8 Days Rwanda Safari | Gorillas, Chimps & Big Five Safari

From the north to the south, east to the west, discover the hidden treasures of Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, in just 8 days. This trip offers beautiful scenery, exciting experiences, and comfortable stays. The joy of meeting your close relatives, the chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, will stay in your memory forever. You will also have the chance to see the size, color, and unique behavior of different mammals, birds, and other wild animals.

You will visit Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking, Nyungwe National Park for chimpanzee tracking, and Akagera National Park for wildlife viewing. This safari also includes a Kigali city tour, a cultural experience, and time to relax at the country’s largest freshwater lake.

8-Day Rwanda Safari Highlights

Day 1: Arrival in Rwanda
Day 2: City tour and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 3: Gorilla trekking and Cultural experience
Day 4: Volcanoes to Nyungwe national park via Lake Kivu
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in the afternoon
Day 6: Depart to Akagera national park
Day 7: Akagera national park – Full day game drive safari
Day 8: Departure

Detailed 8-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Rwanda

Whatever time you arrive at the airport, our driver-guide will meet and brief you about the entire 8-day adventure; across the different circuits in the country. You will enjoy a quality time of question-answer, plus a glass of Juice, before driving to your hotel for refreshments, followed by dinner and a nap.

Day 2: City tour and transfer to Volcanoes national park

At daybreak, you will enjoy a mouth-watering breakfast meal, followed by an amazing city tour around the different interesting destinations around the city, such as the local markets, and genocide memorial among others. A genocide memorial is a historical place used to remember over 250000 people who lost their lives in the cruel Hutu and Tutsi ethnic conflict in 1994. You should expect to watch documentaries, and lectures against any genocide activities.

Thereafter, Lunch will be at the city, before hitting the road for a 2-3 hours’ drive to Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, home to the few surviving mountain gorillas around the vast Virunga Mountains. You will enjoy dinner at the end of the day and a peaceful nap.

Day 3: Gorilla trekking and Cultural experience

At sunrise, you will enjoy breakfast first, before driving to the park headquarters for a pre-trekking briefing, followed by an amazing 1-7 hours’ gorilla trekking, depending on one’s speed, and the direction the gentle Apes have taken. Gorilla trekking is so amazing and a lifetime adventure. As you traverse the jungle, there are lots more primates, birds, and unique tree species to encounter.

The park ranger will give you one hour of watching apes, taking photos, and many more.

Thereafter, you will head for lunch, before having an amazing afternoon cultural experience; to learn of the culture of the Rwandese such as dress code, dance and stories. This day ends with a mouth-watering meal and a peaceful slumber.

Day 4: Volcanoes to Nyungwe national park via Lake Kivu

Today, you will start with breakfast; followed by a scenic drive that might last for approximately 4-7 hours while enjoying the magnificent views of a flourishing plantation, vegetation, rolling hills, and so much more, as well as the crystal clear waters.

You will have an enroute stopover at Lake Kivu; Rwanda’s largest freshwater lake, for lunch, before using a boat to your lodge at Nyungwe national park. Dinner and a nap is the final thing this day

Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in the afternoon

You will wake up your intestines with a yummy cup of coffee today, before driving for registration and briefing at the park headquarters. The point of interest during the briefing concerns the tracking rules and regulations; before entering the jungle for an ultimate trekking experience such as listening to the sweet chimpanzee vocals, feeding and games.

It takes about 1-6 hours to locate these creatures, and one extra hour to learn their ways. Interestingly, from the start of this adventure, you will have a lot to spot besides the chimpanzees; talk of the rare tree species, primates and birds.

Thereafter, lunch will follow, before having a relaxed evening at the magical canopy tree, to the dinner and nap time at the lodge.

Day 6: Depart to Akagera national park

After a relaxed delicious breakfast meal, you will depart Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park to Akagera national park; marked by a unique landscape, plantation, and a wide range of fauna. There will be an en-route stopover for Lunch, and late arrival at the lodge in or around the park for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Akagera national park – Full day game drive safari

You will spend this entire day in the wild after breakfast, in search of the different residents here such as the elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, zebras, impalas, giraffes, lions, and leopards among others; but not forgetting the birds, primates, and the captivating landscape.

There will be a lunch break, and then an evening of adventure; seek and find game, before returning to the lodge for dinner and night stay.

Day 8: Departure

You will have an amazing breakfast meal today, before checking out of the lodge for a 6-7 hours’ drive to the airport for your flight to the next destination.