12-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, our company representative will warmly welcome you, who will serve as your safari guide. After, you will get transferred to your booked hotel for refreshment and a possible city tour around Kigali, including Kigali Market and Kigali Genocide Memorial if time allows. Dinner and an overnight stay will be provided at the hotel.

Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel (luxury)/Radisson Blu Hotel (mid-range)/ Peponi Living Spaces (budget)

Meals: Dinner

On your 12-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari, wake up early, have breakfast, and head to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the south-western part of the country. Along the way, before getting to Nyungwe Forest National Park, you will look out for various birds, such as the Papyrus Canary, Albertine Owlet, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Stripe-breasted Tit, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, and Handsome Spurfowl, among others. After, drive to Nyungwe Forest at your booked lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe (luxury)/ Nyungwe Forest Lodge (mid-range)/ Virunga Inn Resort (Budget)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Wake up early and prepare your self, have breakfast, and after your guide will be waiting to embark on your day’s highlight. Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of Africa’s great montane forests, and  home to a variety of bird species, not forgetting those endemic to the Albertine Rift, Such as  the Handsome Francolin, Regal Sunbird, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher,  Handsome Francolin, Masked Apalis, Grauers’s Warbler, Ross’s Turaco, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Nuemann’s Short-tailed Warbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Chestnut Owlet, Archer’s Robin-chat, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Olive Woodpecker, Black-faced Apalis and other species.

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe (luxury), Nyungwe Forest Lodge (mid-range)/ Virunga Inn Resort (Budget)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Wake up early and prepare your self, have breakfast, and after your guide will be waiting to embark on your day’s highlight. Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of Africa’s great montane forests, and  home to a variety of bird species, not forgetting those endemic to the Albertine Rift, Such as  the Handsome Francolin, Regal Sunbird, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher,  Handsome Francolin, Masked Apalis, Grauers’s Warbler, Ross’s Turaco, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Nuemann’s Short-tailed Warbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Chestnut Owlet, Archer’s Robin-chat, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Olive Woodpecker, Black-faced Apalis and other species.

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe (luxury), Nyungwe Forest Lodge (mid-range)/ Virunga Inn Resort (Budget)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

The 12-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari begins with a warm breakfast and takes you north to Lake Kivu. The excursion includes birdwatching in farmland, marshes, and forests, potentially lasting all day. Lake Kivu offers respite and shoreline birdwatching opportunities upon arrival.

Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel/Gisenyi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

The Virunga Conservation Area, part of the Virunga volcanoes, is shared by Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda, and is highly diverse in wildlife. Dian Fossey is remembered for her work with mountain gorillas in the 1960s. A trip from Lake Kivu to Musanze takes around seven hours, with stops to see various birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, Albertine Owlet, Dusky Crimsonwing, Masked Apalis, Narina Trogon, Regal Sunbird, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Rwenzori Batis, and Regal Sunbird. After the journey, you will spend the night at a reserved lodge or resort to prepare for gorilla trekking.

Accommodation: One and Only Gorilla’s Nest (Luxury)/ Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge (mid-range)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

This 12-day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari takes you to Volcanoes National Park, where you can see endangered mountain gorillas. After an introduction at the visitor center, you will be divided into groups with a ranger guide to assist you. The trek can last from 45 minutes to 5 hours, depending on the gorillas’ location. To enjoy this experience, you need to be in good physical and mental health. You will spend one hour observing the gorillas and their behaviors, and then have free time in the evening before dinner and your overnight stay at the lodge.

Accommodation: One and Only Gorilla’s Nest (Luxury)/ Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge (mid-range)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After breakfast at your lodge on the 12-day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari, you will drive to Akagera National Park, on the border with Tanzania. You will look for various bird species, including Cattle Egrets and Herons, Augur Buzzards, Hammerkops, Black-headed Weaver, Hadada Ibis, Village Weaver, Long-crested Eagle, among others. In the evening, you will arrive at your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (luxury)/ Ruzizi Tented Lodge (mid-range)/ Karenge Bush Lodge (budget)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Enjoy breakfast and then go birding in the park. Look for birds like the Slender-billed Weavers, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, African Wattled Plover, and many others while on a boat ride at Lake Ihema. You’ll also see species like Goliath Herons, African Darter, Black Tern, Long-toed and Senegal Lapwings, African Jacana, Spotted Robin-chat, Brown Snake Eagle, Little Bittern, Grey Crowned Crane, and various kingfishers. After the boat ride, search for savanna and forest birds, such as the Spotted Robin-chat, and observe several animals, including giraffes, elephants, and lions. Finally, return to the lodge for dinner and spend the night there.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (luxury)/ Ruzizi Tented Lodge (mid-range)/ Karenge Bush Lodge (budget)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Wake up at leisure, prepare and pack all your travel package in your safari vehicle, have breakfast, and then embark on your journey back to Kigali after spending some time birding around the lodge premises. You will be transferred to Kigali International Airport to catch your return flight. This will mark your 12-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Inclusions:

• All airport transfers including pick ups and drop offs
• 1 Gorilla permit per person
• 1 Chimpanzee trekking Permit per person
• Birding fee
• City Tour
• Professional English-speaking birding guide
• All ground private transport in a 4X4 wheel drive safari vehicle
• Full board accommodation
• En-route meals
• Drinking water

Excludes:

• Travel Insurance
• International and domestic air ticket
• Alcoholic and other soft drinks
• Personal items and expenses such as laundry, tips, souvenirs, phone bills, etc.
• Extra meals and activities