10 Days Rwanda Safari
Discover Rwanda in 10 days, combining adventurous activities such as wildlife viewing, gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and colobus monkey tracking in Rwanda’s top destinations.
Safari Highlights
Wildlife views in Akagera National Park
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Iby’Iwacu Cultural Visit in Volcanoes National Park
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park
Canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park
Golden monkey trekking in Nyungwe National Park.
Kigali City tour.
Brief 10 Days Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 3: Game drive and Boat safari
Day 4: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day 6: Colobus monkey tracking
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 8: Gorilla trekking
Day 9: Golden monkeys and cultural tour
Day 10: Kigali City Tour and departure.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Kigali
Arrive at Kigali International Airport and you will be driven your lodge for relaxation so that you get ready for the next day’s activities.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Have a scenic drive to the east to Akagera National Park for a wildlife safari. This will be a distance of about 110 kilometers and about 3 hours. On arrival, check into your lodge, have lunch and relax so that you can have an afternoon game drive.
During the afternoon game drive, you will be able to spot mammals such as giraffes, elephants, lions, buffaloes and many more.
Day 3: Game drive and Lake Ihema
Enjoy a full day game drive to sight the big five (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes). Other animals that will be seen are giraffes, zebras among others.
Go back to the lodge for lunch and later, have an afternoon boat cruise in Lake Ihema. During this activity, you will sight numerous crocodiles, hippos and a good number of water birds.
Day 4: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Drive south to Nyungwe Forest National Park. This will be a drive of about 6 hours and a distance of about 270 kilometers.
On arrival, check into the lodge, have lunch and then relax and prepare for the next day’s activities.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Head out for the chimpanzee trekking experience early in the morning. You will have a short briefing at the center and then be led to trek by park ranger guides. The several hour trek will later yield you to habituated families of chimpanzees. In only an hour, you will witness the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
After lunch, you will head out for the Nyungwe Canopy walk where you will see this forest in an elevated perspective. You will see more primates and a great deal of birds.
Day 6: Colobus monkey tracking
At only $60, you will enjoy tracking colobus monkeys. From the age 12 years, you will track about 500 of these primates in their natural environment. You will see them performing their daily activities eating leaves, socializing, resting and leaping through trees. With their white fur, they are easily spotted even at a distance in a short time of about 3 hours.
Later, have a forest hike where you will be able to see different ancient tree species such as wild orchids and hardwood trees, endemic bird species such as the Rwenzori Turaco and the Great Blue Turaco among others.
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
For about 6 hours and a distance of about 270 kilometers, you will travel south to Volcanoes National Park. It will be a scenic drive and you can have optional stops such as Lake Kivu for boat cruise where you can visit Napoleon Island to see numerous fruit bats or Amahoro Island. You can also choose to engage in tour to the coffee plantation to see how Rwandan coffee is harvested and roasted.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking
Early in the morning, you will engage in a long trek to see habituated mountain gorilla families in their natural environment. You will then go for the trek and after a long time of walking down the forest trails.
After finding them, you will have a physical encounter with them for only an hour. They will be seen feeding, building nets for the night, grooming each other, vocalizing and communicating with each other.
Day 9: Golden monkeys and Cultural tour
You will set off for golden monkey trekking, which starts with a briefing session. The trek will begin and you will go through the trails of the forest to locate these primates. When you find them, you will find them in their natural habitat, feeding, grooming, nurturing among others.
Later, you will go to Iby’Iwacu which is also known as the Gorilla Guardian Village for a cultural tour. You will walk down trails so as to find it. The guide will lead you to the village where you will understand how the ancient Rwanda people lived and still live. You will also understand the interconnectedness between the people, the forest and the animals especially with the current conservation.
You will also witness and take part in craft making which you can eventually purchase as a souvenir.
Day 10: Kigali City Tour and Departure
This will be the last day of the safari and you will have a scenic drive back to Kigali. You will also have city tour and in so doing, you will visit places such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Later, you will head to the airport for your departure, making it the end of the safari.