10-Day Best of Rwanda Safari Tour – Visit the best tourist destinations on this 10-day best of Rwanda safari tour, including Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Lake Kivu, and Volcanoes National Park.
Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Kigali Airport Pick-Up
- Day 2: Kigali City Tour – Akagera National Park
- Day 3: Game Drive and Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
- Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Day 5: Canopy Walk and Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest
- Day 6: Colobus Monkey Trekking
- Day 7: Transfer to Lake Kivu
- Day 8: Boat Ride and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 9: Gorilla Trekking and Cultural Tour
- Day 10: End of Safari
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Kigali Airport Pick-Up
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, your 10-day Rwanda safari driver will pick you up and drive you to your hotel in Kigali, where you will spend the night.
Day 2: Kigali City Tour – Akagera National Park
After breakfast, the safari guide will pick you up and take you on a tour of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali.
Spend about 2 hours visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, arts and craft centers, museums, and then set off for Akagera National Park, arriving in the afternoon. For more in-depth information about Rwanda’s history, consider visiting the Rwanda Genocide page.
Have lunch at your lodge and later go on an afternoon game drive to experience Rwanda’s Savannah national park.
Day 3: Game Drive and Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
Be up early for breakfast, and then embark on a pre-sunrise game drive to watch the Savannah plains of Akagera come to life at sunrise.
Explore the park in the morning looking out for lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalos, leopards, hyenas, impalas, zebras, giraffes, elands, oribis, bushbucks, warthogs, mongoose, and more.
Return to your lodge for relaxation and lunch, and later go for an afternoon boat ride on the vast Lake Ihema in the south of Akagera.
Look out for hippos, crocodiles, the shy sitatunga antelope among the marshes, and different water bird species like egrets, herons, cormorants, kingfishers, and the mighty African fish eagle among others.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Embark on a full day’s road trip to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the south of Rwanda.
Start with breakfast at your lodge in Akagera, then check out and hit the road.
You will have stopovers to stretch your legs, visit the Nyanza King’s Palace, the Ethnographic Museum, and have a delicious lunch.
Proceed to Nyungwe Forest National Park, home of 13 primate species and a rich avian life. Check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight. This safari includes several key Rwanda National Parks, providing diverse wildlife experiences across the country.
Day 5: Canopy Walk and Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest
Start day 5 of your 10-day Rwanda safari with an early chimpanzee trekking experience in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Make sure you have obtained your Rwanda Chimpanzee Permits in advance to participate in this memorable adventure.
The activity will take anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on the movements and location of the chimpanzees.
Look out for other primate species and bird species while on the trek.
Once you find the chimpanzees, you are allowed a full hour in their presence to take pictures and learn about their different behaviors from your guides.
Return from the forest and head back to your lodge for lunch.
Later on, you will go for a canopy walk on a suspended walkway over Nyungwe Forest.
Experience the forest from a different angle as you enjoy the lush green views.
Day 6: Colobus Monkey Trekking
Early morning rise, breakfast, and drive to the park’s head office for a briefing about colobus monkey trekking.
Then proceed to experience these attractive black and white monkeys.
Just like with the chimpanzees, you will spend an hour with the colobus monkeys before you return to your lodge for lunch.
You can spend the rest of the day at leisure, relaxing at the lodge, or step out for a walk or a visit to one of the communities near the park.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Kivu
After a filling breakfast, check out and start your journey northwards to Lake Kivu.
Enjoy a scenic long drive through Rwanda’s countryside, dotted with banana plantations and farmlands, and scenic sights of the rolling hills.
On arrival, drive straight to your hotel in Gisenyi, where you will spend the night.
Have a relaxing evening to replenish your energy for the rest of the days of your 10-day Rwanda safari.
Day 8: Boat Ride and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Your safari guide will drive you to the dock after breakfast for a rewarding scenic boat ride on Lake Kivu.
Enjoy the surrounding views as you explore the lake’s shores, visit an island for beautiful sightings of water birds, and a cultural visit.
Return to the mainland, have lunch at your lodge, check out, and transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Arrive at your lodge in the evening.
Day 9: Gorilla Trekking and Cultural Tour
On day 9, you will trek the gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park. If you’re looking for a shorter adventure that covers fewer locations, you might find the 7-Day Rwanda Safari to be a great alternative to this 10-day tour.
Have breakfast and then drive to the park’s headquarters for a briefing and to meet your park ranger and other visitors you will trek with.
Enter the forest to trek the gorilla family assigned to your team.
In about 2-6 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas, you will find the gorilla family, spend an hour with these gentle endangered giants, and then return to the park offices where you will meet your driver and drive back to your lodge for lunch.
Later in the afternoon, visit the Gorilla Guardians Village for a cultural tour.
Day 10: End of Safari
On the last day of your safari, you can opt to go for a golden monkey tracking experience before driving back to Kigali for a drop-off at the airport for your flight.
Visit Nyungwe Forest with these recommended Chimpanzee Trekking Companies or send us an inquiry below to book directly through this website.
