5 Days Rwanda Wildlife & Chimpanzee Safari to Akagera and Nyungwe Forest National Parks – Overview

5 Days Rwanda Wildlife & Chimpanzee Safari, 5 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari Akagera, Rwanda Chimpanzee trekking safari Nyungwe Forest National Parks.

This 5 days Rwanda safari tour features wildlife safari game drives in Akagera National Park & Chimps trekking in Nyungwe National Park.

The 5 Days Rwanda Wildlife & Chimpanzee Safari features two main Rwanda Safari destinations of Nyungwe National Park and Akagera National Park.

The extension to Akagera National Park is centered on wild game viewing with possibilities of exploring four of the Big Five namely; Leopards, lions, elephants and Buffalos, Maasai Giraffe, and Burchell’s Zebra among others, and a boat trip on Lake Ihema with possible sights of Hippos and Nile crocodiles.

The extension to Nyungwe National Park is centered on Chimpanzee trekking and adventure canopy walking.

The cultural tours in Butare and Nyanza along with the historical tour to the Gisozi genocide combine with the rest to derive ultimate African safari memories.

5 Days Rwanda Wildlife & Chimpanzee Safari to Akagera and Nyungwe Forest National Parks – Highlights

Day 1: Visit the Kigali Genocide memorial & drive to Akagera National Park

Day 2: Undertake an extensive game drive in the morning & afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema

Day 3: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Kigali

Day 4: Undertake Chimpanzee trekking in the morning and Nyungwe Canopy walk in the afternoon

Day 5: Transfer back to Kigali. Tour the Ethnographic Museum at Butare and Nyanza Palace en route

5 Days Rwanda Wildlife & Chimpanzee Safari to Akagera and Nyungwe Forest National Parks – Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial & Drive to Akagera National Park

Following breakfast at your place of stay in Kigali (own arrangement), you team up with the driver guide to transfer to Gisozi for the genocide memorial tour.

The site features a collection of the section of the 1994 genocide bodies along with extensive literature about this horrific event.

You are able to learn more about the causes and effects of the ethnic genocide where 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus lost their lives.

From this encounter, you embark on the drive to Akagera National Park 135km about a 2 ½ hours drive for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation

Upmarket / luxury: Ruzizi Tented Camp
Midrange / Standard: Akagera Game Lodge
Budget / Basic: Dereva Hotel
Wild Camping

Day 2: Undertake An Extensive Game Drive in The Morning & Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema

You set off for the game viewing experience in the extensive Savannah landscapes of Akagera National Park to gain possibilities of exploring a myriad of wild game including the towering Maasai giraffe, the beautiful Burchell’s Zebra, the African lion, the African Elephant, the elusive African leopard, Buffalo, reedbuck, eland, waterbuck, roan antelope, Impala among others.

The rolling landscapes of Akagera such as Mutumba hills, flat plains to the Tanzanian border, and the lake system also offer beautiful sightseeing opportunities while on the game drive.

Retreat from the 3 – 4 hour drive and return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. You connect to Lake Ihema in the afternoon for a recreational boat experience.

The boat trip offers uninterrupted sights of Rwanda’s second-largest lake along with other adjoining lakes, the fringing swamp, and the dwelling species including the Hippos, Nile crocodiles, and the birds like shoebill stork and papyrus gonolek. Retire for dinner and overnight

Accommodation

Upmarket / Luxury: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Midrange / Standard: Akagera Game Lodge
Budget / Basic: Dereva Hotel
Wild Camping

Day 3: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Kigali

You transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park after breakfast driving 135km about 2 ½ hours to Kigali and then proceed for 268km about 6 hours drive to Nyungwe National Park enjoying the beautiful scenic sights en route. Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight

Accommodation

Upmarket / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse
Wild Camping

Day 4: Undertake Chimpanzee Trekking in The Morning And Nyungwe Canopy Walk in The Afternoon

Connect to Kyamudongo Forest departing the lodge at 5:30 am to catch up with the Chimpanzee trekking at 8 am.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is an extensive montane forest that is the largest in Central Africa and is noted to have survived the last ice age.

The forest is home to 13 primate species, 310 bird species, 75 species of mammals, and 1068 plant species including mahogany species and beautiful orchids.

The Chimpanzee trekking tends to last 2 – 5 hours with the actual viewing limited to one (1) hour as you enjoy their patrol, feed, play, and make their pant-hooting calls among other behavioral features that will make your stay with them memorable.

Settle for lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon, you take up an adventure walk along the famous Nyungwe canopy walkway which is still the best in the region and the third on the continent of Africa.

The 90m long and 50m high walkway offers a panoramic view of the forest and is an adventure of its kind as you walk on the canopy of the towering trees of Nyungwe – the largest montane forest in the region.

The activity takes 2 hours after which you retreat back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation

Upmarket / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse
Wild Camping

Day 5 : Transfer back to Kigali. Tour the Ethnographic Museum at Butare and Nyanza Palace en route

You drive back to Kigali 268km approximately a 6-hour drive making a stop in Butare to visit the Ethnographic Museum with 100,000 which makes it the largest museum in Rwanda presenting the history and culture of Rwanda in-depth.

You proceed on the drive to make another stop at Nyanza palace where the two traditional Rwandan kings – King Musinga and his successor King Rudahigwa lived.

The impressive traditional hut named Rukaari is the exact replica of the King’s hut while the King’s equipment still exists, a selection of Inyambo cows – the traditional long-horned cows of Rwanda also thrive at the site and can be viewed.

The local Kinyarwanda performance would make the clients astonished. From the activity, you proceed on the drive to Kigali.

End of The 5 Days Rwanda Wildlife & Chimpanzee Safari to Akagera And Nyungwe Forest National Parks.