: GORILLA TREKKING EXPERIENCE
Once again you will have an early morning breakfast and set off afterwards for your gorilla trekking experience, stopping by the park headquarters, a 10-minute drive away, for briefing and assigning to a gorilla group. After the gorilla trekking experience, you will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you have an option to enjoy a relaxing massage treatment at the Lodge or you may opt to community village walk a rewarding experience that gives you a real taste of village life.
Dinner & Overnight: Amakoro Songa Lodge (FB)
Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the rare mountain gorilla – and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath. The high point of the trek will be spending an hour with the remarkably peaceful gorillas despite their size and appearance, as they go about their daily life: feeding, playing, resting, grooming and raising their young.
DAY 7: KIGALI ART EXPERIENCE
Morning breakfast & checkout of your lodge at 10:00am. You will enjoy a Scenic drive back to Kigali being a 3hrs drive,
Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda, roughly in the center of the country. It sprawls across numerous hills, ridges and valleys, and has a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene.
Arriving on Lunch at the Java House by the Kigali Heights Building. You will thereafter have a memorable painting experience at Inema Art Center, whereby you visit a renowned Art Gallery and also get a chance to exercise your painting skills. This is an exceptional moment to refresh your mind and make yourself a painting souvenir that you take home with you.
DAY 8: HISTORICAL RWANDA/DEPARTURE
After breakfast, you will check out and be picked up from your hotel at 9am, and drive to the Genocide Memorial, a historical component of your trip and have a chance to understand what really happened in 1994 during the Genocide against the Tutsi and the journey of Hope and reconstruction of Rwanda till today.
You will then transfer to the Mille Collines Hotel/ Hotel Rwanda for lunch.
The next stop will be at Kimironko Local Market, one of the busiest Markets in the city from where you are everything that one would need to survive in the city.
Please remember to make yourself a Kitenge cloth that you can take with you as a souvenir, they will sew a shot or a shirt for you right on site. That’s before you get transferred to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight.
THIS WILL MARK THE END OF YOUR TRIP
END OF TOUR
Leisure beyond expectations
End of your memorable trip