A Complete 9 Days Rwanda Safari Itinerary Guide + Map And Tips

 Tour Summary

• Safari starts and ends at Kigali International Airport 
• Activities include a Kigali city tour, Chimpanzee & Gorilla trekking 
• Transfers by a 4×4 safari vehicle
• Accommodation before and after the trip in Kigali can be arranged on request at an extra cost

What you need to know

• Accommodation is provided as included 
• Tour is available all year round
• Minimum age for tour is 16 years 
• All activity costs are included

Highlights: 9 Days Rwanda Safari

• Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and transfer to hotel
• Day 2: Kigali city tour and transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
• Day 3 – 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
• Day 5: Depart Nyungwe and travel by road to Volcanoes National Park
• Day 6: Mountain Gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. 
• Day 7: Optional second trek or visit to Dian Fossey’s grave
• Day 8: Depart to Lake Kivu, to enjoy some tranquillity on the lake shore
• Day 9: Drive back to Kigali in time for your flight home

What’s the real story?:

Detailed Itinerary: 9 Days Rwanda Safari

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and transfer to hotel

You will be greeted and driven to the Kigali Serena Hotel in the center of Kigali city after landing at the Kigali International Airport. Staying the night at the hotel and only paying for breakfast (Dinner is on own arrangement)

Meal Plan: Dinner 

Day 2: Kigali city tour and transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Take a City Tour in Kigali after breakfast. Discover Rwanda’s history through the tales told in its capital; learn about pre-colonial and colonial Rwanda; learn about the 1994 genocide, and discover the most recent advancements. The highlight of the city tour is a visit to the Gisozi genocide memorial, located about 10-15 minutes outside of the city center.

Most people find this trip to be emotionally taxing as they confront the horrific murder that gripped the nation in 1994. The opportunity to learn about other genocides around the globe is also provided by it. After that, you eat lunch in a neighborhood eatery in Kigali. After lunch, leave Kigali and travel scenically to Nyumgwe, stopping along the way at the King’s Palace and Butare Museum. Nyungwe Top View Lodge is where you stay the night after arriving for dinner.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner  

Day 3 – 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Enjoy your day trekking through the trees with your local guide, and consider going on a canopy walk that is hung 50 meters above the ground. There are more than 300 distinct bird species, and there are at least 75 different mammal species, including 13 different kinds of primates. Moreover, there are a huge variety of butterflies and plants. It’s very strange. At Nyungwe View Top Lodge, spend the night.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 5: Depart Nyungwe and travel by road to Volcanoes National Park

We leave Nyungwe today and travel by road to the Ruhengeri district of Volcanoes National Park (Virungas), where we will stay for two nights to enjoy mountain gorilla trekking. Mountain Gorilla View Lodge overnight,

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 6: Mountain Gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park at 0630 after an early breakfast at the lodge. Arrive at the park headquarters to register. This is a quick and easy process that allows the park personnel to choose which gorilla family you will visit based on your level of fitness. The various groups are then briefed by park staff about trekking schedules and conditions based on where they were in the park the previous evening. Each day, 80 gorilla permits are available, and a maximum of 8 trekkers are allowed to visit each group. Depending on whatever gorilla group you are assigned to, treks last a different amount of time. You will spend around an hour with your designated gorilla group after finding them before returning to the volcano’s slopes. The park is situated in the majestic Virunga Mountains, a series of dormant volcanoes that Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda all share in the north of the country. The mountains are a portion of the Congo-Nile Divide’s extension, which separates two of Africa’s most significant watersheds. Additionally, they are home to the 700 remaining Mountain Gorillas, the last population to survive in the world. Gorilla Mountain View Lodge overnight

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 7: Optional second trek or visit to Dian Fossey’s grave

Optional second trek or visit to Dian Fossey’s grave. Overnight Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 8: Optional second trek or visit to Dian Fossey’s grave

Depart to Lake Kivu, to enjoy some tranquillity on the lake shore. Overnight Lake Kivu Serena Hotel.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 9: Optional second trek or visit to Dian Fossey’s grave

Drive back to Kigali in time for your flight home.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

End of the 9 Days Rwanda Safari

Cost Inclusions

• English speaking driver guide
• All activities as included
• 4×4 Safari van
• Meals
• Water on board
• 4 nights’ accommodation

Cost Exclusions 

• Any purchases of personal kind
• Any changes to the itinerary
• International flights and visas

Transport 

• 4×4 safari land cruiser for luxury travelers
• 4×4 safari van for budget travelers