This 10-day Rwanda safari holiday is designed to show you the best of Rwanda, often called the Land of a Thousand Hills. The journey covers Rwanda’s leading national parks and key travel highlights, combining wildlife viewing, primate trekking, cultural visits, and relaxing lakeside moments. The safari starts and ends in Kigali, one of Africa’s safest and cleanest cities.
During this safari, you will visit Akagera National Park for classic game drives and a boat cruise, Nyungwe Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking and a canopy walk, and Volcanoes National Park for mountain gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking. You will also spend time at Lake Kivu for rest and water activities.
This safari suits travelers who want a well balanced Rwanda experience without rushing.
Day 1: Pick Up and Kigali City Tour
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will receive a warm welcome from your driver guide, followed by a briefing about your 10-day Rwanda safari holiday. Begin with a short city tour of Kigali.
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to learn about the 1994 genocide through photos, displays, and personal stories. Continue to local craft centers and Kirimonko Market, where you can see daily city life and local products. After the city tour, transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Drive to Akagera National Park
After breakfast, drive east to Akagera National Park. The drive takes about two and a half hours through rural countryside with farms and villages along the way.
Akagera is Rwanda’s only savanna park and home to the Big Five. On arrival, check in at your lodge and enjoy lunch. In the late afternoon, head out for a game drive in a four wheel drive vehicle. Expect to see elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and many birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Game Drive and Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
Enjoy breakfast, then set out for a morning game drive in the northern part of Akagera National Park. This area is good for spotting lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, and birds. The game drive lasts about two to three hours.
Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. The lake is known for large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, and water birds. Other animals often come to the shores to drink. After the cruise, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Akagera to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, check out and drive from eastern Rwanda to the southern region. Pass through Kigali and continue toward Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Stop in Huye for lunch and visit the National Museum to learn about Rwanda’s culture and history. Continue the drive to Nyungwe Forest and check in at your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay near the forest.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park offices at Uwinka or Cyamudongo for a briefing on chimpanzee trekking rules. With a park guide, enter the forest to track chimpanzees.
The trek can take two to four hours, depending on the movement of the chimpanzees. Once found, you will spend one hour observing them as they feed, move, and interact. You may also see other primates such as colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and baboons.
Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a canopy walk on suspended bridges above the forest. This walk takes about two hours and offers views of birds and primates moving in the trees. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, begin the long drive to Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda. The journey takes about six hours.
Along the way, enjoy views of Lake Kivu as the road passes close to the lakeshore. Arrive at your lodge near Volcanoes National Park in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking and Cultural Visit
Wake up early for breakfast, then drive to the Kinigi park headquarters for a gorilla trekking briefing. You will be assigned to one of the gorilla families and a park guide.
Trekking starts at around 8:00 am and can take between two and six hours. Once you find the gorillas, you will spend one hour with them. After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch and rest.
In the evening, visit the Ibyiwacu Cultural Village to learn about Rwandan traditions, dances, music, and daily life. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking or Dian Fossey Hike and Transfer to Lake Kivu
After breakfast, return to the park headquarters. You can choose to track golden monkeys or hike to the Dian Fossey grave site.
The Dian Fossey hike introduces you to the history of gorilla conservation and the Karisoke research area. After the activity, drive to Lake Kivu and check in at your lodge. Relax by the lake in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9: Full Day at Lake Kivu
Enjoy breakfast, then spend the day at Lake Kivu. Activities may include a boat ride, kayaking, or swimming depending on your lodge.
This day is for rest and reflection after several active days in the parks. Enjoy the calm environment and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10: Lake Kivu to Kigali and Departure
After breakfast, check out and drive back to Kigali. On arrival, transfer to your hotel or Kigali International Airport for your onward flight.
This marks the end of your 10-day Rwanda safari holiday, covering wildlife, primates, culture, and relaxation in one journey.
