This 11 days Rwanda and Kenya safari is the perfect travel plan for those looking to combine gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda with wildlife viewing in Kenya’s top wildlife destinations, Amboseli National Park and the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve. Embark on these 11 days Rwanda and Kenya safari as you explore top wildlife destinations for an authentic Africa safari experience.
Highlights for 11 Days Rwanda and Kenya Safari
Day 1: Arrival
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe- Visit King’s Palace and Butare Museum
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk
Day 6: Flight to Nairobi
Day 7: Transfer to Amboseli National Park- Game Drive
Day 8: Transfer to the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Day 9: Maasai Mara full day game viewing
Day 10: Hot Air balloon safari – Community tour
Day 11: Transfer back to Nairobi and Departure.
Detailed Itinerary for 11 Days Rwanda and Kenya Safari
Day 1: Arrival
On arrival in Kigali, you will be met by our company representative and transferred to Kigali city, where you will embark on a city tour visiting Kimironko market, coffee tour, and the genocide memorial site. You will check in at your hotel, where you will have dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After having breakfast at your hotel in Kigali, you will start your journey to Volcanoes National Park. If you didn’t do the city tour on your day of arrival, you will get to do it this morning and later drive to Volcanoes National Park.
Have lunch and transfer to Musanze – the nearest town to Volcanoes National Park, found in the northern province of Rwanda. Dinner and overnight in Volcanoes Park.
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
You will enjoy an early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch and bottled drinking water for a briefing by the park ranger guides at 7:00 am. After the briefing, you will start your gorilla trekking journey accompanied by the ranger guides in search of the mountain gorillas; this takes 2 to 8 hours, depending on the movement of the gorillas.
However, the guides will try to find them from where they were last seen the previous day! You will spend 1 hour with these gentle giants and later return to your lodge to refresh and relax. In the evening, you can do a community tour at Ibyi’wacu village for a Rwanda cultural experience. Dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe- Visit King’s Palace and Butare Museum
Breakfast will be served early, and embark on the drive to Nyungwe forest national park with a stopover at the King’s palace in Nyanza and the national museum in Butare. You will also have a stopover lunch en route. Dinner and overnight stay in Nyungwe.
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing before entering the forest, searching for the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are easy to spot, as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimp tracking usually takes about 3-6 hours or more, depending on their location. Have your packed lunch and then head back to base.
Later, you will also engage in a canopy walk and enjoy views of the rainforest from a swing bridge. After the canopy walk, you will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 6: Flight to Nairobi
After breakfast at your lodge, you will proceed to Kigali for your flight to Nairobi. Your guide in Nairobi will welcome you, brief you about your safari, and drive you to your hotel for dinner and overnight in Nairobi.
Day 7: Transfer to Amboseli National Park- Game Drive
After breakfast, embark on your journey to Amboseli National Park, which is about a 5-6 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, check in at the booked lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight at your lodge/camp.
Day 8: Transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast, transfer to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, the unspoiled Savannah. It’s about a 3-4-hour drive. The Maasai Mara is actually the northern portion of the Great Plains ecosystem in neighboring Tanzania, bordering the Serengeti National Park. It is home to the big five games, such as the lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard, and elephant, as well as cheetah, zebra, giraffe, and vast herds of plain antelope and numerous other wildlife. Upon arrival, connect to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9: Maasai Mara full day game viewing
After breakfast, a full day in the park with a packed lunch in search of its popular residents, the Maasai Mara plains are full of wildebeest during migration season, from early July to the end of September. Zebra, impala, topi, giraffe, Thomson’s gazelle are regularly seen, as are leopards, lions, hyenas, cheetah, jackal, and bat-eared foxes. Black rhinos are a little shy and hard to spot, but are often seen at a distance if you are lucky. Hippos are abundant in the Mara River, as are very large Nile crocodiles, which lie in wait for a meal as the wildebeest cross on their annual quest to find new pastures. Later Meals and overnight at lodge as above
Day 10: Hot Air balloon safari – Community tour
Wake early and be picked up by the air balloon team for your hot air balloon safari, which starts in the early morning, just in time for sunrise. For about one hour, you will be floating peacefully above the ground, with a bird’s eye view of the African bush below. The capacity for this activity is limited, making this a very special and exclusive experience. Breakfast will be provided.
Return to the lodge for lunch. Later afternoon, visit the Maasai community for a cultural experience. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 11: Transfer back to Nairobi and Departure.
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and transfer back to Nairobi, which is about a 4-5 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, connect to Jomo Kenyatta Airport for your onward flight back home or to your next destination.
