10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour – SAFARI OVERVIEW
10 days Rwanda safari tour is an amazing 10 days Rwanda tour, starting and ending in Kigali. This itinerary is the perfect combination of Rwanda’s highlights, offering you gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, game viewing, Lake Kivu tour, community village tours, and so much more!
Your 10 days Rwanda safari tour begins with a safari in Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savannah park, where you can spot lions, leopards, giraffes, Zebras, elephants, buffalos, hippos, antelopes, warthogs, crocodiles, and even rhinos. Next, travel to Nyungwe National Park Forest, one of Africa’s oldest montane rainforests and home to chimpanzees and rare monkeys.
After your time in Nyungwe, you go relax at one of Africa’s Great Lakes, Lake Kivu. The final and most awaited stop – Volcanoes National Park is where you’ll spend time with the famous mountain gorillas.
Your unforgettable Rwanda gorilla trekking safari experience is combined with a trek to see the endemic golden monkeys, as well as a cultural tour to the Gorilla Guardian Village.
You can book or customize this exciting 10 days Rwanda safari tour to your interests
10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour – PRIME SAFARI ACTIVITIES
- Search for the Big 5 on game drives in Akagera National Park
- Boat cruise on the tranquil waters of Lake Ihema in Akagera
- Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park
- Visit Iby’iwacu Cultural Village for a community experience
- Trek for chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Experience a Canopy walk via a treetop walkway in Nyungwe Forest
- Track Colobus Monkey in Nyungwe Forest
- Tour a beautiful, working tea plantation
- Relax on the sandy beaches of Lake Kivu
- Stay at comfortable Rwanda safari lodges
- Comfortable drive through Rwanda’s scenic landscapes
- Tour of Ethnographic Museum and King’s Palace
- Optional Kigali city tour
10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour – FEATURED SAFARI DESTINATIONS
Day 1: Kigali City
Day 2 & 3: Akagera National park
Day 4, 5, &6: Nyungwe National park, Ethnographic Museum, King’s Palace
Day 7: Lake Kivu (Gisenyi)
Day 8 & 9: Volcanoes National Park & Ibywachu Cultural Village
Day 10: Kigali
10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour – SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport & transfer to your hotel
Day 2: Travel to Akagera National park for an evening game drive
Day 3: Morning game drive & afternoon boat cruise in Akagera
Day 4: Transfer Nyungwe Forest. Visit the Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace.
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking & canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest
Day 6: Colobus monkey tracking & tea plantation experience
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Kivu (Gisenyi) for relaxation
Day 8: Enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Kivu & Drive to Volcanoes NP in the evening.
Day 9: Do Gorilla trekking & visit the Gorilla Guardian Cultural Village
Day 10: Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes. Transfer back to Kigali
10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour – DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport & Transfer to Your Hotel.
Landing at Kigali Airport, our company representative will be there to welcome you to Rwanda. He will brief you about the country and this 10 days Rwanda safari tour in particular, before driving you to your comfortable hotel in Kigali. Spend the day at leisure to prepare for your once-in-a-lifetime safari.
If your flight arrives early in the day, then you can tour Kigali city. The city is considered one of the greenest, cleanest, safest, and friendliest of African capitals.
The tour includes a visit to the Genocide Memorial for a sense of Rwanda’s turbulent history. You also visit local markets, craft centers, and art galleries, and explore the vibrant streets for an insight into Rwandan society today.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Serena Hotel Kigali/Radison blu/Hotel Mille Collines
Midrange: – Hotel Chezlando
Meal Plan: – Dinner
Activities & Services: – Pick from the Airport & transfer to a hotel
Optional Activities: – Kigali city tour
Day 2: Travel to Akagera National Park for an Evening Game Drive
Start your day two of this 10 days Rwanda safari tour with a relaxed breakfast at 8 am. Then embark on a scenic 2½-hour drive east to Akagera National Park. Before checking into your lodge, enjoy a short game drive to spot some animals as you continue to your lodge for relaxation and lunch.
Akagera is the last refuge for savannah-adapted species in Rwanda. Spreading over 1122km2, the park is filled with savannah plains, woodlands, lakes, acacia forests, and wetlands. Crocodiles and hippos wallow in its watery basins.
Predators prowl through its acacia groves. And elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffalos, antelopes, and other animals roam across its grassy plains.
Arrive at your lodge inside the park for relaxation and lunch. In the evening, explore the park with a 3-hour game drive.
The highlight of the Day: – Evening game drive
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Ruzizi Tented Lodge/Magashi Camp
Midrange: – Akagera Game Lodge
Budget: – Dereva Hotel
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 135km/2 ½ hours
Activities & Services:-
- Transfer to Akagera
- Game drives
Optional Activity: – Boat cruise, Night game
Day 3: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise in Akagera
On day three of the 10 days Rwanda safari tour, start with an early breakfast at 6 am, and then set off on your morning game drive as the sun comes up. Sunrise is the best time for wildlife viewing as animals tend to be the most active during the “golden hours” when the first rays of sunshine come to rest on the savannah.
Look out for lions, leopards, buffalos, elephants, rhinos, Zebras, Giraffes, Warthogs, Hyenas, Baboons, Topi, Impalas, Waterbucks, Elands, Bushbucks, and more. Return to the lodge for lunch and some free time to relax.
In the afternoon, enjoy a leisurely boat cruise on Lake Ihema. Watch for the many hippos and large crocodiles. Spot elephants, buffalo, and antelopes, as they gather at the lakeshore to drink water. Observe birds, there are over 490 species around the lake. Keep an eye out for shoebills, herons, fish eagles, kingfishers, etc.
Return to the lodge for dinner, and overnight.
The highlight of the Day: – Game drive
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Ruzizi Tented Lodge/Magashi Camp
Midrange: – Akagera Game Lodge
Budget: – Dereva Hotel
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services:-
- Game drive
- Goat cruise
Optional Activities: – Night game drive, Community tour
Day 4: Transfer Nyungwe Forest. Visit The Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace En-Route.
After early morning breakfast on this day four of your 10 days Rwanda safari tour, check out and say farewell to the great staff in the Akagera NP. Then embark on the day’s journey southwest towards Nyungwe National Park. It is a 5 to 6-hour drive through rolling hills and beautiful scenery en route.
You’ll make a stop in Butare to visit the detailed Ethnographic Museum, to learn about the social-cultural history of Rwanda. Continue to Nyanza, where the famous and majestic Rwandan kings were staying. Tour the king’s palace and learn about the royal style, the smartness, and the authority of pre-colonial Rwanda. Meet the royal cows on the site and the herder who sings to them.
After the palace visit, enjoy delicious lunch and then complete your scenic drive to Nyungwe. This ancient, biodiverse forest is home to 1068 plant species. The stars of the show, however, are the 13 primate species – including chimpanzees, Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Red-tail Monkey, Colobus monkey, Owl-faced monkey, Blue Monkey, Vervet monkey, and L’Hoest’s Monkey.
The highlight of the Day: – Exploring Rwanda’s rich cultural heritage
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – One & Only Nyungwe House/Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange: – Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget: – Gisakura Guesthouse
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 320km /5-6 hours
Activities & Services:-
- Drive to Nyungwe
- Tour of the Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace
Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking & Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest
After an early breakfast, transfer to the visitor center by 5 am to meet the expert local guides for a briefing. Then, embark on the 2-6 hour trek through the dark forest and you will enjoy looking for other primates, birds, and animals along the way.
Your guide will teach you about tracking the chimps, pointing out signs they have left as you head through the forest. Upon reaching them, spend one hour viewing these human-like creatures as they play and interact in their natural habitat – an unforgettable experience that you will treasure forever.
Return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.
In the afternoon, undertake a 2-hour walk via a treetop canopy walkway in Nyungwe. Test your balance resilience as you walk on the 200m extended and shaking bridge suspended 70m over the forest floor. Enjoy incredible endless views of the green forest and wildlife that live in tree canopies such as monkeys and birds.
The highlight of the Day: – Trekking the fascinating Chimpanzees
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Nyungwe Forest Lodge/One & Only Nyungwe House
Midrange: – Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget: – Gisakura Guesthouse
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services:-
- Chimp trekking
- Canopy walk
Day 6: Colobus Monkey Tracking In Nyungwe Forest & Tea Plantation Experience
Enjoy breakfast at 7 am on this day six of 10 days Rwanda safari tour.
Then, head to the Park’s Visitor Center for yet another fascinating adventure: colobus monkey tracking. These attractive old-world monkeys tend to form “super-groups” comprising almost 500 members, a phenomenon that has been observed to happen only among the colobus monkeys in Nyungwe.
The trek isn’t tiresome and takes you through green tea plantations to an isolated forest patch where you can see these beautiful primates jumping through the trees. You spend one hour with them before returning to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.
In the afternoon, visit a tea plantation to interact with the local people who work there. Discover how tea is grown and harvested, and visit a factory to observe how it is processed. End your experience with a cup of tea.
The highlight of The Day: – Trekking for the beautiful colobus monkeys
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Nyungwe Forest Lodge/One & Only Nyungwe House
Midrange: – Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget: – Gisakura Guesthouse
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services:-
- Colobus monkey tracking
- Tea plantation tour
Optional Activities: – Waterfall Hike
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Kivu (Gisenyi) For Relaxation
Start your day seven of the 10 days Rwanda safari tour with a relaxed breakfast at the lodge. Thereafter, set off northwards. You are slowly heading for Lake Kivu, but we have some serious sightseeing en route.
The drive takes around 7 hrs. and the rolling hills that characterize Rwanda’s landscape become much more dramatic and cliff-like as you drive on. You’ll pass small farming villages and banana plantations before descending into the valley to Gisenyi, the town at the north of Lake Kivu.
Your driver will take you straight to your hotel for relaxation.
The highlight of the Day: – Relaxation on the shores of lovely Lake Kivu
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Midrange: – Paradise Kivu Resort/Hotel Gorillas Lake Kivu
Budget: – Hotel Paradis Malahide
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – 294km/7- 8 hours
Activities & Services:-
- Transfer to Lake Kivu for beach relaxation
Day 8: Enjoy A Boat Cruise On Lake Kivu & Drive To Volcanoes NP In The Evening.
Your day starts with a relaxed breakfast, before embarking on a leisurely three-hour boat cruise on Lake Kivu. Explore the scenic shores and take in the breathtaking views across the lake. Visit some islands and learn about their intriguing history and traditional folklore.
Return to your lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, embark on a 2-3 hour drive to Volcanoes in the north. This stunning park of 160km2 of prime rainforest encompasses 5 of the 8 Virunga volcanoes. It is a mystical backdrop for immersive mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Rwanda.
It’s a well-protected and monitored reserve full of monkeys and forest birds. Today relax at your lodge as you prepare for your unforgettable gorilla trek tomorrow.
The highlight of the Day: – Boat cruise on beautiful Lake Kivu
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge/Virunga Lodge
Midrange: – Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Budget: – Muhabura Hotel
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – 110km/2 hours
Activities & Services:-
- Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
- Transfer to Volcanoes
Day 9: Do Gorilla Trekking & Visit the Gorilla Guardian Village
After a restful night’s sleep, rise early and enjoy a delightful breakfast. Then transfer to the park offices to meet your local guides for a briefing. At 8 am, embark on your expedition in search of the shy and gentle apes of Volcanoes.
Although you should prepare yourself for muddy, humid, and perhaps challenging conditions, gorilla trekking through the rainforest is possible for all reasonably fit and healthy trekkers. The trek can take anything between 30 mins and 7 hrs.
Expert trackers and guides will lead you to one of the forest’s 10 habituated mountain gorilla families and you’ll be able to spend a maximum of one hour observing gorillas as they feed, forage, play or interact in serene silence.
Once your time with the gorillas is done, return to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the beloved Gorilla Guardian Village, a replica village of what traditional life was like back in the day for many Rwandans.
The highlight of the Day: – Tracking the fascinating Mountain Gorillas
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge/Virunga Lodge
Midrange: – Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Budget: – Muhabura Hotel
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services: –
- Gorilla trekking
- Visiting the Gorilla Guardians Village
Day 10: Golden Monkey Tracking In Volcanoes & Return To Kigali.
This morning you will meet at the park headquarters to be briefed on today’s primate activity – golden monkey tracking in the bamboo forests of the Virungas. This little-known primate offers a chance to track an equally fascinating endangered species.
You’ll set off on your trek to find them, accompanied by experienced rangers. The monkeys have been habituated to the presence of the rangers and guests, and once you locate them, you‘ll spend up to an hour observing their charming antics, as they leap from branch to branch
After the encounter, drive back to Kigali. Transfer you to the airport for your departure flight home at the end of this fantastic 10 days Rwanda safari tour.
The highlight of the Day: – Tracking the beautiful and rare Golden monkeys.
Meal Plan: – Breakfast
Drive Distance & Time: – 116km/2-3 hours
Activities & Services: –
- Track golden monkeys
- Drive back to Kigali
- Drop off at the airport
End of the 10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour
10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour − SAFARI INCLUSIONS
- Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safaris Permits
- Chimpanzee Permit (for chimpanzee trekking safaris)
- Full Board Accommodation on Safari
- Transportation in either 4X4 Safari Van or 4X4 Safari Land Cruiser all with Pop up roof & AC
- Fuel
- Professional English Speaking driver guide. Any other foreign language speaking guide can be arranged on request.
- Entrance fees to the tourist sites including Protected areas mentioned
- Activity fees of the tourist activities mentioned
- Bottled water while on safari
- Border crossing fees (for cross-border safaris)
10 Days Rwanda Safari Tour − SAFARI EXCLUSIONS
- General tips for the driver guide, site guides, and service staff at the lodges
- Laundry Services
- Other Beverages/drinks of personal nature like Alcohol
- International Flights (Arranged on request)
- Domestic Flights (Arranged on request)
- Visas
- Optional Activity fees
- Other extras not mentioned in the Itinerary
- Airport Transfer (Arranged on request)
- Accommodation in Kigali unless it is part of the Itinerary (Arranged on request)
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