Booking Rwanda budget holidays and safaris is a best way to save money on your visit in the country for wildlife tours and trips. Most bloggers term Rwanda to be a high-end travel destination however, a few national parks still have very nice budget camps and lodges to accommodate price sensitive travelers.  Therefore, if you are a budget traveler, we are always available to tailor make your travel package to suite your budget to make your Rwanda safari extremely affordable. Please note that gorilla trekking In Rwanda is expensive than any other African gorilla tracking destination ie Uganda and DR Congo. Just a permit for mountain gorilla is USD 1500 per person per trek in Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park. If we compare the same permit with Uganda which is USD700 in Bwindi & Mgahinga national park and the USD 400 in Virunga national park in DR Congo, you can really see a very big difference yet the experience is almost the same.

So many guests looking for Rwanda Budget holidays and safaris always book gorilla trekking experiences in either Uganda or DR Congo with pick up from Kigali and later do other safari activities in Rwanda’s national parks of Akagera national park for game drives, bird watch & boat cruise on Lake Ihema and Nyungwe forest national park for chimpanzee trekking and canopy walks.

Things to do on Budget holidays and Safaris in Rwanda

Lots of tourism activities can be done at very affordable price on your visit to Rwanda if you chose budget tours and vacations. Explore different national parks such as Volcanoes national park for mountain gorilla trekking & golden monkey tracking, Nyungwe forest national park for chimpanzee tracking & Canopy walks and Akagera national park for canoeing and game drives to encounter the big 5 mammals.  Below is a summary of things your can do in Rwanda on your budget holidays and safaris;

1. Visiting the capital Kigali
2. Game drives at Akagera national park
3. Mountain gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park
4. Chimpanzee tracking and golden monkey tracking
5. Biking/cycling along the Congo Nile trail
6. Hiking Mountain Bisoke and Mountain Karisimbi
7. Sport fishing
8. Bird watching in Ngungwe forest and Lake Kivu
9. Visiting Dian Fossey grave
10. Visiting genocide memorial centers such as Gisozi, Nyamata, Murambi, Bisesero and Ntamara.
11. Cultural encounters and community visits

Where to go Budget holidays and Safaris in Rwanda

Volcanoes national park

Volcanoes national park is located within Virunga mountain ranges and is a home to about 400 endangered mountain gorillas and 10 habituated gorilla families. The park is made up of thick forest vegetation cover and mountainous terrain that can make gorilla trekking difficult but adventurous. Ever since Dian Fossey pitched camp in in volcanoes national park, Rwanda became a top leader in the global mountain gorilla conservation and research efforts. Visitors can organize to see Dian Fossey’s former research station and her grave. Although mountain gorilla trekking is the main activity in volcanoes national park Rwanda, visitors can also see forest elephants, golden monkeys, forest hogs, birds, buffaloes and a number of butterflies during the Rwanda wildlife tour. The park has a number of mountains suitable for hiking such as Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga, Sabyinyo and Karisimbi.

Ngungwe forest national park

Ngungwe forest national park is one of the most attractive places while on a Rwanda wildlife tour. It’s a vast tropical forest with over 1000 tree species making it a good reflection of Rwanda’s exciting biodiversity. After mountain gorilla trekking, the forest is good for chimpanzee trekking while on a Rwanda wildlife tour. Ngungwe forest national park has over 240 bird species which makes it a birders paradise. While in Ngungwe forest national park, visitors should expect to see baboons, colobus monkeys, golden monkeys, blue monkeys and other primates. Ngungwe forest canopy walk is good for bird lovers and those interested in chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda.

Akagera national park

Akagera national park is one of the best places to go for a safari in Rwanda. The park is located in the eastern part of Rwanda covering an area of 1000 sq.km of savannah vegetation similar to those found in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Akagera national park is close to Kigali city and is a home to a large number of mammals that gather at the water points on river Akagera and Lake Shakani. The most done activity in Akagera national park is a game drive where you get to sport hyenas, antelopes, jackals, zebras, baboons, buffaloes, giraffes, leopards and elephants. There is introduction of rhinos and lions going on so that visitors get a full package of the five big animals. Bird watchers in Akagera national park are expected to see over 500 bird species including the rare shoebill stork.

Giswati forest

This forest is one of the most visited tourism sites in Rwanda covering an area of 250,000 acres of land. The forest gives a great view of Lake Kivu and birders are always excited of over 400 bird species in the area. The forest has suffered from increased deforestation caused by pastoralists, ranchers and refugees who were looking for shelter following the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

Planning Budget holidays and Safaris in Rwanda

If you are planning to book a budget tour in Rwanda, there are different things you should put in mind like the kind of transport to be used to connect to different travel destinations and accommodation to be used.  Looking at transport, you may opt to walk more so if you are doing Kigali city tour. This will give a real insight of the day to day living of the city dwellers as well as get close contact to the city residents. For some sites located a bit far from where you are, you may take a ride using Boda boda or order Uber taxi to connect to your intended site visit.  Connecting to the national parks can be done by hiring a safari vehicle from car rental companies / a local tour operator or use public means like buses. The cost of hiring cars in Rwanda for a private trip ranges from USD 50 to USD200 depending on the type of the vehicle and number of days for hire for example it is $56/day for Standard vehicle, $86/day Premium SUV, $64/day Intermediate SUV, $75/day Standard SUV among others. However, using public means is the cheapest way to save money during your budget holidays and safaris in Rwanda for example the fare from Kigali to Musanze by bus is approximately $3 per person by bus. From there you can hire a taxi to your booked lodge and get ready for your next planned safari activity.

For accommodation, many travelers are aware that Rwanda has lots of luxury camps and lodges, however nice affordable safari lodges and campsites are also available in several destinations.  Below are some of the budget lodges and campsites in Rwanda

Akagera national park: Karega Bush Camp, Shakani Akagera campsite, Mutumba Akagera campsites, Mutumba Akagera campsite, Muyumba campsite

Nyungwe national park: Gisakuru Guest house, E.R.A Gisakura visitor guest house, Gisakura family hostel, Emeraude kivu resort, Paeac guest house, Rusizi progress hotel, Hotel du Lac

Volcanoes national park: Muhabura hotel, Kinigi guest house, Villa gorilla, Da Vinci gorilla lodge, Garden place hotel, Garr hotel, Kinigi Guest house, Gorillas Nest lodge

Budget safaris and holidays in Rwanda can be done throughout however best deals can be executed during low seasons of March, April and May when different lodges offer special rates to attract visitors.