8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour
Over view
Embark on an 8-day Rwanda gorilla tour, where you will explore all three national parks. Your adventure begins in the stunning Akagera National Park, followed by a visit to Nyungwe Forest National Park, and concludes at Volcanoes National Park, home to the majestic mountain gorillas. As you travel along the winding roads, you’ll enjoy the diverse landscapes of Rwanda. The parks feature a mix of savannah, woodlands, and mountains, offering a variety of breathtaking views throughout your journey.
Tour Highlights
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park, evening Boat Safari
Day 3: Explore Akagera National Park
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 5: Rwanda Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 7: Gorillas in the Mist
Day 8: End of the Rwanda Wildlife Safari
Day by Day 8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport
Today you start the amazing experience touring Rwanda on this wildlife and gorilla safari. Akagera Safaris driver guide will pick you up from your hotel or at the Kigali International Airport on your arrival.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park, evening Boat Safari
This morning after breakfast, have a short city tour with a visit to the Kigali genocide memorial to learn some history of this beautiful country. After this experience, leave for Akagera National Park with short stopovers along the way for photos.
Arrive in the park and after a brief time at the park reception, leave for your lodge for check-in and lunch. Have lunch and leave for a boat safari on Lake Ihema where you will see water animals like Hippos and Crocodiles and several bird species along lake shores. Or alternatively spend the afternoon relaxing at the lodge.
Optional: Night game drive in search of some nocturnal animals.
Accommodation options: Ruzizi tented camp(luxury), Akagera safari camp (Mid-range), Akagera transit lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Explore Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is a savannah park located in northeastern Rwanda, near the border with Tanzania. It is home to several large mammals not found anywhere else in Rwanda. After an early breakfast, we will embark on a morning game drive to look for elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, and recently introduced lions. Game drives in Akagera National Park typically take place in the northern sector of the park and can last almost an entire day, depending on the sightings and your interests.
After the game drive, you will relax briefly at the lodge and thereafter, embark on an afternoon game drive for more wildlife sightings. Explore other areas that you may have not exhausted during the morning game drive. Later evening, you will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Ruzizi tented camp(luxury), Akagera safari camp (Mid-range), Akagera transit lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
This morning, we will depart for Nyungwe Forest in southern Rwanda, making a stop for lunch in Huye, formerly known as Butare. Huye is home to the Ethnographic Museum of Rwanda, previously known as the National Museum of Rwanda. Here, we will explore the culture and history of the Rwandan people. We will arrive in Nyungwe Forest later in the evening, where we will drive to our lodge, check-in, and enjoy dinner before settling in for the night.
Drive time:5 hours
Accommodation options: Mantis Kivu (Luxury), Nyungwe Hilltop (Mid-range), Kitabi Eco Center (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Rwanda Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest offers a unique opportunity to explore and appreciate nature. The trek begins early in the morning, and you can either enjoy a packed breakfast or have your meal at the lodge before heading out. It’s important to arrive at the briefing point early, where you’ll receive guidelines on how to behave during your trek and information about the expected duration.
Nyungwe Forest is renowned for its botanical diversity and is home to 13 species of primates, including L’Hoest’s monkeys, Rwenzori Colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys. Your guide will take you to either the Uwinka trailhead or the Cyamudongo sector for chimpanzee trekking.
Tracking chimpanzees is relatively easier because they are noisy and playful, often jumping from branch to branch. The trek typically lasts about 2-3 hours, with an additional hour dedicated to viewing and photographing the chimps.
In the afternoon you will be transferred to the Uwinka center to start your canopy walk as you explore the park even more and spot several mammal species walking below you, and bird species with bird’s eye view.
Accommodation options: Mantis Kivu (Luxury), Nyungwe Hilltop (Mid-range), Kitabi Eco Center (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
This morning, after breakfast, you prepare to start your journey to Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda while enjoying the sights of Lake Kivu and the winding roads of the land of a thousand hills. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Accommodation options: Mount Muthaura Lodge, La Palme Hotel (Budget) Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, (Mid-range) Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, or Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel(luxury)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 7: Gorillas in the Mist
Embark on an unforgettable adventure to meet the mountain gorillas in the lush jungles of the Virunga ranges. Your journey begins with a briefing at the park headquarters in Kinigi, where you will be assigned a ranger and a specific gorilla family to track.
The gorilla trek through Volcanoes National Park can vary in duration, lasting anywhere from an hour to several hours, depending on where the gorillas nested the night before. It’s important to be relatively fit to fully enjoy this experience, so make sure to pace yourself as you trek.
Depending on the length of your gorilla tracking experience, you may also have the opportunity to enjoy a cultural performance by visiting a local village or participating in a community walk.
Accommodation options: Mount Muthaura Lodge, La Palme Hotel (Budget) Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, (Mid-range) Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, or Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel(luxury)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8: End of the Rwanda Wildlife Safari
Today marks your last day for the 8-day Rwanda Safaris. Start your day with breakfast, then transfer to the airport for your departure flight. If you have some time before your flight, consider taking a short tour of Kigali city and late the driver guide will drop you at the airport.
End of Tour
8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour includes and excludes
- A 4X4 private safari car
- Accommodation and meals
- Professional English safari guide
- Fuel for the whole tour
- Gorilla tracking Permits
- Drinking water and lunch every day
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- All park entrance fees
- Boat cruise fees
- Canopy walk
- Pickup and departure at any location in Kigali
- Cultural and community visit
- Tour of Kigali
Safari Excludes
- Air ticket
- Personal Insurance
- Expenses of a personal nature such as; drinks, tips, laundry, telephone, cigarettes, and optional activities.