This 8 days safari in Rwanda offers a lifetime opportunity for you to visit 3 of the 4 National Parks with a guarantee of encountering primates and savanna wildlife. The main highlights of this safari include visiting Akagera National Park for a game drive & boat cruise; Volcanoes National Park & Nyungwe Forest National Park for mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking respectively. Below is a detailed 8 days Rwanda safari itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival, pick up & transfer to hotel
You will be picked up at Kigali International Airport (KGL) and driven to a hotel booked for you by your tour operator in Rwanda. Check in and have a relaxed evening, share stories of your long journey then retire for the night.
Day 2: Briefing & drive to Akagera (Launch cruise)
Meet your tour driver for a briefing before you start your trip to Akagera National Park, Eastern Province of Rwanda. It will be a short road trip taking 2.5 hours drive in a full-time 4×4 safari vehicle. Arrive at the park early, and proceed to the lodge while catching a glimpse of some animal species are they roam around. Get a leisurely lunch and in the afternoon, you will participate in a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. The boat safari mainly brings you a close encounter with aquatic life: hippos, crocodiles, and birds.
Day 3: Full-day exploring Akagera wildlife with a guide
Lying on Eastern Rwanda’s border with Tanzania, Akagera National Park offers an excellent Big 5 game viewing experience. Starting early morning, set out for a game drive through the park’s savannas to look out for important species such as zebras, elephants, Masai giraffes, waterbucks, buffaloes, bushbucks, lions, leopards, rhinos, roan antelopes, and birds.
By around 11:30 am, you would have returned to the lodge for a leisurely lunch and relaxation. Set out of the lodge once again and this time round, it will be mainly for a boat cruise experience on Lake Ihema. This water sport allows you to view hippos, crocodiles, and aquatic birds.
Day 4: Safari to the Southern Province (Nyungwe Forest National Park)
After breakfast, meet with your tour driver for pick-up and begin your road trip to Nyungwe Forest National Park. This won’t be a straight drive but comes with an en-route visit to Kings Palace in Butare, the Ethnographic Museum, and later, lunch in a restaurant/hotel. After, connect to Nyungwe’s safari lodges for relaxation, dinner, and a night stay.
Day 5: Go watch chimpanzees in the wild & canopy walk
Nyungwe Forest N. Park is most explored for its amazing chimpanzee trekking experiences and your primate adventure starts at 8:00 am after briefing. This primate search rewards beyond chimp encounters as you will also keep an eye on other primates. These include; Rwenzori colobus monkeys, baboons, L’hoests monkeys, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and more.
The trek will be conducted starting from Uwinka reception and a maximum of one hour is guaranteed for a close view of chimpanzees. The afternoon experience will be a canopy walk through a suspended walkway and this begins from Uwinka along Igishigishigi trail.
Day 6: To Northern Province tour (Volcanoes National Park)
You will be departing Nyungwe Forest for Volcanoes National Park in the Northern Province of Rwanda. The en-route journey covers a spectacular view of Lake Kivu and surrounding areas.
Day 7: Go meet mountain gorillas & visit Ibyi’wacu village
Enjoy a delicious breakfast in the lodge. And meet the tour driver for transfer to Kinigi for briefing about gorilla trekking. This is a moment when you will have insight into gorilla trekking rules. And the gorilla family will allocated for you to go to track. In a group of 8 guests, there will be one experienced park guide accompanying you through the 2-6 hours’ trek. This includes one hour of photo taking & observing the daily behaviors of mountain gorillas. After tracking gorillas, walk back and relax then continue to Ibyi’wacu village for a cultural experience.
Day 8: Transfer to Kigali – Departure
Have breakfast and after, check out then begin your road trip to Kigali. This 2-3 hours’ drive allows you view the beautiful countryside and on arrival in Kigali, visit Gisozi memorial center, museum and other sites. After the city tour, get to a restaurant for lunch and later, transfer to the airport for departure/remain at a hotel. This will mark the end of your 8 days Rwanda safari.
