8 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari
The 8 days Rwanda Wildlife Safari is an interesting safari which will take you to Akagera National Park, a savannah national park where you will be able to view lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants and rhinos, zebras, giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, topi, oribi, hippos, crocodiles among others which will be viewed during the game drives and boat cruise, Nyungwe forest national park which harbours different mammals, primates like chimpanzees, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, blue monkeys, silver monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys and Volcanoes national park which is located in north-western part of Rwanda in Musanze, Ruhengeri district. Volcanoes National Park is known for harbouring the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, other primates like black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys and 5 of the 8 volcanic mountains that is mount bisoke, mount karisimbi, mount gahinga, mount sabyinyo and mount Muhabura. During the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, you will also be able to engage in the exciting chimpanzee trekking and gorilla trekking experience where you will be able to spend time with the gorillas and chimpanzees. You will also engage in an adventurous canopy walk and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people.
Highlights of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera national park-afternoon boat cruise
Day 3: Full day game drive in Akagera National Park
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 7: Gorilla trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Day 8: Departure to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kigali
On day 1 of the 8 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari, depending on your arrival time at Kigali International Airport on the first day of the safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then go for a city tour where you will be able to visit the Kigali genocide centre, Kimironko market among others. After the city tour, you will drive to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera national park-afternoon boat cruise
On the second day of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to transfer to Akagera National Park with great views on the way. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch, you will go for an amazing boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you will be able to view hippos in the water, crocodiles basking on the water banks, view other animals like buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants, giraffes among others drinking water along the shores, water birds like cormorants, fish eagles, kingfishers, hornbills among others. After the boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Full day game drive in Akagera National Park
On the 3rd day of the 8 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari, after an early breakfast on the third day of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, impalas, topi among others grazing in open savannah plains, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas among others looking for a morning hunt, bird species among others. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch where you will relax at the lodge and later go for an afternoon game drive where you will be able to view other animals and bird species. after the afternoon game drive, you will return to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
On the fourth day of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park. On the way, you will have an en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the rolling hills, farmlands, beautiful scenery, and traditional homesteads among others. Upon arrival in Nyungwe Forest National Park, you will check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park and Canopy walk
Chimpanzee trekking
After an early breakfast on the fifth day of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters at Uwinka Visitors Centre for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated an experienced park guide who is well-conversant with different trekking trails. Trekking of chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where they are located. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, birds, colourful butterflies, and different plant and tree species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to learn more about their behaviours, habits, and lifestyle, watch them feed, play, breastfeed, hunt, fight, rest, take photos and record videos. After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will transfer to the Uwinka visitors centre for a canopy walk briefing where you will start trekking along the Igishigishi trail which leads you to the canopy walkway where you will have views of different bird species, trees, and primates, enjoy aerial views of the forest among others. After the canopy walk, you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes national park-twin lakes tour
After a relaxed breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Volcanoes National Park in the northwestern region. On the way, you will enjoy stunning views of Lake Kivu, the rolling hills, farmlands, beautiful scenery, traditional homesteads, and tea plantations, among others. Upon arrival at Volcanoes National Park, you will drive to the twin lakes of Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo for a tour where you will be able to enjoy views of the twin lakes, landscape, and birds among others. After the twin lakes tour, you will drive to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Gorilla trekking
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, you will carry your lunch box and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be sub-divided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. During trekking, you will be rewarded with views of other primate species, birds, colourful butterflies, and different plant and tree species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, lifestyle, and habits, watch them feed, play, breastfeed, groom young ones, rest, take photos and record videos.
After the one hour with the mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and go for an exciting Ibyi’wacu cultural tour in the neighbouring communities where you will be able to learn about the local people’s culture, lifestyle, way of living, listen to their ancient stories, taste their local beer, food, enjoy their traditional performances among others. After the cultural tour, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Departure to Kigali
On the last day of the 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to Kigali. Upon arrival, you will go for a city tour in case you missed it on the first day and after go for lunch where your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali International Airport for your departure flight or drop you off at any place of advice.
End of 8 days Rwanda wildlife safari.
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park entrance fees/game drives
- Boat cruise
- Canopy walk
- Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
- Kigali city tour
- Full-time English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
