8 Days Rwanda Luxury Safari
Explore the breathtaking gems of Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, on our carefully tailored 8 days Rwanda Luxury Safari. This Luxury Rwanda Safari journey takes you to Akagera National Park—the only savannah park in Rwanda for game drives and boat safaris, Nyungwe Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking and the Canopy Walk, and Volcanoes National Park for a gorilla trekking expedition.
Highlights of 8 Days Rwanda Luxury Safari
Day 1: Kigali City Tour
Day 2: Akagera National Park
Day 3: Akagera National Park – Kigali
Day 4: Kigali City – Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk
Day 6: Nyungwe – Volcanoes National Park
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking Experience
Day 8: Golden Monkey Trekking – Kigali City
Detailed Itinerary of 8-Day Rwanda Luxury Safari
Day 1: Kigali City Tour
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our driver-guide and start your journey to Akagera National Park. Depending on your time of arrival, you will have a short Kigali City visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and the Kigali Convention Centre. Then continue to Akagera National Park, arriving in the late afternoon, check in at your lodge and spend the rest of the day in relaxation.
Overnight at Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Akagera National Park
Enjoy an early breakfast and head out to the savannah plains of Akagera National Park for a morning game drive. Akagera is the only savannah wildlife park in Rwanda and is home to a variety of wildlife, including the Big Five.
During the game drive, you will see several animals, including lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, gazelles, elephants, hyenas, zebras, and several bird species, among others. Return to your lodge for lunch; in the afternoon you will head to Lake Ihema for a boat cruise on which you will see several water animals, including Nile crocodiles and hippos and several antelopes along the shores of the lake as well as bird species. At sunset, return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight at Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Akagera National Park – Kigali
Wake up early for a cup of coffee and go for an early morning game drive; this is the perfect time to spot predators like hyenas and leopards and exclusive bird species such as shoebills, stork and swamp-dwelling sitatungas. After lunch, you will check out of your lodge and transfer to Kigali City.
Overnight at Four Points by Sheraton Kigali
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Kigali City – Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a delicious breakfast, check out and transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park with a stopover in Butare. Arrive in the evening, and check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Nyungwe Forest National Park protects the most preserved forest in Africa and is acclaimed as the most important site for biodiversity in Rwanda, the park is home to a huge population of chimpanzees and 12 other species of primates, including black and white colobus monkeys and olive baboons, among others.
Overnight at One & Only Nyungwe
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park for chimpanzee trekking, join other visitors at the park headquarters for chimpanzee trekking and how to behave while in the forest. With armed rangers and guides, head into the rainforest of Nyungwe looking for chimpanzees. The trek takes approximately 2 to 4 hours or more depending on the movement of the chimpanzees and where they spent their previous night.
Once you locate these playful primates, you will spend one hour in their presence watching them play, feed and groom each other. You will also spot other primates such as olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys and several bird species.
Return to the park headquarters to meet your driver-guide and transfer to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you will go for a canopy walk on a high suspended metallic bridge above the Nyungwe Forest. During your walk you will be treated to views of birds and primates. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight at One & Only Nyungwe
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Nyungwe – Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, you will embark on a journey to Volcanoes National Park, home to mountain gorillas. The misty forest-dominated park stretches along the Five of the eight Virunga Volcanoes. Arrive in the park in the afternoon and spend the rest of your day enjoying the facilities of the lodge. Have dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking Experience
Wake up early for breakfast, meet your driver guide and head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing about gorilla trekking and the right way to behave while in the presence of the endangered mountain gorillas. In groups of 8 people, you will be assigned one of the 10 habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park. Head into the forests looking for mountain gorillas; the trek takes approximately 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas and their feeding range. When you locate the gorillas, you are allowed to spend one hour with the gorillas watching them groom each other, feed, and play and resting and take several pictures and videos.
After the trek, you will go for a visit to the Ib’Iwacu Cultural Village for a cultural experience; you will be entertained by local dances and drama. Take part in the crowning of the King and visiting the local herbalists. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Golden Monkey Trekking – Kigali City
After breakfast, return to the park headquarters for a briefing about golden monkey trekking, then head into the forest looking for mountain gorillas. The trek takes approximately 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the movement of these playful creatures, the golden monkeys are easily recognized due to the yellow patches that can be seen all over their bodies, you will see these beautiful creatures playing on tree branches of bamboo trees and take amazing pictures of them.
Return to the lodge for lunch and transfer back to Kigali for the return flight.
End of 8 Days Rwanda Luxury Safari
Price Includes
- Hotel pick up and drop-off in Kigali
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Golden Monkey Permit
- Canopy Walks
- Game Drives
- All activities as per itinerary
- All accommodation as per itinerary
- Park Entrance Fees
- Vehicle Entrance Fees
- Bottled mineral water while on safari
- All activities as indicated
Price Excludes
- All optional activities as indicated
- Tips
- Visa Fees
- Air Tickets
- All items of personal nature like laundry, phone calls, beer, etc.
- Anything else not included in the itinerary
