This 6-day Rwanda Gorillas and Wildlife Safari highlights two of Rwanda’s three national parks, including its most popular destination, Volcanoes National Park.
Since you are visiting both Volcanoes and Akagera, you will receive a 30% discount on the $1,500 gorilla permit fee, meaning you will instead pay $1,050 for the permit.
This 6-day Volcanoes & Akagera National Park Tour features gorilla tracking, golden monkey tracking, a visit to the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera, a tour of the ancient Musanze Caves, and a wildlife viewing experience in Akagera National Park, where you can see the Big Five game animals along with a boat cruise on Lake Ihema.
Please read the detailed itinerary below.
6-Day Rwanda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 2: Gorilla Trekking and Twin Lakes Visit
- Day 3: Golden Monkey Tracking and Musanze Caves Walk
- Day 4: Transfer to Akagera National Park
- Day 5: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
- Day 6: Transfer to Kigali, Visit the Genocide Memorial Monument, and Departure
Detailed 6-Day Rwanda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Upon your arrival, one of our company representatives will be waiting for you at Kigali International Airport.
We will then transfer directly to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri while briefing you about Rwanda and providing safety information, such as precautions to take.
Our guides are very knowledgeable and experienced, so feel free to ask any questions, and rest assured you will receive accurate answers.
The journey to Ruhengeri takes about 2-3 hours. If your arrival is earlier in the day, we will have enough time for an evening walk around the local communities.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking and Twin Lakes Visit
After a hearty breakfast, we will head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for a short briefing before heading into the jungles of Volcanoes National Park for our mountain gorilla trekking experience.
You are required to carry packed lunch and plenty of drinks, as there are no shops in the jungle.
The gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes National Park is incredible and can last between 2 to 8 hours, depending on the gorillas’ movements.
You will have a full hour with the gorillas, during which you can take photographs and interact with them, before returning to the starting point to receive your gorilla tracking certificate.
In the late afternoon or evening, you will visit Rwanda’s twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, with views of local community projects.
Afterward, we will return to our accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Golden Monkey Tracking and Musanze Caves Walk
After breakfast, you will embark on another exciting primate activity: golden monkey tracking. This activity starts at 7:00 AM at the park headquarters in Kinigi.
The golden monkey tracking experience lasts up to 4 hours, including a full hour of close encounters.
Afterward, we will head to the historic Musanze Caves, estimated to have formed about 65 million years ago by basalt lava flow from the volcanic mountains of Sabyinyo and Bisoke.
The caves feature approximately 31 entrances and extend about 2 kilometers deep.
This underground walk lasts up to two hours and is conducted under the protection of an armed soldier for safety.
After this activity, we will return for relaxation, dinner, and overnight as we prepare for the journey to Akagera National Park the following day.
Day 4: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After breakfast, we will transfer to Akagera National Park, driving through the beautiful Rwandan countryside and stopping in Kigali City for lunch.
Afterward, we will continue to Akagera National Park, about 130 kilometers away, where we will arrive in the evening for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Day 5: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
After an early breakfast, we will drive through the savannah plains of Akagera National Park in search of wildlife. Akagera National Park is home to a variety of wild animals, including African elephants, Masai giraffes, Cape buffaloes, impalas, bushbucks, lions, oribis, elands, reedbucks, roan antelopes, and leopards, among others.
With the recent reintroduction of rhinos, Akagera National Park now has all of the Big Five game animals (elephants, leopards, lions, Cape buffaloes, and rhinoceros), which we hope to spot during the game drive.
After this exciting activity, we will return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second-largest lake, where we will see crocodiles, hippos, birds, and more wildlife during a boat cruise.
After the cruise, we will return to our accommodation for dinner and overnight as we prepare for the final day of our safari.
Day 6: Transfer to Kigali, Visit the Genocide Memorial Monument, and Departure
After breakfast, we will embark on a journey back to Kigali City, where we will visit the Gisozi Genocide Memorial Monument to pay tribute to the thousands of Rwandans who perished during the 1994 genocide.
After this solemn visit, we will conclude the safari by dropping you off at Kigali International Airport for your departure flight or at your hotel in Kigali.
End of 6-Day Volcanoes & Akagera National Park Safari.
