4 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Big Cats Safari
Begin and end in Kigali. This 4 days Rwanda Gorillas & Big Cats Safari takes you to two of the country’s most popular destinations. The trip includes game drives and a boat excursion on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park, followed by gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park to encounter the endangered mountain gorillas.
Highlights: 4 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Big Cats Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Akagera National Park with an Afternoon Boat Ride on Lake Ihema
Day 2: Full-Day Game Drive in Akagera National Park
Day 3: Transfer from Akagera National Park to Kigali, then Drive to Musanze
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Transfer Back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary: 4 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Big Cats Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Akagera National Park with an Afternoon Boat Ride on Lake Ihema
After a leisurely breakfast at your hotel in Kigali, you will depart for Akagera National Park.
In the northeast of Rwanda, Akagera National Park covers roughly 2,500 square kilometres of savanna west of the Kagera River. The park is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including more than 500 recorded bird species. Elephant and buffalo herds come down to drink at the lakes, and with luck you may spot a leopard, spotted hyena, or lion. Giraffe and zebra roam the savanna, alongside more than a dozen antelope species.
After lunch, you will set out on a boat excursion on Lake Ihema in search of water-loving wildlife such as hippos. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Full-Day Game Drive in Akagera National Park
After breakfast, you will set out on a game drive through the park in search of wildlife. Across Akagera’s open savanna, keep an eye out for lion, leopard, elephant, and antelope, among many other species. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge, as the previous night.
Day 3: Transfer from Akagera National Park to Kigali, then Drive to Musanze
After breakfast, at around 10 a.m., you will bid farewell to Akagera National Park and return to Kigali. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the final resting place of more than 250,000 victims of the Tutsi genocide, before lunch and the onward drive north to Musanze, home of Volcanoes National Park, roughly 80 kilometres from Kigali and around two hours by road.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Transfer Back to Kigali
Rise early for breakfast and plan to leave your lodge by 6:30 a.m. for gorilla trekking. You will travel to park headquarters, where you will be assigned a guide and briefed before entering the forest. Rwanda maintains a number of habituated gorilla families, and only eight visitors are permitted to trek any single family per day.
You will travel into the forest with trained ranger guides in search of the mountain gorillas. Locating them can take anywhere from two to six hours, depending on their location and activity that day, since their range can extend up to forty kilometres. Rangers and guides will clear the path and accompany you throughout.
Once you find a gorilla family, you will spend an hour in their company as they travel, feed, play, and rest. Coming face to face with mountain gorillas is one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences available anywhere on earth.
Long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy hiking boots or sports shoes, gaiters, and a rain jacket are all recommended. After the trek, you will be transferred to Kigali International Airport for your journey home. Please note that your departure flight should be scheduled for after 10 p.m.
