7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari takes you to Rwanda a land of thousand stunning hills into its top visited safari destination –Volcanoes National Park to encounter the endangered mountain gorillas and a visit to Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya known as Africa’s famous big five mammals. The Masai Mara is also refereed as Maasai Mara. The Mara –is an extension of the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania, home to a large wildlife reserve found in Kenya’s Narok Country. Well, the park was named after the famous Maasai Nomads who inhabit the surrounding areas. The word Mara refers to the many trees that are dotted with the vast savannah. Serengeti comes along with Maasai Mare National Game makes for arguably the top-visited wildlife conservation area in the world. In Kenya Maasai Mara is the leading tourist destination because is home to a high population of elephants, lions, cheetahs, and leopards among others. It is also renowned for its annual migration event of zebra, wildebeest, and Thomson’s gazelle which is considered to be one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles.
Rwanda’s Volcanoes National park on the other hand stands out for having what Maasai Mara misses on its tour package – great mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are the most unique creatures in the world because they look and behave like humans. In the wild these endangered mountain gorillas there is a remaining total population of over 1065 individuals, found in only three countries –Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Volcanoes National Park Rwanda Mountain gorillas trek in different gorilla families including; Bisoke, Gahinga, Sabinyo, Karisimbi many more.
The 7 days Rwanda and Kenya safari offers an excellent choice for visitors who want to adventure the most sought African creatures. The Rwanda tour includes; encounters with golden monkeys and cultural visits to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Centre and the Masai.
The tour starts in Rwanda and ends in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Tour Highlight of 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour and Masai Mara Safari
Day 1: Arrival in Rwanda and Pick up
Day 2: Kigali City –Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
Day3: Golden Monkey Tracking –Nature walk and Visiting the twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking –Transfer of Nairobi
Day 5: Nairobi to Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Day 6: Full-day game drives at the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Day 7: Visit the Masai- Transfer back to Nairobi –Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and pickup
Depending on your point of location, our safari driver guide will pick you up from the airport by our driver guide and drives you to your booked hotel in Kigali. Have dinner and overnight
Meal Plan; Dinner
Day2; Kigali City Tour –Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park –Visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
After an early breakfast, our driver guide will pick you up in time and brief you about the Rwanda tours. After the briefing, you will be taken on Kigali City Tour. The city tour includes; Visiting the city museum, the genocide memorial site in Kigali, the former president’s palace, art shops, and city markets. After a city tour, have lunch and transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Arrive at the park and be taken straight to your lodge for check-in. After refreshments, the driver will take you to visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Centre where you will spend time watching traditional dances hearing local stories and visiting the local medicine man to learn how common sicknesses were treated hundred years ago. During your visit, you can buy souvenirs or opt to taste the local Rwanda food in different sections. Dinner and Overnight.
Meal Plan; Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day3: Golden Monkey Tracking & Visit the twin Lakes of Ruhondo and Burera
You will wake up early and have breakfast as you wait for the guide to transfer you to the park offices for briefing. At the briefing Centre, you will meet up with park guides who will share information about the golden monkeys, how to prepare for the hike, and rules to follow while with the primates. Golden monkeys are subspecies of the blue monkey which live in the same area as mountain gorillas though gorillas prefer the lower slopes of the volcanoes because of the bamboo tree species. They feed their diet on fruits, seeds, tree shoots, and insects. They will raid farms whenever they can for potatoes. Golden monkeys have two main enemies –man and the African eagle.
The golden monkey is only found in Rwanda and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park and Congo. While tracking golden monkeys, you will be given one hour to watch them play, feed and climb trees and take photos as well as capture videos. Note golden monkeys are very playful and stubborn. During trekking, expect to also spot other primates like baboons, and vervet monkeys while searching for these unique primates.
After the golden monkey activity, the driver will drive you back to your hotel for refreshments, lunch, and rest. In the evening, the guide will take you to visit the twin lakes Burera and Ruhondo as well as nature walks around the park. Have dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking at the Volcanoes National Park –Transfer to Kigali for a flight to Nairobi
On the 4th day of your 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari, Wake up early have breakfast and start the journey back to the park head offices. Have a briefing about what to do and not to do. After the briefing, you will be grouped into a group of eight people which is assigned to each gorilla family. You will be led by the park rangers to track the primates. Gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes National Park is very rewarding because it exposes you to stunning scenery, birds, butterflies, and smaller primates. Once the gorilla family is allocated, one hour is allowed to spend with them enjoy their amazing lifestyle, and take photos as you follow the gorilla trekking rules. Keep a distance and refrain from feeding while near the primates. Do not make noise. Gorilla trekking experience can take between 2 to 6 hours.
After tracking the gorillas, you will be given one hour to spend with them and get the certificate of participation. You will drive back to the hotel to have lunch. After lunch, the drive will set off to Kigali International Airport for departure to Nairobi.
On arrival in Nairobi, a driver will be waiting for you at the airport welcomes you to Kenya, and then take you to the hotel for check-in and refreshments. Dinner and Overnight stay.
Meal Plan; Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 5: Transfer from Nairobi to Maasai Mara National Reserve –Afternoon game drive
Wake up and enjoy breakfast as you wait for the Guide-driver. The driving journey is really interesting as you drive through the spectacular Kenyan countryside and the Great Rift Valley. As you drive to the reserve, you will bypass beautiful Masai villages where you will be amazed to see one of Africa’s great nomads tending to their domestic animals. You will have lunch at the lodge and then drive to the park for the first game drive adventure in the afternoon. During the game drive, expect to see all the big five mammals including Rhinos, Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, and Leopards among others. Dinner and Overnight
Meal Plan; Breakfast, Lunch, and Breakfast
Day 6: Full-Day Game Drive at the Maasai Mara National Park
On the 6th day of your 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari, wake up early as usual, and take your breakfast as you wait for the driver–guide to pick you up for the game drive. You will spend the entire day doing game drives in different sections of the reserve. Expect to see the big cats in the jungle, elephants, zebra, elands, giraffes, rhinos, and elephants. The afternoon is perfect for driving to Mara river to watch wildebeest and other animals drinking by the shores of the river. Have dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Visit the Masai Village –Departure to Nairobi from the Masai Mara National Reserve
Wake up on a leisurely day as you wait for our safari company driver–guide to take you for a cultural visit to one of the Masai Villages. After a tour of the Maasai and learning about their culture and way of living. After you will depart Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
End of 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Kenya Wildlife Safari
Tour Includes;
A Gorilla permit
Golden monkey permits
Park entrance
Cultural visits
Game drives in Kenya
Full board Accommodation including
Transport in a safari vehicle with an open roof for easy wildlife viewing
An acknowledgeable speaking safari guide
Meals on safari
Enough water mineral water bottles on safari
Flight from Rwanda to Kigali
Airport transfers
Tour Excludes;
International flights before and after the safari
Visa fees
Expenses of a personal nature like souvenirs, telephones, laundry, and beverages.
Tips to the hotel staff, rangers, wardens and guides or drivers
Medical and travel insurance
