10-Day Rwanda Safari
This 10-Day Rwanda Safari is a custom trip covering the country’s open plains and rainforests, staying fully within Rwanda from start to finish. Highlights include mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, chimpanzee trekking and the canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest, game drives and boat rides in Akagera National Park, and cultural stops covering Rwanda’s history.
Gorilla Hurly Burly arranges permits, transport, and accommodation for the full 10 days, starting and ending in Kigali.
10-Day Rwanda Safari Highlights
- Visit Rwanda’s top parks: Volcanoes, Nyungwe, and Akagera
- Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest
- Canopy walk on Nyungwe’s famous hanging bridge
- Guided forest walks to see birds, plants, and wildlife
- Canoe ride and boat trips on Lake Kivu and Lake Ihema
- Game drives across Akagera National Park
- Cultural visits to the King’s Palace and Ethnographic Museum
- Traditional dance performances
- Short Kigali city visit before departure
Brief 10-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport, transfer to hotel
- Day 2: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
- Day 4: Guided forest walk in Nyungwe Forest
- Day 5: Drive to Kibuye, Lake Kivu
- Day 6: Canoe ride on Lake Kivu, drive to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Day 8: Golden monkey trekking or Dian Fossey grave hike, drive to Akagera
- Day 9: Game drive and boat ride on Lake Ihema
- Day 10: Morning game drive, return to Kigali
Detailed 10-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and Transfer to Hotel
You get your visa on arrival, and your Gorilla Hurly Burly driver meets you and transfers you to your hotel in Kigali. Depending on your arrival time, you can take a short city tour to the Genocide Memorial and craft markets, or rest at the hotel after your flight.
Day 2: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, you begin a 5 to 6-hour drive to Nyungwe Forest, stopping at the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza, then continuing to Butare for lunch and a visit to the Ethnographic Museum. You pass tea farms along the way before checking in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest
After an early breakfast, you attend a briefing at park headquarters before trekking with a ranger to find a chimpanzee group. The trek takes 30 minutes to 4 hours, followed by one hour observing the chimpanzees groom, feed, and rest.
After lunch, you take the canopy walk, a 160-meter hanging bridge suspended 45 meters above the ground, giving you views over the forest and chances to spot birds, monkeys, and butterflies. You return to the lodge in the evening.
Day 4: Guided Forest Walk in Nyungwe Forest
Nyungwe holds over 75 mammal species, 12 primate species, more than 300 tree species, 300 bird species, and 200 butterfly species. Today, you take a guided walk along one of the park’s 13 trails, passing rivers and waterfalls. You have a picnic lunch before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Drive to Kibuye, Lake Kivu
After breakfast, you drive to Kibuye, a quiet town on Lake Kivu, passing green valleys and farmland along the way. After lunch near the lake, you can take a boat ride to nearby islands, swim in the lake, or join a guided community walk.
Day 6: Canoe Ride on Lake Kivu and Drive to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, you take a canoe ride to visit fishing villages and meet residents of the lake’s islands. After lunch, you drive to Volcanoes National Park, where you stay for the next two nights.
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After an early breakfast, you head to park headquarters in Kinigi for registration and a briefing, one of the main highlights of the trip. Rangers assign you to a gorilla group and drive you to the trailhead.
The trek takes 2 to 6 hours depending on the gorillas’ location. Once you find them, you spend one hour watching them eat, play, and groom each other. After the trek, you return to your lodge to relax, then visit the Gorilla Guardian Village to learn about local culture. Dinner and overnight stay follow.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Trekking or Dian Fossey Grave Hike, Then Drive to Akagera
After breakfast, you choose between golden monkey trekking or a hike to Dian Fossey’s grave. After the activity, you check out and drive toward Akagera National Park, stopping for lunch in Ruhengeri along the way, arriving in Akagera about 2 hours after leaving Kigali.
Day 9: Game Drive and Boat Ride on Lake Ihema
In the morning, you take a game drive through the northern part of Akagera, looking for buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, lions, and giraffes. In the afternoon, you take a boat ride on Lake Ihema to see hippos, crocodiles, and water birds, with chances to spot elephants and antelope near the shore.
Day 10: Morning Game Drive and Return to Kigali
After breakfast, you take one final game drive through the southern part of Akagera before returning to Kigali for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.
Book this 10-Day Rwanda Safari with Gorilla Hurly Burly today. Contact our team to check availability and secure your gorilla trekking permit.
