9 Day Rwanda Highlights Safari

On arrival at Kigali International Airport, meet your Kenzi Safaris representative and driver-guide who will welcome you to Rwanda.

Transfer to your hotel in Kigali and check in.

Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a short tour of Kigali with visits to selected attractions such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kigali Convention Centre, Inema Arts Centre or Kimironko Market.

Return to your hotel for relaxation and overnight.

After breakfast, leave Kigali and travel towards Akagera National Park, Rwanda's savannah national park.

On arrival, continue to your lodge for check-in, lunch and a short rest.

Later in the afternoon, head out for your first game drive through the park.

Explore the savannah while searching for wildlife such as elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes and warthogs. Lions, leopards and rhinos are also found within Akagera, although sightings depend on their natural movements.

Later, head to Lake Ihema for a boat safari.

Cruise along the lake while looking for hippos and crocodiles as well as the many birds associated with the lake and surrounding wetlands.

Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, spend the day exploring Akagera National Park.

Travel through its savannah plains, woodland, lakes and wetland areas while searching for the park's wildlife.

Akagera is home to animals including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, hippos, rhinos and several antelope species.

Predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas may also be encountered during the game drive.

Enjoy a lunch break at your lodge or an arranged picnic location before continuing with your wildlife experience in the afternoon.

Return to your lodge later in the day for dinner and overnight.

Begin the day with an early morning game drive in Akagera National Park.

The cooler morning hours provide another opportunity to search for wildlife and birds before leaving the park.

Look for animals you may have missed during the previous day's game drive while enjoying the park's beautiful morning landscapes.

After the wildlife experience, return for breakfast or lunch depending on the day's schedule before checking out.

Transfer back to Kigali, arriving later in the day.

Check in at your hotel and spend the evening relaxing.

After breakfast, meet your driver-guide and begin the journey towards Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Travel through Rwanda's beautiful countryside with a stop around Butare/Huye along the way.

Continue towards Nyungwe, enjoying views of Rwanda's hills, communities and changing landscapes.

Arrive at your lodge later in the day, check in and relax as you prepare for your chimpanzee trekking experience the following morning.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the designated starting point for your chimpanzee trekking experience in Nyungwe Forest.

Meet your ranger guides for a briefing before entering the forest in search of a habituated chimpanzee community.

The length of the trek depends on the location and movement of the chimpanzees.

Along the way, you may also encounter other primates and some of the forest's diverse birdlife.

Once the chimpanzees are located, spend the permitted viewing time observing them as they feed, communicate, groom and move through the forest.

After trekking, return for lunch and some time to relax.

In the afternoon, head out for the Nyungwe Canopy Walk.

Walk along the suspended walkway above the forest and enjoy elevated views across the surrounding rainforest.

The experience also provides opportunities to look for birds and primates among the trees.

Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, check out of your lodge and begin your journey towards Volcanoes National Park.

Enjoy Rwanda's beautiful landscapes as you travel from the forested southwest towards the Virunga region in the north.

Arrive later in the day and check in at your lodge.

Spend the remainder of the afternoon relaxing and preparing for your mountain gorilla trekking experience the following morning.

Today is one of the major highlights of your Rwanda safari — mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing from the ranger guides.

You will then be assigned a habituated gorilla family and begin your trek into the forest.

The trek can take several hours depending on the location of the gorillas, terrain and forest conditions.

Once the gorillas are located, spend the permitted viewing time observing them in their natural habitat.

Watch them feed, rest, groom, play and interact while your ranger guide helps you understand more about their behaviour and family structure.

After trekking, return to your lodge for lunch and some time to relax.

Later, enjoy a local cultural experience around the Volcanoes region, with traditional performances and an opportunity to learn more about the culture and everyday life of communities living near the park.

Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Gorilla Trekking Note

Gorilla trekking takes place through natural forest and mountainous terrain.

The duration and difficulty of the trek varies depending on the location of your assigned gorilla family, so a reasonable level of fitness is recommended.

Local porters are available to carry backpacks and provide assistance along more challenging sections of the trail.

After an early breakfast, return to Volcanoes National Park for your golden monkey trekking experience.

Meet the ranger guides for a briefing before entering the forest.

Trek through the vegetation and bamboo forest in search of a habituated golden monkey troop.

Once the golden monkeys are located, spend the permitted viewing time observing these active primates as they feed, jump between bamboo stems and interact.

After trekking, return to your lodge for lunch before beginning the journey back to Kigali.

Depending on your international flight schedule, your Kenzi Safaris driver-guide will transfer you to your hotel or Kigali International Airport for your departure flight.

This marks the end of your 9-Day Rwanda Highlights Safari.