12 days best of Rwanda safari

12 Days Best of Rwanda Safari – Gorilla & Wildlife Tour

On 12 days best of Rwanda safari, expect to explore and experience Rwanda’s best national parks. It covers 3 pristine parks; Nyungwe Forest National Park where you will engage in chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk, Akagera National Park for game drive and boat cruise while in Volcanoes National Park for a thrilling mountain gorilla trekking experience. Other areas this Rwanda safari package covers include Lake Kivu in Gisenyi and Kamiranzovu waterfalls. Your 12 days best of Rwanda safari will begin and end in Kigali.

12 days best of Rwanda safari

Activities to expect to do on 12 days best of Rwanda safari

  • Game drive
  • Boat cruise
  • Canopy Walk
  • Hike to Kamiranzovu falls
  • Chimpanzee tracking
  • Visit to tea plantations
  • Gorilla trekking
  • Visit to Iby’Iwacu cultural village
  • Golden monkey trekking

Brief itinerary of the 12 days best of Rwanda safari

Day 1: Transfer to hotel in Kigali

Day 2: Drive to Akagera National Park

Day 3: Game drive and launch trip in Akagera National Park

Day 4: Leave Akagera for Nyungwe Forest National Park

Day 5: Canopy walk and hike to Kamiranzovu waterfalls

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and tea plantation experience

Day 7: Depart Nyungwe Forest for Volcanoes National Park

Day 8: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Day 10: Visit Lake Kivu-boat ride

Day 11: Drive to Kigali-go for city tour

Day 12: Departure

Detailed itinerary of your 12 days best of Rwanda safari

Day 1: Transfer to hotel in Kigali

Take a flight from your home country to Kigali International Airport. Arrive early and meet your Rwanda safari guide who then will give you a quick briefing on what your trip is all about. You may have a short Kigali city tour if time permits however, dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel.

Accommodation in Kigali

  • Budget: Five to Five hotel
  • Mid-range: Frame Tree Village
  • Luxury: Milles Collines Hotel/Serena Hotel Kigali

Day 2: Drive to Akagera National Park

Enjoy your breakfast and after, drive to Akagera National Park in Eastern Rwanda. Your trip will cover 2-3 hours and in a 4×4 Land Cruiser/Safari Van, enjoy the amazing view of the countryside unique landscape. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Akagera National Park.

Accommodation in Akagera National Park

  • Budget: Dereva Hotel/Camping
  • Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge
  • Luxury: Rusizi Tented Camp/Magashi Tented Camp

Day 3: Game drive and launch trip in Akagera National Park

Have a heavy breakfast and later, start a morning game drive taking you via the Northern savannas of Akagera National Park. Varied Akagera wildlife species to expect to sight include the African bush elephants, buffaloes, the Masai giraffes, zebras, roan antelopes, birds and many more.

Retreat from a game drive and have lunch in the afternoon. Boat cruise on Lake Ihema will be your next activity and this allows you enjoy good sight of hippos, crocodiles, water birds including fish eagles, shoebill stork, papyrus gonoleks, kingfishers and others. Dine and spend a night at your safari lodge.

Accommodation in Akagera National Park

  • Budget: Dereva Hotel/Camping
  • Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge
  • Luxury: Rusizi Tented Camp/Magashi Tented Camp

Day 4: Leave Akagera for Nyungwe Forest National Park

After breakfast, drive from Akagera to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Expect to make a stop visit at Nyanza Palace and later, have lunch then continue to the park to check in for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park

  • Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
  • Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Lodge
  • Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge

Day 5: Canopy walk and hike to Kamiranzovu waterfalls

Have breakfast early in the morning from your respective lodge and after, embark on a canopy walk on a walkway that is suspended about 60m from the ground. A walk will take you about 2 hours and it lets you sight mostly primates, birds and forest canopy. Get back to the lodge to enjoy your lunch. Later, set out for a hike to Kamiranzu waterfalls while enjoying bird sight and primates. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park

  • Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
  • Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Lodge
  • Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and tea plantation experience

After breakfast, be part of the 7:00am briefing on chimpanzee tracking rules. At 8:00am, the park guide assigned to you can take you to observe chimpanzees and have an in-depth learning about their behaviors.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the best primate safari parks and it is set in the southern side of Rwanda. It inhabits 13 primates most which can spotted on chimpanzee tracking; 310 bird species and many reptiles. Return after one hour of magical encounter with chimpanzees and have lunch.

In the afternoon after lunch, expect to be part of the tea plantations experience in the nearby tea estates or community. Dinner and overnight stay in your respective lodges.

Accommodation in Nyungwe Forest National Park

  • Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
  • Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Lodge
  • Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge

Day 7: Depart Nyungwe Forest for Volcanoes National Park

Have a heavy breakfast and after, leave Nyungwe Forest for Volcanoes National Park in Northwestern Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park hosts some of the rare mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and lots of birds. Arrive early and pay a visit to Iby’Iwacu cultural village that will reward you with amazing cultural experience. Dine and spend a night at a gorilla safari lodge.

Accommodation in Volcanoes National Park

  • Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse/Muhabura Hotel
  • Mid-range: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge/Le Bambou Lodge
  • Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge

Day 8: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Have breakfast early in the morning and after, gather at Kinigi for briefing about your long day gorilla trekking adventure. The park official will also allocate to you a habituated gorilla family and park guide to take you on a search for mountain gorillas, an adventure that lasts for 2-6 hours but includes 1 hour of magical encounter.

You are expected to go with some snacks and bottled drinking water since it is a long day adventure. After, get back to the lodge to chill, dine and overnight stay at your respective gorilla safari lodges.

Accommodation in Volcanoes National Park

  • Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse/Muhabura Hotel
  • Mid-range: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge/Le Bambou Lodge
  • Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge

Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Enjoy your cup of tea or coffee and after, assemble at Kinigi once again for briefing on golden monkey tracking. The park guide will escort you on a search for golden monkeys starting at 8:00am. The entire golden monkey trek may take 2-4 hours inclusive of 1 hour of magical encounter. Retreat after your breathtaking experience to relax at the lodge and later, have dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Accommodation in Volcanoes National Park

  • Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse/Muhabura Hotel
  • Mid-range: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge/Le Bambou Lodge
  • Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge

Day 10: Visit Lake Kivu-boat ride

After breakfast, leave your lodge for Lake Kivu in Gisenyi. While here, expect to enjoy a boat ride on Lake Kivu or chill on its beautiful white san beaches. Dinner and overnight stay will be at a hotel.

Accommodation around Lake Kivu

  • Mid-range: Water Front Resort
  • Luxury: Kivu Serena Hotel or Paradise Malahide

Day 11: Drive to Kigali-go for city tour

After your cup of tea or coffee, you will have a day chilling at Lake Kivu’s sand beaches or engage in jet skiing/kayaking then get back to check out of the hotel. Drive back to Kigali afterwards and upon arrival, go for Kigali city expedition which involves visiting the Gisozi genocide site, local markets and many other places. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Accommodation in Kigali

  • Budget: Five to Five hotel
  • Mid-range: Frame Tree Village
  • Luxury: Milles Collines Hotel/Serena Hotel Kigali

Day 12: Departure

Have your cup of tea and later, drive to Kigali airport for departure. This marks the end of your 12 days best of Rwanda safari.

End of your 12 days best of Rwanda safari

The safari includes

  • Canopy walk
  • Game drives
  • Boat cruise
  • Chimpanzee permit
  • Kigali city tour
  • Tea plantation experience
  • A valid gorilla trekking permit
  • An English-speaking Rwanda tour guide
  • Accommodation for 11 nights and meals
  • Relevant government taxes in case of any
  • All the activities in the itinerary except the optional ones

The safari excludes

  • Tips
  • Visa fees
  • Beverages
  • Laundry
  • Hotel fees after the trip
  • Cigarettes
  • The optional activities
  • Personal insurance
  • Telephone expenses
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