13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation – Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking, Game Viewing, Volcano Hiking, Cultural Tour & Community Visits

13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation – SAFARI OVERVIEW

This 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation is a relaxed 12 nights/13 days safari in Rwanda tour that offers gorilla trekking in Rwanda, chimpanzee and golden monkey tracking, canopy walk, game viewing, volcano hiking, cultural tours, community visits, and much more.

Your 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation begins with a tour of Kigali, Africa’s greenest and cleanest capital. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, local markets, art galleries, craft centers, etc. From Kigali, embark on a rewarding safari to the beautiful Akagera National Park for a chance to see Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalos, Hippos, Crocs, Giraffes, Zebras, and Antelopes in the wild.

You’ll then travel to the enchanting Nyungwe Forest National Park – home to countless rare primates, including over 500 wild chimpanzees.  Next, go relax on the scenic sandy shores of Lake Kivu – one of Central Africa’s most beautiful lakes.

End your 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation in Volcanoes National Park – a tropical rainforest wonderland filled with dramatic landscapes and majestic wildlife. Naturally, it’s in Volcanoes’ pristine forest that you’ll get the life-changing opportunity to encounter the habituated gorilla families that live in the mountains.

Please contact us and have an amazing 13-day Rwanda safari tour vacation tailored to your safari budget and interests.

13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation – PRIME SAFARI ACTIVITIES

• Tour of Kigali, visiting genocide memorial, markets art & craft galleries, etc
• Gorilla trekking in Rwanda Volcanoes National Park
• Track golden monkeys trek in Volcanoes NP
• Mount Bisoke hike
• Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village Tour
• Trek for wild chimpanzees on foot in Nyungwe Forest
• Track colobus monkeys in Nyungwe
• Canopy walk via the treetop walkway in Nyungwe Forest
• Safari game drives in Akagera National Park
• A boat excursion on Lake Ihema in Akagera
• Relaxation on the sandy beaches of Lake Kivu
• Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
• Relaxation at comfortable Rwanda safari lodges and hotels
• Tours of the Ethnographic Museum and the King’s Palace
• Tea experience/tea plantation tour
• Comfortable road transfers through incredibly scenic landscapes

13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation – FEATURED SAFARI DESTINATIONS

Day 1 & 2: Kigali City – Genocide Memorial

Day 3 & 4: Akagera National Park

Day 5, 6 & 7: Nyungwe National Park, Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace.

Day 8: Lake Kivu – Gisenyi

Day 9, 10, 11 & 12: Volcanoes National Park

Day 13: Kigali – Depart

13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation – SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS

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

Day 2: Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre & Kigali city tour.

Day 3: Transfer to Akagera National Park for a game drive & boat cruise.

Day 4: Full safari game drive in Akagera & relaxation at the lodge

Day 5: Travel to Nyungwe Forest. Visit Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace.

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking & canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest.

Day 7: Colobus monkey tracking in Nyungwe Forest & afternoon tea estate tour.

Day 8: Drive to Lake Kivu – Gisenyi town for relaxation.

Day 9: Boat cruise on Lake Kivu & transfer to Volcanoes National Park.

Day 10: Hike Bisoke in Volcanoes National Park.

Day 11: Do Gorilla trekking in Rwanda Volcanoes National Park & relax at the lodge.

Day 12: Golden monkey tracking & Ibywachu Cultural Village tour.

Day 13: Drive back to Kigali for your return flight home.

13 Days Rwanda Safari – DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY

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

At Kigali Airport, our company representative will welcome you and transfer you to your booked accommodation in Kigali City for relaxation, dinner, and overnight. Surrounded by picturesque rolling hills, Kigali city is a thriving, bustling metropolis of about a million people.

Located in the center of the country, it’s the perfect springboard for travels to Rwanda’s excellent safari parks.

During your time here, you’ll be impressed by its tranquil ambiance, cleanliness, and well-maintained gardens set in the city squares. Trees line the roads and avenues, and the friendly, welcoming character of the people will touch your heart.

Accommodation:-

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

Midrange: – Hotel Chezlando

Meal Plan: – Dinner

Activities & Services: –

• Pick from the airport
• Transfer to a hotel

Day 2: Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre & Kigali City Tour

The second day of your 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation commences with a relaxed breakfast. Then visit the incredible Genocide Memorial, constructed on the burial site of 250,000 victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi tribe.

Learn about the events that led to the tragic 100 days during which nearly a million Rwandans were butchered by their neighbors.

The center includes various audiovisual exhibits to explain how the former state instigated the tragedy, convincing gullible people that their neighbors were evil and must be eliminated. It’s an intensely emotional experience but also an educational one, where you’ll learn about the darkest hour in Rwanda’s recent history and the tremendous progress and reconciliation the nation has achieved to date.

After the memorial tour, go on a city drive and visit markets, art galleries, and craft centers plus other fascinating sites. You can even opt to have lunch at Hotel des Mille Collines, one of the historic places in Kigali. Tonight, relax and enjoy your dinner as you prepare for the amazing trip ahead.

The highlight of The Day: – Learning about Rwanda’s heartbreaking history.

Accommodation:-         

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

Midrange: – Hotel Chezlando

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services: –

• Genocide Memorial Visit
• Kigali city tour

Day 3: Transfer to Akagera NP for A Game Drive & Boat Cruise.

Your third day of the 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation commences at 8 am with breakfast at the hotel. Then embark on a 2 ½-hour drive east to Akagera National Park. En route, you see plenty of local life with vegetable and fruit markets lining the road, to be replaced by banana plantations as you leave the city behind.

Before checking into your lodge, have a short game drive to spot some animals and enjoy the amazing scenery. Akagera is spread over 1122km², filled with lakes, swamps, and acacia forests. The park is home to black rhinos, lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras, a variety of antelope species, elephants, buffalo and so much more.

After your first game drive, proceed to your lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a leisurely boat ride on Lake Ihema, watching many hippos and large crocodiles. See elephants and buffalos, as they congregate at the lakeshore to drink water, and view plenty of waterbirds; there are almost 500 bird species around the lake and the surrounding wetlands.

Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of the Day: – Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Ruzizi Tented Lodge/Magashi Camp

Midrange: – Akagera Game Lodge

Budget: – Dereva Hotel

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: – Approx.  135km or 2 ½ hours

Activities & Services:-

• Transfer to Akagera
• Game drive & Boat cruise

Optional Activity: – Night game drive

Day 4: Full Safari Game Drive in Akagera & Relaxation at the Lodge

Today, enjoy breakfast at 6 am. As the sun rises, set off for a full game drive in Akagera in search of the Big Five and other wildlife. Sunrise is the best time for game 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.

Explore a variety of habitats from wetlands, thickets, forests, and grassland. Drive towards the Kilala plains, the park’s best game-viewing area. These beautiful flat savanna plains are where a lot of antelopes, buffaloes, giraffes, and zebras graze. The grazers attract predators such as lions, hyenas, and others.

After fully exploring the Kilala plains, enjoy a picnic lunch and slowly drive back to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of The Day: – Full 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:-

• Full Safari Game drive in Akagera

Optional Activities: –

• Sportfishing on Lake Shakani
• Night game drive

Day 5: Travel to Nyungwe National Park. Visit Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace En-route.

Your fifth day of the 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation begins with an early breakfast at 7 am. Then, take a 5-6 hour drive southwest to Nyungwe. Drive through the rolling hills and beautiful scenery, before making a stop in Butare town to tour the detailed Ethnographic Museum to learn about the social-cultural history of Rwanda.

Proceed to Nyanza for an informative visit to the traditional King’s Palace – the historical seat of the Rwandan kingdom. Meet the royal cows and listen to the Amahamba songs the herders sing as part of the grooming process. Then, explore the halls of the simple, modern home of the country’s last king.

After your palace visit, enjoy a delicious lunch, before completing your scenic drive to Nyungwe National Park – an unspoiled, bio-diverse rainforest teeming with countless primates, birds, butterflies, and flowers. Tonight, relax at the lodge in preparation for your tomorrow’s chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk adventures.

The highlight of the Day: – Discovering 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.  320km/5-6 hours

Activities & Services:-

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

Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk In Nyungwe Forest.

Your day six of the 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation commences with a quick early morning breakfast. Then, transfer to the park headquarters at 5 am to meet your expert guides. After a short briefing, start your 2-6 hours trek in Nyungwe National Park Forest in search of the resident chimpanzees – our closest relatives.

There are more than 500 chimps in the forest. Along the way, encounter other rare primates, birds, butterflies, plants, orchids, and animals. Your guide will teach you about chimp tracking, pointing out signs they have left as you head through the forest.

Upon reaching them, spend an hour watching these great humanlike creatures play and interact in their natural habitat – a really incredible wildlife experience.

After your chimp trek, return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, go for an adventurous 2-hour canopy walk via the treetop walkway in the Nyungwe Forest. You’ll see eye-level wildlife that lives in the Nyungwe forest canopies but is not easily seen from the ground such as blue monkeys and birds.

The highlight of The Day: – Chimp tracking 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:-

• Chimp Tracking
• Canopy walk

Optional Activity: – Community tour

Day 7: Colobus Monkey Tracking & Tea Plantation Tour.

After an early breakfast, transfer to Park’s Visitor Center for yet another incredible adventure: colobus monkey tracking. These attractive old-world monkeys tend to form “super-groups” counting more than 400 individuals, a phenomenon that has been observed to happen only among the colobus monkeys in Nyungwe.

Colobus monkey tracking is relatively easy and begins at 8 am after the briefing. You hike through verdant tea plantations before reaching an isolated patch of forest where these magnificent primates will be spotted leaping around 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: – Tracking rare 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 experience/plantation tour

Day 8: Drive to Lake Kivu – Gisenyi Town for Relaxation.

The eighth day of your 13 days Safari in Rwanda tour begins with a leisurely breakfast at the lodge. Then embark on a very scenic drive along Congo Nile Divide Trail to Gisenyi beach on the northern shore of Lake Kivu – one of Central Africa’s most beautiful lakes.

The drive takes about 7-8 hours, and the rolling hills that characterize Rwanda’s landscape become much more dramatic and cliff-like as you drive on.

Pass small farming villages and banana plantations before descending into the valley to Gisenyi town. Your driver will take you straight to your hotel, where you can relax for the night unwinding and resting after your adventures in Nyungwe.

The highlight of the Day: – Scenic drive to 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: – Scenic drive to Lake Kivu

Day 9: Boat ride on Lake Kivu. Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.

On day nine of your 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation, enjoy a thrilling three-hour morning boat ride on Lake Kivu. Explore the scenic shores and enjoy the wonderful views across the lake and visit some islands to learn about their intriguing history and traditional folklore.

In the afternoon, embark on a 2-3 hour drive to Volcanoes National Park in the north. The park protects the Rwandan section of the Virunga Volcanoes. The mountains are linked by fertile saddles, formed by lava flows, and are one of the most striking sights in East Africa. Their green-cloaked flanks are the last refuge to 300 of the world’s 1063 mountain gorillas.

These endangered creatures, made famous by Dian Fossey, are slowly increasing in numbers, thanks to carefully managed tourism. Volcanoes also host the very rare and endangered golden monkeys, the “little primates” of the Virungas.

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

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – 110km/2 hours

Activities & Services:-

• Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
• Transfer to Volcanoes

Day 10: Mount Bisoke Hike in Volcanoes National Park.

Your day ten of the 14 days Rwanda safari tour vacation adventure will be spent hiking Mount Bisoke. Standing at a respectable 3,711 meters (12175 feet) high, Mount Bisoke is the most popular for scenic day hikes in Volcanoes NP as it has a large Crater Lake at the peak which is the ultimate prize after a tough hike.

It also offers wonderful views of the Virunga Mountains and the adjacent rolling hills of Rwanda. During your trek, you have an opportunity to see a variety of wildlife, including rare plants, endemic golden monkeys, and even Gorillas. The hike takes between 6-8 hours round trip and needs reasonable fitness.

The highlight of The Day: – Volcano hiking adventure

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: –

• Hiking Mount Bisoke

Optional activity: – Dian Fossey hike

Day 11: Gorilla Trekking & Relaxation at the Lodge.

Sitting a few meters away from a family of mountain gorillas, seeing your humanity reflected in their social rituals and warm brown eyes, makes for one of the most emotional wildlife experiences you can have in Africa, if not the world.

You’ll set off after an early morning breakfast for the park headquarters where you’ll register for the gorilla trekking.  Once you’ve been assigned a family and have had a briefing from your guide you’ll be driven to the trailhead where you’ll start the trek.

The trek for these gentle giants can take anything between 30 mins to 8 hours. Volcanoes NP is at an altitude of over 8,202 feet, so although the pace is unhurried and there will be time for breaks if needed, the trek is relatively tiresome and can be steep in parts. It’s helpful to have a general level of fitness.

Once encountered, you’ll have an hour to spend with these creatures that share 98% of our DNA before trekking back to the trailhead, where you’ll be transported to your accommodation. The rest of the day is free.

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 trek

Day 12: Golden Monkey Tracking & Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village Tour.

Today, you’ll have to see the special golden monkeys 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, in a small group of no more than eight people.

The monkeys have been habituated to the presence of the rangers and guests, and once you locate them, you will spend up to an hour observing their charming antics, as they leap from branch to branch.

Return to the lodge for some relaxation and lunch. After lunch, visit Ibyiwacu Cultural Village, a replica village of what traditional life was like back in the day for many Rwandans. Ibyiwacu means treasures of our home.

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 trek
• Ibyiwacu Village visit

Day 13: Drive Back to Kigali for Your Return Flight Home.

Today, have a leisurely breakfast at your lodge and then you will be transferred back to Kigali. It’s a fascinating journey of around 2-4 hours, depending on any stops you make en route before arriving at the airport for your return flight home at the end of this unforgettable 13 days Rwanda safari tour vacation

The highlight of the Day: – A scenic drive back to Kigali

Meal Plan: – Breakfast

End of the 13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation

13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation − SAFARI INCLUSIONS

• Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris Permit
• 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)

13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Vacation − 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)