11 Days Nyungwe, Volcanoes and Akagera Wildlife Safari

Rwanda may seem to be a small country tucked at the edge of the Great Rift valley but this small country is a safari masterpiece, referred to as the country of a thousand hills, Rwanda is one of the best places to see wildlife, the volcanoes national park and Nyungwe are famous for primate and gorilla trekking while Akagera is home to the African big 5 of Rhinos, lions, Leopard, elephants, and Buffalo.

Our 11 Days Nyungwe, Volcanoes, and Akagera wildlife safari is a well-designed safari package that will give you a great insider into Rwandan culture and the wildlife.

Safari highlights

• -Kigali city tour
• -Game drives and boat cruise in Akagera
• -Lake Muhazi visit
• -1 hour with the Mountain gorillas
• -Dian Fossey grave hike
• -Lake Kivu visit
• -Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest
• -Ethnographic and Kings palace visit

Detailed safari itinerary

Day 1: Pick up from Kigali for a city tour and transfer to Akagera national park

After morning breakfast you will enjoy a city tour of Kigali where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial and Belgian peace center after you will have lunch and after lunch, you will start your drive to Akagera national park depending on the time of arrival you may do a short a game drive in the park.

Day 2: Morning game drive in the park and boat cruise in the Afternoon

After early morning breakfast with packed lunch, you will depart the lodge for a game drive, during the game drive you will look out for wildlife like lions, Rhinos, Elephants, Buffalos, Leopards, giraffes, impalas, and abundant birdlife in the park after you will take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you will expect to see a lot of wildlife that come to drink water and the water birds and later you will return to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.

Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer to Lake Muhazi for relaxation

After morning breakfast you will check out with your luggage and take an extensive game drive in the park to search for wildlife and later you will continue to Lake Muhazi for relaxation on the Lakeside, you may choose to do an optional sundowner boat cruise on the Lake.

Day 4: Drive to Volcanoes national park

After early morning breakfast, you will start your slightly longer drive to Volcanoes national park, this is one of the top safari destinations in Rwanda home to the endangered mountain gorillas that traverse the rainforest, upon arrival at the lodge you will check in to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.

Day 5: Gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes national park

Perhaps the highlight of your safari to Rwanda, gorilla trekking is one of the greatest wildlife encounters in Africa, coming face to face with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is just nothing but a lifetime experience, after morning breakfast fully dressed in your tracking gear you will be transferred to Kinigi park headquarters for a briefing about the trek, after briefing you will be driven to the trailhead where you enter the rainforest on foot, upon locating the gorillas you will spend 1 hour with the gorillas in their natural habitat and later return to the lodge for relaxation.

Day 6: Golden monkey trekking in the morning and canoeing in the afternoon on Lake Bulera and Ruhondo

After morning breakfast fully dressed in your trekking gear you will again transfer to the park for golden monkey trekking, just like gorilla trekking you will have a briefing and later drive to the starting point for the trek on foot upon locating the golden monkeys you will spend 1 hour with them and later return to the lodge for relaxation and later in the evening you will drive to Lake Bulera or Ruhondo for canoeing and later return to the lodge for overnight.

Day 7: Drive to Lake Kivu in Karongi for a boat cruise

After morning breakfast you will start your drive south towards Lake Kivu, this is one of the most beautiful drives in Rwanda along the lake upon arrival you will check in to the lodge for relaxation, and later you will take a sunset boat cruise on the lake with snacks and drinks and later return to the lodge for overnight.

Day 8: Drive to Nyungwe forest national park

After lazily breakfast you will start your drive to Nyungwe forest national park, this is one of the last remaining mountainous rainforests left in Rwanda, it’s home to primates, chimpanzee trekking is the top activity in this park, upon arrival you will check in to your lodge for relaxation if time allows you may choose to do an optional Canopy walk.

Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking experience

After morning breakfast you will drive to Gisakura where you will meet the rangers and start your drive to Cyamudongo where you will meet the trackers and enter the forest to trek the chimpanzees, upon locating the chimpanzees you will spend 1 hour with them and later return to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.

Day 10: Tropical waterfall walks in the morning and drives to Butare in the Afternoon

After morning breakfast you will meet the rangers again and head into this tropical rainforest for a waterfall walk, this is truly a nature walk, this walk will give you an opportunity to see beautiful birds and sometimes come across wildlife like duickers before enjoying a refreshing view of the waterfalls and later return to the lodge for lunch and after lunch, you will start your drive to Butare where you will spend the night.

Day 11: Visit Ethnographic Museum and King’s palace en route Kigali for your departure flight

After morning breakfast you will visit the Ethnographic museum and later drive to the King’s palace for a cultural experience and later continue to Kigali for your own ward flight or transfer to your hotel in Kigali overnight.

Trip includes

• Accommodation
• Vehicle, guide, and Fuel
• All park entrance fees
• Gorilla, chimpanzee, and golden monkey trekking permits
• Boat cruise in Akagera and Lake Kivu
• All game drives in Akagera
• Enroute meals and drinking water
• forest walks in Nyungwe
• Canoeing on the twin lakes

Trip Excludes

• International flights
• Pre and post-safari accommodation
• Rwanda tourist Visa
• Travel insurance
• Tips for guides and hotels
• Personal expenses like alcoholic drinks
• Kigali city tour, ethnographic museum, and Kings Palace fees

When to book safari package

We recommend booking this safari package 6 months to 1 year in advance to allow us to book and secure your tracking permits as they are sold by the government of Rwanda on a first come first serve basis.

Best time to travel to Rwanda for a safari

The dry seasons, more comfortable for trekking and safaris, which usually run from mid-Dec to early Feb and from June to September.