7 days safari in Rwanda is a 6 nights/7 days Rwanda safari that begins and ends in Kigali. This affordable 7 days safari in Rwanda combines gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, wildlife viewing, canopy walk, Musanze cave walk, cultural tours, and Lake Kivu beach relaxation to form a diverse and exciting journey.
Your safari begins in Akagera National Park, home to large African safari animals such as Elephants, Buffaloes, Hippos, Giraffes, Lions, Leopards, and Rhinos.
From there, continue to Nyungwe Forest, one of the most extensive protected tracts of montane forest in Africa and the natural habitat of 13 varieties of primates including, over 500 chimpanzees. After your time in Nyungwe, travel to one of Africa’s Great Lakes, Lake Kivu, for beach relaxation.
Finally, head to Volcanoes National Park, which harbors a third of the world’s 1063 mountain gorillas remaining in the wild. A gorilla trek here will give a rare privilege of observing the everyday interactions of these gentle giants – an extremely special privilege and an unforgettable encounter.
You can book this trip or customize it to suit your special Rwanda safari tour interests for a lifetime of Africa safari memories.
Day 1 & 2: Akagera National Park
Day 3 & 4: Nyungwe National Park, Ethnographic Museum & King’s palace
Day 5: Lake Kivu – Gisenyi beach
Day 6: Volcanoes National Park & Musanze Caves
Day 7: Kigali
Day 1: Arrive at Kigali International Airport & Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 2: Morning game drive & afternoon boat ride in Akagera National Park
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest. Tour Ethnographic Museum & King’s Palace.
Day 4: Morning Chimpanzee trekking & afternoon canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest
Day 5: Drive to Lake Kivu – Gisenyi beach for relaxation. Drive via the Congo Nile Divide Trail
Day 6: Relaxed breakfast & transfer to Volcanoes National Park. Tour Musanze Caves on arrival.
Day 7: Do Mountain gorilla trekking. Return to Kigali for your departure flight.
Upon arrival at Kigali Airport, your tour driver will be there to welcome you to Rwanda. He will give you a briefing about this 7 days safari in Rwanda. After loading your luggage into a comfortable 4×4 safari vehicle, he will take you on 2½ hour drive east to beautiful Akagera National Park.
You’ll pass impressive countryside landscapes, including the areas of Rwamagana where you have a chance of seeing the famous long-horned cows (lnyambo). On arrival, check into your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
If you’re interested and have the time, you can opt for a sunset boat cruise on Lake Ihema or a night game drive in the Savannah. Akagera is Rwanda’s largest national park (1,122km²) and boasts a profusion of wildlife including all the famous Africa’s “big five” animals. The park is very scenic, with a string of lakes.
Highlight of the Day: – Driving through Rwanda’s impressive countryside landscapes.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Magashi Camp/Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Midrange: – Akagera Game Lodge
Budget: – Dereva Hotel
Meal Plan: – Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx.135km/2 ½ hours
Activities & Services:-
Optional Activities: –
Day two of your 7 days safari in Rwanda begins with an early morning breakfast before sunrise. After breakfast at around 6.30 am, you go on a game drive in the Akagera Savannah. This is the best time of the day to see predators, and the sunrise over the plains is a breathtaking sight.
During the game drive, search for rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, and others who graze freely in the park. Giraffes are a common sight as well as zebras, warthogs, waterbucks, roan antelopes, elands, topis, and impalas. After a 3-4 hours game drive, return to the lodge for lunch and some free time to relax.
In the afternoon, glide along the tranquil waters of Lake Ihema by boat. Watch hippos and crocodiles and spot more wildlife such as elephants and buffaloes, as they gather at the lake shore to drink water. Keep an eye out for a variety of birds; there are almost 500 species around the lake and its surrounding wetlands.
Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Highlight of the Day: – Searching wildlife on a game drive
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Ruzizi Tented Lodge/Magashi Camp
Midrange: – Akagera Game Lodge
Budget: – Dereva Hotel
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services: –
After a relaxed breakfast on day three of your 7 days safari in Rwanda, set off on a 5-6 hour drive to the southwest. Pass rolling hills and beautiful scenery as you make your way to the Cultural Heritage Corridor of Rwanda.
Tour the reconstruction of the traditional King’s Palace, a beautifully-crafted thatched dwelling. Learn about the royal style and the authority of pre-colonial Rwanda Kings. Meet the royal Inyambo cows on the site and herders who sing to them. Then, wander the halls of the simple, modern home of the country’s last king.
Proceed your drive south to the Ethnographic Museum in Huye for a broader look at Rwanda’s culture through seven galleries that highlight the architecture, textiles, hunting weapons, and more; designed, created, and used by the people. Thereafter, enjoy a delicious lunch and complete your scenic drive to Nyungwe Forest.
Tonight, relax and have dinner at your lodge as you prepare for your early morning Chimp trek tomorrow.
Highlight of the Day: – Exploring Rwanda’s rich cultural heritage
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – One & Only Nyungwe House/Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange: – Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget: – Gisakura Guesthouse
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 320km/5-6 hours
Activities & Services:-
Day four of your 7 days safari in Rwanda begins with an early breakfast.
Then transfer to the park’s visitor center to meet your excellent local park guide for a briefing. At 5.30 am, start your trek (2-5 hours) to see the chimps, and you’ll enjoy looking for other primates, birds, and animals along the way.
Your expert guide will teach you about the habits and social activities of these endangered apes – our closest relatives in the animal world – and gain insights into current efforts to protect them. Upon reaching Chimps, see them as they interact in their natural environment. You have a full hour to enjoy these human-like creatures and you’re free to take as many photos as you wish!
Return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.
In the afternoon, go for an adventurous walk along a 70-meter high, 160-meter long Canopy Walkway that sways in the wind above Nyungwe Forest.
Highlight of the Day: – Track wild Chimpanzees 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: –
Your day five of the 7 days safari in Rwanda starts with a leisurely breakfast at the lodge. After that, embark on a 7-hour drive to the north.
You’re slowly heading to one of the most beautiful lakes in East and Central Africa, Lake Kivu but with serious sightseeing en route.
Pass rolling hills, small farming villages, lush tea fields, and banana plantations before arriving at Gisenyi, the town on the northern shore of Lake Kivu. Your driver will take you to your beachfront hotel for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Highlight of the Day: – Relaxation at beautiful Lake Kivu
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Midrange: – Hotel Gorillas Lake Kivu/Paradise Kivu Resort
Budget: – Hotel Paradis Malahide
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – 294km/7- 8 hours
Activities & Services: –
On day six of your 7 days safari in Rwanda, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and spend the morning relaxing at the lake shore before embarking on a 2-3 hours scenic drive to Volcanoes National Park in the afternoon.
On arrival, take a 2-hour walk inside the 2km long Musanze caves that are over 65 million years old, formed as a result of the lava flow from the two Volcanoes of Sabyinyo and Bisoke. Musanze caves have 31 entrances and the main cave has an entrance the size of a cathedral. The entrances create an incredible array of colored shafts of light shining into the cave.
After the cave walk, connect to the lodge for relaxation, as you get ready for your once-in-a-lifetime gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park tomorrow
Highlight of the Day: – Musanze Caves Exploration
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: – 110km/2-3 hours
Activities & Services:-
Wake up at sunrise, enjoy breakfast, and have your packed lunch. Transfer to the park offices at 7 am, where briefing, tea, and coffee will be given. At about 8 am, set off on an unforgettable trek deep into the jungle through volcano forests alongside an expert park ranger/guide to search for Mountain gorillas.
The trek can take anything from 30 minutes to 7 hours and is relatively tiresome, so be prepared for a challenge. But know that if you spot these endangered giants (we share 98% of our DNA with them) it will all be worth it.
Rwanda authorities are fiercely protective of this natural treasure, and you’ll be allowed one hour with the gorillas. You retire from the activity, have your packed picnic lunch and return to the starting point for debriefing. You’re then driven back to Kigali to mark the end of this remarkable 7 days safari in Rwanda.
Highlight of the Day: – Tracking Rare Mountain Gorillas
Meal Plan: – Breakfast & Lunch
Drive Distance & Time: – 116km/2-3 hours
Activities & Services: –
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