Book this 9-Day Rwanda Safari Tour for the perfect introduction to this tiny, irresistible country.
You will explore most of Rwanda’s great destinations and enjoy incredible safari activities in each one. This tour takes you to Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.
Accommodation choices range from super luxury to luxury, comfortable, or budget, depending on your preference.
We keep driving time to a minimum and maximize time for activities, so you stay engaged from start to finish.
9-Day Rwanda Safari Tour Highlights
- 9-day Rwanda safari visiting Kigali City, Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park
- Airport pick up in Kigali with transfer to your hotel
- Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to learn about Rwanda’s history
- Road transfer from Kigali to Akagera National Park
- Boat ride on Lake Ihema to see hippos, crocodiles, birds, and animals near the lake shores
- Full day game drive in Akagera National Park
- Search for animals such as elephants, buffaloes, lions, giraffes, leopards, and rhinos
- Road transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park with stopovers at the former Presidential Palace and Butare Museum
- Early morning chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest
- Afternoon canopy walk above the forest
- Transfer to Volcanoes National Park in Musanze
- Morning briefing at the park headquarters before gorilla trekking
- Spend one hour observing mountain gorillas and taking photos without flash
- Visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village to learn about local traditions and dance
- Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Visit the Dian Fossey grave at the Karisoke Research Center
- Return transfer to Kigali City
- Brief Kigali city visit before transfer to Kigali International Airport for departure
Brief 9-Day Rwanda Safari Tour Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali City
- Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
- Day 3: Full Day Game Drive at Akagera
- Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk
- Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 7: Mountain Gorilla Trekking
- Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking and Dian Fossey Visit
- Day 9: Transfer to Kigali and Departure
Detailed 9-Day Rwanda Safari Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali City
Our guide will pick you up when you arrive and transfer you to your hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Gisozi Genocide Memorial Monuments and learn about Rwanda’s dark days of 1994, and why so many Rwandans lost their lives in just 100 days.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Early morning, transfer to Akagera National Park, just two hours from Kigali. On arrival, check in to your lodge and head for an afternoon boat ride on Lake Ihema, a perfect opportunity to see crocodiles, hippos, birds, and several mammals that roam the shores to hydrate.
Day 3: Full Day Game Drive at Akagera
Enjoy a full day game drive around the park. Your tour guide will try their best to help you see all the Big Five, though this is not guaranteed. 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 toward 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.
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
Switch provinces from the Southern Province to the Northern Province. Early in the morning, your tour guide will transfer you to Volcanoes National Park in Musanze. On arrival, check in to your lodge for an overnight stay and prepare for your mountain gorilla experience the following day.
Day 7: Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Transfer to the park headquarters in Kinigi very early in the morning for a briefing before starting 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, including a full hour encounter with these primates.
In the afternoon, visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for a cultural experience, then retire at your lodge for overnight.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking and Dian Fossey Visit
Transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing, then head for golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park, which usually lasts 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 and deserves to be honored.
Day 9: Transfer to Kigali and Departure
Transfer back to Kigali, enjoy a brief city tour, and get dropped off at the airport to catch your flight home.
Book this 9-Day Rwanda Safari Tour today and experience gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and Big Five wildlife across three top parks.
