5 Days Nyungwe & Akagera Wildlife Safari
5 Days Nyungwe & Akagera Wildlife Safari is specifically designed to give you the best of both worlds. Take an exclusive journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park where you will come into close contact with the charismatic and habituated chimpanzees of Nyungwe forest. Thereafter, drive to Akagera national park where you will embark on an exciting wildlife viewing safari; with a chance to sight all the Big Five animals in the park.
Highlights for this 5 Days Nyungwe & Akagera Willdlife Safari
- Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Nyungwe National Park.
- Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking and Visit Gisakura Tea Estate.
- Day 3: Nyungwe Canopy walk and Transfer to Akagera National Park.
- Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Evening Boat Cruise.
- Day 5: Community Cultural Tour & Transfer Back to Kigali.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Nyungwe National Park.
Pickup & Transfer to Nyungwe: On Day 1 of your 5 Days Nyungwe & Akagera National Park Safari, you will be picked up by your guide/driver upon arrival at Kigali International Airport. After a brief meet and greet session with your guide, you will then proceed with your transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the southwestern part of Rwanda. Nyungwe national park covers a total surface area of 1020 square kilometers of tropical rainforest. The national park is also part of the famous Nyungwe rainforest which is the largest tropical rainforest in both Central and East Africa. The forest is also the largest water catchment area in Rwanda, holding approximately two thirds of the country’s water supply. You will have lunch enroute to the national park. It is about a 5-6 hours’ drive from Kigali city to Nyungwe national park.
Upon your arrival in the park, check into your accommodation facility/lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking and Visit Gisakura Tea Estate.
Chimpanzee Trekking: Have an early breakfast and then head to the Park’s headquarters in Uwinka where you will be briefed by the park’s head ranger and placed in trekking groups of 8 members per group. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park begins at exactly 8am, so endeavor to keep time and make sure you are at the Uwinka center by 7am. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest national park can take between 4 to 6 hours or more depending on how long it will take you to locate the chimpanzees. You will only be given an hour to spend with the chimpanzees once they have been spotted. After your chimpanzee trekking experience, you will be given time to have your lunch in case you packed some from your lodge. Alternatively, you can choose to head back to your lodge where you will have your lunch and relax for a while.
Visit Gisakura Tea Estate: Later in the evening, you can head to Gisakura Tea estate. Here, you will be taken through the process of tea growing, harvesting, processing and packaging. You will even get to taste the delicious taste of the final product.
Return back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Nyungwe Canopy Walk and Transfer to Akagera National Park.
Nyungwe Canopy Walk: Wake up early in the morning, have your breakfast and head back to the park’s headquarters at Uwinka Centre. This is where you will begin your hiking trip, which will lead you to the Canopy Walkway. The Nyungwe Forest Canopy Walk is the most exciting and adventurous activity in Nyungwe National Park. This activity is not for the faint of hearts as it involves walking along the canopy walkway, which stretches 160 meters long and extends 70 meters above the forest ground. The Canopy walkway in Nyungwe national park gives visitors a chance to explore the national park from above, as visitors along the canopy walkway can get a panoramic view of the forest canopy. In addition to this, visitors also have an opportunity to see wildlife in the park such as; monkeys, chimpanzees, butterflies and different bird species. Head back to your lodge for lunch and later transfer to Akagera National Park.
Transfer to Akagera: Transfer to Akagera national Park which is located in the north-eastern part of Rwanda. The park is situated near Rwanda’s border with Tanzania and is only 6½ hours’ drive from Nyungwe Forest National Park. Over the past couple of years, several black eastern rhinos and lions have been reintroduced in the park making it the perfect Big 5 destination in Rwanda.
Dinner and overnight at Akagera Game Lodge/ Karenge Bush Camp/Magashi Safari Camp.
Day 4: Morning Game Drive & Evening Boat Cruise.
Morning Game Drive: Have your breakfast early in the morning and head out for a morning game drive in the southern circuit of the national park. Get to explore the beautiful savanna and landscape in the park. You will also have the opportunity to see wildlife animals in the park-like; elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes, and waterbucks to mention but a few.
Afternoon Boat Cruise: You will return back to your lodge for lunch, rest for a short while and later embark on an evening boat cruise on Lake Ihema. While on your boat cruise, you will get to see the splendid wildlife at the park like; Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and some water birds like; the marabou stork, herons and the African fish eagle. After your boat cruise, you can opt to go guided nature walk and explore the marvelous flora and fauna species that Akagera National Park has to offer.
Return back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Community Cultural Tour and Transfer Back to Kigali.
Community Cultural Tour: After a hearty breakfast, meet up with your guide and drive to one of the local communities that live near Akagera National Park. The community cultural tours involve a range of interesting activities that you can take part in such as; touring dairy farms, sampling honey on combs and making local banana brew; as well as making of traditional artifacts using locally sourced raw materials. Have lunch before you head back to the capital.
Transfer back to Kigali: Later drive back to Kigali City. You can have you driver drop you off at your preferred hotel or at Kigali International Airport where you will catch your next flight back home.
End of Tour.
