12 Days Best Rwanda Safari tour

12 Days Best Rwanda Safari tour: Take on a 12 Days Best Rwanda Safari tour offering you a tour to all the three major national parks of Rwanda. Start off with a full day city tour in Kigali and after connect to Volcanoes national park for a once in a lifetime mountain gorilla experience and a golden monkey trek. Spend a leisurely day at Lake Kivu and then connect to Nyungwe forest national park for a chimpanzee trek, afternoon canopy walk and the Isumo waterfall hike. Connect to the Akagera national park for game drives, a boat trip on Lake Ihema and have a cultural experience in Akagera national park. This 12 days Rwanda safari is available for booking any day of the week throughout the year.

Trip highlights of the 12 Days Best Rwanda Safari tour

Day 1: Kigali city tour
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 3: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking in Rwanda
Day 5: Transfer to Lake Kivu
Day 6: Connect to Nyungwe forest national park
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and afternoon canopy walk
Day 8: Isumo waterfall hike
Day 9: Drive to Kigali
Day 10: Transfer to Akagera national park for afternoon Lake Ihema boat trip
Day 11: Day game drive and cultural experience in Akagera national park.
Day 12: Transfer back to Kigali

Trip description

Day 1: Kigali city tour

You will communicate to your driver guide about the time you will be ready to start your Kigali city tour. Your driver guide will arrive at your hotel or pick up point at the agreed time and give you a brief on what to expect the next few days. You will drive to your first stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial grounds for a brief history of the 1994 events in Rwanda. Later go for lunch in local restaurant in Kigali for the local dishes try out. You will in the evening go to the Kimironko market for a chance to interact with the Rwandan people and buy some local produce. You will later connect to your hotel in Kigali for dinner and overnight.

Hotel options in Kigali

Kigali Serena lodge for luxury option
The Retreat Kigali for midrange option
Step Town motel for budget option

Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

Wake up to a tasty breakfast at your hotel and meet up with your driver guide who will be waiting to transfer you to Ruhengeri. You will drive 2 hours before you reach Musanze. You will check in at your hotel and settle in as you wait for lunch to be served.

Later in the afternoon, you will go visit the Dian Fossey gorilla fund museum for the 3D graphic visit to the Virunga mountains and also learn more about the work of Dian Fossey ahead of your gorilla trekking experience. You will return to your hotel for dinner and spend a first night in Volcanoes national park.

Hotel options in Volcanoes national park

Hotel Muhabura for budget option
Le Bambou Gorilla lodge for midrange option
Songa lodge for luxury option

Day 3: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park

An earl breakfast will be prepared for you along with lunch boxes for you to carry on you in the park. Your driver guide will drive you to the park headquarters for your morning brief before the activity of the day. Attend the 20 to 30 minutes brief from the ranger guides and after follow them into the forest in search of the mountain gorillas.

Trek for about 2 to 4 hours until you meet your gorilla family of the day. You will spend one hour enjoying the mountain gorillas from a 7 meter distance and after set out to exit the forest to have your packed lunch boxes. You will after connect to the Iby’iwachu cultural center for your cultural experience of the Rwandan people. Spend some quality time at the center and after head back to your hotel before nightfall for dinner and another night at the hotel of the past nights.

Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking in Rwanda

Right after breakfast is served; you will meet your driver guide who will be waiting to transfer you back to the park reception for your morning brief before the activity of the day. You will hire porters and other necessities and head out to the forest to trek the golden monkeys. Volcanoes national park is one of the parks that are blessed with the presence of both the silverback gorillas and the golden monkeys thus the saying “where silver meets gold”

After spending sometime in the forest with these playful creatures, you will exit the forest back to the hotel to end the day at leisure. Dinner will be served and another night will be spent at the hotel as night before.

Day 5: Transfer to Lake Kivu

Wake up on a more relaxed note, have breakfast and check out of your accommodation and head out to Gisenyi. This is a 2 hour road transfer from Ruhengeri to Gisenyi. You will arrive in time to check in at your hotel in Gisenyi and have lunch after settling in.

Later in the evening, you may take on a boat ride on Lake Kivu as you watch the sunset and spot a number of birdlife. Get back to your hotel before night fall for dinner and spend a night in Gisenyi.

Hotel options in Lake Kivu

Paradise Malahide for budget
Le Palm Beach hotel for midrange
Lake Kivu Serena hotel for luxury

Day 6: Connect to Nyungwe forest national park

Wake up in time for breakfast at the hotel and gather your bags to check out of the hotel headed for your next destination. You will enjoy your last moments at the Lake Kivu and embark on your 5 to 6 hour road transfer to Gisakura.

You will have an enroute lunch and arrive at your hotel in Nyungwe forest in the evening hours to check in at your hotel and wait for dinner to be served and spend your first night in Nyungwe forest.

Hotel options in Nyungwe forest national park.

Gisakura visitor center for budget
Nyungwe Top hill view hotel for midrange
One and only Nyungwe house for luxury

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and afternoon canopy walk

At 5 am, set out with your driver guide to join the group headed to the Nyungwe forest for the chimpanzee trekking experience. You will have a briefing at the Uwinka reception and head out into the forest to see these playful creatures that you will see swing from one tree branch to another.

Exit the forest after and have a late breakfast at the hotel. Relax and after you have lunch, you will drive to the Uwinka reception for a briefing ahead of your canopy walk in the Nyungwe forest. Take on this 140 meter long canopy walk way giving you a view of the forest from the top. Great birding point! Return to your hotel before it gets dark, freshen up and have dinner. You will spend another night in Nyungwe forest.

Day 8: Isumo waterfall hike

You will wake up excited for this day. Have breakfast and head out to the park at the Gisakura reception center for a briefing before heading into the forest. This is a 4 hour activity that sets off from the Gisakura reception center. You will trek 5.3 kilometers to and fro crossing a large tea plantation and back to the trailhead.

Connect back to the hotel for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure relaxing. Dinner will be served and you spend another night in Nyungwe forest.

Day 9: Drive to Kigali

Wake up and gather your belongings ready to check out of your hotel after breakfast. Your driver guide will be waiting for you and embark on your 6 hour transfer to Kigali. You will have enroute visit to the Butare Museum and the King’s palace and have lunch in Butare. Drive to arrive in Kigali in the evening hours. Check in at your hotel, have dinner and spend a night in Kigali.

Hotel options in Kigali

Kigali Serena lodge for the luxury option
The Retreat Kigali for midrange option
Step Town motel for the budget option

Day 10: Transfer to Akagera national park for afternoon Lake Ihema boat trip

Have a simple breakfast at your hotel shortly before you head out to your next destination; Akagera national park. You will drive with your driver guide towards the Akagera national park passing through homesteads and arrive at the park in the mid-morning hours. Check in at your hotel as you wait for lunch to be served.

After lunch, you will head out to the Lake Ihema for your scheduled boat trip for a chance to view the water life of Akagera national park like crocodiles, hippos and a number of birdlife. You will head back to the hotel for dinner and spend a night in the park.

Hotel options in Akagera national park

Akagera Game lodge for budget
Karenge Bush camp for midrange
Rusizi tented camp for luxury

Day 11: Day game drive and cultural experience in Akagera national park.

Grab some breakfast and meet your driver guide who will be waiting to take you to the park reception to pick up one of the Akagera rangers. You will drive for about 4 hours around the park viewing the elephants, giraffes, rhinos, lions and leopards and also the smaller wild animals like the antelopes, warthogs. After the game drive, you will head back for lunch at the hotel as you wait for the sun to calm down.

Later in the evening, go for the Akagera community cultural experience and learn some of the Rwandan people’s culture. Drive back to the hotel in time for dinner and second night stay.

Day 12: Transfer back to Kigali

The last day of your safari will be a more relaxed one as you exit the Akagera national park back to Kigali Rwanda. You may have a brief game drive as you drive out of the park. You will drive for about 2 hours and you will arrive in Kigali in the afternoon hours. You will be dropped off as you will advise.

End of the 12 Days Best Rwanda Safari tour

Trip quote to include:

Full-time safari vehicle with fuel
English/ French speaking driver guide
Accommodation
Meals
Activity permits as described in the itinerary
Bottled water while on safari
Park entrance fees

Trip quote to exclude:

Flights
Items of personal nature like laundry, insurance, phone service, tips and gratuities
Extra activities not mentioned in the itinerary.