8 Days Safari in Rwanda Vacation – Overview

The 8 Days Safari in Rwanda Vacation features trekking Gorillas in Rwanda, Wildlife viewing, Chimpanzees tracking & culture tours, and historical sites, seeing Rwanda communities and beautiful scenery in the heart of Africa.

This 8 Days Safari in Rwanda Vacation offers you a chance to have a short Kigali city tour and also enjoy the magnificent views of the different wildlife protected in the one and only Akagera National Park in Rwanda.

The Rwanda safari also links you to the serene Lake Kivu, the largest and only freshwater body and center of adventure in the land of a thousand hills.

Taking a safari to Africa without a gorilla experience is an incomplete safari and therefore the eight day safari in Rwanda Vacation offers the opportunity for you to encounter the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of the Volcanoes National Park.

8 Days Safari in Rwanda Vacation – Highlights

• Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport
• Day 2: Transfer Drive from Kigali to Akagera National Park (drive distance of 130 Km, 2 -3 hrs.)
• Day 3: Akagera National Park (Game drive and Drive transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park)
• Day 4: Nyungwe Forest National Park (Chimpanzee trekking, 2 – 6 hours)
• Day 5: Transfer Drive from Nyungwe National Park to Lake Kivu.
• Day 6: Transfer Drive from Lake Kivu to Volcanoes National Park
• Day 7: Volcanoes National Park (Mountain Gorilla Trekking 2-8hrs)
• Day 8: Transfer Drive from Volcanoes National Park to Kigali City

8 Days Safari in Rwanda Vacation – Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport

Immediately you step on the land of a thousand hills through its entry point Kigali International Airport, you will be met by our experienced driver guide, who will transfer you to your choice lodging in Kigali to have rest, safari briefings, and Lunch.

After lunch, your driver guide will drive you for an afternoon Kigali City Tour.

You will take the tour to Genocide memorial sites such as the Gisozi Genocide Memorial where you will have a mirthless reminder of the senseless massacre of innocent lives by the Rwandese in 1994.

You will also enjoy the beautiful architectural design of the City structures; tour the National Museum, and Craft Centers among other tourist attractions in Rwanda. Thereafter you will retire back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel (Upmarket/Luxury), Hotel Chez Lando (Mid-range/Standard) or Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel (Budget/Basic).

Day 2: Transfer Drive From Kigali to Akagera National Park

You will have your early morning breakfast in your Kigali Lodge, and thereafter you will depart Kigali driving in the Eastern direction to Akagera National Park.

The 2-3 hours drive journey is an adventurous journey where you will explore Rwanda while on your way to Akagera. On arrival to Akagera, you will drive directly to your lodge to check in, have Lunch, and after lunch proceed for Short boat trips which are available on Akagera’s lakes.

Here you have the opportunity to get close to the plentiful water birds including numerous African fish eagles, open-billed stork marabou stork, cormorants, crowned cranes, egrets, and herons.

On a good day, you may even get to see the elusive shoebill stork. Boat trips along the shores of Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second-largest lake, yield some great aquatic bird sightings and you can even fish on Lake Shakani.

After the boat trip, you will drive back to the park headquarters for the Behind the Scenes experience. Here you will get more insights into Akagera, including conservation developments within the park, Take a ‘Behind Scenes’ tour of the park headquarters also enables you to meet some of the people integral to the management of the park. From the park, you will drive back to your lodge for dinner and slumber.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Ruzizi Tented Camp (Mid-range/Standard) or Dereva Hotel (Budget/Basic).

Day 3: Akagera National Park (Game Drive And Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park)

Early morning game drive in Akagera is very rewarding because it offers the chance for you to meet the nocturnal wildlife species when they are returning back to their hiding grounds and you will meet the early morning risers when they are starting their daily activities.

Therefore, after your early morning breakfast; you will head to the park for an early morning game drive in order to get up close encounter with different wildlife species such as zebras, several antelope species, and giraffes.

After the game drive, you will drive out of the park and continue with your drive transfer to Nyungwe which is primate’s capital in Rwanda.

You will have lunch en route in Butare while on your way to Nyungwe Forest. The forest is situated in a region where several large-scale bio-geographically zones meet and the variety of terrestrial biomes hence providing a great span of micro-habitats for many different species of plants and animals.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel (Mid-range/Standard) or Gisakura Guesthouse (Budget/Basic).

Day 4: Nyungwe Forest National Park

After your early morning breakfast in your lodge, you will drive to the park headquarters for a memorable primate encounter. Nyungwe National Forest is an ideal destination for lovers of primates, with 13 different species living.

You will have the opportunity to trek the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

In the park, you will be briefed by the park ranger guides and divided into groups of 8 people and trekking starts at 8:00 a.m.

Afterward, you will be led by the ranger guide through the beautiful forest trail to trek the fascinating chimpanzee creatures.

Along the trails, you will enjoy the nice melodies of different bird species housed in the forest and you will also have a chance to enjoy the views of other primates like grey-cheeked mangabey, and monkeys.

The activity takes between 2-6 hours but experienced guides will also make sure that they take you where you will have to see the primates as fast as possible.

The opportunity to see these chimpanzees is amazing, you will observe them play, feed, and rest. You will be allowed one hour to stay with these prominent primate species and with this one hour, you are allowed to take numerous pictures.

After this worthwhile experience, you will head back for lunch and later explore canopy walks to see the beautiful twin lakes as well as various bird species.

Participate in Nature walks in the ever-green forests of Nyungwe. After these interesting activities, you will retire back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel (Mid-range/Standard) or Gisakura Guesthouse (Budget/Basic).

Day 5: Transfer Drive From Nyungwe National Park to Lake Kivu

After your early morning breakfast, you will embark on a transfer drive from Nyungwe to Gisenyi through Kibuye which is one of the wonderful towns surrounded by Lake Kivu.

The drive will through the green fields of tea plantations before exploring the shores of Lake Kivu. You will arrive when it’s rounding to lunchtime and hence you will connect to your Lodge for check-in and Lunch.

Thereafter lunch, you will head to the shores of Lake Kivu for relaxation activities like taking a boat cruise, taking walks in the splendid areas of the lake fishing in the fresh waters of the lake.

After participating in the adventurous activities, you will drive the link back to your respective lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel (Upmarket/Luxury), Hotel Gorillas Lake Kivu (Mid-range/Standard) or Paladise Malahide (Budget/Basic).

Day 6: Transfer Drive From Lake Kivu to Volcanoes National Park

After early morning breakfast, you will depart Kivu driving to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri. On arrival at Ruhengeri where Volcanoes National Park is located, you will drive directly to your lodge for check-in and have lunch.

Immediately after lunch, you may take a drive to the Karisimbi Research Centre where the Famous American conservationist Dian Fossey was buried.

Here you will have a chance to visit the tomb and house where the world’s remarkable zoologist, conservationist Dian was killed by the local poachers, you will also listen to the history of the conservationist being explained to you by an experienced guide who will be attending to you.

After that tomb tour, you will retire back to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, preparation for the early morning mountain gorilla trek in the Volcanoes Park, and overnight.

Accommodation: Mount Gorilla View Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Hotel La Palme (Mid-range/Standard) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget/Basic).

Day 7: Volcanoes National Park

Immediately after your early morning breakfast, you will transfer to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters for Briefing at 8:00 a.m. by park rangers about the rules and regulations to follow while trekking and spending time with the mountain gorillas.

After the briefing, you will be driven to the trailhead for the start of your amazing Gorilla Tracking adventure in the precious Volcanoes National Park.

Porters may be hired for the trek to help you carry your backpack and gear. Your memorable Gorilla trekking experience begins from the cultivated foothills of the Virunga offering stirring views in all directions and the trails will lead you to the mysterious intimacy of the rain forest, alive with the unique colorful bird species that offer free entertainment to trekkers moving in the forest, during the trek you will have chance to hear at the chattering golden monkeys as well as enjoying the views of elusive buffalo and elephant roaming in the forest.

Upon sighting the gorillas, you will stay with them for one memorable magical hour as they go about their daily life of feeding, playing, resting, and raising their young.

Coming face to face encounter with a giant silver-back will be truly your greatest wildlife experience on earth. During this one hour, you will be allowed to take as many photos as you can.

Immediately after the one hour is over, you will make a U-turn journey to the park headquarters and drive back to your respective lodge for relaxation and memory-sharing with friends.

After relaxing, you will drive to the nearby Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for a rare opportunity to interact with the local people, in their environment, with a taste of their unique culture and traditions.

After the cultural encounter, you will drive back to the Lodge for dinner and slumber.

Accommodation: Mount Gorilla View Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Hotel La Palme (Mid-range/Standard) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget/Basic).

Day 8: Transfer Drive From Volcanoes National Park to Kigali City

On this last day of your safari, you will wake up early at 7:00 am, take your breakfast, and thereafter depart Volcanoes National Park driving back to Kigali.

This journey to Kigali is very fascinating as you will traverse through amazing scenery all around the area.

The driver guide will slowly drive to allow you to capture the best photographs. On arrival in Kigali, you will have your lunch and afterward, you will be driven to the airport and this will mark the end of the safari

End of The 8 Days Safari in Rwanda Vacation