This 10 Days Best of Rwanda Safari and Big 5 Game Animals Tour is well planned to let you explore Rwanda’s three national parks and enjoy wildlife, primates, and scenic views.
This 9 nights and 10 days Rwanda safari takes you to Akagera National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Nyungwe Forest National Park for incredible experiences such as Big Five game drives, mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, and canopy walks.
The 10 Days Best of Rwanda Safari offers great wildlife viewing opportunities. In Akagera National Park, you will see elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes, and more than 500 bird species.
Primate lovers will enjoy tracking mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and chimpanzees in their natural forests. This Rwanda safari begins and ends in Kigali. Below is the detailed itinerary for the 10 Days Rwanda Big 5, Primates, and Wildlife Safari.
10-Day Rwanda Safari Highlights
- Visit Rwanda’s three main national parks: Akagera, Nyungwe, and Volcanoes
- Enjoy a Big Five safari in Akagera National Park and see elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, and rhinos
- Take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema to spot hippos, crocodiles, and water birds
- Track chimpanzees and colobus monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Experience the famous Nyungwe canopy walk with beautiful forest views
- Visit the King’s Palace in Nyanza and the Ethnographic Museum in Butare
- Trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and spend one hour with them in their natural home
- Track golden monkeys and learn about their playful behavior in the bamboo forest
- Visit the Gorilla Guardians Village for a cultural experience
- Stop at Lake Kivu for scenic views and relaxation
- Begin and end the safari in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city
Brief 10-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
- Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
- Day 3: Game Drive & Boat Cruise in Akagera
- Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk
- Day 6: Colobus Monkey Tracking & Community Visit
- Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 8: Gorilla Trekking & Cultural Tour
- Day 9: Golden Monkey Trekking
- Day 10: Return to Kigali
Detailed 10-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Meet your driver for a warm welcome to Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills. After a short briefing about your 10 days Rwanda tour, you will transfer to your hotel in Kigali for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After breakfast, drive east to Akagera National Park for a 2.5-hour journey in a 4WD vehicle. On arrival, enjoy lunch and check in at your lodge. In the afternoon, go for a Lake Ihema boat trip to see hippos, crocodiles, and many water birds before returning for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Game Drive & Boat Cruise in Akagera
Start your day with an early morning game drive in the northern savanna plains. Look out for lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, roan antelopes, and many bird species. Later, enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Ihema for 2 to 3 hours to spot hippos, crocodiles, and aquatic birds. Return to the lodge for relaxation.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, set off for Nyungwe Forest National Park in southern Rwanda. En route, stop at Nyanza Palace and the Ethnographic Museum in Butare before continuing to your lodge for check-in, dinner, and rest.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk
Start with breakfast and then head to Uwinka for a briefing about chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest. The trek lasts 2–4 hours, and you may also see other primates and birds. After lunch, enjoy a canopy walk with beautiful forest views and sightings of monkeys and birds.
Day 6: Colobus Monkey Tracking & Community Visit
After breakfast, go for colobus monkey tracking in Nyungwe Forest. The park is home to about 400 colobus monkeys and other primates. Later in the afternoon, you can visit local coffee farms for a cultural experience.
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, drive to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri, home to the endangered mountain gorillas. Stop at Lake Kivu for photos before continuing to your lodge near the park for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking & Cultural Tour
After breakfast, join other visitors for a briefing about gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. The trek takes about 2–6 hours, depending on the gorilla group location, and you will spend one full hour with the gorillas. In the afternoon, visit the Gorilla Guardians Village for a rich cultural experience.
Day 9: Golden Monkey Trekking
Start your day with breakfast, then head to the park headquarters for golden monkey trekking. The activity takes about 2–4 hours, offering a close view of these playful monkeys in their natural habitat.
Day 10: Return to Kigali
After breakfast, check out and drive back to Kigali, about 2–3 hours away. Depending on your flight time, you will be dropped at the airport or hotel, marking the end of your 10 Days Best of Rwanda Safari Tour.