8 Days Rwanda Safari Tours – Overview
The 8 Days Rwanda safari tour is 7 nights and 8 days safari in Rwanda tour offering Gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Chimpanzee trekking, a canopy walk, wildlife viewing safari, Dian Fossey hike, community tours, and beautiful scenery viewing.
The 8 days safari in Rwanda package covers the unexplored Rwanda safari destinations such as Volcanoes National Park where you can do Mountain Gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Akagera National Park for wildlife safaris in Rwanda, Lake Kivu adventure Capital in Rwanda as well as Nyungwe National Park –the primate capital in Rwanda and the Rwanda Chimpanzee trekking park.
The 8 days Rwanda tour comprises features unique activities such as a recreational boat cruise, community and heritage tours, the genocide memorial visits on top of the most popular Rwanda safari activities of Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee trekking, and wild game viewing.
8 Days Rwanda Safari Tour – Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer To The Akagera National Park & Do An Afternoon Boat Cruise
- Day 2: Do A Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise, Sport Fishing, Or Relaxation
- Day 3: Transfer From Akagera National Park To Volcanoes National Park Via Kigali City
- Day 4: Early Morning Gorilla Trekking & Afternoon Cultural Tour Or Twin Lakes Walk
- Day 5: Hike Dian Fossey Site & Transfer To Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)
- Day 6: Transfer To Nyungwe Forest National Park Along The Congo – Nile Trail
- Day 7: Early Morning Chimp Trekking In Kyamudongo Forest & After Noon Forest Or Canopy Walk In Nyungwe National Park At Uwinka Overlook.
- Day 8: Transfer From Nyungwe Forest Park To Kigali With Enroute Stopovers At Butare National Museum, Nyanza & Departure
8 Days Rwanda Safari Tour – Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to The Akagera National Park & Do An Afternoon Boat Cruise
Following an early morning breakfast, you will start your 8 days Rwanda safari with a drive to Akagera National Park in the east of Rwanda 130km about 2-3 hours’ drive from Kigali.
You will drive along with fascinating scenic countryside landscapes with rolling hills. This area is also famous for the traditional Inyambo Cows in Rwamagana which are very delightful to encounter.
Proceed to the park arriving at the lodge in time for lunch after which you will advance to embark on a recreational boat cruise on Lake Ihema-Rwanda’s second-largest freshwater body in the afternoon.
The boat trip will give you an opportunity to get close to the various waterbird species including African fish eagles, open-billed stork marabou stork, cormorants, crowned cranes, egrets, and herons among others.
The boat trip will also reward you with the views and sights of the unique wild game like Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, elephants, and Buffaloes when they are drinking on the shores of the lake. After the boat trip, you will retire back to the park head Quarters for the Behind the Scenes experience.
Here you will get more insights into Akagera, including conservation developments within the park; you will meet some of the important individuals integral to the management of the park. Retreat back to your lodge for dinner and overnight after the activity.
Accommodation: Akagera game Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Ruzizi Tented Camp (Midrange/Standard) or Dereva Hotel (Budget/basic).
Day 2: Do a Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise, Sportfishing, or Relaxation
After an early cup of coffee, you will embark on the game drive in the well-coordinated game driving tracks in Akagera national park to look for outstanding wildlife species like Buffaloes, elephants, and Masai giraffe, waterbuck, Eland, Topi, Impala, Warthogs, and Zebras among other animals. With luck, you may also see wildlife species such as leopard, lion, and black rhino.
Being one of the most scenic savanna parks in East Africa, the game drive in Akagera will offer you a pretty chance to see gentle hills blending in beautifully lowland swamps and water bodies.
You will have lunch at the lodge and relax after which you can either embark on an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema or on a sportfishing encounter on Lake Shakani. Retire for dinner and overnight
Accommodation: Akagera game Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Ruzizi Tented Camp (Midrange/Standard) or Dereva Hotel (Budget/basic).
Day 3: Transfer From Akagera National Park to Volcanoes National Park via Kigali City
Right after early morning breakfast, you will embark on the transfer to Volcanoes National Pak in the northwest of Rwanda passing through Kigali city. The drive is an interesting countryside encounter with rural farmed landscapes and remarkable flora.
You will make a stop in Kigali for short relaxation and lunch after which you will proceed for 116km about 2 – 3 hours’ drive to Volcanoes National Park arriving in the evening for relaxation dinner and overnight
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury) / Hotel La Palme (Midrange/Standard) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget/Basic).
Day 4: Early Morning Gorilla Trekking & Afternoon Cultural Tour or Twin Lakes Walk
After taking a hearty breakfast, report to the park headquarters for early morning registration and briefing about gorilla trekking etiquettes in Volcanoes Park.
In this session, you will be assigned a particular gorilla family or group that you are going to encounter. In case you are not physically fit, you are allowed to inform the responsible park officials so that they can assign you a less strenuous Gorilla family.
After the briefing, the experienced Ranger guides will lead you into the forest trails to search for the critically endangered mountain gorillas thriving in the hilly forested areas of Volcanoes National Park.
The activity which may last between 2 – 8 hours depending on the movements of the apes will reward you with one (1) hour of memorable direct encounter with Mountain gorillas.
You will see them feed their young ones, look for food among other gorilla daily activities and at that time, you are allowed to take as many photos as you wish after which you will disembark to the starting point where the activity starts from.
After retiring to the park headquarters, transfer to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. After lunch, you either embark on cultural encounters with the local communities around Volcanoes National Park.
The cultural encounter will give you a rare opportunity to interact with the local people in their natural environment, with a taste of their unique culture and traditions.
You will visit community schools, and local homesteads; listen to interesting stories about the local people.
Alternatively, you can decide to take on a visit to the Twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera for amazing scenic views and a recreational boat cruise. Retire in the evening for dinner and overnight
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury) / Hotel La Palme (Midrange/Standard) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget/Basic).
Day 5: Hike Dian Fossey Site & Transfer to Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)
After early morning breakfast, set off for an early morning hike to the Dian Fossey site to visit the graveyard of the most popular American mountain gorilla conservationists that the world has ever had.
Dian Fossey is highly honored internationally for her outstanding efforts that contributed to the plight of mountain gorillas internationally and her interest in their conservation and continued existence.
The hike takes you through challenging but interesting mountainsides and has got splendid views of Mount Karisimbi and Bisoke which are among the eight Virunga Volcanoes that exist in the area.
Thus paying tribute to this woman is one of the rewarding things that you can ever contribute to her commemoration and the existence of mountain gorillas.
Return from the activity for lunch after which you will transfer to Gisenyi (Lake Kivu) for relaxation and overnight.
Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel (Upmarket/Luxury) / Hotel Gorillas Lake Kivu (Midrange/Standard) or Paladise Malahide (Budget/Basic).
Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park along the Congo – Nile Trail
After taking a relaxed breakfast, embark on the overland transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park 240km about 7 hours drive along the Congo Nile Trail that stretches along the charming shores of Lake Kivu.
The divide marks the point of separation between catchment areas for the Nile River and River Congo. The area has good scenic views that will occupy you throughout the journey.
You will drive through Kibuye town where you can stop for lunch and then through Cyangungu before proceeding for 54km to Nyungwe National Park arriving in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Upmarket /Luxury) / Nyungwe Hill Top Hotel (Mid-range/Standard) or Gisakura Guest house (Budget/Basic).
Day 7: Early Morning Chimp Trekking in Kyamudongo Forest & Afternoon Forest or Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park at Uwinka Overlook.
After your early morning breakfast, you will drive to the park headquarters for an early morning briefing about the rules to follow when trekking the chimps.
After the briefing, you will be led by the ranger guide through the beautiful forest trail to trek the fascinating chimpanzee creatures.
Along the trails, you will enjoy the nice melodies of different bird species housed in the forest and you will also have a chance to enjoy the views of other primates like grey-cheeked mangabey, and monkeys.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes between 2-6 hours but experienced guides will also make sure that they take you where you will have to see the primates as fast as possible.
A face-to-face encounter with the chimpanzees is very amazing because you will observe them play, feed and rest.
After this worthwhile experience, you will head back to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you will embark on the famous Nyungwe Canopy walk which is the first of its kind in East Africa and the third in Africa.
The canopy walk staring at the Uwinka overlook is one of the rewarding encounters that you can have in Rwanda.
It offers impressive views of the lush forest canopy and counts of primates and birds that inhabit it. Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight
Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Upmarket /Luxury) / Nyungwe Hill Top Hotel (Mid-range/Standard) or Gisakura Guest house (Budget/Basic).
Day 8: Transfer From Nyungwe Forest Park to Kigali With Enroute Stopovers at Butare National Museum, Nyanza & Departure
Following an early morning breakfast, you will embark on a transfer journey of 225kms about a 6 to 7 hours drive from Nyungwe national park to Kigali.
The overland long journey is very fascinating as you will traverse through amazing sceneries all over the route.
The experienced driver-guide will take you at a slow speed to allow you to capture the best photographs of the hilly landscape and local people.
You will have lunch en route and a number of stopovers at Butare National Museum, Nyanza (Rukali) as well as Malaba coffee factory, plus other exciting areas.
On arrival at the park, you will drive to Kigali Craft shops to shop for souvenirs. After shopping, you will embark on a transfer to the airport for flight departure.
End of The 8 Days Rwanda safari tour
Getting There
Safari Inclusions
- Chimpanzee Permit (for chimpanzee trekking safaris)
- Gorilla Permit (for gorilla trekking safaris)
- Full Board Accommodation on Safari
- Transportation in either 4X4 Safari Van or 4X4 Safari Land Cruiser all with Pop up roof & AC
- Fuel
- Professional English Speaking driver guide. Any other foreign language speaking guide can be arranged on request.
- Entrance fees to the tourist sites including Protected areas mentioned
- Activity fees of the tourist activities mentioned
- Bottled water while on safari
- Border crossing fees (for cross border safaris)
Safari Exclusions
- General tips for the driver guide, site guides and service staff at the lodges
- Laundry Services
- Other Beverages / drinks of personal nature like Alcohol
- International Flights (Arranged on request)
- Domestic Flights (Arranged on request)
- Visas
- Optional Activity fees
- Other extras not mentioned in the Itinerary
- Airport Transfer (Arranged on request)
- Accommodation in Kampala or Kigali unless it is part of the Itinerary (Arranged on request)

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