Arrive in Kigali, where your private guide welcomes you and transfers you to your hotel. Depending on arrival time, enjoy a gentle introduction to Rwanda’s capital, known for its calm rhythm, clean streets, and thoughtful cultural spaces. Settle in, rest after your flight, and prepare for the safari journey ahead.
After breakfast, travel east to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savannah park and Big Five destination. The landscape shifts into rolling plains, lakes, wetlands, and woodland. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch or afternoon relaxation, followed by a short game drive if time allows, easing into the wilderness.
Spend the day exploring Akagera’s varied landscapes with your guide. Morning game drives search for lions, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, antelope, and rhinos, while the afternoon can include a boat safari on Lake Ihema. The water brings hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds, and beautiful views across Rwanda’s restored wilderness.
Leave Akagera after breakfast and return toward Kigali, creating a smoother break in the journey before continuing north to Volcanoes National Park. The route rises through Rwanda’s green hills toward the Virunga foothills. Arrive at your lodge, settle into the mountain atmosphere, and prepare for the next morning’s gorilla trek.
Begin early with a park briefing before entering Volcanoes National Park with expert rangers and trackers. The trek follows bamboo forest and volcanic slopes until your assigned gorilla family is located. Spend one extraordinary hour observing their gestures, bonds, and quiet presence before returning to the lodge for rest.
Enjoy a slower morning or add golden monkey tracking, a cultural visit, or a conservation-focused experience near Volcanoes National Park. Afterward, return to Kigali by private transfer. Depending on your flight time, enjoy a city stop, lunch, or direct airport drop-off for your onward journey.
