In this 4-day Akagera and Volcanoes National Park safari, visit Akagera National Park in the eastern part of Rwanda near the border with Tanzania. It is a savannah park where you will see lots of savannah animals like elephants on a game drive and enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Ihema.
Visit Volcanoes National Park as well to participate in mountain gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking, which are the main activities in this park.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Kigali to Akagera National Park and Evening Boat Cruise
Upon your arrival at Kigali Airport, your driver guide will welcome you and provide a brief overview of how you will spend the 4 days at Akagera and Volcanoes National Park. Drive to the northeastern part of Rwanda near the Akagera River, check in at the lodge for lunch, and then head for an evening boat cruise on Lake Ihema.
Lake Ihema is the largest lake in Akagera National Park where the boat cruise takes place. During the cruise, you may be lucky to see aquatic animals like hippos, crocodiles, and water birds such as papyrus gonolek, jacanas, and herons. You may also encounter animals like elephants, buffaloes, zebras, and more that come to the lake to drink water. Return to the lodge for dinner in the evening.
Day 2: Game Drive and Travel to Volcanoes National Park
Wake up in the morning, have breakfast, and then embark on a morning game drive in Akagera National Park. Spend time in the wild observing animals such as lions, leopards, elephants, zebras, giraffes, bushbucks, oribis, and more.
After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch. Check out from the lodge and drive to the northwestern part of Rwanda to Volcanoes National Park, known for hosting half of the world’s total population of mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Arrive late for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
On this day of gorilla trekking, wake up in the morning for a delicious cup of coffee, then drive to the park headquarters for a briefing from the warden. You will be introduced to a park ranger guide who will lead you through the entire experience.
You will be divided into a group of 8 people and provided with walking sticks. Face masks are mandatory for safety purposes. After all preparations, start the search for one of the habituated mountain gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park.
Upon finding a gorilla family, you will be allowed to spend one hour in their presence, observing them as they go about their daily activities. Return to the lodge for a late lunch and relax in the evening.
Day 4: Golden Monkey Trekking and Departure to Kigali
Enjoy breakfast and then drive back to the park headquarters for a briefing about golden monkey trekking. Begin searching for these rare primates in the wild. The adventure may take about 4-5 hours, but once found, you will spend one hour observing them.
Return to the lodge for lunch and then drive back to Kigali for your evening departure flight.