Rwanda Complete Safari - 7 Days

Today brings the highlight of any Rwanda safari - mountain gorilla trekking. After early breakfast, drive to park headquarters where rangers assign you to one of 12 habituated gorilla families. Your trek through bamboo forests and volcanic slopes follows in the footsteps of legendary primatologist Dian Fossey. The anticipation builds with each step until suddenly - your guides signal. Through the green vegetation, dark shapes move. Your gorilla family. For one magical hour, observe silverbacks weighing 200kg, curious juveniles approaching within meters, mothers cradling tiny infants. The experience is profoundly humbling - looking into a gorilla's eyes, you see intelligence, emotion, and kinship. Afternoon golden monkey trek to meet these playful, endangered primates found only in the Virunga bamboo forests.

Drive east across Rwanda to Akagera National Park - the country's only savannah reserve and its newest Big Five destination. The journey traverses Rwanda's agricultural heartland, offering insights into rural life. Akagera's transformation is remarkable: from a degraded reserve to a thriving wildlife sanctuary thanks to visionary conservation partnerships. Lions were reintroduced in 2015, rhinos in 2017, completing the Big Five lineup alongside elephants, buffalos, and leopards. Arrive for lunch at your lakeside lodge overlooking Lake Ihema. Afternoon game drive through diverse habitats - papyrus swamps, acacia savannah, and lake shores. Spot zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, and if lucky, the growing lion population.

Dedicate a full day to exploring Akagera's 1,122 square kilometers of diverse African wilderness. Early morning game drive focuses on predators - Akagera's lions are increasingly visible as the population grows, while leopards patrol the woodland edges. The park supports large herds of buffalo, elephants that come to drink at the lakes, and Masai giraffes browsing acacia trees. After lunch, embark on a boat safari on Lake Ihema - a two-hour cruise past wallowing hippos, basking crocodiles, and abundant waterbirds including African fish eagles, Goliath herons, and shoebills. The lakes form a chain along the Tanzanian border, creating unique wetland habitats. Return for sundowners watching the sunset paint the savannah golden.

After a final morning game drive searching for any Big Five not yet seen, drive west then south to Nyungwe Forest National Park. This cross-country journey takes most of the day but rewards with ever-changing scenery - savannah gives way to hills, then to the dramatic western escarpment overlooking Lake Kivu. Nyungwe is one of Africa's oldest and most biodiverse rainforests, a living remnant from the last Ice Age protecting 13 primate species, 310 bird species, and countless butterflies. Arrive at your forest lodge surrounded by ancient trees. The forest sounds - birdsong, monkey calls, rustling leaves - create a magical atmosphere. Evening briefing for tomorrow's chimpanzee adventure.

Experience the wonder of chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe's ancient forest. Two habituated communities of 60+ chimps each offer good sighting opportunities in this challenging but rewarding terrain. Trek through moss-draped trees, crossing streams and climbing slopes as guides track chimps through their vocalizations. When found, these intelligent apes - our closest relatives - captivate with their social dynamics, tool use, and remarkably human-like behaviors. After returning for lunch, walk the famous Canopy Walkway - a 160-meter suspension bridge up to 70 meters above the forest floor. This engineering marvel provides bird's-eye views of the forest canopy and opportunities to spot Angola colobus monkeys. Afternoon trail walk in search of L'Hoest's monkeys and the 310 bird species.

After a final forest walk or birding excursion, drive north to Kigali. Stop at Butare (Huye) to visit the excellent National Museum of Rwanda, housing important ethnographic and natural history collections. Continue through the highlands with a stop at a coffee cooperative - Rwanda produces some of Africa's finest coffee, and you can see the washing, drying, and sorting process. Arrive in Kigali with time for shopping at the Caplaki Craft Village for traditional Rwandan arts: intricate Agaseke baskets, Imigongo cow dung paintings, and wood carvings. Farewell dinner at one of Kigali's excellent restaurants before airport transfer. You depart Rwanda having experienced gorillas, chimps, Big Five, and ancient forest - the complete Rwanda safari.