13 Days Rwanda Safari: Gorillas, Chimps, Wildlife, Hiking & Cultural Tours
13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Overview
Explore on a relaxed and adventure-filled 13 days Rwanda safari package, featuring gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, chimpanzee tracking, canopy walks, game viewing, volcano hiking, cultural tours, and community visits. This 13 days Rwanda tour starts and ends in Kigali, offering a diverse range of activities to explore the stunning landscapes and rich wildlife of Rwanda.
Begin your 13 days Rwanda safari itinerary with a tour of Kigali city, Africa’s greenest and cleanest capital, visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial, local markets, art galleries, and craft centers. Then, head to Akagera National Park for a thrilling Rwanda wildlife safari, where you’ll have the chance to see rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, zebras, and antelopes.
Next, explore the enchanting Nyungwe Forest National Park, home to over 500 wild chimpanzees and numerous other primates. Relax on the scenic sandy shores of Lake Kivu, one of Central Africa’s most beautiful lakes.
Conclude your adventure in Volcanoes National Park, a tropical rainforest wonderland, where you’ll have the life-changing opportunity to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda and encounter a habituated gorilla family.
Contact us to book this 13-days Rwanda safari tour that can be tailored to your interests.
13 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Prime Activities
- Tour of Kigali, visiting the Genocide Memorial, markets, art and craft galleries, etc.
- Gorilla trekking in Rwanda‘s Volcanoes National Park.
- Tracking golden monkeys in Volcanoes NP.
- Hiking Mount Bisoke. Tour of Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.
- Trekking chimpanzees on foot in Nyungwe Forest.
- Tracking 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 Featured 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 Highlights
Day 1: Arrive at Kigali International Airport & transfer to your hotel.
Day 2: Kigali Genocide Memorial Center & 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 the ethnographic museum and King’s Palace.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking & canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest.
Day 7: Colobus monkey tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park and an 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 Rwanda Gorilla trekking in 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 Tour Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Kigali International Airport & Transfer to Your Hotel
Upon arrival at Kigali International 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 travel 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, Radisson Blu
- Midrange: Hotel Chezlando
Meal Plan: Dinner
Activities & Services:
- Pick-up from the airport
- Transfer to a hotel
Day 2: Kigali Genocide Memorial Center & Kigali City Tour
The second day of your 13-day Rwanda safari 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 circumstances that led to the tragic 100 days during which their neighbors butchered nearly a million Rwandans.
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.
Highlight of the day: Learning about Rwanda’s heartbreaking history.
Accommodation:
- Luxury: Hotel Mille Collines, Serena Hotel Kigali, Radisson 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-day Rwanda safari commences at 8 am with breakfast at the hotel. Then embark on a 2 ½-hour drive east to Akagera National Park. As you travel, you pass through a lot of local life, with fruit and vegetable markets lining the road, before leaving the city behind and entering banana plantations.
Before checking into your lodge, have a short game drive to spot some animals and enjoy the amazing scenery. Akagera is spread over 1,122 km², 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 buffaloes as they congregate at the lakeshore to drink water, and view plenty of water birds. There are almost 500 bird species around the lake and the surrounding wetlands.
Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
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. 135 km / 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 National Park 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, including 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.
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 the Ethnographic Museum and King’s Palace En-route
Your fifth day of the 13-day Rwanda safari begins with an early breakfast at 7 am. Then, take a 5- to 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 tomorrow’s chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk adventures.
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. 320 km / 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 sixth day of the 13-day Rwanda safari commences with an early morning breakfast. Then, transfer to the park headquarters at 5 am to meet your expert guides. After a short briefing, start your 2-hour 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 human-like creatures play and interact in their natural habitat—a truly 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.
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 the Park’s Visitor Center for 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 only among the colobus monkeys in Nyungwe.
Colobus monkey tracking is relatively easy and begins at 8 am after the briefing. Hike through verdant tea plantations before reaching an isolated patch of forest, where these magnificent primates will be spotted leaping around the trees. 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.
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-day Rwanda safari begins with a leisurely breakfast at the lodge. Then embark on a very scenic drive along the 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.
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: 294 km / 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, enjoy a thrilling three-hour morning boat ride on Lake Kivu. Explore the scenic shores, 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. One of the most striking sights in East Africa is the chain of mountains connected by fertile saddles created by lava flows.
Their green-cloaked flanks are the last refuge for 300 of the world’s 1,063 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.
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: 110 km / 2 hours
Activities & Services:
- Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
- Transfer to Volcanoes
Day 10: Mount Bisoke Hike in Volcanoes National Park
Your tenth day of the 13-day Rwanda safari adventure will be spent hiking Mount Bisoke. Standing at a respectable 3,711 meters (12,175 feet) high, Mount Bisoke is the most popular for scenic day hikes in Volcanoes National Park. 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 the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife, including rare plants, endemic golden monkeys, and even gorillas.
The hike takes between 6 and 8 hours round-trip and requires reasonable fitness.
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
Embark on gorilla trekking in Rwanda – one of the most emotional wildlife experiences in Africa. After an early morning breakfast, head to the park headquarters to register for the trek. Assigned to a gorilla family and briefed by your guide, you’ll begin the trek at the trailhead.
Trekking through Volcanoes National Park can vary from 30 minutes to 8 hours due to the terrain and altitude. Although paced and with breaks, the trek can be strenuous, requiring a general level of fitness.
Encounter a gorilla family and spend an hour with these gentle giants, witnessing their social rituals and behaviors. After the trek, return to the trailhead and transfer back to your accommodation. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
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
Embark on a trek to track the special golden monkeys in the bamboo forests of the Virungas. You’ll spend up to an hour observing these endearing primates in their natural environment with the help of knowledgeable rangers.
Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch, then visit the Ibyiwacu Cultural Village. Experience traditional Rwandan life and learn about the cultural heritage of the region.
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
After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely drive back to Kigali, a journey of around 2-4 hours, depending on stops en route. Arrive at the airport for your return flight, concluding your unforgettable 13-day Rwanda safari tour.
Highlight of the Day: A scenic drive back to Kigali
Meal Plan: Breakfast
