On this 8 days Rwanda cultural and gorilla safari,  experience the authentic Rwandan culture and heritage joined with the amazing gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes national park. The drive to the countryside of Rwanda will grant you beautiful views of the Rwandan landscape “The land of a thousand hills”. You will visit Akagera national park in northwestern Rwanda and thereafter a pastoral cultural home to engage in activities surrounding the cow.

8 Days Rwanda gorilla and cultural safari highlights

Day 1: Arrival for Rwanda cultural and gorilla safari

Day 2: Game drive in Akagera national park

Day 3: Visit a homestead for a Rwandan cultural experience

Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park

Day 6: Gorilla Guardians village

Day 7: Lake Kivu – Fishing Village Tour

Day 8: End of the Rwanda cultural experience safari

Detailed itinerary 

Day 1: Arrival

On arrival at Kigali international airport, our driver-guide will be ready to pick you and brief you about your 8 days Rwanda cultural and gorilla safari. If your flight at Kigali international airport is early morning, you will have a Kigali city tour before having lunch. After the Kigali city tour, you will start on your journey to Akagera national park in the afternoon. The journey to Akagera national park is 2 – 3 hours driving to the eastern part of Rwanda.

Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Akagera game lodge – luxury, Ruzizi tented camp – mid range, Mutumba campsite – budget

Day 2: Game drive in Akagera national park

We shall start with an early morning breakfast then head out for a game drive in the northern part of the park where we have opportunities to see animals like elephants, zebras, buffaloes, lions, giraffes, impalas, topis, cape elands, and many more. There was human encroachment in the area which was solved by fencing one side of the park near the communities. For bird lovers, the park is home to a big number of animals so you should expect to see as many as possible. After the game drive, we shall return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, you can we shall for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema and enjoy the cool breeze while spotting water animals e.g. hippos and crocodiles as well as water birds. If you don’t want the boat cruise, you can decide to stay at the lodge and have some rest.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Akagera game lodge – luxury, Ruzizi tented camp – mid range, Mutumba campsite – budget

Day 3: Visit a homestead for  Rwanda cultural experience

The Eastern part of Rwanda is a flatter area compared to most of the parts of the country and this is why it’s preferred by pastoralists. We shall have a visit to one of the homesteads and take part in some activities to have a feel of Rwanda’s cultural experience. We shall have a very early morning breakfast to go catch up with the milking. During milking, the herdsman guides you on how to soothe the cow and milk it. After milking, you set the cows to go and graze. You will also be taught how milk is converted into products such as ghee and yogurt traditionally.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Local homestead, Guesthouse in the neighborhood

Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

After morning breakfast, we have memories of the cultural experiences in the homestead and start on our journey to Volcanoes national park. Volcanoes national park is located in the northern sector of Rwanda bout 2 – 3 hours from Kigali city. You can have several stopovers for photographs as you travel north to Volcanoes national park. The journey to Volcanoes takes you through a beautiful landscape with rolling hills. We arrive at the lodge and check-in later that evening and prepare for gorilla trekking the following day.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Luxury ­- Five Volcanoes, Mid-range – Le Bambou Gorilla lodge, Budget – Garden palace Hotel

Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park

This is the highlight of your 8 days Rwanda gorilla and cultural safari! After early morning breakfast, our driver will drive you to kinigi park headquarters for a briefing from park rangers. During the briefing, you will be told how to behave when you meet these giant apes. You will be given a gorilla family out of the 10 families habituated in Volcanoes national park and you will be given a ranger guide to lead you into the forest to look for these gorillas. The experience in the wild is a memorable one that you will never forget for the rest of your life. You can take 2 to several hours allocating them depending on where they nested the previous night. After meeting face to face with mountain gorillas, you are given a maximum of 1 hour to be with them nut keeping a distance of 7 meters, taking the photos and videos with cameras that have no flash, observing their behaviors, watching them go about their day to day activities.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Luxury ­- Five Volcanoes, Mid-range – Le Bambou Gorilla lodge, Budget – Garden palace Hotel

Day 6: Gorilla Guardians village

on the 6th day, we transfer you to Gorilla Guardians village formerly known as Iby’Iwachu cultural village. Part of the day shall be spent here learning about how the people of Rwanda lived in their community traditionally which is climaxed by the experience of having a King and Queen. You will be entertained by traditional dancers and learn how the people made traditional beer and local cuisines. The second part of the day will be spent in the community where you will visit a home in the village and take part in their day-to-day life activities. You will take part in food preparation after which enjoy their same meal.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Luxury ­- Five Volcanoes, Mid-range – Le Bambou Gorilla lodge, Budget – Garden palace Hotel

Day 7: Lake Kivu – Fishing Village Tour

After a delicious breakfast, we shall drive to Gisenyi on the shores of Lake Kivu for relaxation and lake activities on the lake. Lake Kivu is the biggest freshwater lake in Rwanda located on the borders of Rwanda and DR Congo in the western part of Rwanda. We shall have a boat ride to Napoleon island, visit the hot springs or relax at the beach while enjoying the fresh cool water breeze. You have an opportunity of spending some time visiting the Gisenyi area most especially the fishing village. You also learn the traditional fishing methods as well as fish preservation by local fishermen.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Lake Kivu, Serena – luxury, Inzoni Lodge – mid-range, Paradise Malahinde – Budget

Day 8: Departure

We hope you had an amazing time exploring Rwanda culture and gorilla trekking. After your breakfast, we shall start your journey back to Kigali for a drop of at your hotel or airport for your flight back home.

Meal plan: Breakfast

Tour includes

Gorilla trekking permit

Community experiences

Transport

Bottled water

Accommodation

Meals

Park entrance fees

Boat trips

Game drive

Service of an English-speaking driver-guide

All mentioned activities except for the optional ones

Tour Excludes

Extras at the accommodation i.e. drinks, telephone, laundry, etc.

Tips to porters and driver/ guide

Personal expenses

Insurance

Visa

International flight

Gorilla Trekking In Volcanoes National Park

Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park Rwanda is such an amazing and a once in a life time experience. It’s every one’s dream come true to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. In Rwanda gorilla trekking can be done only in volcanoes national park located in north western part of Rwanda.

Volcanoes national park is a forested area located at the borders of Rwanda, DR Congo and Uganda. Volcanoes national park is the most visited national park in Rwanda and it’s famously known for being a habitat to endangered mountain gorillas. Volcanoes national park hosts five out of eight Virunga mountains and these are Karisimbi, Bisoke, Gahinga, Muhabura and Sabyinyo. The park is a home to endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys.

Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park is thrilling, memorable and a once in a life time experience that one should participate in while on their safari to Africa. Seeing these endangered mountain gorillas eye to eye is not only unforgettable but also very memorable in life.

What to pack for 8 Days Rwanda gorilla and cultural safari

Rain jacket

Waterproof hiking shoes

Long-sleeved shirts

Energy giving snacks

Hiking boots

Insect repellents

Camera and extra batteries

Hat and sunglasses

Drinking water

Warm clothing