This is the, BEST GORILLA TRIP EVER!

Rwanda is an amazing place to visit. It has beauty, mystique, and is truly one of the last premier wildlife experiences left on earth!

When we created this itinerary, we wanted to see gorillas! What we ended up with is an adventure that includes so much more than that. After this trip is over, National Geographic Magazine is going to be pounding on your door to use the photographs that you were able to take during this trip.

Highlights

• Stay in amazing lodges that are immersed in African culture.
• Take game drives on open plains with no other tourists in sight.
• Watch out! There're elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras and lions around.
• Visit the Genocide Memorial to hear stories of survival and triumph.
• Two days of getting up close and personal with the Mountain Gorillas.
• A visit to Dian Fossey's grave to pay our respects.

Dates:
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Tour Length: 8 days, 7 nights

Price: $6,649
Deposit: $1,000
Single supplement: $1,000

Group Size: 16 max.

After arriving at the Kigali International Airport, you will be greeted with a handshake and a smile by your escort from Falk Custom Adventures.

We will then be transferred to our lodging for this evening, the Serena Kigali Hotel, where we’ll have a delicious dinner, meet the rest of our group and then return to our rooms so that we can get a full night of sleep in preparation for the beginning of a trip that you will never forget.

Overnight: Serena Kigali Hotel (Dinner)

After a full breakfast, we will depart for the stunning Akagera National Park. Located on the east end of Rwanda, bordering Tanzania, Akagera National Park is known for the big game that inhabits the area. This is where we’ll wave goodbye to our normalcy and cheerfully welcome a new adventure.

We should arrive at Akagera Game Lodge in time for a buffet lunch. After we’ve settled in and admired the views, it will be time for us to take our first game drive just before sunset. This will give us our first opportunity to see African wildlife up close.

After our game drive, we’ll return to our lodge just in time for a hot dinner with the fantastic view of Lake Ihema as our backdrop.

Overnight: Akagera Game Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Yesterday’s game drive was fun, but today it's serious!

After breakfast, we’ll take an early morning game drive through the park in search of big game. We’ll have the opportunity to see a variety of birds, herds of elephant and buffalo, massive hippos, giraffe, zebra, impala, hyena and bushbuck. We may even stumble across a leopard or a stray lion.

We will return to our lodge in the afternoon for lunch and a short siesta to recharge because the day is not over yet.

Later, we’ll enjoy a leisurely boat ride on Lake Ihema, where we’ll view a large number of hippos, the oversized Nile crocodiles and many birds.

Overnight: Akegera Game Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast, we’ll pack up and head towards Kinigi on the northwest side of the country. Along the way, we’ll stop for lunch in the capital of Rwanda, Kinigi. After lunch, we’ll visit the Genocide Memorial, where we will listen to amazing stories of survival and the inspirational stories of recovery and rebuilding hope.

As we continue our journey north, we will be entranced as we gaze upon the amazing scenery including the beautiful terraced hillsides and the views of distant volcanoes.

We’ll arrive at the stunning Viruga Lodge, which we will use as our base for the next four nights.

Overnight: Virunga Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Today is a day that you will never, ever forget!

After breakfast, we’ll drive a short distance to the headquarters of Volcanoes National Park where we will meet our trackers and head up the slopes of Virunga Volcanoes.

We must follow the strict rules when viewing the mountain gorillas. No more than eight people may visit any group on any given day, which allows for an intimate experience with our group. And when we make contact with the gorillas, we are allowed no more than one hour with them.

We’ll track the gorillas through the lush forested slopes of the Virungas. The experience is absolutely magical. If we're lucky, we may find the gorillas quickly, spend an hour with them, and return to our lodge in time for a late lunch.

There is, however, the possibility that the gorillas may want to play hide-and-seek, especially when it’s wet and muddy. Under these circumstances, it can sometimes take a full day to locate them. You should, therefore, be prepared to hike for two to three hours on steep mountain trails.

Overnight: Virunga Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Anyone who has seen the movie or read the book "Gorillas in the Mist" was no doubt inspired by Dian Fossey's cause to protect the mountain gorillas and horrified by her gruesome murder.

Today we hike to the Karisoke Research site where Dian spent 20 years studying the mountain gorillas. This is now the site of her grave, and seated right next to her is the grave of Digit, her favorite gorilla.

The trek to this area is spectacular. We will pass through bamboo and montane forests that are crisscrossed with the tracks of forest buffalo and elephants!

Yesterday might have been pretty exhausting, so you also have the option of spending the day relaxing around the lodge, visiting the local villages, or perhaps you might want to trek to see the endangered golden monkeys that live in the area.

Overnight: Virunga Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Today is our second opportunity to visit the mountain gorillas and we now know what to expect!

We should be able to view a different group of gorillas today than on our first day, and upon our return to our lodge we should have enough time to visit the local market or perhaps the lake.

Tonight we have our farewell dinner and talk about all the amazing things that we have been able to experience during our time here in Rwanda.

Overnight: Virunga Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Today we’ll begin with breakfast and then pack our belongings.

After we look around one last time at a destination that is truly remarkable, we must load up for our transfer back to Kigali International Airport where we will say our goodbyes and catch our flights home.