9 Days Best of Rwanda Tour

9 days best of Rwanda tour is destined for people that would want to travel to the major national parks of the country such as the volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park, and Akagera national park. The safari includes mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey and trekking and cultural tour in volcanoes national park, chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park, and then game drives in Akagera national park. Tourists can always book this safari at any time of the year since the national parks are always open.

9 Days Best of Rwanda Tour highlights

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to volcanoes national park

Day 2: Encounter mountain gorillas in volcanoes and cultural tour

Day 3: Encounter golden monkeys

Day 4: Connect to Lake Kivu

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

Day 6: Encounter chimpanzees and canopy walk

Day 7: Transfer to Akagera national park

Day 8: Morning game drive and an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema

Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to volcanoes national park

On the first day of your 9 days best of Rwanda tour, you will be picked you at the airport upon arrival by our English speaking safari guide who will brief you about the whole safari, and thereafter you will have a tour to Kirimonko market where you will interact with the local traders and get to buy some of their products, later you will take a visit to the Kigali genocide memorial where you will find remains of the victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. If time allows you will also visit the Ihema Art Centre where you can see and support some of the craft makers. Lunch and transfer to volcanoes national park with the journey taking 2-3 hours. You will check in your lodge upon arrival at Musanze and then have an evening relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan

Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation 

Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel – luxury, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge – mid-range, Kinigi Guest House – budget

Day 2: Encounter mountain gorillas in volcanoes and cultural tour

On the second day of 9 days best of Rwanda tour, you will wake up and have a morning breakfast as your driver-guide is waiting to driver you to the Kinigi park headquarters where you will meet the park wardens. At the headquarters, you will get a briefing about the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity before the driver guides take you to the starting points.

At the starting point, you will pick a walking stick and armed ranger guides will lead you through different park trails as you look for the endangered mountain gorillas. Trekking to find mountain gorillas takes about 2-7 hours in volcanoes so as you are trekking, you are likely to see other park animals like the lions, buffaloes, giant forest hogs, monkeys, duikers, and bush pigs.

On setting eyes on the mountain gorilla family you have been looking for, you will be given 1 hour to be around it, watch the members do daily activities like hunting, nesting, breastfeeding, get to learn about their habits, and take photos. You will later exit the park, collect your trekking certificate and your driver-guide will drive you to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will meet your driver and then connect to Iby’Iwacu cultural village where you will have a cultural experience with the local people, spend time learning about their way of living, watch them do daily activities, be part of the ceremonies if any, get to taste their local food and get entertainment from the traditional dancers through dances and drama of which some are former poachers. Later drive to the lodge, wait for dinner, and have an overnight stay.

Meal plan

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation 

Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel – luxury, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge – mid-range, Kinigi Guest House – budget

Day 3: Encounter golden monkeys

Wake up early in the morning, enjoy breakfast and then meet your driver-guide to transfer you to the Kinigi headquarters to listen to park wardens who will teach you about the dos and don’ts of golden monkey trekking before being driven to the starting point by the driver-guide.

At the starting point, you will meet the armed ranger guides who will take you through different trails of the park looking for the endangered golden monkeys. As you are inside the jungle looking for these golden monkeys, you will spot different birds, several monkey species, buffaloes, duikers, giant forest hogs, elephants, and much more.

When you meet the mountain gorillas, you will be allowed to be around them for 1 hour, learn about their habits, watch them do daily activities, take photos and return to the starting point for a transfer to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you can relax at the lodge or have a simple guided nature walk around the lodge.

Meal plan

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation 

Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel – luxury, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge – mid-range, Kinigi Guest House – budget

Day 4: Connect to Lake Kivu

On the fourth day of 9 days best of Rwanda tour, you will wake up and have breakfast after which check out of the lodge and then meet your driver who will take you to Lake Kivu. On your way to Lake Kivu, will stop at Gisenyi where you will have a simple tour around the town, visit the market, different craft shops, and later continue to the lodge where you will check-in, have lunch.

In the evening you will head out for a boat cruise at Lake Kivu where you will enjoy the cool breath, watch different water animals like the hippos, and crocodiles, and then different waterbird species such as cardinal woodpecker, spotted yellow-throated greenbul, African pied wagtail, tropical boubou, speckled pigeons among others. You will have a nature walk around the lake to spot more of the bird species if you are interested in birding. Latter dinner will be served and you will have an overnight stay.

Meal plan

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation 

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel – Luxury, Palm Garden Resort – Mid-range, Paradis Malahide- budget

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

On the fifth day of 9 days best of Rwanda tour, you will wake up to the beautiful views of Lake Kivu, have morning breakfast, check out of the lodge and then meet your driver guide for a transfer to Nyungwe forest national park. The journey to Lake Kivu takes 5 to 6 hours and on the way, you will stop somewhere for lunch. Upon arrival at Nyungwe forest national park, you will just proceed to your booked accommodation facility, have dinner later in the evening, and have an overnight stay.

Meal plan

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation 

One&Only Nyungwe House – luxury, Nyungwe Top View Hotel – mid-range, and Gisakura Guest House – budget

Day 6: Encounter chimpanzees and canopy walk

Very early in the morning of the fifth day of 9 days best of Rwanda tour, you will wake up to a morning breakfast and the driver guide will take you to the beginning point where you will attend a briefing before heading out to the jungle to search for the habituated chimpanzees. The armed ranger guides will lead you into the jungle and as you are searching, you will be able to see different park animals like elephants, buffaloes, giant forest hogs, duikers, several monkeys, and different bird species.

When you meet the chimpanzees 1 hour of being around them will start counting and during this period, you can spot the chimpanzees doing daily activities like patrolling, hunting, mothers’ breakfast, nesting, learning about their habits, and taking photos. Later you will exit the forest, meet your driver-guide and head back to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will come back to the park headquarters for a second briefing and this time around it will be about the canopy walk. You will later head to the starting point where a guide will lead you on a 90-meter long canopy bridge raised 50 meters above the

ground with aerial views of the park surrounding, birds, and different primate species. After the 2 hours canopy walk, you will return to the lodge, relax, have dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation 

One&Only Nyungwe House – luxury, Nyungwe Top View Hotel – mid-range, and Gisakura Guest House – budget

Day 7: Transfer to Akagera national park

In the morning, you will have breakfast, pack all your things from the lodge, check out and meet your driver-guide for a transfer to Akagera national park. On your way, you will have an en-route lunch, pass by the Butare Museum and the king’s palace. Later you will continue with your journey, check in your lodge, wait for dinner, and have an overnight stay.

Meal plan

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation

Magashi Camp – luxury, Ruzizi Tented Camp – mid-range, Mutumba Campsite – budget

Day 8: Morning game drive and an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema

On the eighth day of 9 days best of Rwanda tour you will wake up early in the morning, have morning breakfast, and then meet your driver guide who will take you around the different game trucks in the park. Going early in the morning for a game drive in Akagera national park gives you high chances of meeting nocturnal animals on their way to hiding places. The game morning game drive will give you an opportunity to see different park animals like lions, rhinos, waterbucks, roan antelopes, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, impalas, warthogs, leopards, oribis, hyenas, topis, cape elands, and klipspringers among others.

After enjoying the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch, and later in the afternoon, you will connect to Lake Ihema for an evening boat cruise. The boat cruise on Lake Ihema takes 2-3 hours enjoying the cool fresh breeze, seeing different water animals like the crocodiles, hippos, and different water birds such as ibises, shoebills, sandpipers, jacanas, herons, malachite kingfishers, plovers, hawks, and many others. Drive back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation

Magashi Camp – luxury, Ruzizi Tented Camp – mid-range, Mutumba Campsite – budget

Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali

On the last day of your 9 days best of Rwanda tour, you will wake up to a relaxed morning breakfast and there check out of the lodge and meet your driver for a transfer back to Kigali with an en-route lunch. You will be dropped at the airport for your flight back home.

Meal plan

Breakfast and Lunch

Tour includes

• Gorilla trekking permit
• Golden monkey trekking permit
• Park entrance fees
• Cultural tour
• Kigali city tour
• Transport
• Service of the English-speaking guide
• Accommodation
• Drinking water and meals indicated in the itinerary

Tour excludes 

• International tickets
• Visas
• Personal insurance
• Tips
• Personal expenses
• Porter fee