The Complete 9 Days Rwanda Safari Itinerary Guide With Cost

9 Days Rwanda Safari Itinerary Overview

A Perfect 9 Days Rwanda Safari Itinerary Guide With Cost. Visit Rwanda in Africa for Gorilla Trekking and wildlife with this 9 Days Rwanda Safari Tour Package.

Set out on a once-in-a-lifetime 9 Days Rwanda safari tour in Rwanda, where amazing wildlife encounters coexist with stunning landscapes. See the Big Five– lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, and leopards- in Akagera National Park, a breathtaking natural wonder with savannah, undulating hills, and glittering lakes. Enjoy boat safaris on Lake Ihema, exhilarating game drives, and close-up views of hundreds of bird species, giraffes, zebras, and hippos. This is Rwanda’s best-kept safari secret, providing small-scale, uncrowded experiences ideal for photographers and nature enthusiasts.

Complement your 9 Days Rwanda safari with a visit to Volcanoes National Park, where misty forests and volcanic peaks provide a dramatic backdrop for unforgettable gorilla trekking. Encountering endangered mountain gorillas is an emotional and humbling experience that defines Rwandan eco-tourism. Continue with Golden Monkey Trekking and Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest, all with luxurious eco-lodges, expert guides, and a warm, welcoming culture. Rwanda’s wildlife safari tour blends conservation, comfort, and adventure into a magical African escape.

Detailed Itinerary: 9 Days Rwanda Safari

Day 1: Transfer to Akagera National Park with afternoon game drive.

Welcome to Rwanda, the land of “a thousand hills.” Our guide/ representative staff will pick you up from the hotel, take you through your 9 Days Rwanda safari itinerary, and then transfer you to Akagera National Park, where you will check in at the hotel upon arrival. You will have lunch at the hotel and then head out for an afternoon/ evening game drive.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 2: Morning Game drive & afternoon boat cruise

Akagera National Park is a Savannah park with Elephants, Hippos, buffalo, and Lions. After an early breakfast, we take a game drive in search of these animals, The game drive will take us to the northern part of the park, where most of the animals prefer to inhabit. Look out for the Zebras, Giraffes, and Impalas, which are usually scattered along the game tracks.

Return to the lodge for lunch and you will take a boat safari on Lake Ihema for a beautiful mid-morning breeze and some sightings of birds and wildlife.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer to Volcanoes National Park.

After an early breakfast, you will go for a morning game drive. The game drive will take us to the northern part of the park where most of the animals prefer to inhabit. Look out for the Zebras, Giraffes, Kobs, Lions, Elephants, and Impalas, which are usually scattered along the game tracks. After the game drive, you will be transferred to Volcanoes National Park, where you will check in at the lodge upon arrival.

Accommodation: Gorilla Volcanoes (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 4: Gorilla trekking at Volcanoes National Park.

On this day, you will have a great time meeting with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park! After a tasty breakfast, your guide will pick you up from the lodge. You will head for a briefing by ranger guides at 7:30 and 8:30 am with a packed lunch. You will start the trek to hunt for the gorillas, and after finding them, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour with them. This walk can take 4-5 hours depending on where you meet the gorillas. The park is steep; it is a real hike, and being physically fit is recommended.

Accommodation: Gorillas Volcanoes (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 5: Gorilla trekking & cultural tour

On this day, you will have a great time meeting with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park! After a tasty breakfast, your guide will pick you up from the lodge. You will head for a briefing by ranger guides at 7:30 and 8:30 am with a packed lunch. You will start the trek to hunt for the gorillas, and after finding them, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour. This walk can take 4-5 hours depending on where you meet the gorillas. The park is steep; it is a real hike, and being physically fit is recommended. After enjoying a majestic one-hour stay with the gorillas, you hike back out of the park for lunch. After lunch, you will be driven to the Ibwiwachu community, the gorilla guidance community. This afternoon, you will visit the Ibwiwachu community where you will be introduced to traditional Rwanda through traditional; dances, poems, dressing codes, among others.

Accommodation: Gorillas Volcanoes (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 6: Golden monkey trekking & transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.

This will take us through the edges of the forest via potato fields, and the briefing will be conducted in the same place where the usual Kinigi park office is located. This means the trekking will take us 3-4 hours After the trekking, we shall return to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will check out of the lodge with the help of your guide for your transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park, where you will check in at the lodge for relaxation upon arrival.

Accommodation: Chimpanzee lodge Nyungwe (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 7: Chimpanzee Tracking and canopy walk

After an early breakfast, we leave for Chimpanzee tracking in the Nyungwe forest. The forest is rich in botanical diversity and home to 13 species of primates, including Chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkeys, and colobus monkeys, with 300 bird species. Your tour guide will transfer you to the briefing area, where you will meet your ranger guide and receive a briefing before you start your trek. After lunch, you will start a canopy walk in the afternoon. The canopy walk is a guided tour starting from the Uwinka Visitors Center in Nyungwe Forest with a 30-minute walk via the Igishigishi Trail. The trail begins with a steep slope, but the views atop the canopy make it worth it! On a clear day, you can see Lake Kivu. Dinner and overnight at the same lodge.

Accommodation: Chimpanzee lodge Nyungwe (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 8: Colobus monkey trekking and waterfalls hike

Trekking Black and White Colobus Monkeys starts from Uwinka Park Headquarters, you can do Tracking a huge group of more than 500 magistrates. Tracking is done from 8 am and 3 pm. Nyungwe forest is home to a stronghold of troops of Colobus monkeys, often called Rwenzori Colobus or Black and White colobus Monkey. Rwanda Development Board has habituated some of the troops for tourists to track; you are only allowed one hour with the monkeys once you find them. On the day of the trek, you will be briefed at the Park Headquarters on the Dos and Don’ts. Other monkeys that you will often see amble along the roadside as you walk past them include Red-tailed monkeys, the Grey-cheeked Mangabey, and the Handsome L’Hoest monkeys. The most exciting experience is to see the baby Black and White Colobus monkeys. After the hike, you will head into the forest with your guides for yet another memorable experience. The Isumo waterfall trail that starts by the lodge and descends into the forest proper, following flat contour paths through a succession of tree-fern-covered ravines, and crossing several streams, before a sharp descent to the base of the pretty but small waterfall. It takes four hours to cover as a round trip, depending on how often you stop.

Accommodation: Chimpanzee lodge Nyungwe (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 9: Transfer to the airport

After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and transfer to Kigali International Airport for your flight back home.

End of your 9 Days Rwanda Safari Itinerary

Cost of 9 Days Rwanda Safari is: $5,980 per person

Inclusions (9 Days Rwanda Safari Itinerary)

• 2 Gorilla permits per person
• Golden monkey permit
• Chimpanzee permit
• Canopy Walk
• Accommodation
• board meals
• Transportation
• Game drive
• Boat cruise
• Cultural tour
• English-speaking driver guide
• Waterfalls hike
• Colobus monkey trekking permit

Exclusions (9 Days Rwanda Safari Itinerary)

• Entry visas and airport taxes
• Air tickets
• Tips and gratuities
• Non-alcoholic drinks

9 Days Rwanda Safari Gallery

Step into the wild heart of Africa with our 9 Days Rwanda Safari, captured through breathtaking photography and immersive video. This gallery showcases unforgettable moments, from close encounters with endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park to the serene canopy walks in Nyungwe Forest and golden hour boat rides on Lake Kivu. Experience the raw beauty, culture, and biodiversity of Rwanda through the lens of expert travelers and storytellers. Whether you’re planning your own adventure or simply dreaming of the journey, this curated gallery brings the spirit of the 9 Days Rwanda Safari to life, frame by frame. Start your visual journey today and let the images inspire your next real-life escape. The 9 Days Rwanda Safari is more than a trip, it’s a story waiting to be told, and this gallery is your first chapter.