This 4-day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Viewing Safari offers a perfect combination of savannah wildlife encounters and an intimate gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda’s most iconic national parks.
The safari takes you to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savannah park and home to the Big Five, followed by Volcanoes National Park, the only destination in Rwanda where you can see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Highlights include game drives, a scenic boat cruise on Lake Ihema, a cultural experience with the Iby’iwachu community, and an unforgettable gorilla trek.
The tour starts and ends in Kigali.
After breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kigali to begin your 4-day Gorilla and Wildlife Safari. Enjoy a guided Kigali city tour, visiting Kimironko Market, the King’s Palace, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
After the city tour, drive northeast to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s premier savannah park. Arrive in the evening, check in at your lodge, relax, enjoy dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation Options
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy an early morning game drive in Akagera National Park, offering excellent chances to spot wildlife such as lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and antelopes.
After lunch, proceed for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema, where you will see hippos, crocodiles, and a wide variety of bird species. The lake is home to over 500 bird species, including shoebill storks, herons, jacanas, ibis, and gonolek.
Return to the lodge in the evening for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation Options
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, enjoy a short morning game drive as you exit Akagera National Park. Drive northwest to Volcanoes National Park, a scenic journey of approximately 4–5 hours through Rwanda’s rolling hills and countryside.
Arrive in time for lunch, relax at the lodge, and later in the evening visit the Iby’iwachu Cultural Village. Participate in traditional dances and learn about Rwanda’s cultural heritage through interactions with local communities.
Accommodation Options
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy an early breakfast before transferring to the park headquarters for a gorilla trekking briefing. You will then hike into the forest with experienced ranger guides in search of a habituated gorilla family.
Once found, spend one hour observing and photographing the gorillas in their natural environment. After the trek, return to the starting point and drive back to Kigali for drop-off at your hotel or Kigali International Airport, marking the end of the safari.
Accommodation: None
Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Permit Costs: