This 9-Day Rwanda safari package is a perfect way to introduce yourself to this tiny irresistible country. You will get to explore most of the great destinations and carry out insanely awesome safari activities in each of them.
9 Days Rwanda Tour Overview
This package takes you to Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park. Choice of accommodation may be super luxury, luxury, comfortable, or budget depending on your preference.
Safari Day by Day
We have tried so hard to minimize driving time but rather maximize the time for carrying out activities. This is partly because we want to keep you engaged from the start of your safari till the very end.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali City
Our guide will pick you up when you arrive and transfer you to your hotel. In the afternoon, you will visit the Gisozi Genocide Memorial Monuments and learn about Rwanda’s dark days of 1994. You will understand why so many Rwandans lost their lives in just 100 days.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Early morning, you will transfer to Akagera National Park. The drive is just two hours away from Kigali. Upon arrival, you will check in to your lodge and head for an afternoon boat ride on Lake Ihema. The boat ride is a perfect opportunity to see animals like crocodiles, hippopotamuses, birds, and several mammals that roam around the shores to hydrate.
Day 3: Full Day Game Drive at Akagera
Today, enjoy a full-day game drive around the park. Your tour guide will try their best to ensure you see all the Big Five game animals, though this is not guaranteed. You will explore the northern section of the park, an area with a very high concentration of wildlife.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Exit Akagera National Park with a morning game drive and head towards Nyungwe Forest National Park in the southern province of Rwanda. Make brief stopovers at the former presidential palace and Butare museum before completing your drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk
Rise early and head into the forest to locate the chimpanzees before they wake up. Spend time with them and return to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, head for a canopy walk — the only one of its kind in the entire East African region.
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Today, switch provinces. Drive from the Southern Province to the Northern Province. Early in the morning, your tour guide will transfer you to Volcanoes National Park in Musanze, north of Rwanda. Upon arrival, check in to your lodge for an overnight stay and prepare for an experience with mountain gorillas the following day.
Day 7: Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Transfer to the park headquarters in Kinigi very early in the morning for a briefing and start your gorilla trekking adventure. You will spend between 2 to 8 hours in the jungle, depending on how long it takes to locate the gorillas. This time includes a full hour encounter with these primates.
In the afternoon, visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for a cultural experience and then retire at your lodge for overnight.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking and Dian Fossey Visit
Similar to the previous day, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing and then head for golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park. Golden monkey tracking usually lasts for 2 to 4 hours.
In the afternoon, visit Dian Fossey’s grave at Karisoke Research Center. Dian Fossey was one of the great pioneers of mountain gorilla conservation. She died fighting for the safety of these gorillas and deserves to be honored.
Day 9: Transfer to Kigali and Departure
Today, transfer back to Kigali, enjoy a brief city tour, and get dropped off at the airport to catch your flight home.
