Gorillas in the mist

Comprehensive Rwanda Safari - 20 Days

Gorillas and Wildlfe Safaris Hall of Fame Trip Advisor RecommendedComprehensive Rwanda Safari - 20 Days

This comprehensive Rwanda tour starts and ends in Kigali City of Rwanda. The tour has all the wildlife in Rwanda, beautiful landscape viewing and photography, primates in plenty like the chimps, many Colombus monkey species, and then the mountain gorillas, lots of birdwatching detour opportunities, relaxing at Lake Kivu and several authentic traditional Rwanda cultural experiences.

The safari includes the best tourist attractions of Rwanda, including; Nyungwe National Park, famous for chimpanzee trekking and many other primate species, Akagera National Park, famous for wildlife species and Lake Ihema for boat trips, Volcanoes National Park common for over 400 mountain gorillas with 10 habituated gorilla families, the main towns of Rwanda, ie; Kibuye, and Gisenyi.

Other attractions to enjoy on this safari include; Kigali city tour, Lake Kivu and Lake Muhazi excursions and the Butare National Museum.

Comprehensive Rwanda Safari - 20 Days

This comprehensive Rwanda tour starts and ends in Kigali City of Rwanda.

The safari includes the best tourist attractions of Rwanda, including; Nyungwe National Park, famous for chimpanzee trekking and many other primate species, Akagera National Park, famous for wildlife species and Lake Ihema for boat trips, Volcanoes National Park common for over 400 mountain gorillas with 10 habituated gorilla families, the main towns of Rwanda, ie; Kibuye, and Gisenyi.

Other attractions to enjoy on this safari include; Kigali city tour, Lake Kivu and Lake Muhazi excursions and the Butare National Museum.

  • Day 1: Kigali
  • Day 2: Kigali City tour
  • Day 3: Rusumo Waterfalls & Akagera National Park
  • Day 4: Game drives in Southern Akagera National Park
  • Day 5: Southern Akagera & Lake Muhazi
  • Day 6: Gahini - Kayonza - Rwamagana - Kigali
  • Day 7: Nyanza - Butare – Nyungwe National Park.
  • Day 8: Butare - Kanyaru Coffee Plantation - Nyungwe National Park
  • Day 9: Nyungwe National Park
  • Day 10: Colobus hiking in Nyungwe National Park
  • Day 11: Nature walk in Nyungwe National Park
  • Day 12: Nyungwe National Park & Mona monkeys
  • Day 13: Kibuye to Gisenyi
  • Day 14: Guided community walk, Batwa pygmies experience near Volcanoes National Park
  • Day 15: Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park
  • Day 16: Optional 2nd gorilla trek
  • Day 17: Volcanoes National Park & golden monkey tracking
  • Day 18: Hike Mt. Bisoke & visit Crater Lake
  • Day 19: Kigali City tour & shopping
  • Day 20: Departure

Day 1: Kigali

Our tour company representative will pick you from the airport on arrival after check in. The guide will take you around a forex bureau at the airport or in city so that you change your money then afterwards transfer to your hotel .

Accommodation options available 

Upmarket: Serena Kigali Hotel

Mid-range: Flame Tree Hotel

Lower Budget: Step Town Hotel

Meals included: None 

Day 2: Kigali City Tour

Your driver and guide will pick you up from the hotel and take you for a city tour which includes among others the Gisozi genocide memorial site. This visit takes you 2 hours. Here you learn and comprehend the history of genocide in Rwanda and other countries of the world.

Thereafter proceed to Kimilonko Market one of the busiest and biggest markets in the city. Here you will enjoy and buy most of Rwanda's traditional delicious food stuffs and interact with local people. Visit Nyarutarma Golf Club then proceed to the Belgium memorial site and Richard Kandt Historical Museum here you will be at the exact point where Kigali city was started by a German colonialist and administrator in 1907.

After lunch visit Ntarama and Nyamata genocide memorial sites

Lunch at one of the smart city restaurants and after lunch, your driver and guide will take you to Ntarama and Nyamata Genocide memorial sites outside Kigali. This will give you the evolution of the 1994 genocide tragedy that happened in Rwanda.

Though here there is no charge for entrance, you may generously fill in to give something to assist with the preservation of these genocide sites, your offer will be highly appreciated. Back to Kigali overnight at your hotel.

Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Upmarket: Serena Kigali Hotel

Mid-range: Flame Tree Hotel

Lower Budget: Step Town Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch only. 

Day 3: Rusumo Waterfalls & Akagera National Park

From Kigali you will head to Rusumo Water Falls on the Akagera River, the mother source of River Nile on the Rwanda-Tanzania border.

Watch the wonderful cascading waterfalls of River Kagera visit the entire border and you will appreciate the natural world and its beauty. Picnic lunch will be saved, after the drive to Akagera National Park for the next morning's game drives.

Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Upmarket: Ruzizi Tented Lodge

Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge

Lower Budget: Akagera Rhino Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 4: Game Drives in Southern Akagera National Park

Assemble at park reception to pick up your guide.

Immediately after you will start your game driving through the southern sector of this beautiful Savannah area. At your exposure you will sight the wonderful savannah habitats among many may be; elephants, herds of African buffaloes, giraffes, impala, zebras, antelopes, and many more.

This will take you to the magnificent lakes of the park Lake Ihama and Hugo Lake Ihema, take a boat ride while enjoying a cross-section of aquatic animals, visiting Lake Huga will furnish you with a chance to interact with huge herds of aquatic species because L. Hugo harbors lots and lots of hippopotami, crocodiles, butterflies and more- you will also have a chance to visit Nyarabiyoro Island for extensive bird watching if you're interested in birds.

Back to your hotel evening relaxation dinner and overnight.

Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Upmarket: Ruzizi Tented Lodge

Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge

Lower Budget: Akagera Rhino Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 5: Southern Akagera & Lake Muhazi

Depart your hotel after an early breakfast. Head for the northern part of the park where you will have a herd of savannah animals at your disposal. This is more of savannah grassland thus making it easy for the animals to fully control their predators.

This sector is a traffic jam point of the park and will offer you an excellent view of the flora and fauna. Still, you will drive up to the top of Mt. Mutumba, the highest mountain in the park. Here you will have the full view of the whole park in your eyes including the slight sloping beautiful panorama of Tanzania.

Then proceed to L. Muhazi lunch at Jambo Beach. Enjoy the fresh waters of Lake Muhazi.

Stay there an overnight.

Accommodation choices for Lake Muhazi area:

Upmarket: Lake Muhazi Beach Resort 

Mid-range & lower budget: The Vintage Cottage 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 6: Gahini - Kayonza - Rwamagana - Kigali

After breakfast, we’ll head to Kigali with a visit to local communities local schools orphanage centers, and a sightseeing lunch in Rwamagana after which you will proceed to Kigali and check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Kigali Accommodation options

Upmarket: Serena Kigali Hotel

Mid-range: Flame Tree Hotel

Lower Budget: Step Town Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch only. 

Day 7: Nyanza - Butare – Nyungwe National Park.
Retreat early after breakfast for Nyanza King’s palace where you will pick a guide to take you through the entire palace with lots of education about the ancient Rwandan kingdom.

The well-built grass-thatched king's house is one of the magnificent attractions you can never afford to miss with moral fiber and zeal proceed to the National Archeological Museum in Butare.

After lunch in Butare, back to the museum premises and be entertained by the traditional dancing troop (intore) at the museum, overnight in Butare.

Full board.

Day 8: Butare - Kanyaru Coffee Plantation - Nyungwe National Park

After breakfast proceed to Kanyuru, the Rwandan-Burundi border with many stopovers to take beautiful pictures of the scenery and interact with local communities then back to Butare for lunch.

Accommodation options available

Upmarket: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge or request an upgrade to One & Only Nyungwe House

Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge

Lower Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 9: Nyungwe National Park

Take breakfast early morning at 05:00 hours. Leave your hotel at Uwinka Reception to pick up your guide and proceed for chimpanzee tracking at Nyungwe National Park. This is commonly accepted to have a superlative diversity and a high number of primates in East and Central Africa.

Accommodation options available

Upmarket: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge or request an upgrade to One & Only Nyungwe House

Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge

Lower Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 10: Colobus Hiking in Nyungwe National Park

After breakfast enter Nyungwe National Park to hike colobus monkeys at Uwinka reception. The forest is believed to encompass an apparent troop of 400 and is the largest troop of arboreal primates in Africa.

A walk in the forest is a whole learning experience accompanied by a knowledgeable guide well-versed in botany, ornithology, and interspecies relationships in this forest.

Accommodation options available

Upmarket: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge or request an upgrade to One & Only Nyungwe House

Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge

Lower Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 11: Nature Walk in Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park is a nature lover’s paradise.

The only remaining mountain rainforest in Africa, Nyungwe boasts 260 species of trees and herbs, over 200 species of orchids and giant lobelias 275 species of birds of which 25 are endemic, colorful butterflies, and 13 recorded species of primates (25%) of Africa's total) including chimpanzee.

The forest is ideal for walks with stunning waterfalls cascading in the tranquil environment. This walk will give you an unforgettable experience to interact with quite a number of the ecology of this forest supplemented by natural walks in the tropical rainforest to explore waterfalls, black-white colobus monkeys, wild chimpanzees, mona monkeys, butterflies of different species, and many others.

Have a luncheon, in the evening visit the tea factory to see, test, and enjoy the finest tea in Africa.

Back to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Accommodation options available

Upmarket: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge or request an upgrade to One & Only Nyungwe House

Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge

Lower Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 12: Nyungwe National Park & Mona Monkeys

After breakfast enter the Nyungwe Karaba area to track mona monkeys and other species. Though not habituated, the mona monkeys are residents of the Karaba area.

Thereafter drive to Kibuye arriving at lunchtime and in the afternoon visit the genocide memorial church overnight at Bethenie.

Day 13: Kibuye to Gisenyi

After breakfast, you have the option of a boat cruise on Lake Kivu to Gisenyi or drive by road. This will take you through the gorgeous scenery of tea plantations and glimpses of Lake Kivu.

Arrive in Gisenyi at lunchtime, have lunch at a good restaurant, and spend the rest of the evening in Gisenyi with the option of excursions of the city, or sand bath, swimming in the lake, or relaxing by the Lake Kivu beach.

Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Upmarket: Serena Lake Kivu Hotel

Moderate: Paradise Malahide.

Low Budget: Paradise Malahide.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 14: Guided Community Walk, Batwa Pygmies Experience Near Volcanoes National Park

Have breakfast in the morning and after proceed to Ruhengeri. This area has the most famous national park in Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park. It is home to over a third of the total gorillas remaining in the whole world. The park has also many plant species as well as tree species.

Once there, the guide will lead you into a community walk around the villages near Volcanoes National Park, you will get a chance to interact with the local people and also learn their way of life. Return to the lodge for your lunch, in the afternoon, a local traditional dance by the Batwa people can be arranged and you have a blast of these traditional local people.

Top Accommodation options in Volcanoes National Park (all on a full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Gorilla Solutions Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 15: Gorilla Tracking in Volcanoes National Park

An early morning breakfast is followed by a drive to Kinigi Park headquarters for group allocation and briefing. This is one of the awaited for, with one of the highlight activities of this tour.

Well prepared with cameras, water, rain jackets, a long pair of trousers, and jungle boots on, you will assemble for briefing from the guide about gorilla tracking the great adventure and experience!

The time taken to encounter these peaceful primates is unpredictable for it may take 1-6 hours. Nevertheless, on encounter, one may be forced to say, it is dramatic!

After the adventure a certificate awaits the successful tracker. The day is not easy at times but alluring.

Top Accommodation options in Volcanoes National Park (all on a full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Gorilla Solutions Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 16: Optional 2nd Gorilla Trek

If you have pre-booked your second gorilla trek, you arise early to join the rest of the trekkers to the mountain gorillas. Your guide will ensure you track another mountain gorilla family different from the one visited the previous day.

Return to your hotel for lunch then after take an excursion of the magnificent twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Back to your hotel for lunch dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 17: Volcanoes National Park & Golden Monkey Tracking

An early morning. Go to park headquarters, pick your guide, and go to track the golden monkeys. In the evening visit Musanze Town and the cultural village, have dinner, and overnight stay.

 Accommodation options in Volcanoes National Park (all on a full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Gorilla Solutions Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 18: Hike Mt. Bisoke & visit Crater Lake

Leave the hotel very early in the morning after breakfast at 06:30 hours to meet with your guide then drive to the park entrance where you will start your hike.

Hiking mountain Visoke/Bisoke takes 1-2 hours up and 1 hour down depending on your fitness. Back to your hotel for lunch after, drive back to Kigali for dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight choices:

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Gorilla Solutions Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 19: Kigali City Tour & Shopping

Partial city tour that you missed on day 1.

Tour Kigali city, visit curio markets and Kimilonko fruit market where you will have a chance to meet the locals and choose your fruit basket, lunch in one of the smart city restaurants, and later shop of Rwanda's produce for remembrance in the city craft shops or even others.

Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Upmarket: Serena Kigali Hotel

Mid-range: Flame Tree Hotel

Lower Budget: Step Town Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch only. 

Day 20: Departure

After breakfast, prepare yourself and your luggage and take some refreshments after which your driver/guide will transfer you to the airport for your flight back home.

Included

  • All tour activities as indicated above
  • 1 Rwanda gorilla permit per person
  • Golden monkey tracking
  • All chimps tracking permits in Nyungwe
  • All boat trip fees
  • Game drives for safari in Akagera National Park
  • Accommodation in hotels (with breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
  • Sightseeing as noted in the trip itinerary
  • Park fees for Akagera, Nyungwe and Volcanoes National Park safaris
  • Entry fees
  • Ground transportation using a 4x4 Africa-customised safari vehicle
  • Bottled drinking mineral water

Excluded

  • Tips for drivers and other staff
  • Bank charges involved
  • Flight tickets and departure taxes
  • Travel documentation (visas)
  • Travel and medical insurance
  • Optional excursion
  • Beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle
  • Meals not indicated on your detailed itinerary

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