DAY 1: KIGALI AIRPORT

On arrival at Kigali airport, you will be met by our guide in 4WD vehicle and transferred to a hotel within the town. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at a hotel in Kigali.

DAY 2-3:  NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

Pick up from your hotel after breakfast and drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park with a stop in Butare for lunch and to visit the national museum there. Nyungwe Forest is an enormous tropical forest which harbors about 275 bird species and 13 primates. Forest walks last from one to seven hours, depending on your endurance, but can be hugely rewarding.

Trekking to see chimpanzees can also be pretty strenuous but great fun, but more relaxed guided walks are also possible. The most common primates are grey-cheeked mangabeys, Ruwenzori colobus monkeys, silver monkeys and l'Hoest's monkeys.

Dinner and overnight at a lodge of your choice. Meal plan: full board.

DAY 4-5: LAKE KIVU

After breakfast, drive northwest from Nyungwe to Kibuye, a small town on the shores of Lake Kivu. The forested hills which line the shore are covered by eucalyptus and pine trees, and Kibuye has a very laid back and peaceful ambiance. Take time here to explore the town, go on scenic walks, visit its historic church or pop into its bustling market (busiest on a Friday).

You can also take a boat trip out to nearby Napoleon's Island; home to a colony of fruit bats, and visit Amahoro Island at sunset, where you can enjoy a sun-downer at an unexpected beach bar! Dinner and overnight at a lodge of your choice. Meal plan: full board.

DAY 6: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast leave Kibuye via a scenic road gently weaving through hills to Volcanoes National Park, which protects the Rwandan side of the Virunga Mountains, and the forest-clad volcanoes which were made famous by Dian Fossey's study of gorillas.

Due to the altitude, gradient and, at times, thick foliage, tracking to see the gorillas can be challenging, however your time in Nyungwe Forest will have helped you to acclimatize. Dinner and overnight at a lodge of your choice. Meal plan: full board.

DAY 7: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

After an early breakfast, spend your first morning tracking the endangered golden monkeys. These enigmatic primates are endemic to the region and live on the lower mountain slopes in bamboo thickets. They can be a bit harder to track down than the gorillas, but it is a good introduction to life in the Volcanoes National Park.

In the afternoon, use your free time to explore the local villages, or the nearby lakes of Burera or Ruhondo, or just to relax and watch birds around the lodge. Your guide and 4WD are, as always, at your disposal for excursions. Dinner and overnight at a lodge. Meal plan: full board.

DAY 8: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Early morning breakfast, set out for a meeting at the park's headquarters for a briefing on the etiquette of visiting mountain gorillas. An experienced park ranger will lead you to one of the habituated groups of gorillas, where you have one amazing hour to observe these delightful, human-like primates. It is a breath-taking experience that you will never forget! 

Spend the afternoon at leisure with the guide and 4WD vehicle at your disposal. All meals and overnight at your lodge. Meal plan: full board.
 
DAY 9: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

On your second morning's tracking, you visit a different troop of mountain gorillas. The location of the gorilla groups vary, as does their altitude, and the ease of the treks to reach them. However, the exertions of the longer walks dissipate once you find yourself sitting amongst a group of such intelligent, playful and engaging primates.

In the afternoon, recover from the morning's hiking – or make a plan with your guide to explore the local area further. Dinner and overnight at a lodge. Meal plan: full board.

DAY 10:
After so many early wake-up calls, lie in for your last morning! You will then be driven for about 2 hours through lovely hills, past villages, to Kigali. Here you may have time to visit the moving Genocide Museum, or to have a quick look around town, before being driven to Kigali Airport to catch your flight to Nairobi where you board a flight back home, marking the end of your safari.