Rwanda Safaris — Gorilla Trekking, Nyungwe & Akagera

Land of a Thousand Hills

Small Country, Big Days

Rwanda's great advantage is distance — or the lack of it. Kigali's airport is a couple of hours from the gorillas, the roads are excellent, and you can have a serious trekking trip inside a week without a single internal flight.

It has also quietly become a complete safari destination. Nyungwe in the southwest is one of Africa's great montane forests, and Akagera in the east has been restored to a full Big Five park after lion and rhino were reintroduced.

Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, two hours from Kigali
Golden monkey tracking in the bamboo of the Virungas
Nyungwe Forest — canopy walkway, chimpanzees and thirteen primate species
Akagera — savannah, lakes and the Big Five restored

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The Highlights

The Best of Rwanda

Rwanda fits a lot into short distances. These are the pieces worth building a week around.

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Volcanoes National Park

The Rwandan side of the Virunga massif, and where Dian Fossey did her work. Permits are the most expensive in the region but the trailheads are close to the lodges and the trekking is generally shorter than in Bwindi.

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Golden Monkeys

An endangered species found only in the Virungas, tracked through bamboo forest on the lower slopes. Far easier going than the gorilla trek and often booked as the day after it.

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Nyungwe Forest

A vast, ancient montane rainforest with a suspended canopy walkway seventy metres above the valley floor. Chimpanzee tracking, thirteen primate species and superb birding, with a fraction of the visitors of the north.

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Lake Kivu

One of the African Great Lakes, running along the western border. Rubavu and Karongi make relaxed stops between the gorillas and Nyungwe — bilharzia-free water, quiet beaches and good coffee.

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Akagera National Park

Rwanda's savannah park in the east, on the Tanzanian border. Lions were reintroduced in 2015 and rhino in 2017, restoring the Big Five to a landscape of lakes, papyrus swamp and rolling grassland.

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Kigali

One of the cleanest and safest capitals in Africa, and worth a day rather than a transit. The Genocide Memorial is difficult and essential; the coffee shops, art galleries and food scene are a genuine pleasure.

Day by Day

Rwanda Itineraries

Tap any day to open it up. Every route below is a starting point — we reshape the days, lodges and pace around you.

🇺🇬 Uganda🇷🇼 Rwanda6 DaysPrimates

Gorillas & Golden Monkeys

A once-in-a-lifetime primate adventure tracking mountain gorillas and golden monkeys across two countries.

Arrival in Rwanda's tidy capital, a city tour and the moving Genocide Memorial, then dinner and rest.

Scenic cross-border drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to nearly half the world's mountain gorillas.

The main event — trek through dense forest to spend a magical hour with a habituated gorilla family.

Travel back into Rwanda to the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes. Optional Iby'Iwacu cultural village visit.

Track playful golden monkeys through bamboo forest, then relax with views of the misty peaks.

Transfer to Kigali for your onward flight, hearts full and camera rolls overflowing.

from $3,180 per person sharing

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🇷🇼 Rwanda7 DaysForest & SavannahNew route

Rwanda in Depth

Gorillas, the Nyungwe canopy and the restored Big Five of Akagera — the whole country in a week, without an internal flight.

Met on arrival and transferred into the city. An afternoon at the Genocide Memorial and Kimironko market, then dinner in town.

A two-hour drive up to Musanze in the shadow of the Virungas. Afternoon free, with an optional visit to the Dian Fossey Fund's Ellen Campus.

Early briefing at the park headquarters, then into the forest with your guides and trackers for one hour with a habituated family.

A gentler morning tracking golden monkeys in the bamboo, then down to Lake Kivu for a lakeside afternoon and a boat trip at sunset.

The Congo Nile road along the lake shore — one of the most beautiful drives in East Africa — to the edge of Nyungwe Forest.

Morning chimpanzee tracking or a guided forest walk, then the suspended canopy walkway high above the valley. Afternoon at leisure on a tea estate.

Drive back to Kigali through the hills, with time for lunch and craft shopping before your evening flight.

Prefer savannah to forest? This route swaps easily to finish in Akagera National Park instead of Nyungwe — just ask.

On request permits quoted at current park rates

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Want something different in Rwanda? Tell us your dates and interests and we will draft a route from scratch.

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Timing Your Visit

When to Go

Rwanda sits just south of the equator at altitude, so it is temperate all year. The rains, not the temperature, shape the trekking.

The most comfortable trekking conditions and the busiest permit window. Trails are firmer underfoot and the volcanoes are more often clear of cloud. Book permits and lodges months ahead.

A second good window, generally a little quieter than mid-year. Warm days, cool nights at altitude, and reliable conditions for both gorilla and golden monkey tracking.

Wetter, greener and considerably quieter. Trekking still runs and the forest is spectacular in the mist, but the ground is slippery and treks take longer. Rates are lower and permits easier to secure.

Rwanda is quicker and easier — two hours from the airport to the trailhead — but the permit costs significantly more. Uganda is cheaper and the forest is wilder, at the cost of a much longer drive. We are happy to price both and let you choose.

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