This 7 days Rwanda wildlife and primate safari take you to Rwanda and you visit three out of four national parks covering a wide range of activities to do while on a Rwanda safari. This safari package allows visitors to explore the land of a thousand hills given that the country is recognized as one of the beautiful countries in Africa. This safari features game viewing for animals such as rhinos, elephants, hippos, bushbucks, forest hogs, lions, impalas to mention but a few, and a boat cruise trip on Lake Ihema in Akagera national park, then mountain gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park, stopover at lake Kivu the largest freshwater lake in Rwanda and it is shared by Rwanda and DR Congo. The safari also features chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park.

7 days Rwanda wildlife and primate safari highlights

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Akagera national park

Day 2: Early morning game drive and boat cruise on Lake Ihema

Day 3: Transfer to volcanoes national park

Day 4: Gorilla trekking – lake Kivu

Day 5: Explore lake Kivu and transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking experience and canopy walk

Day 7: Transfer to Kigali and departure

Detailed itinerary 

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Akagera national park

Depending on your location in Kigali or upon arriving at Kigali international airport, you will be welcomed by a safari guide from Africa adventure vacations who will brief you about your safari and then drive you to Akagera national park. Akagera national park is located in the eastern part of Rwanda taking you 2 – 3 hours driving from Kigali. Upon arrival at the park, you will proceed to your booked lodge, later in the evening go for an evening game drive to see some of the park’s animals, and later get back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Magashi camp – luxury, Ruzizi tented camp – mid range, Mutumba campsite – budget

Day 2: Early morning game drive and boat cruise on Lake Ihema

After early morning breakfast, you will meet your safari driver ready to transfer you to the park for a game drive. The game drive in Akagera national park may take 2 – 3 hours depending on the availability of animals that do exist in the park including the big 5 mammals – elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, and buffaloes. Other animals you should look out for in the park include hippos, kobs, bushbucks, impalas, cape elands, waterbucks and topis, etc. bird species in Akagera can be seen in places such as woodland, lakes, swamps, savannah. Get back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch meets your driver guide to transfer you to lake Ihema for a boat safari, this boat cruise will take 2 to 3 hours to explore the water animals such as hippos, crocodiles, water birds like papyrus gonolek. You will see some animals such as buffaloes and elephants on the lake shores drinking water. Get back to your lodge to refresh, have dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Magashi camp – luxury, Ruzizi tented camp – mid range, Mutumba campsite – budget

Day 3: Transfer to volcanoes national park

On this day, after morning breakfast you will check out of the lodge and meet your transfer to transfer you to volcanoes national park. While driving out of the park you might get a chance to see animals you might have missed out on the previous days which rise very early to graze and some of the predators looking for early morning kill. After a short game drive, proceed out of the park and start on your journey to volcanoes national park in the northwest of Rwanda with an en-route lunch in Kigali city. After lunch you will proceed with your journey which might take you 2 -3 hours from the city, arrive in Musanze / Ruhengeri in the evening with stunning views of the volcano. You will proceed to your booked lodge for check-in relaxation and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique hotel – luxury, Le Bambou Gorilla lodge – mid range, Garden palace Hotel – budget

Day 4: Gorilla trekking – lake Kivu

Wake up very early in the morning for a breakfast, get your packed lunch, and meet your driver-guide ready to transfer you to Kinigi park headquarters for the rules and regulations of briefing and allocation of gorilla trekking families. After briefing and allocation, you will follow your ranger guide into the cold and misty forested slopes of volcanoes national park for your gorilla trekking experience. Finding these mountain gorillas can take you 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the location of these giant apes and the speed of the slowest tracker. Upon finding them, you will be given an hour to stay with them as you learn about their behaviors and habits, watching them do their daily activities while taking the photos and recording videos to share with friends. After an hour with them, you will exit the forest, meet your driver-guide to drive you to the park headquarters for your gorilla trekking and later to the lodge where you will first relax then check out for a transfer to Gisenyi – Lake Kivu about 2 hours’ drive from Musanze. You will arrive in the late afternoon, check in at your accommodation, and relax with stunning views of the lake. Dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Lake Kivu, Serena – luxury, Inzonzi Lodge – mid-range, Paradise Malahide – budget

Day 5: Explore lake Kivu and transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

Early morning you will wake up for breakfast and go out with your safari guide to explore lake Kivu the largest freshwater lake in Rwanda on a boat cruise and visit some of its islands, this boat cruise will take you 2 hours, return from the boat cruise and start on your journey to Nyungwe forest national park. It’s about a 7 – 8 hours’ drive with an en-route stopover for lunch before continuing to Nyungwe forest national park where you go ahead and check-in your booked lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe house – luxury, Nyungwe top – view lodge – mid-range, Gisakura guest house – budget

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking experience and canopy walk

After morning breakfast, you will meet your driver guide to transfer you to Nyungwe forest national park headquarters. Nyungwe forest is one of the largest rain forests in East Africa and harbors 13 species of primates. You will have a briefing about chimpanzee trekking, grouped and given a ranger guide to lead you into the forest in search of these primates. It will take you 2 hours to 5 hours to allocate a chimpanzee family and you will be given a maximum of one hour to be with them and this will allow you to learn about their behaviors, see them do daily activities while taking photos and recording videos. After some time with these primates, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet your driver-guide to drive you back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will drive back to the briefing point and get briefed about the canopy walk. Nyungwe forest canopy walk is the most outstanding in east Africa 50 meters above the ground. The canopy walk gives you an aerial view of the forest, park animals, and birds. After the canopy walk, you will meet your driver-guide and drive back to your lodge to refresh, have dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe house – luxury, Nyungwe top – view lodge – mid-range, Gisakura guest house – budget

Day 7: Transfer to Kigali and departure

After a relaxed morning breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet your driver for a transfer to Kigali city with an en-route lunch. you will take a visit to the King’s palace and the Ethnographic Center and learn about the history and culture of Rwanda. Depending on your arrangements, you will be dropped at your hotel or Kigali international airport to end your 7 days Rwanda wildlife and primate safari

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Tour includes 

Kigali city tour

Park entrance fees

Boat cruises

Gorilla trekking permit

Chimpanzee trekking permit

Transportation

Accommodation and meals

Drinking water

Service of an English-speaking guide

Tour excludes

Flight tickets

Visa’

Life insurance

Optional activities

Personal expenses

Tips