10 days best of Rwanda safari tour enables you to discover Rwanda’s primates, birds, culture, and wildlife. Do game viewing and a boat cruise in Akagera national park, chimpanzee tracking, Canopy walk and Waterfall hike in Nyungwe forest national park, boat cruise on Lake Kivu, and gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park.

10 days best of Rwanda tour highlights

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali international airport and transfer to Akagera national park

Day 2: Game drive in Akagera national park

Day 3: Boat safari and transfer to Kigali

Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest national park

Day 6: Canopy walk and Waterfall hike

Day 7: Lake Kivu Boat Cruise

Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

Day 9: Gorilla trekking

Day 10: Departure

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali international airport and transfer to Akagera national park

A representative of Africa adventure vacations shall be at Kigali international airport to welcome you into the country and transfer you to your booked hotel. Depending on the time of arrival, there is an optional Kigali city tour to visit places like the Kigali genocide memorial, art galleries, Kimironko market, and many others that can be arranged.

After the Kigali city tour, you will have an en route for lunch after which start on your journey to Akagera national park that is located on the eastern side of Rwanda near the borders with Tanzania and it covers a total land area of 1,122 sq. km of savannah vegetation west Kagera river.

Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

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

Day 2: Game drive in Akagera national park

After a morning delicious breakfast, you will meet your driver for a morning game drive in the park. The park has a variety of wildlife including the big 5- lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, and buffaloes, other animals in the park include antelopes, giraffes, waterbucks, wild dogs, spotted hyena, over 525 bird species. During the game drive, you should look out for animals such as giraffes, zebras, lions, hippos, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, lions, rhinos, impalas, topis, elephants, duikers, bush babies, leopards, and different bird species. After the game drive, you will get back to your lodge for lunch. in the afternoon you can relax at your lodge reading interesting books or you can do a simple nature walk around your lodge. Dinner and breakfast.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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

Day 3: Boat safari and transfer to Kigali

After morning breakfast, you will meet your driver for a transfer to lake Ihema for a boat cruise. The boat cruise lasts 2 hours and during this time you will see water animals like hippos and crocodiles, birds such as papyrus gonolek, fish eagles, cormorants, kingfisher among others. After the boat cruise you will drive back to your lodge have some lunch you will start on your journey back to Kigali city. You will have a stopover at Nyamata where you will have a visit to the genocide memorial church where you will get to learn the history of what happened in the 1994 Rwanda genocide where thousands of Tutsi were killed by the Hutu. And in case you missed the Kigali city tour, you will visit the Rwanda genocide memorial center to know more about the 1994 Rwanda genocide memorial. You will proceed to your booked lodge for check-in, dinner, and overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Kigali Marriott hotel – luxury, Heaven boutique hotel – mid-range and Yambi guesthouse – budget

Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

On this day, you will wake up for morning breakfast and start your journey off towards Nyungwe forest national park one of the rainforests in east and central Africa. The national park is abundant with flora and fauna including 13 primate species e.g. chimpanzees, mangabeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys among others. The forest is home to over 300 bird species among which include 26 are endemic to the area making it one of the best birding destinations in Africa. You will have a stopover for lunch after which proceed to your booked lodge in Nyungwe. In the afternoon you will go for a canopy walk briefing at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will start the canopy walk which takes you about 2 hours walking 50 meters above the ground. The canopy walk takes you through some of the beautiful foliage, primates like vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, birds, and different tree species. After the canopy walk, you will get back to your lodge relax as you wait for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest national park

Wake up early morning on your 10 Days best of Rwanda tour for a breakfast, meet your driver for a transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. During the briefing, you will learn how to behave and react when you meet chimpanzees and you will be given a chimpanzee habituated group to trek as well as a guide to lead you into the forest to search for the chimpanzees. After 2 – 7 hours you will find these chimpanzees stay with them for a maximum of an hour learning about their behaviors, watching them do their day-to-day activities as you take photos and record videos. After chimpanzee trekking, you will trek back to the starting point meet your driver-guide and drive back to the lodge for lunch. relax in the afternoon, dinner, and overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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

Day 6: Canopy walk and Waterfall hike

After your morning breakfast, you will meet your driver for a transfer to the park headquarters to be briefed about the canopy walk. The canopy walk in Nyungwe forest starts at Uwinka park headquarters and is built 50 meters above the ground. During a canopy walk in Nyungwe, you will see some of the forest animals including those seen during chimpanzee trekking such as mammals, birds, primates, butterflies, and different tree species of the forest. The canopy walk enables you to see the entire Nyungwe forest national park from above. Later you will get back to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon you will go for a waterfall hike that takes about 3 -5 hours depending on how you have stopovers to sightsee and whether you choose to walk from the offices or drive a little bit further. During the waterfall hike, you will cross various streams before making a steep descent to the base of the refreshing waterfall. On your way to and from the waterfall, you will meet different primates, birds, and mammals. After the waterfall hike, you will return to the lodge check out and drive to the shores of Lake Kivu where you will have dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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

Day 7: Lake Kivu Boat Cruise

After a relaxed breakfast, you will take a visit to Lake Kivu the largest lake in the country enjoy beautiful views of the scenery, watch fishermen do their jobs, local people crossing from one place to another, and spot some birds around the lake. You will take a boat cruise on Lake Kivu allowing you to visit fishing villages, landscapes, and birds. You will return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, you can go back to the lake shores for relaxation and chilling out while reading out a book or viewing the beautiful scenery of the lake. Dinner and overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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

Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

After morning breakfast, you will drive northeastwards to Musanze town near Virunga volcano ranges here you will explore Musanze caves. The caves are easy to hike and have beautiful views of flowing lights from the surface, unique rock formations, and several bats. After a visit to Musanze caves, you will have lunch in Musanze town then proceed to volcanoes national park. On your way to volcanoes, you will have stunning views of the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera, Virunga volcanoes, and the beautiful landscape. Upon arrival at the park, you will proceed to your accommodation for relaxation dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel – luxury, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge – mid range and Garden Place Hotel – budget

Day 9: Gorilla trekking Volcanoes national park

Today is the highlight of your 10 days best of Rwanda tour! Early in the morning take your breakfast, meet your driver for a transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking activity. At the briefing center, you will be grouped into 8 and given a guide to lead you into the forest in search of these amazing primates. while in the jungle you will meet some of the park animals such as golden monkeys, forest elephants, forest hogs, warthogs, different bird species and plants. The trekking might take you 30 minutes to 7 hours and when you meet the mountain gorillas you will be given a maximum of one hour to spend with these primates and this will help you learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them do their daily activities, take photos and record videos. After the gorilla trekking activity, you will get back to your lodge have lunch, relax, have some nature walk around the lodge, or read a book. Dinner and an overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel – luxury, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge – mid range and Garden Place Hotel – budget

Day 10: Departure

After a relaxed breakfast, you will check out of the lodge meet your driver for a transfer back to Kigali city or Kigali international airport to end your 10 days best of Rwanda tour

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch

This 10 days best of Rwanda tour can be extended to Uganda for adventure activities and wildlife encounter in a number of national parks such as Bwindi, Mgahinga, Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth national parks among others.