9 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari – Gorillas, Chimps & Big Five Game Drives

Touch down at Kigali International Airport, where you’ll be welcomed by your private driver/guide. After a brief orientation, transfer to your hotel. Depending on arrival time, embark on a Kigali city tour with highlights including:

Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre – a national symbol of remembrance and reconciliation

Nyamirambo Women’s Center – for cultural immersion and local crafts

Kimironko Market – bustling with fresh produce, textiles, and crafts

Enjoy your evening at leisure, preparing for your Rwandan wildlife journey.

Overnight in Kigali – Suggested: Hotel des Mille Collines or Heaven Boutique Hotel
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After breakfast, head east on a scenic 3-hour drive to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savannah park and home to the Big Five. Upon arrival, check in and enjoy lunch with views over Lake Ihema.

In the afternoon, enjoy your first game drive through the park’s southern section. Keep watch for giraffes, zebras, impalas, and warthogs as you explore the woodlands and plains.

Dinner and overnight in Akagera, at Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Akagera Game Lodge, or Magashi Camp (luxury)
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Rise early for a sunrise game drive through Akagera’s rich ecosystems. Covering over 1,100 km², the park is home to:

Lions (reintroduced in 2015) and black rhinos (reintroduced in 2017)

Large herds of buffalo, elephants, zebras, and giraffes

Topi, elands, bushbuck, and waterbuck

Numerous bird species – over 500 recorded, including shoebills and fish eagles

Enjoy a bush picnic for lunch, and continue your drive toward the northern plains, known for large wildlife congregations.

Dinner and overnight in Akagera
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After breakfast, enjoy a boat safari on Lake Ihema, where you can spot:

Pods of hippos

Nile crocodiles

Abundant birdlife, including kingfishers, cormorants, and jacanas

Following the boat ride, begin your return drive to Kigali, arriving in the afternoon. Enjoy some relaxation or optional local experiences such as:

A tour of Inema Arts Center

Dinner at a traditional Rwandan restaurant

Overnight in Kigali
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After breakfast, depart Kigali for Nyungwe Forest National Park in the southwest. The full-day drive (6–7 hours) passes through Rwanda’s tea-growing regions, offering breathtaking landscapes and several scenic stops:

Lunch in Huye (Butare) and a visit to the Ethnographic Museum showcasing Rwanda’s pre-colonial history

Stops at tea plantations near Gisakura for photo ops and tasting experiences

Arrive at Nyungwe in the evening and check into your forest lodge.

Dinner and overnight in Nyungwe, at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel or One & Only Nyungwe House (luxury)
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Depart at dawn for your chimpanzee tracking adventure in Cyamudongo or Uwinka sectors. Accompanied by park rangers, trek through dense rainforest in search of Rwanda’s 500+ wild chimpanzees. Once located, you’ll spend up to one hour observing their playful, vocal behavior.

After lunch, embark on the Nyungwe Canopy Walk, a suspended 200-meter bridge set 70 meters above the forest floor, offering unmatched views and birdwatching opportunities.

Dinner and overnight in Nyungwe
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In the morning, choose between:

A guided forest nature walk to waterfalls and birding hotspots

A trek to see the rare Rwenzori colobus monkeys, often spotted in large troops

After the activity, drive to Lake Kivu, Rwanda’s largest lake and a perfect place to relax after trekking. Arrive in Karongi (Kibuye) for a serene evening by the lakeshore.

Dinner and overnight at Cormoran Lodge, Cleo Lake Kivu Hotel, or similar
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After a relaxing lakeside breakfast, depart for Volcanoes National Park in the north (approx. 4–5 hours). Stop along the way for local interactions and roadside photography. Arrive in Musanze, the gateway town to Rwanda’s gorilla trekking region.

Check into your lodge and prepare for tomorrow’s highlight: meeting the mountain gorillas.

Dinner and overnight near Volcanoes National Park, at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Virunga Lodge, or similar
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Start the day with a very early breakfast and head to the Volcanoes Park headquarters for a pre-trek briefing. You’ll then begin your mountain gorilla trek, a guided expedition through bamboo-covered slopes to find one of the 12 habituated gorilla families.

Once located, spend one magical hour observing them in their natural setting, an experience widely regarded as one of the most powerful wildlife encounters in Africa.

After the trek and lunch, return to Kigali (2.5–3 hours’ drive) for your evening departure flight, marking the end of your 9-day Rwanda wildlife safari.

End of Tour
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