10 Days Best Rwanda safari

10 Days Best Rwanda safari: Book this 10 days Rwanda safari tour visiting the 3 major national parks of Rwanda. Take on a mountain gorilla trek, Dian Fossey hike, and Golden monkey trek in the Volcanoes national park, have a night in Gisenyi – Lake Kivu then connect to the Nyungwe forest national park for a chimpanzee trek and a canopy walk experience and conclude the safari with a game drive in Akagera national park and a boat trip on Lake Ihema. 

10 Days Best Rwanda safari

You will have some cultural visits to the Iby’iwachu cultural center and a brief stopover at the Butare museum, King’s palace, Kigali Genocide memorial grounds and the Kimironko market for souvenirs. 

You can book this safari any day of the week throughout the year. 

Trip highlights of the 10 Days Best Rwanda safari

  • Day 1: Hotel transfer to Ruhengeri
  • Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park Rwanda
  • Day 3: Dian Fossey Hike
  • Day 4: Golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park
  • Day 5: Lake Kivu visit
  • Day 6: Connect to Nyungwe forest national park
  • Day 7: Morning chimpanzee trekking and afternoon canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park
  • Day 8: Connect to Akagera national park with enroute museum visits
  • Day 9: Morning game drive and afternoon boat trip on Lake Ihema
  • Day 10: Morning game drive and drive back to Kigali.

Trip description

Day 1: Hotel transfer to Volcanoes national park- Ruhengeri

In the morning, your driver guide will be waiting for you to get ready for your Rwanda safari. He will meet you at the agreed pick up point in Kigali, exchange pleasantries and receive a briefing on what to expect the next few days. You will get your bags and set out for your first point of visit; the Kigali Genocide Memorial Grounds for a brief history of the 1994 political events of Rwanda and connect to the Kimironko market for a chance to interact with the local people of Rwanda. 

Have lunch and set out for Ruhengeri. You will drive about 2 hours and reach Musanze to connect to your hotel to check in and settle in for the night.

Hotel options in Volcanoes national park

  • Hotel Muhabura for budget option
  • Le Bambou gorilla lodge for midrange option
  • 5 Volcanoes gorilla lodge for luxury option

Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park Rwanda

By 6 am, you will be expected to be up and ready for your breakfast at the hotel and after head out to the Volcanoes national park for the morning brief before the mountain gorilla trekking experience. Your driver guide will drive you the point, you will attend the 20 to 30 minute brief on what to expect and code of conduct while in the forest and you will get assigned a mountain gorilla family for the day. After when you are ready, you will follow your ranger guides into the forest in search of the mountain gorillas. This trek lasts about 2 to 4 hours all depending on how far into the forest the mountain gorillas will be. 

Upon meeting the gorilla family of the day, you will enjoy your magical one hour at a 6 meters distance. Watch them go about their day and see how they relate, take non flash photos and after exit the forest headed back to your accommodation for lunch. You may spend the rest of the day at leisure or take on a cultural tour of the Iby’iwachu Cultural centre and return before it gets dark. 

Dinner will be served and you will head back to your rooms to spend another night in Volcanoes national park.

Day 3: Dian Fossey hike

Wake up in the cold Volcanoes national park for breakfast and after head out to the park reception once again to have a morning brief of the day’s activity. The Dian Fossey hike is a walk to the tomb of the gorilla mother Dian Fossey who lost her life emphasizing the importance of mountain gorilla conservation. 

Learn about her works and after exit the forest headed back to your hotel for a late lunch. You will spend the rest of the day resting from this tiring hike as dinner gets ready to be served. Spend another night in Volcanoes national park.

Day 4: Golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park

Have an early breakfast looking forward to the golden monkey trekking experience in Volcanoes national park. You will attend the morning pre trekking brief by the park rangers and after follow them on the trail in search of these playful creatures. You will see the golden monkeys swing from one branch to another and spend some quality time in the forest. You will exit the forest and head back to the hotel to end the day at leisure. Dinner will be served and you will spend your last night in Volcanoes national park.

Day 5: Lake Kivu visit

Wake up on a more relaxed note, pack your belongings and connect for breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, your driver guide will be waiting for you to check out of your hotel in Volcanoes park and head out on your 2 hour transfer from Ruhengeri to Gisenyi. You will arrive in time to check in at your hotel in Gisenyi. Have lunch and set out for a boat trip on Lake Kivu. Enjoy the stunning views and fresh breeze of the lake.

Later connect back to your hotel for dinner and a night stay in Gisenyi.

Hotel options in Gisenyi

  • Paradise Malahide for the budget option
  • Le Palm Beach hotel for midrange option
  • Lake Kivu serena lodge for the luxury option

Day 6: Connect to Nyungwe forest national park 

By 8 am, you will be expected to be having breakfast and well packed up ready to leave Gisenyi. You may have a last glimpse at the lake and continue driving further to Nyungwe forest national park. This is a 5 to 6 hour road transfer from Gisenyi to Nyungwe forest. 

You will have an enroute lunch and arrive at your hotel in Nyungwe in the afternoon hours. Check in and settle in as you await dinner to be served.

Hotel options in Nyungwe forest national park

  • Gisakura visitor center for a budget option
  • Nyungwe top hill view lodge for midrange option
  • One and only Nyungwe house for a luxury option

Day 7: Morning chimpanzee trekking and afternoon canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park

Get up so early to catch these early risers. By 5 am, your driver guide will be expected to have dropped you at the Uwinka visitor center where you will attend the morning brief from the Nyungwe forest park rangers and join the team headed on to the trail for chimpanzee trekking. You will hear the chimpanzee sounds right from the beginning of trail up to when you catch a glimpse of these playful creatures and this trek will take about 4 hours.

Return to your hotel for a late breakfast and relax to regain some energy. Lunch will be served and your driver guide will transfer you to the park reception to check in for your canopy walk experience in Rwanda. The canopy walk in Nyungwe forest is a 160 meters long canopy and 70 meters high suspended bridge giving you a view of the forest from the bird’s view. Return to the hotel before it gets dark for dinner and second night in Nyungwe forest. 

Day 8: Connect to Akagera national park with enroute museum visits

Wake up early to complete this long transfer from Nyungwe forest to Akagera national park. Have breakfast and pack your bags and check out of your hotel. You start your 6 to 7 hour road transfer with enroute visits of the Butare Museum and the King’s Palace. You will also have an enroute lunch and continue further to Akagera national park via Kigali.

You will arrive at the park before the gates close and drive to your hotel to check in, have dinner and spend your first night in Akagera national park.

Hotel options in Akagera national park

  • Akagera game lodge for a budget option
  • Karenge bush camp for midrange option
  • Rusizi tented camp for the luxury option

Day 9: Morning game drive and afternoon boat trip on Lake Ihema

Get up for a tasty breakfast at your hotel and connect with your driver guide for your wildlife tour of this safari. Drive to the park reception and pick up a park guide/ security and head out to explore vast lands of Akagera where you will meet the game of the park like the giraffes, elephants, rhinos, lions and the smaller animals like the bush duikers, impalas, warthogs. 

Return to the hotel for lunch and after the sun has calmed down, you will drive for your Lake Ihema boat trip to view the water animals like the crocodiles, hippos and the number of bird life of Akagera. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay in Akagera national park.

Day 10: Morning game drive and drive back to Kigali.

Right after breakfast, you will gather your belongings, check out of your hotel and connect with your driver guide who will be waiting to drive you back to Kigali for drop off. You may have a brief game drive in the park as you exit and drive 2 hours back to Kigali. If the Kigali city tour was not possible on the first day then, this would be the best time to do it and be dropped off at the agreed drop-off time and location.

End of the 10 Days Best Rwanda safari

Trip quote to include:

  • Full-time safari vehicle with fuel
  • English/ French speaking driver-guide
  • Accommodation
  • Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • Activities as outlined in the itinerary
  • Park entrance fees
  • Bottled water

Trip quote to exclude:

  • Flight fares
  • Visa fees
  • Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Personal needs like laundry, phone service, insurance, medicine, alcoholic beverages etc

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