14-Day Primate Experience and 3 Upland Lakes Hike

Arrival in Kigali and transfer to hotel

Day 1Arrival in Kigali and transfer to hotel Arrival in Kigali and transfer to hotel You will be met by your private Shadows of Africa driver, he will be waiting for you with a signboard with your name written on it. From the airport you will be whisked away to your hotel to recover from your flight and enjoy your first taste of African hospitality. Upon request, Shadows of Africa can assist in arranging additional guided tours and day trips. After a good night's rest you will be ready for the start of your safari tomorrow! Main Destination: Kigali (Rwanda) Accommodation: 5 Swiss Hotel Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda) +4 Photos +3 Photos Meals & Drinks: Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kigali city tour

Day 2Kigali city tour Kigali city tour Your full day Kigali city tour covers some of the most historically and culturally significant sites in the Rwandan capital. The exact order of your tour will depend upon your start time, but your tour will include the following activities: Natural History Museum Formerly known as the Kandt House, the Natural History Museum was built by German explorer, Richard Kandt. The building itself has special significance as the first modern house built in what is today Rwanda. Genocide Memorial No visit to Rwanda would be complete without paying a visit to the heart-wrenching Genocide Memorial. Part heartfelt tribute and part educational experience, this memorial recounts the tale of the infamous 1994 Rwandan Genocide, discusses the work being done to heal the country today, and offers a window into the people whose lives were irreversibly changed by the Genocide. Craft Market and Food Market. Main Destination: Kigali (Rwanda) Accommodation: 5 Swiss Hotel Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda) Meals & Drinks: Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Early departure to Akagera NP

Day 3Early departure to Akagera NP Early departure to Akagera NP In the morning, you will drive to Akagera National Park. You'll then enjoy a day long game drive through the small but remarkably diverse park. Home to a huge variety of wildlife, including four of the Big Five, Akagera is sure to amaze with its landscapes and how much beauty it packs into a small package. You will experience the sunset during a boat tour in the park. Main Destination: Akagera National Park (Rwanda) Best Time To Visit June to September and mid-December to mid-February (It is drier and wildlife is easier to spot) High Season June to September (The park is busiest at weekends) Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot) Wildlife in Akagera NP GiraffeCommon BuffaloAbundant ZebraAbundant HippoAbundant White RhinoOccasional LionOccasional Show more ElephantOccasional Black RhinoRare LeopardRare HyenaRare CheetahNone WildebeestNone Wild DogNone Accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Lodge Luxury tented camp located inside Akagera NP (Rwanda) +15 Photos +14 Photos Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Full day game drive in Akagara NP

Day 4Full day game drive in Akagara NP Full day game drive in Akagara NP While Rwanda is not often thought of as a Big Five safari destination, Akagera National Park in the country's east is emerging as one of the best off-the-beaten-path safari destinations in East Africa. After the 1994 Rwandan Genocide led to an increase in poaching that threatened the park's viability, recent efforts to transplant rhinos and lions into the park have meant it is now a true Big Five park: with elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, and buffalo now calling the park home. Main Destination: Akagera National Park (Rwanda) Accommodation: Karenge Bush Camp Mid-range tented camp located inside Akagera NP (Rwanda) +8 Photos +7 Photos Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Border crossing to Uganda

Day 5Border crossing to Uganda Border crossing to Uganda Today, you will be taken from Akagera National Park across the border to Lake Bunyoni. Your driver will assist you with all border crossing and passport formalities. Enjoy a good nights rest before your starting your hike tomorrow. A big adventure lies ahead of you. Main Destination: Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda) Accommodation: Edirisa Camp on Lake Bunyonyi Budget hostel located at Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda) +8 Photos +7 Photos Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Three upland lakes hike - Lake Bunyoni

Day 6Three upland lakes hike - Lake Bunyoni Three upland lakes hike - Lake Bunyoni Lake Bunyoni A short tour around the forested peninsula will show you some pretty interesting things. After a detailed briefing session the paddling will begin at 10am. Under the auspices of young skippers who have grown up on the lake, this will be a piece of cake. The first program item on the terraced hillsides of the Kyabahinga peninsula will be a dancing and singing presentation by nursery school pupils. The prize for your next activity, a relatively intense climb of about 30 minutes, will be tremendous lake vistas. Kyabahinga is uniquely located to give you an outlook over most of Lake Bunyonyi, its 29 islands and the distant Virunga volcanoes. You will hear the colourful tales, legends and historical facts related to the islands. Main Destination: Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda) Accommodation: Birdnest @ Bunyonyi Resort Mid-range resort located at Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda) +5 Photos +4 Photos Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

From Lake Bunyoni to Lake Kayumbu

Day 7From Lake Bunyoni to Lake Kayumbu From Lake Bunyoni to Lake Kayumbu Lake Bunyonyi — Echuya Forest Reserve — Lake Kayumbu You will wake up on Habukomi Island some 30 minutes away from the Kyabahinga peninsula. On this island of pelicans our legendary nightwatchman Tom Karemire runs a homestay. He shows you around the island, tells you stories and prepares meals for you. For example, freshly made chapatis with local honey will be your breakfast delight. The canoes will transport you to the other shore of Bunyonyi and from there you will slowly but surely ascend towards Echuya Forest Reserve, reaching it at around midday. In Echuya you will be part of something unique: a Batwa “Pygmy”-guided nature trail. There is a swamp in the middle of Echuya that calls for rubber boots. The crossing of the woods is expected to take about 2 hours. Your picnic lunch will take place above the twin Lakes of Kayumbu and Chahafi. Main Destination: Lake Chahafi (Uganda) Accommodation: Lake Chahafi Resort Mid-range hotel located at Chahafi (Uganda) +3 Photos Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Lake Kayumbu to Lake Mutanda

Day 8Lake Kayumbu to Lake Mutanda Lake Kayumbu to Lake Mutanda Following your lakeshore breakfast you will start hiking towards Kisoro Town, through rural but densely populated areas. Compared to the rest of the itinerary, this section is strikingly flat. Coffee Pot Cafe in the middle of Kisoro is owned by a German lady who makes excellent food. After lunch you will take about 3 hours to reach Lake Mutanda, visiting a coffee farming family on the hill in between. Even those who aren’t ardent coffee drinkers appreciate the expert guidance and the outlook over the lake. A short motorboat ride will then bring you to a narrow island in the south of Mutanda, called Gahiza. Unmarried pregnant girls were traditionally left on this Punishment Island as a warning to other youngsters. With loads of rabbits on the island you won’t be surprised by what comes on the plate. Main Destination: Lake Mutanda (Uganda) Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort Mid-range lodge located at Lake Mutanda (Uganda) +48 Photos +47 Photos Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Lake Mutanda to Bwindi National Park

Day 9Lake Mutanda to Bwindi National Park Lake Mutanda to Bwindi National Park The isle of Gahiza is pleasant enough that you will love a slow morning. By midday the island’s motorboat will start moving towards Chameleon Hill Lodge, your fantastically colourful lunch break place on the extreme northern tip of Lake Mutanda. On another island, Buhingiro, a colonial-era chief would set up camp while hunting hippos. Locals say hippo meat was at first a delicacy beloved by Batwa ”Pygmies” but later became everybody’s interest. Now they are long gone, but there is a peculiar hippopotamus tale from 2013 that connects Lake Mutanda and Lake Bunyonyi … You have had astonishing surface-level views of the Virungas by now, but Chameleon Hill Lodge lies a bit higher and new panoramic dimensions will embrace as you eat. At 2pm you will hit the village trails for 3-4 hours, taking you nearly to the outer edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Once at Rushaga, a place with one of Bwindi’s four entry gates, you may start preparing for the national park fun you have chosen. Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas) Best Time To Visit June to August and December to February (Gorilla trekking is easiest) High Season June to September (Gorilla permits are scarce) Best Weather June to July and December to February (Less rainfall) Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable NP GorillaCommon ChimpanzeeRare ElephantRare White RhinoNone Black RhinoNone LionNone Show more GiraffeNone Leopar

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi NP

Day 10Gorilla trekking in Bwindi NP Gorilla trekking in Bwindi NP After breakfast at your hotel, you'll proceed directly to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park's headquarters to meet your guides. After completing the briefing, you'll embark on the once in a lifetime experience of tracking the enigmatic mountain gorillas. There is no guarantee how long or difficult your tracking experience will be as it depends on where the family of gorillas is and on weather conditions, It can take anywhere from two up to six hours of trekking through the mountain forest at relatively high altitudes. Fitness is definitely recommended for those wishing to undertake the excursion. One of the most memorable experiences you're likely to ever have, you'll be allowed an hour of close contact with the gorillas once you've found them. You'll be privileged enough to come within mere metres of a family of these rare and beautiful animals, observing their family dynamics and getting to learn a bit about each gorilla's distinct personality in serene silence. Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas) Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge Mid-range lodge just outside Rushaga (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda) Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Full day journey from Bwindi to Nyungwe Forest

Day 11Full day journey from Bwindi to Nyungwe Forest Full day journey from Bwindi to Nyungwe Forest Today you will embark on the long but beautiful journey from Bwindi in Uganda to Nyungwe in Rwanda. Nyungwe is home to no less than 280 different bird species, 26 of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift. You will look for great blue turacos, paradise flycatchers, green pigeons, Ross’ turacos, red-breasted sparrow hawks, handsome francolins and strange weavers, to name just a few. There are a lot of interesting primates living in the park, such as busy babies and sloths, but the most notable of Nyungwe’s inhabitants are the chimpanzees of which at least 500 are currently living in the park. Main Destination: Nyungwe National Park (Chimps) Best Time To Visit June to September (Dry weather, best chimp trekking) High Season June to September (Popular gorilla trekking time in Volcanoes NP) Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot) Wildlife in Nyungwe NP ChimpanzeeCommon White RhinoNone Black RhinoNone LionNone LeopardNone CheetahNone Show more ElephantNone GiraffeNone BuffaloNone ZebraNone WildebeestNone HippoNone Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel Mid-range hotel just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps, Rwanda) +2 Photos Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Meet the Chimps

Day 12Meet the Chimps Meet the Chimps You will rise early to enjoy breakfast and embark on a quest to locate Rwanda's elusive and endangered chimpanzee population. With only four hundred chimpanzees in the country, there is no guarantee that you will see chimpanzees during your day hike, but your Shadows of Africa guide will do everything possible to provide you with a glimpse of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. Even if you are not lucky enough to see a chimpanzee, the national park is a wonderfully diverse place that you can explore both in the morning during your chimpanzee hunt and after lunch. In the afternoon, you will set out in search of another primate in the park—the cheeky black-and-white colobus monkey. These playful primates are easier to spot than chimpanzees, and you will enjoy watching their antics. Main Destination: Nyungwe National Park (Chimps) Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel Mid-range hotel just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps, Rwanda) Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Canopy and waterfall hike in Nyungwe Forest

Day 13Canopy and waterfall hike in Nyungwe Forest Canopy and waterfall hike in Nyungwe Forest You will start the day with a guided waterfall hike and a walk on the famous Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Both offer a unique perspective on this beautiful park, and you will learn to appreciate Rwanda's natural beauty anew as you make your way through the dense forest. Main Destination: Nyungwe National Park (Chimps) Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel Mid-range hotel just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps, Rwanda) Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Culture on the way back to Kigali

Day 14Culture on the way back to Kigali Culture on the way back to Kigali After these adventurous days, you will be taken to the airport to begin your journey home. On the way, you will visit the ethnographic museum and the royal palace. Main Destination: Kigali (Rwanda) Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour) Meals & Drinks: Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included) End of tour (See Getting There for more details)End of tour (See Getting There for more details) Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. You'll be dropped off at the airport. Interested in This Tour? Request a Quote We advise requesting quotes from 3 operators (Learn why) Requests are sent directly to the tour operator If preferred, you can contact the tour operator directly Next: Overview Next: Day by Day Next: Rates Next: Inclusions Next: Getting There Next: Offered By Best price guarantee Your request will be sent directly to the operator If preferred, you can contact the operator directly Next: Request a Quote Request a Quote Disclaimer This tour is offered by Shadows of Africa, not SafariBookings. This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings. If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change. The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability. If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative. Gorilla tracking p