10 Days Birding Safari in Rwanda

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali Airport

Our office staff / driver will meet you at Kigali Airport. Drive you to your hotel for check-in, waiting for bird watching in the next day. Overnight at Hotel Chez Lando Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner.

Day 2: Kigali – Nyungwe Forest National Park (5 hours drive)

After breakfast in the morning you will drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park which is located in the south western part of Rwanda. It is known for its chimpanzees which are supported by the montane forest and as a result it also acts as a home of over 300 species of birds. Later after lunch you will start watching birds at Gisakura area of Nyungwe Forest National Park. So expect to encounter various bird species at this area among which they include Handsome francolins, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori batis, Barred long tailed cuckoo and white bellied crested flycatcher, Albertine owlet, Congo bay owlet, Purple throated, Blue headed and Regal sunbirds, Stripe breasted tit and strange weaver, Rwenzori double collared, Neumann’s warbler, Red-collared Mountain-Babbler, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Mountain Yellow Warbler and White-crested Helmet Shrike. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Bird watching at Uwinka, Nyungwe Forest National Park

Leave your accommodation in the morning after your breakfast then drive Uwinka for bird watching with your birding guide and also remember to inform your guide to spot your favorite bird species among which they include; White-browed Robin Chat, African Paradise Flycatcher, Long-crested Eagle, African Water Rail, Doherty’s and Lagden’s bush shrikes, White tailed flycatcher, White bellied robin chat, Yellow eyed black flycatcher, Archer’s robin chat, Rwenzori hill babbler, Mountain sooty boubou, and Great Crested Grebe among others. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Bird watching at Gisakura, Nyungwe Forest National Park

Have early morning breakfast and after drive to Gisakura area for the whole day bird watching. This is an opportunity for you to view different species of birds in this area because it has different birding trails for the whole day and expect to see species like Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, Neumann’s Warbler, Rwenzori Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-faced woodland Warbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Strip-breasted Tit, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Olive woodpecker, and Mountain Buzzard among other birds. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Nyungwe Forest National Park – Akagera National Park (7 hours drive)

You will transfer to Akagera National Park which is located in the eastern part of Rwanda bordering Tanzania. It is composed of woodlands, swamps, low mountains and savannah which act as home of over 500 different species of birds.  During your transfer you will involve in bird watching while on your way to Akagera National Park and expect to see bird species like Augur Buzzard, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Northern Puffback, White-starred Robin, Regal Sunbird, Stripe-breasted Tit, and Mountain Masked Apalis. Overnight at Akagera Game Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Bird watching at Akagera National Park and Lake Ihema

Start your morning with a cup of coffee while getting ready for bird watching at the savannah of Akagera National Park. So your guide will lead you into the savannah where you will encounter various species of bird species  among which they will include; Amur falcon, Beaudouin’s snake eagle, Blue-shouldered robin-chat, Booted eagle, Brown-chested lapwing, Cabanis’s bunting, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Crested barbet, Denham’s bustard, Dimorphic egret,  Eleonora’s falcon, Common stonechat, White-headed Black Chat  and Sooty Chat. Later after lunch you will go for bird watching on Lake Ihema where you will be able to spot water species like Sacred Ibis, Shoebill, Goliath Heron, Grey Heron, Pied Kingfisher, African Fish Eagle, Hadada Ibis, Eurasian Bee-eater, Lesser Stripped Swallow, White Headed Swallow and Stripped Kingfisher. Overnight at Akagera Game Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Akagera National Park – Ruhengeri, Volcanoes National Park (5 hours drive)

Before your transfer to Ruhengeri, you will watch birds on the savannah at Akagera National Park, also your guide will help you to spot your favorite species like Red-faced barbet, Red-winged francolin, Ring-necked francolin, Shelley’s francolin, Short-tailed pipit, Slate-coloured boubou, Sooty falcon, Souza’s shrike, Striped pipit, Tabora Cisticola, Western reef heron, White-winged swamp warbler, Yellow-bellied eremomela, Rasshopper buzzard, Northern brown-throated weaver and Papyrus Gonolek. Later in after lunch you will be driven to Ruhengeri which is the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, home to Mountain Gorillas and Golden monkeys. Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Bird watching at Volcanoes National Park

The park is located in the north western Rwanda bordering Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. It is known for its rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys, also a home to over 300 bird species. So your birding guide will lead you to the Jungle through the various birding watching trails which will enable you to spot various forest bird species like Blue-headed Sunbird, Handsome Francolin, Olive Thrush, Rwenzori Turaco, Chestnut-throated Apalis, African marsh harrier, common moorhen, long-crested eagle, grey throated tit, paradise flycatcher, red-faced woodland warbler, archer’s ground robin, Rwenzori Batis, and Rwenzori double collared sunbird among others. Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Bird watching at the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera

 This is one of the best places to relax and the two lakes are separated by 1km land. These twin lakes with Rugezi Swamp are the excellent places for Bird watching activity. So you will do bird watching at these lakes where you will spot species like Double-toothed barbet, Pin-tailed whydah, Malachite kingfisher, Grey crowned crane, African Darter, Great Cormorant, Yellow-billed Duck, Crowned Lapwing, and African Skimmer. Later in afternoon drive to Lake Kivu for another round of bird watching  and lake offers different species of birds among which they include Southern Red Bishop, Red-chested sunbirds, Hadada Ibis, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Scarlet-chested, Spectacled Weaver, Striated Heron, Common Waxbill, Black-headed Heron, Red-billed Firefinch, Little bee-eater, Yellow-fronted Canary, Sacred Ibis, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Variable Sunbird, Bronzed Manakin, Black-headed Weaver, Yellow-bellied Waxbill and many others. Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Ruhengeri, Volcanoes National Park – Kigali (2 hours drive)

After your morning breakfast you will be driven to Kigali city waiting time for your flight back home.

• Transportation by a 4 x 4 Station wagon.
• Driver guide
• Specialized birding guide
• Birding watching fees
• Park entrance fees
• Accommodation and meals as per the Itinerary
• Wildlife viewing
• Enroute lunches
• Ranger guide fees
• Airport transfers
• 1 bottle of water per day while on the safari

The package to exclude:

Expenses of personal nature like: drinks, One gorilla permit per person, domestic flight, International flight from and back home, laundry, tips, telephone, cigars, etc.