This 9 Days Rwanda Tour combines rainforest excursions, savannah safaris, and lakeside relaxing over nine days. While visiting Volcanoes, Lake Kivu, Nyungwe Forest, and Akagera National Parks, keep an eye out for habituated chimpanzees, gorillas, rhinos, and golden monkeys. For the ultimate East African retreat, round up your Africa safari Rwanda itinerary with cultural experiences, island cruises, and vibrant Kigali city life.
Highlights for your 9 Days Rwanda Tour
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and visit Ibyi’wacu Village
Day 3: Golden Monkey trekking
Day 4: Transfer to Lake Kivu- Afternoon boat cruise
Day 5: Connect to Nyungwe forest national park- Optional Tea Tour in Gisakura
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking, afternoon canopy walk, and overnight in Kigali
Day 7: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Day 8: Day game drive and afternoon Lake Ihema boat trip.
Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary for 9 Days Rwanda Tour
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
You will communicate to your driver guide about the time you will be ready to start your Kigali city tour. Your driver guide will arrive at your hotel or pick-up point at the agreed time and give you a brief on what to expect the next few days. You will drive to your first stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial grounds for a brief history of the 1994 events in Rwanda and go to the Kimironko market for a chance to interact with the Rwandan people and buy some local produce.
Later, go for lunch in a local restaurant in Kigali for the local dishes, try out, and meet up with your driver guide who will be waiting to transfer you to Ruhengeri. You will drive 2 hours before you reach Musanze. You will check in at your hotel and settle in as you wait for dinner and spend your first night in Volcanoes National Park.
Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Visit Ibyi’wacu Village
An early breakfast will be prepared for you along with lunch boxes for you to carry on you in the park. Your driver guide will drive you to the park headquarters for your morning brief before the activity of the day. Attend the 20 to 30-minute brief from the ranger guides and after follow them into the forest in search of the mountain gorillas.
Trek for about 2 to 4 hours until you meet your gorilla family of the day. You will spend one hour enjoying the mountain gorillas from a 7-meter distance and after set out to exit the forest to have your packed lunch boxes. You will after connect to the Ibyi’wacu cultural center for your cultural experience of the Rwandan people. Spend some quality time at the center and after head back to your hotel before nightfall for dinner and another night at the hotel of the past nights.
Day 3: Golden Monkey trekking
Right after you have had your breakfast, you will meet your driver guide who will be waiting to transfer you back to the park reception for your morning brief before the activity of the day. You will hire porters and other necessities and head out to the forest to trek the golden monkeys. Volcanoes National Park is one of the parks that are blessed with the presence of both the silverback gorillas and the golden monkeys thus the saying “where silver meets gold”
After spending some time in the forest with these playful creatures, you will exit the forest back to the hotel to end the day at leisure. Dinner will be served and another night will be spent at the hotel as night before.
Day 4: Transfer to Lake Kivu- Afternoon boat cruise
Wake up on a more relaxed note, have breakfast and check out of your accommodation and head out to Gisenyi. This is a 2-hour road transfer from Ruhengeri to Gisenyi. You will arrive in time to check in at your hotel in Gisenyi and have lunch after settling in.
Later in the evening, you may take on a boat ride on Lake Kivu as you watch the sunset and spot a number of bird species. Get back to your hotel before nightfall for dinner and spend a night in Gisenyi.
Day 5: Connect to Nyungwe forest national park- Optional Tea Tour in Gisakura
Wake up in time for breakfast at the hotel and gather your bags, to check out of the hotel and head for your next destination. You will enjoy your last moments at Lake Kivu and embark on your 4-to-5-hour road transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
You will have an en route lunch and an optional stopover visit to Gisakura tea estate for a tour of the vast tea plantations before arriving at your hotel in Nyungwe forest in the evening hours to check in at your hotel and wait for dinner to be served, and spend your first night in Nyungwe forest.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking, afternoon canopy walk, and overnight in Kigali
At 5 am, set out with your driver guide to join the group headed to the Nyungwe forest for the chimpanzee trekking experience. You will have a briefing at the Uwinka reception and head out into the forest to see these playful creatures that you will see swing from one tree branch to another.
Exit the forest and have a late breakfast at the hotel. Relax, and after you have lunch, you will drive to the Uwinka reception for a briefing ahead of your canopy walk in the Nyungwe forest. Take on this 140-meter-long canopy walkway, giving you a view of the forest from the top. Great birding point! Return to your hotel before it gets dark, freshen u,p and have dinner. Drive back to Kigali for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 7: Transfer to Akagera National Park
Have a simple breakfast at your hotel shortly before you head out to your next destination, Akagera National Park. You will drive with your driver guide towards the Akagera National Park, passing through homesteads, and arrive at the park in the late evening hours.
You will have an en route visit to the Butare Museum and the King’s palace and have lunch in Butare. You will arrive at the hotel in time to check in and for dinner, and spend a night in the park.
Day 8: Day game drive and afternoon Lake Ihema boat trip.
Grab some breakfast and meet your driver guide who will be waiting to take you to the park reception to pick up one of the Akagera rangers. You will drive for about 4 hours around the park viewing the elephants, giraffes, rhinos, lions and leopards and also the smaller wild animals like the antelopes, warthogs. After the game drive, you will head back for lunch at the hotel as you wait for the sun to calm down.
After lunch, you will head out to Lake Ihema for your scheduled boat trip for a chance to view the wildlife of Akagera National Park like crocodiles, hippos and a number of bird species. You will head back to the hotel for dinner and spend a night in the park. Drive back to the hotel in time for dinner and a second night’s stay.
Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali
The last day of your safari will be a more relaxed one as you exit the Akagera National Park back to Kigali, Rwanda. You may have a brief game drive as you drive out of the park. You will drive for about 2 hours, and you will arrive in Kigali in the afternoon hours. You will be dropped off as you will advise.
End of your 9 Days Rwanda Tour!
