Day 1: Arrival in Kigali.
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, your safari driver will welcome you and then brief you about the safari, depending on the time of arrival you take in Kigali city tour to essential visit to Kigali Genocide Memorial to understand the country’s past, after take lunch. Spend your afternoon exploring the vibrant Inema Arts Center and sampling local cuisine on a food walk through the Nyamirambo neighborhood. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park.
After breakfast, check out and then depart early for a 2.5-hour drive to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savannah reserve. Upon arrival, check into your lodge and head out for an afternoon game drive to spot elephants, zebras, and giraffes as the sun sets over the low woodlands. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Game drive and Lake Ihema Boat Cruise in Akagera National Park.
Enjoy breakfast, meet your safari drive and go for a on a sunrise game drive to spot the famous Big five mammals like lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants and rhinos. Later enjoy lunch and in the afternoon, take a relaxing boat safari on Lake Ihema, where you will glide past massive pods of hippos and basking crocodiles. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Drive to Volcanoes National Park.
After your hearty breakfast, enjoy a brief en-route morning drive out of Akagera and drive northwest toward the majestic Virunga Volcanoes. Arrive at Volcanoes National Park in time for an evening cultural experience, enjoy traditional drumming and dancing at the Gorilla Guardians Village, later dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Departure.
Wake up early for your briefing at the park headquarters, then trek into the dense bamboo forests to spend an unforgettable hour observing a family of wild mountain gorillas, watching them feed, breakfast, hunt, mothers grooming their infants and among others. After one hour hike back down, drive back to Kigali (approx. 2.5 hours), and catch your evening flight home that brings your safari to the end.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park.
Day 3: Game drive and Lake Ihema Boat Cruise in Akagera National Park.
Day 4: Drive to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 5: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Departure
To ensure your safari runs smoothly, keep these essential planning and environmental factors in mind.
A single mountain gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda costs $1,500 USD. Because availability is strictly regulated to protect the gorillas, you must book your permit months in advance especially if you’re traveling during peak seasons.
Rwanda is incredibly clean, largely because single-use plastic bags are completely banned. Border control at Kigali International Airport will confiscate any plastic bags (including Ziploc bags used for toiletries) from your luggage.
Gorilla tracking is not a casual walk in the park. You will be hiking at altitudes between 2,300 and 4,500 meters, often scrambling up muddy slopes through thick brush. A decent baseline of physical fitness will vastly increase your enjoyment.
Malaria Protection: Both Kigali and Akagera are located in malaria zones. Speak to your doctor about starting a course of malaria prophylactics before your departure.
Even if you travel during the drier months (June to September), Volcanoes National Park is a rainforest that creates its own weather. You must pack:
