Day 2: Akagera Game Drive and Journey to Volcanoes National Park

 Breakfast and Morning Game Drive

After an early breakfast at your lodge, you will set out for a morning game drive in Akagera National Park with your Tukumbe Tours and Travel safari guide. The cooler morning hours are a great time to explore the park and look for wildlife.

During the game drive, you may have the opportunity to see animals such as lions, hyenas, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and other wildlife. Your guide will help you spot animals and share information about the park and its wildlife.

Akagera is also home to a variety of bird species, especially around its wetlands, lakes, and marshes. Keep your eyes open for colorful and interesting birds as you explore the park.

Akagera National Park offers a peaceful safari experience with fewer visitors than some of the more famous wildlife destinations in East Africa. The quiet surroundings and beautiful savannah landscapes make the morning game drive a memorable part of your Rwanda safari.

After the morning game drive, you will return to your lodge for lunch before continuing your journey to Volcanoes National Park, home to Rwanda’s famous mountain gorillas.

The drive takes approximately 2.5 hours. As you travel through the countryside, enjoy the beautiful rolling hills, green farms, and mountain views. Rwanda’s countryside is known for its small farms, banana plantations, tea fields, and other crops, creating a beautiful landscape along the way.

During the journey, your Tukumbe Tours and Travel guide will also brief you about the upcoming gorilla trekking experience, including what to expect and how to prepare for your trek.

 Village Walk and Dinner

After arriving at Volcanoes National Park and checking into your lodge, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a village walk with your Tukumbe Tours and Travel guide.

The walk provides an opportunity to explore the local community, meet friendly residents, and learn more about everyday life around Volcanoes National Park. You will see traditional homes, local activities, and the way communities make use of the resources available to them.

This cultural experience offers a meaningful opportunity to interact with local people and gain a better understanding of life in rural Rwanda.

After the village walk, you will return to your lodge for dinner and relaxation. As the evening sets in, enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and prepare for your gorilla trekking adventure the following day.

Accommodation options:

• Muhabura Hotel (Budget)
• Le bamboo gorilla lodge (Mid-range)
• Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury)

Destination: Volcanoes National Park

Day 3 of 5 Day Rwanda Gorilla and Akagera : Gorilla Trekking and Ibylwacu Cultural Centre

Breakfast and Cultural Performance at Park Headquarters

After an early breakfast at your lodge, you will travel to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters for registration and preparation for your gorilla trekking experience.

At the headquarters, you will enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while experiencing traditional music and performances by local dancers. You will also receive important information about the gorilla trek, including safety guidelines and responsible behavior around the gorillas.

 Gorilla Trekking  Approximately 1 to 8 Hours

After the briefing, you will be assigned to a gorilla family and begin your trek with an experienced park ranger. The trekking time can vary depending on the location and movements of the gorilla family, and the experience may take several hours.

You will drive to the starting point of your trek before entering the forest. Your ranger will lead the group through the forest while tracking the assigned gorilla family. Other trackers may already be ahead, following the gorillas and communicating their location to the ranger team.

Once you locate the gorillas, you will have a limited amount of time with them according to the park’s current visitor regulations. This is a special opportunity to observe their behavior, family interactions, feeding, movement, and communication in their natural habitat.

Your ranger will provide information about the gorillas and answer questions throughout the experience. A packed lunch can be provided, especially when the trek takes several hours. Visitors are required to follow park regulations, including restrictions on eating near the gorillas.

After completing your gorilla trek, you will return to the starting point and continue to your lodge.

 Ibyiwacu Cultural Experience

After the gorilla trek, you will return to your accommodation for lunch and some time to relax.

Later in the afternoon, your Tukumbe Tours and Travel safari guide will take you to the Ibyiwacu Cultural Center, where you will have an opportunity to learn more about Rwanda’s traditions and local communities.

Enjoy traditional music, dancing, drumming, and cultural performances presented by local community members. The experience offers a chance to discover Rwanda’s cultural heritage and interact with people from the surrounding communities.

After the cultural experience, you will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay, bringing an exciting day of gorilla trekking and cultural discovery to an end.

Day 4 of 5 Day Rwanda Gorilla and Akagera : Golden Monkey Tracking & Musanze Caves 

Breakfast and Cultural Performance at Park Headquarters

After an early breakfast at your lodge, you will return to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters for registration and preparation for your golden monkey tracking experience.

While at the headquarters, you will enjoy tea or coffee and experience traditional music and performances by local dancers. After the cultural performance, your park ranger will provide a briefing about the activity and important safety guidelines.

You will then join your assigned golden monkey tracking group and travel to the starting point of the trek.

 Golden Monkey Tracking

Golden monkey tracking offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the forests of Volcanoes National Park while observing these active and colorful primates in their natural habitat.

Compared with gorilla trekking, golden monkeys are often easier to locate because they are usually found in areas of bamboo forest where they feed and move between the trees. However, tracking time can still vary depending on their location and movements.

Once you find the golden monkeys, you will have time to observe them, take photographs, and learn more about their behavior from your park ranger. Watch as they move through the forest, feed, and interact with one another.

After the experience, your ranger will guide you back to the vehicle, where you will meet your Tukumbe Tours and Travel safari guide and return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.

 Lunch and Visit to Musanze Caves

After lunch, you will visit the Musanze Caves, one of the interesting natural attractions in the Volcanoes region.

Accompanied by your guide, you will explore the caves and learn about their natural and cultural significance. You will be provided with the necessary safety equipment before entering the cave.

As you walk through the cave, you will discover its large chambers, rock formations, and passageways while learning about the history and traditional use of the caves by local communities.

After the cave visit, you will return to your lodge before nightfall. Enjoy dinner and relax as you prepare for the next day of your Rwanda safari.

Day 5: Return to Kigali

After breakfast at your lodge, you will check out and begin your journey back to Kigali with your Tukumbe Tours and Travel safari guide.

Enjoy the scenic drive through the beautiful Rwandan countryside as you travel from the Volcanoes region to Kigali. Along the way, you will pass rolling hills, banana plantations, tea fields, and small towns while enjoying the changing landscapes of Rwanda.

Upon arrival in Kigali, your guide will drop you off at Kigali International Airport for your departure flight or at your preferred accommodation if you are staying longer in Rwanda.

If your flight schedule allows, you may also have time to enjoy an optional Kigali city tour. Depending on your available time, you can visit local markets, coffee shops, bakeries, or handicraft centers where you can purchase locally made souvenirs and artwork.

You may also visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, an important historical site where you can learn about Rwanda’s history and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The visit provides an opportunity for reflection and a deeper understanding of the country’s journey toward reconciliation and rebuilding.

After your city tour, your Tukumbe Tours and Travel guide will transfer you to your accommodation or Kigali International Airport according to your travel schedule.

This marks the end of your Rwanda safari with Tukumbe Tours and Travel. We hope you leave Rwanda with wonderful memories and unforgettable experiences.

End of Tour