Rwanda safaris are rated very highly in East Africa. Some of these safaris in Rwanda include gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park, game viewing in Akagera National Park and chimps tracking in Nyungwe National Park. The cultural and historical facts about Rwanda make this destination a must visit.
Rwanda has one of the fastest growing tourism industries in Africa which has influenced thousands of travelers to visit the Land of A Thousand Hills to explore its tourist treasures. The well developed infrastructure in terms of good roads, high standard accommodation facilities as well as stability of the country make Rwanda safaris so enjoyable and convenient to many travelers.
Top Rwanda Safaris
2 Day Rwanda Gorilla safari to Parc Nationale des Volcans (PNV), offers you a lifetime adventure of meeting the rare mountain gorillas in the jungles of this tropical rain forest. Enjoy and see the remaining population of the highly endangered mountain Gorillas in their wild, on the shortest gorilla tour.
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Join a 3-days Rwanda gorilla tour to Volcanoes National Park (PNV) with The park also harbors the endangered golden monkeys. Enjoy an exhilarating trek through the cultivated foothills of the Virungas in search for the gentle giants.
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3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest
Nyungwe National Park is a massive Montane Forest located in southern Rwanda. It is the largest montane forest in Central Africa and inhabits 13 species of primate including chimpanzee and large groups of Rwenzori colobus. Tracking is on steep slippery hillsides and viewing is unpredictable.
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4 days Rwanda Gorilla Safari – Visit Dian Fossey Graveyard
The 3 Day Silverback Gorilla Safari begins and ends in Kigali Rwanda. It includes gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park, Iby’iwachu Cultural practices and visiting genocide sites Gisozi and Nyamata Reconciliation village.
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5 Days Gorilla, Wildlife Safari Rwanda
5 days Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife tour to Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda, known for big game viewing drives that expose you to a variety of wild animals such as elephants, buffalos, lions, Masai giraffe, gazelles, leopard, and bushbuck.
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The 6 days Rwanda wildlife safari includes gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe Forest with Gorilla Trek Africa. Enjoy double primate teks o see gorillas and chimps in Rwanda.
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14 days Uganda Rwanda Wildlife Safari – Gorilla & Chimps Tour
The 14 Days Uganda Rwanda safari covers a big scope of wildlife experience in both countries. This package can be tailored to your interest.
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For travel inquiries and bookings, contact us at +256-705487517 or +256-776107004.
Rwanda safaris – what to do and see
Rwanda safaris offer a variety of amazing experiences to visitors. Wildlife enthusiasts can enjoy some of the best encounters in the African jungle such as the breathtaking gorilla and golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National park. Game drive encounters, chimpanzee tracking, bird watching, canopy walks as well as cultural and historical are all available for travelers in Rwanda to exploit.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is the major highlight of Rwanda safaris. This activity attracts the highest number of travelers to the country. The experience takes place in Volcanoes National Park, the home to over 350 endangered mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas share 98% of the human DNA which makes them our closest relatives in the wild. The moment of meeting these gentle giants in their natural habitat face-to-face has been described as ‘magical.’
Gorilla trekking is regarded as one of the best wildlife experiences in the world. To trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda, travelers must purchase a gorilla permit in advance at a cost of $1,500 per person. There are 12 habituated gorilla groups in Rwanda. Each group is visited once per day by a group of 8 trekkers. Trekkers are permitted to spend one hour in the presence of gorillas as one of the precautions to enable them thrive in their natural habitat with limited interference. The dry seasons between June to September and December to February is the best time to trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
Game viewing
Game viewing is part of our package for Rwanda safaris. This includes a game drive in Akagera National Park in the east of the country along the border with Tanzania. The park is home to a variety of game species including the famous ‘big five’ featuring lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Other popular game species in Akagera include giraffe, zebra, antelopes, warthog, among others. Lake Ihema is located within Akagera National Park and provides visitors with relaxing boat cruises to tour the park more. While on the boat cruise visitors can see a variety of water-loving mammals like hippos, crocks, elephants as well as several water birds.
Chimpanzee tracking
Nyungwe National Park in the south is the Rwanda’s destination for chimpanzee tracking safaris. In addition to chimpanzees, the park has got 12 other species of primates making it one of the best spots for primate tracking in east and central Africa. Chimpanzees in Nyungwe are so numerous guaranteeing visitors almost 100% of seeing them.
The chimps share 98.8% of the human DNA. They are always vocal in the forests. Visitors are introduced to their loud chants even before meeting them.
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe starts at 5:30am and lasts one hour from the time you meet them. Nyungwe is a rain-forest which may receive heavy rains at any time of the day and therefore chimpanzee trackers are encouraged to move with the necessary rain gear. The ground may also be slippery which requires good hiking boots in order to traverse through the forest successfully. Rwanda’s chimpanzee tracking permit is sold at $90 per person for foreign nonresidents. Foreign residents with work permits are charged $60, East African residents pay $10 while Rwanda citizens pay RWF 5,000. All chimpanzee trackers in Rwanda must be above 15 years.
Golden monkey tracking
You can track the endangered golden monkeys in Rwanda as part of your primate tracking safari or as a one off experience in Volcanoes National Park. The park has two groups of habituated golden monkeys that can be tracked by visitors. One of those groups is found on slopes of Mount Karisimbi while the other lives in the bamboo forests of Mount Sabyinyo. Other primate species in Rwanda popular among travellers include the photogenic Colobus monkeys which are found in Nyungwe. The park is also home to owl-faced monkeys, Dent’s monkeys, blue monkeys and Vervets. The Albertine Rift endemic L’Hoest’s monkeys can also be found in Nyungwe alongside their primate counterparts. Olive baboons, vervet monkeys and small potto (seen at night) are found in Akagera National Park.
Bird watching
When it come to bird watching in East and Central Africa, Rwanda has arguably the best montane birding experience. There are over 700 bird species within the boundaries of Rwanda of which 29 are Albertine Rift endemics plus several Lake Victoria Basin endemics. Nyungwe National Park and Akagera National Park are the two major destinations for Rwanda bird watching safaris. Volcanoes National Park which is more popular for gorilla trekking has also got several bird species roaming through its montane forests. Generally birds are seen almost everywhere in Rwanda with sightings right from the capital Kigali. Some of the most iconic species drawing bird enthusiasts to Rwanda include the Red-collared Babble, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Nightjar, Purple Breasted Sunbirds, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, among others.
Canopy walk
The canopy walk is an exclusive experience in Nyungwe National Park. Visitors to the park get a chance to walk along a suspended bridge over the stunning lush montane rainforest. The 160m long and 70m high bridge over the thick canopy of Nyungwe forest gives scintillating areas of the park and the surrounding areas. Amazing species commonly seen along the canopy walk include colourful butterflies, a variety of bird species, orchids, among others.
Volcano hiking
For adventurous visitors to Rwanda, volcano hiking is an experience that can test your physicality while in the Land of A Thousand Hills. The experience takes place in Volcanoes National Park where 5 dormant volcanic summits lie waiting for climbers. The most popular summits for hiking include Mount Karisimbi (4,507m), the highest point in Rwanda, Mount Bisoke (3,700m) and Mount Sabyinyo. In addition to stunning views covering the entire geography of the Virunga ranges while on top of these summits, there are unique feature to see. These including a beautiful crater lake on top of Mount Bisoke.
Other Rwanda Safaris Experiences
Away from wildlife experiences, Rwanda has got a variety of other amazing experiences for all travelers. These include cultural and historical tours where visitors are taken to different centres around the country to learn and enjoy Rwanda’s history and culture. These start right from the capital with a city tour around Kigali which include visits to the genocide memorial, art and craft stores, museums, and markets. Still in Kigali, travellers can participate in several sports exercises such as golf, cricket, cycling and the marathon. While upcountry, visit several communities for cultural experiences for example the Gorilla Guardian Village, formerly known as Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village near Volcanoes National Park. While here, you experience amazing Rwanda culture including an entertaining performance of Rwanda traditional music and dance from the famous Intore dancers. Visit one of the several King palaces around the country to learn about the history and traditions of the Kingdom of Rwanda.
About Rwanda Safaris
Rwanda is a landlocked country in Central Africa lying in the Great Western Rift Valley. She is bordered in North & East by Uganda, in the South by Tanzania & Burundi, and DR Congo in the West. The country has a high elevation thus earning her a name “The Land of A Thousand Hills.”
The Western part of the country is mountainous and the Eastern with Savannah undulating landscape. Rwanda’s climate is temperate to subtropical with 2 rainy and 2 dry seasons in a year. The area of 26,338 Sq. Km (10,169 Sq. Mi) accommodates over 13 million people thus making Rwanda the most densely populated in Africa and the 5th populated in the world considering her small geographical area.
