From the African elephants to chimpanzees, and then the endangered Mountain Gorillas; this 8 Days best of Rwanda safari takes you to the country’s finest safari parks and destinations. From Kigali city, the first place to visit will be Akagera National Park – the only savanna park in Rwanda with a collection of variety of Flora and Fauna and best for game viewing and boat ride at Lake Ihema.

Proceed to the primate hub of Rwanda – Nyungwe national park, home to 13 unique primate species including chimpanzee. It is also home to the famed canopy walk adventure.

The final destination is Volcanoes national park – an asylum to the rare mountain Gorillas found only in the continent of Africa. Other safari highlights include observing the magical conical hills, Kigali city, lakes, tall mountains, Genocide sites and hospitable Rwandan people.

Detailed trip.

Day 1: Arrival and optional Kigali city tour.

Upon arrival in the “Land of A thousand Hills” – Rwanda, your safari guide will happily welcome you for the 8 days Rwanda safari. This starts with a briefing and some clearances in the airport and then a transfer to the lodge will follow for some refreshments from the long Journey.

Immediately start the journey to Akagera national park, offering stunning sceneries in the northeastern part of Rwanda. You may have an option of taking a tour around Kigali city, and visit the historical and cultural destinations like Genocide memorial site and the local markets. The day ends at the lodge with dinner and a peaceful sleep.

Day 2: Game drive and Boat cruise at Lake Ihema.

From having a peaceful nap, you will depart the lodge for a rewarding 3-4 hour game drive and photo moments in the northern part of the park. This is home to some big and small cats, birds, and reptiles among others. You will be looking out for the African elephants, cape Buffaloes, rhinos, waterbucks, giraffes, recently introduced lions and the bushbucks among others. The safari draws you to Mother Nature and can last for 3 – 4 hours depending on how fast you spot animals.

After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch, followed by an afternoon boat cruise at Lake Ihema for some time, while spotting hippos and crocodiles. The day ends with dinner and overnight at sunset.

Day 3: Depart Akagera National park for Nyungwe national park.

After an early morning breakfast at the lodge, you will check out for a transfer to the southern part of Rwanda – 7 hours’ scenic drive, while admiring the undulating hills, flourishing plantations and the locals carrying on with their daily chores. You will have an enroute stopover at the Former Rwanda national Museum (now ethnographic museum) in Butare to learn more about the culture and history of Rwanda. Lunch will be in Huye city, before proceeding with an evening drive to your lodge near the park for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Morning Chimp tracking and Afternoon canopy walk.

After a sunrise hefty breakfast, with packed snacks and trekking documents depart for registration and pre – trekking briefing at the park headquarters. The ranger guides will gladly welcome and explain more about the chimps and tracking rules.

It is a 2-6 hour experience, with sounds and sights of chimpanzees and other primates like L’Hoest’s monkeys, Vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, Rwenzori colobus monkeys and retailed monkeys. The search follows undesignated trails and one hour allowance is given to you to take photos and watch the apes play, feed and interact with each other.

You will get sorted with the exercise and then have a lunch break, before joining the rest of the visitors at Uwinka information center for a canopy walk experience. The activity is done on a 6-7 meter suspended bridge on treetop and exposes you to the stunning forest landscape, elusive birds and primates. End the day with dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Day 5: Nyungwe National Park to Volcanoes National Park.

Have a relaxed breakfast at the lodge, and checkout for a 350km drive to Volcanoes national park in Musanze region. The journey takes about 6-7 hours, with sights of differently sized hills and mountains, Congo-Nile drive, curving roads, green vegetation and Lake Kivu – country’s largest water body. You will have lunch break, before getting to your lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6: Track Gorillas in the Mist.

After a yummy breakfast meal at the lodge, you will depart to Kinigi headquarters for a briefing and document verification by the ranger guides. You will be assigned a gorilla group to track, and also told the trekking dos and don’ts, after which the search begins. This unforgettable encounter lasts for roughly 2-7 hours, plus an additional hour for taking photos, asking questions and studying the apes.

The misty jungle is a safe place and the apes are calm. The tracking exercise starts from where they were spotted the previous day, following marks of a silverback. They are primarily vegetarians and spend most of their time moving from one territory to another, playing on tree branches and sleeping. Some level of physical fitness are expected for a successful adventure.

After the reunion, you will return to the lodge for lunch, followed by an optional cultural adventure at the gorilla guardians’ village or relaxing at the lodge while meditating on the apes, and the vacation vibes.

Day 7: Relaxing on Lake Kivu shores.

After a sunrise breakfast at the lodge, depart to the shores of Lake Kivu in Gisenyi, only one-hour drive away. It will be a day for evoking the beautiful images and safari thoughts while resting from the non-stop activities.

Lake Kivu is a beautiful place, known for stunning landscapes, serene environment, and cool air breeze. You may choose to soak yourself on the shores with some book, tour to the hot springs, or take a boat cruise to the inner islands. Lunch will be sorted, as you will wait to return to the lodge at sunset for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Departure.

Your last safari day starts with breakfast sunrise and then a yummy breakfast meal at the lodge, before a transfer to Kigali city or airport for your flight.  In case the flight is late in the evening or night, feel free to excursion your tour in Kigali city.

End of safari.