This 5 Days Akagera & Nyungwe National Park Safari takes you to the two mentioned national parks for game viewing plus chimp and canopy walk adventures. Akagera National Park is the only savannah park in the country with major activities to do there being a game drive and boat cruise on L. Ihema. While at the park, you have a chance to see the Big Five animals.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is set in the southern province of Rwanda; chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk are the 2 amazing experiences you should expect to enjoy. The park spans 1000sq.kms featuring primarily a vast rain-forest where 13 primate species including L’Hoest’s, colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys, baboons and others live.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Kigali to Akagera national park. Boat cruise in the afternoon
Akagera National Park, positioned in Eastern Rwanda will be reached within 2 hours and 30 minutes of driving from Kigali. A road trip to Akagera national park starts after briefing regarding your 5 days Akagera & Nyungwe National Park safari and the driver takes you in a 4WD vehicle. Before heading off to Akagera, you will have a quick Kigali city tour depending on your schedule.
On arrival, expect an early lunch then join others for an afternoon boat or launch cruise along Lake Ihema. The 2-3 hours’ launch trip comes with unforgettable sights of hippos, crocodiles, water birds etc.
Day 2: Game drive in Akagera national park & drive back to Kigali.
Enjoy breakfast, and meet your Rwanda tour guide ready to go for game drives along the savannas of Akagera. For about 4 of game driving, the range of animals you should expect to spot include lions, zebras, giraffes, elephants, leopards, birds, antelopes and so much more. Next will be a lunch break and then transfer to Kigali for evening relaxation and a night stay.
Day 3: Kigali – Nyungwe Forest.
Nyungwe National Park in the Southern Province is 6 hours’ drive from Kigali. Your journey commences immediately after breakfast. En-route, you will pay a visit to museums and King’s palace in Nyanza and Butare respectively. Later, you will settle for lunch break, and connect to Nyungwe Forest NP, a host to 13 primate species alongside more than 300 forest birds and other mammals.
Day 4: Nyungwe chimpanzee tracking & canopy walk.
Nyungwe Forest chimpanzee trekking begins after breakfast and briefing about guidelines to be observed when you are with the chimpanzees in the wild. A search for chimpanzees takes a good time, about 2-4 hours and it includes a magical one hour with the apes before you exit the forest to the lodge for lunch.
Return to Nyungwe Forest in the afternoon, this time to indulge in a canopy walk on the 70m high raised canopy walkway. The aerial view of Nyungwe forest is an unusual sight that will make your experience extra-ordinary.
Day 5: Departure
A drive back to Kigali from Nyungwe National Park starts after breakfast and checking out of the lodge. You will have an en-route lunch, then drop off at a hotel or at Kigali International Airport.
