12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip – Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking, Wildlife Viewing, Volcano Hiking, Cultural & Community Tours

12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip – SAFARI OVERVIEW

Your 12 days Rwanda safari vacation trip is a relaxed 11 nights/12 days Rwanda tour that starts and ends in Kigali. The tour gives you the absolute best of Rwanda’s wealth of wildlife with gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, wildlife viewing, and more! And complements them with volcano hiking, relaxation, and some fascinating cultural and community tours.

During this 12 days Rwanda safari vacation trip, you will visit Nyungwe Forest, one of Africa’s oldest rainforests and a natural habitat for countless rare primates (chimpanzees and monkeys). After your adventures in Nyungwe National Park, relax on the stunning, palm-fringed shores of Lake Kivu.

Having relaxed and rejuvenated, hike into Volcanoes National Park to encounter rare mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in the wild.

Then travel to Akagera National Park where you can see lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras, elephants, buffalos, hippos, antelopes, and even rhinos. From there, return to Kigali to learn about Rwanda’s tragic history at the Genocide Memorial, and discover life in this Africa’s greenest and cleanest city.

If you would like to book or customize this 12-day Rwanda safari vacation trip to your tastes and interests – please let us!

12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip – PRIME SAFARI ACTIVITIES

• Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes NP
• Track rare Golden monkey in Volcanoes NP
• Trek for chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest
• Experience a Canopy walk via a treetop walkway in Nyungwe Forest
• Track Colobus Monkey in Nyungwe Forest
• Safari Search for the Big 5 on game drives in Akagera National Park
• Boat cruise on the tranquil waters of Lake Ihema in Akagera
• Drive through Rwanda’s stunning landscapes
• Relax on the sandy shores of Lake Kivu
• Boat cruise to Lake Kivu islands
• Stay at comfortable Rwanda safari lodges
• Visit the Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace
• Visit Iby’iwacu Cultural Village for a community experience
• Tour a beautiful, working pea plantation
• Visit Kigali Genocide Memorial
• Tour of Ethnographic Museum and King’s Palace

12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip – FEATURED SAFARI DESTINATIONS

Day 1: Kigali

Day 2, 3, & 4: Nyungwe Forest, Ethnographic Museum & King’s palace

Day 5: Lake Kivu – Kibuye

Day 6, 7 & 8: Volcanoes National Park & Ibywachu Cultural Village.

Day 9, 10, & 11: Akagera National Park

Day 12: Kigali Genocide Memorial & Kimironko Market

12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip – SAFARI HIGHLIGHT

Day 1: Arrive at Kigali International Airport & transfer to your hotel

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest. Visit Ethnographic Museum & King’s palace

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking & canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest

Day 4: Colobus monkey tracking in Nyungwe & afternoon tea plantation Experience

Day 5: Transfer to Lake Kivu – Kibuye for relaxation.

Day 6: Boat cruise on Lake Kivu. Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.

Day 7: Do Gorilla trekking & visit Ibywachu Cultural Village.

Day 8: Track Golden Monkeys and relax at the lodge.

Day 9: Travel to Akagera National Park for a game drive & boat cruise

Day 10: Morning game in Akagera & afternoon at leisure

Day 11: Have a full safari in Akagera National Park & return to Kigali.

Day 12: Visit Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre & Kimironko Market.

12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip – DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive At Kigali International Airport & Transfer to Your Hotel

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, our company representative will be available to warmly receive you and then transfer you to your hotel in Kigali for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Kigali is Rwanda’s capital and biggest city that stretches across lush undulating hills surrounded by towering mountains, the largest of which is Mount Kigali, rising 1850 meters above sea level.

Kigali is the country’s financial, commercial and cultural hub, served by an international airport and featuring a wide range of accommodation options. It also offers a collection of restaurants and points of interest, including the Kigali Genocide Centre, an atmospheric market, and numerous craft shops.

With its interesting architecture, busy streets, meandering roads, and green hillsides, Kigali is said to be one of the most attractive cities in Africa.

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 in Kigali

Optional Activity:-

• Kigali city tour

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park. Visit Ethnographic Museum & King’s palace En route.

Your day 2 of the 12 days Rwanda safari vacation trip starts with an early breakfast at 7 am. You’ll then embark on a 5-6 hour drive southwest to Nyungwe National Park. Watch the city streets fade into winding roads and mountain views as your driver takes you south to the Cultural Corridor. It was from here that kings once ruled.

Visit the detailed Ethnographic Museum in Butare, regarded as one of the finest ethnographic museums in all of East Africa. Continue to tour the reconstruction of a traditional king’s palace – the thatch homes from which all decisions were made – in Nyanza.

Meet the royal cows on-site and the herder who sings to them. Then, wander the halls of the simple, modern home of the country’s last king.

After lunch, proceed to the primary montane rainforest of Nyungwe, one of the oldest montane rainforests in Africa. Nyungwe is a rich forest habitat of over 500 wild chimpanzees, endangered monkeys, endemic plants, and 322 bird species. After checking in to your hotel, have some time at leisure to enjoy your surroundings.

The highlight of the Day: – Learning about Rwanda’s rich cultural heritage

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Nyungwe Forest Lodge/One & Only Nyungwe House

Midrange: – Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel

Budget: – Gisakura Guesthouse

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: – Approx. 200km or 5-6 hours

Activities & Services:-

• Transfer to Nyungwe
• Tour the Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace

Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk In Nyungwe Forest

After an early breakfast, transfer to the visitor center by 5 am. Meet the local park ranger guides for a briefing and then embark on a thrilling 2-6 hour chimp tracking adventure in Nyungwe Forest on foot.

Trek through this ancient, biodiverse rainforest as you look out at a rich array of exotic and rare animals, birds, plants, and small creatures. Once you find the chimps, spend one hour watching them jumping in the tree canopies above your head, whilst enjoying the hooting and screams of them communicating with each other.

Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, go for an adventurous walk along a 70-meter high, 160-meter long Canopy Walkway that sways in the wind above Nyungwe Forest. Return to the lodge for dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of The Day: – Tracking wild Chimpanzees on foot

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:-

• Chimpanzee Tracking
• Canopy walk

Day 4: Colobus Monkey Tracking & Afternoon Tea Plantation Visit.

Your day four of the 12 days Rwanda safari vacation trip starts at 7 am with breakfast. Then, transfer to the park’s visitor center for yet another amazing adventure in Nyungwe Forest: tracking the Colobus monkey. Meet up with a park guide for a briefing and at 8 am, embark on the trek.

Nyungwe is home to large troops of colobus that can number over 400 individuals. The easy trek to see them takes you through lush tea plantations before reaching a small, isolated patch of forest where these beautiful monkeys can be seen jumping around the trees.

You’ll be allowed one hour with them and then return to your lodge for relaxation and lunch.

In the afternoon you go out to a tea estate, tour the tea plantations, discover how tea is harvested, and go through the processing of the leaves to the final product that is ready for consumption. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

The highlight of The Day: – Tracking 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 experience

Optional Activities: – Waterfall Hike

Day 5: Transfer to Lake Kivu – Kibuye for Relaxation.

Start day 5 of your 12 days Rwanda safari vacation trip with a leisurely breakfast. Then, depart the ancient rainforest of Nyungwe. Take a very scenic drive north to Kibuye, a tranquil town on the shores of Lake Kivu, one of the most beautiful in Central Africa, extending as far as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kibuye is the ideal town for relaxation and is also by far the most beautiful area of Lake Kivu. The trip to your resort, which overlooks the lake, will take between three and four hours. You may spend the day relaxing at the lodge or taking a stroll along the beach right outside the property.

The highlight of the Day: – Relaxation at beautiful Lake Kivu

Accommodation:-

Midrange: – Cormoran Lodge

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – Approx.  3 hours

Activities & Services:-

• Transfer to Lake Kivu

Optional Activities:-

• Night fishing adventure on Lake Kivu
• Boat cruise on Lake Kivu

Day 6: Boat Cruise on Lake Kivu. Transfer to Volcanoes NP.

After a relaxed breakfast, set out on a boat cruise to enjoy the beauty, peacefulness, and tranquility of Lake Kivu. Visit several islands on the lake such as Napoleon Island with its colony of fruit bats and Amahoro Island, which became popular locally for the sundowner bar set up on the island seasonally!

In the afternoon, embark on a 4-hour drive north through Gisenyi to Volcanoes National Park. Covering an area of 160 square kilometers, this stunning park is a prime montane rainforest that encompasses 5 of the 8 Virunga volcanoes.

Volcanoes National Park is a mystical backdrop for immersive mountain gorilla conservation experiences in Rwanda. It is a well-protected reserve full of monkeys (Golden monkeys), butterflies, rare plants, and forest birds. On arrival connect to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of The Day: – Boat cruise on Lake Kivu

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge/Virunga Lodge

Midrange: – Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Budget: – Muhabura Hotel

Activities & Services:-

• Boat cruise on Lake Kivu

Optional Activities:-

• Full-day kayaking on Lake Kivu

Day 7: Do Gorilla Trekking & Visit Ibywachu Cultural Village.

You’ll enjoy an early breakfast at 6 am and then transfer to park headquarters by 7 am. Meet with the ranger for a pre-gorilla trekking briefing and thereafter drive to the start of the trek. Get into the park on foot and look for the gentle giants.

Trek through thick vegetation and on tough terrain for about 1 to 6 hours. As you trek lookout for all kinds of exotic animals, birds, and plants. Once you reach the gorillas, stop and spend one hour watching them in the forest. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is rated as one of the most amazing wildlife encounters on earth!

After your one hour with the gorillas, return to your lodge for a delicious late lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, visit the Ibyiwacu Village for several Rwandan cultural performances and traditional experiences such as a performance from traditional Intore dancers, shooting arrows with the Batwa hunters, preparing a local delicacy, etc.  Ibyiwacu means, treasures of our home, our heritage.

The highlight of the Day: – Trekking for rare 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
• Ibywachu Cultural Village visit

Day 8: Track Golden Monkeys & Relax at the Lodge.

After breakfast, transfer to the park office at 7:00 am to meet the park guides for a briefing. Continue to the park to track the rare and endemic golden monkeys.

These beautiful monkeys live in the bamboo forests at the base of the volcanoes. The trek to see them is relatively light. You’re allowed one hour with them after which you return to meet your driver and transfer to the lodge. Enjoy your lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

The highlight of the Day: – Tracking rare Golden monkeys

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: –

• Golden monkey trekking

Optional Activities:-

• Volcano hiking
• Dian Fossey hike

Day 9: Transfer to Akagera NP for a  game drive & boat Cruise.

Your day 9 of this 12 days Rwanda safari vacation trip starts with a leisurely breakfast at the lodge. Thereafter, begin the leisurely drive northeast to Akagera National Park. You’ll arrive in Akagera after a 4-5 hour drive. Undertake a short game drive to spot some animals, and the amazing scenery as you continue to your lodge for relaxation.

Akagera is Rwanda’s largest national park and a sanctuary for savannah-adapted animals in Rwanda. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife including the Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino, and Buffalo) and nearly 500 bird species. Its scenic savannah plains are dotted with swamps and lakes, as well.

And it is that feature that lies at the heart of this evening’s adventure. Take a sunset boat ride out to hippo and crocodile territory. Thousands of gigantic animals and water birds make their home in Lake Ihema. Relax and enjoy the peace and quiet on your cruise, while watching the sunset over the lake and the national park beyond.

The highlight of the Day: – Sunset boat cruise on Lake Ihema

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Ruzizi Tented Lodge/Magashi Camp

Midrange: – Akagera Game Lodge

Budget: – Dereva Hotel

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services:-

• Transfer to Akagera
• Game drive
• Boat cruise

Optional Activity:- Night game drive

Day 10: Morning Game in Akagera & Afternoon at Leisure

After breakfast at 6.30 am, go for a morning game drive in Akagera. Head north towards the Kilala plain in search of the Big 5. Recent conservation efforts re-introduced both the endangered black rhino and lions to the area. Today, young ones can be spotted alongside their mothers in the striking landscape.

Also, be on the lookout for zebra, warthogs, baboons, giraffes, topi, impalas, waterbucks, roan antelopes, elands, duikers, oribi, reedbucks, klipspringers, bushbucks, and more on the large open plains. Have your camera at the ready but remember to stop and take the moment too.

You can opt to do a night game drive after 6 pm to look for the elusive nocturnal animals such as leopard, hyena, jackal, genet, bush babies, porcupine, serval, etc…

The highlight of the Day: – Game drive in Akagera

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Ruzizi Tented Lodge/Magashi Camp

Midrange: – Akagera Game Lodge

Budget: – Dereva Hotel

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services:-

• Morning game drive

Optional Activity:- Night game drive

Day 11: Have A Full Safari In Akagera & Return To Kigali.

Have breakfast at 6 am and check out. Embark on a full safari in Akagera. This 6-hour game drive from the south of the park will cover a variety of habitats from woodland, wetlands, bushes, thickets, forest, and grassland, which will provide a variety of wildlife, and finally get to the Kilala plains in the north.

Kilala is beautiful flat savanna plains where antelopes, buffaloes, and zebras graze. The variety of grazers makes it a favorite hunting ground for predators, and it is, therefore, the place to look for lions, hyenas, and other predators.

The plains are the main animal-watching area of the park that one cannot afford to miss. After fully exploring the plains, have a picnic lunch. Exit the park and drive back to Kigali.

The highlight of the Day: – Full game drive in Akagera

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Serena Hotel Kigali/Radison blu/Hotel Mille Collines

Midrange: – Hotel Chezlando

Meal Plan: – Breakfast & Lunch

Drive Distance & Time: – Approx.  135km or 2 ½ hours

Activities & Services:-

• Game drive in Akagera
• Transfer to Kigali

Optional Activities:-

• Sportfishing
• Community visit

Day 12: Visit Kigali Genocide Memorial & Kimironko Market. Transfer to the Airport for Your Departure Flight.

Enjoy a good breakfast at 7 am and take an exciting tour of the attractive city of Kigali. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a grim reminder of the senseless massacre of innocent’s lives in 1994.

The center is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, a place for remembrance and learning. It also sheds light on other massacres including Cambodia, the Balkans, and the Holocaust.

From there, visit the Kimironko Market, the biggest and busiest market in Kigali where almost everything is sold from foodstuffs, and fabrics to clothing. This is an economic landmark and where you have a chance to collect some mementos. Fly home tonight excited to share all you’ve seen on this fantastic 12-day Rwanda safari vacation trip and the news of Rwanda’s bright future.

The highlight of the Day: – Visiting Kigali Genocide Memorial

Meal Plan: – Breakfast

Activities & Services:-

• Genocide Memorial tour
• Visiting the Kimironko Market
• Transfer to the airport for your return flight home

End of the 12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip

12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip − SAFARI INCLUSIONS

• Gorilla Permit (for gorilla trekking safaris)
• 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)

12 Days Rwanda Safari Vacation Trip − 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)