15 Day Kigali to Nairobi Adventure Tour (Accommodated)

Day 1: Kigali, Rwanda

You are welcome to arrive at any time. Transfers are included.

Spend some time exploring the city if you arrive early. It’s a pleasant, friendly place to be. Aside from the city limits, Kigali has some interesting and historical sites. We recommend booking a pre-night if you want more time to explore.

Accommodation: Hotel des Mille Collines (or similar)

Day 2 : Kigali-Volcanos National Park, Rwanda

Experience the Kigali Genocide Memorial and learn about this somber chapter of Rwanda’s history. Enjoy a local lunch at the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre before taking a walk in the vibrant Nyamirambo neighbourhood. Upon arrival at Volcanoes National Park in the afternoon, we will settle into our lodge offering stunning views of the peaks.

Volcanoes National Park is bordered by Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Among the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, five are found here. Forest and bamboo cover the park’s volcanoes and highlands (a favourite snack of gorillas). Mountain gorillas are the most famous residents here, but buffaloes, bushbucks, golden monkeys, hyenas, numerous bird species, and elephants live here as well.

Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast ,Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Kigali Genocide Memorial Visit; Nyamirambo Women’s Centre, Local Lunch
Route: Kigali – Volcanoes National Park
Distance: 130 km (3h)

Day 3 : Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

With a park ranger, trek through lush, jungle-covered hills in search of a unique and endangered species — the golden monkey. Explore this playful, curious creature’s natural habitat, followed by a visit to Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Center founded by National Geographic Grantee Ellen Degeneres. Enjoy immersive activities, such as a 360-degree theatre and replica of Dian Fossey’s original cabin, before meeting with some of the organization’s gorilla experts. You’ll have the chance to ask them questions about their experiences working for the world’s largest gorilla conservation organization.

Please note: Proper hiking attire must be worn.

Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Golden Monkey Trek; Mountain Gorilla Conservation Sundowner Experience

Day 4: Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Join a park ranger on an unforgettable trek through the jungle to search for mountain gorillas. Depending on where the gorillas are located, these treks can vary in length and difficulty. We’ll return to our lodge for lunch, then visit a local village to see how rural life is lived.

There are approximately 800 mountain gorillas in the wild today. Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda are home to these animals. In DRC and Rwanda, gorillas live in similar ecosystems/areas. Those gorilla species are known as highland gorillas.

Gorilla family visits in Rwanda are conducted once a day, with a maximum of eight trekkers per group, and the duration of a visit is limited to one (1) hour with the gorilla family. The time spent with them is limited due to conservation considerations and to minimize impact on the day-to-day life of the gorilla family you are visiting. You never know how long your trek will be, so it’s important to be well prepared. Depending on the location of the gorillas, which are constantly moving, the duration of a trek can vary between 4 and 9 hours. Apart from the occasional buffalo or elephant trail, you will mainly walk where there are no paths.

You are not allowed to touch the gorillas (although they may touch you in some cases). Loud noises and sudden movements are also prohibited. In general, you should keep a distance of 7m from the gorillas, but they are unaware of this and may get very close to you; if this happens, slowly move away. Follow the instructions of the trackers and rangers at all times.

There is an approximate charge for porters of $10USD per person. In addition to carrying your day pack, the porters can provide you with a welcome hand over difficult spots. Even the fittest of people can be affected by some tracks’ mud and elevation if they don’t hire a porter. In addition, it provides employment and supports the local economy.

Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Gorilla Trekking; Iby’iwacu Village Visit
Route: Volcanoes National Park – Kigali

Day 5: Volcanoes National Park – Akagera National Park, Rwanda

After lunch, head east to the Akagera National Park. This part of Rwanda was once devastated by armed conflict, and many years of neglect and misuse followed. Wildlife returned to park savannas, forested hills, and wetlands due to dedicated work by the local communities. Here you can get a behind-the-scenes look at this fascinating conservation success story. Afterwards, stay at our comfortable lodge overlooking beautiful Lake Ihema.

There are zebras, giraffes, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and hundreds of bird species in Akagera National Park. There are highlands, savannah plains, swamps, wetlands and lakes within the park, which runs along the Tanzanian border.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Route:  Volcanoes National Park – Parc National de l’ Akagera
Distance: 240 km

Day 6: Akagera National Park, Rwanda

Safari drives in the early morning offer the chance to see lions, buffalo, hyenas, and antelopes grazing freely. Take a dip in the pool or relax at the lodge after lunch. Take a boat ride along Lake Ihema in the afternoon to search for hippos and crocodiles. Observe elephants and buffalo gathered at the lakeshore for water, as well as other wildlife. The area is home to many birds, including herons, shoebill storks, fish eagles, and kingfishers.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Akagera NP Morning Safari Drive; Wildlife Cruise on Lake Ihema

Day 7: Akagera National park- Kigali, Rwanda

In the early hours of the morning, when animals are most active, we will head out for our final safari drive. Giraffes, gazelles, impalas, baboons, Butchel’s zebras, leopards, and lions can be seen here. In the afternoon, we will travel overland back to Kigali through the northern edge of the park.

Accommodation: Hotel des Mille Collines (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Included Highlight: Akagera NP Morning Safari Drive
Route: Parc National de l’ Akagera – Kigali
Distance: 110 km

Day 8: Kigali – Nairobi, Rwanda

Upon arrival in Nairobi, catch a flight from Kigali and be transferred to the hotel.

As soon as you arrive at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel. After a brief orientation meeting with your group at the hotel, take some time to explore Nairobi. This is where you will meet your Kenyan guide for this portion of the tour and perhaps other travellers who may join you on the remainder of the tour.

Accommodation: Jacaranda Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Included Highlight: Flight from Kigali to Nairobi
Route: Kigali – Nairobi
Distance: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Day 9: Nairobi – Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Arrive at Lake Nakuru early in the morning and experience the flocks of pink flamingos and the diversity of bird species that inhabit the lake. On a late afternoon wildlife drive, we will seek out the resident rhinos at our safari lodge inside Lake Nakuru National Park..

Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Lake Nakuru Wildlife Safari Drive
Route: Nairobi – Lake Nakuru Wildlife Safari Drive
Distance: 165Km (3 – 4 hours travelling time)

Day 10: Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Spend your mornings and afternoons on safaris, in search of rhinos, buffaloes, impalas, lions, and more; and drive along Lake Nakuru’s salty shores to observe a wide variety of birds. Afterwards, you will be able to hear from a representative of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), a government agency responsible for managing the country’s wildlife.

Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Lake Nakuru Wildlife Safari Drive, Kenya Wildlife Service Conservation Talk

Day 11: Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

You’ll find Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by grassy banks and olive trees. Take a boat ride on the lake and look out for hippos, crocodiles, and buffalo, or peer through your binoculars for lovebirds, ibises, and the African fish eagle. You can take a guided stroll on Crescent Island to see wildebeest, zebras, and giraffes as you step ashore at the peaceful wildlife sanctuary.

Lake Naivasha receives its name from the Maasai word “Nai’posha”, which means “rough water”, although we often see hippos, crocodiles, and birds in this area. You will be able to observe buffaloes wallowing in the swamps, and listen to the colobus monkeys calling from the trees while using your binoculars to scan for lovebirds, ibises, and fish eagles.

Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Lake Naivasha & Crescent Island
Distance: 80km

Day 12: Lake Nakuru National Park – Masai Mara, Kenya

Located in the heart of the renowned Masai Mara National Reserve, our tented camp is a comfortable base to explore the reserve. You will drive through vast plains dotted with acacia trees and pass throngs of wildebeests, zebras, and giraffes as well as lions, elephants, and the rest of the African “big five” as you take a safari in the afternoon. In the evening, enjoy scenic views of the rolling plains as you relax at the camp.

We enjoy breakfast this morning, then depart for Masai Mara National Reserve, one of the most famous wildlife reserves in the world. It would be impossible to visit Kenya without visiting this site. Our safari camp, our base during our stay, will be waiting for us when we arrive in the afternoon. A wildlife safari drive will follow in the afternoon, offering excellent chances of seeing the “big five”: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and rhinoceros

Accommodation: Fig Tree Camp (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Masai Mara Wildlife Safari Drive
Route: Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara
Distance: 230 km (5 – 6 hours travelling time)

Day 13: Masai Mara, Kenya

Visit the savanna early in the morning to track the animals that traversed it during the night. At one of the most active times of the day, you will be able to observe ungulates such as Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, as well as topis and elands as well as their stealthy predators. Explore the timeless landscapes of Masai Mara on a late afternoon safari.

Accommodation: Fig Tree Camp (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Masai Mara Wildlife Safari Drive

Day 14: Masai Mara –  Nairobi, Kenya

As you depart Masai Mara, witness a breathtaking sunrise over the savanna before returning to Nairobi. Visit Café Ubuntu on the way en route, a G Adventures-supported project that trains and employs local women and mothers of disabled children. The Café Ubuntu is a relaxing eatery in Maai Mahiu that offers delicious organic food, hospitable service, and a relaxing atmosphere. On their way to the famous Maasai Mara conservancy, tourists drive through the area every year in search of the landmark. Meet the women who create the items sold in the craft center and then enjoy a delicious farm-to-table lunch while learning how the initiative empowers the community. From freshly made tacos to soups, salads, and pizzas, to curry dishes and burritos, there are many options to choose from.

Enjoy the African sun rising over the savannah of the Mara plains on your final morning wildlife safari drive. Upon returning to Nairobi in the late afternoon, you may wish to participate in a farewell dinner with your guide.

Accommodation: Jacaranda Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included Highlight: Masai Mara Wildlife Safari Drive, Café Ubuntu and Ubuntu Made

Day 15: Nairobi, Kenya

Your tour comes to an end today

Meals: Breakfast

Onward Travel Plans

Due to circumstances beyond our control while on tour (such as border crossings, traffic, breakdowns and delays, etc), the end time on the last day cannot be guaranteed. Therefore we strongly recommend you stay the night and fly out the next day. Please consult with your booking consultant.