9 Day Rwanda Big Five, Chimpanzee & Mountain Gorilla Adventure

Arrive at Kigali International Airport, where you will be warmly welcomed by your private safari representative and transferred to your hotel in a comfortable private vehicle.

As you make your way into Kigali, enjoy your first impressions of Rwanda’s clean, green and beautifully organized capital. Depending on your arrival time, you may have the opportunity to see parts of the city before settling into your accommodation.

The remainder of the day is intentionally unhurried. Relax at your hotel, enjoy the facilities, or simply recover from your international journey ahead of the exciting experiences to come.

Your safari officially begins with a relaxed evening in Kigali.

Accommodation: Kigali
Meal Plan: Dinner

Explore Kigali, including a meaningful visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, before traveling east through Rwanda’s beautiful countryside to Akagera National Park.

Arrive at your lodge and enjoy a relaxed evening surrounded by the sounds of the African wilderness.

Overnight: Akagera National Park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today, the search for Rwanda’s Big Five begins.

Spend the day exploring Akagera National Park in search of lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos.

The park is also home to giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, primates, and exceptional birdlife.

This is a full safari day, giving you time to enjoy wildlife encounters, photography, and the changing landscapes of Akagera.

Overnight: Akagera National Park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, begin the scenic journey toward Rwanda’s forested southwest.

Travel through the Land of a Thousand Hills as the landscape transforms from open savanna to rolling highlands, tea country, and lush rainforest.

The journey itself is part of the experience.

Overnight: Nyungwe Region

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today, you enter the rainforest.

Follow experienced trackers through the forest in search of wild chimpanzees while experiencing the sounds, vegetation, birds, and other primates of this remarkable ecosystem.

Chimpanzee tracking can be active, unpredictable, and exciting—exactly what makes the experience unforgettable.

After the trek, return to your accommodation for a relaxed afternoon and evening.

Overnight: Nyungwe Region

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Enjoy a scenic journey north toward the spectacular Virunga Mountains.

The day is deliberately paced as a transfer and sightseeing day, allowing you to experience Rwanda’s landscapes without rushing from one activity to another.

Arrive near Volcanoes National Park and settle in beneath the dramatic Virunga peaks.

Overnight: Volcanoes National Park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After traveling across Rwanda and tracking chimpanzees in Nyungwe, today gives you time to rest before your mountain gorilla adventure.

Relax at your accommodation, enjoy the Virunga mountain scenery, explore the local area, or participate in an optional cultural experience.

Overnight: Volcanoes National Park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

The defining experience of the journey.

Enter the forests of Volcanoes National Park with professional trackers and rangers in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family.

Once the gorillas are located, experience the extraordinary privilege of observing them in their natural habitat.

Watch their interactions. Listen to the forest. Take in a wildlife encounter that few people will ever experience.

Porter service is included to provide additional support during your trek.

Overnight: Volcanoes National Park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before beginning your journey back to Kigali.

Depending on your international flight schedule, additional Kigali experiences may be arranged before your airport transfer.

Transfer to Kigali International Airport for your journey home.

The safari ends. The memories travel with you.