7 Days Wildlife and Gorillas of Rwanda
This 7 Days Wildlife and Gorillas of Rwanda tour is tailored to let you properly explore two of the country’s best destinations without rushing between them. If you’re drawn to both savanna wildlife and mountain gorillas, this package delivers extended game viewing in Akagera National Park alongside a full mountain gorilla encounter in Volcanoes National Park.
Rather than compressing Akagera into a single day, as many shorter itineraries do, this trip gives the park three full days, offering a genuinely relaxed pace and stronger odds of memorable sightings.
Trip Snapshot
| Duration | 7 days / 6 nights |
| Starts / Ends | Kigali |
| Main destinations | Akagera National Park, Volcanoes National Park |
| Key activities | Extended Big Five game drives, gorilla trekking, cultural visit |
| Physical level | Easy to moderate |
| Gorilla permits | Around a dozen habituated gorilla families, with roughly 96 trekking permits issued daily |
Safari Highlights
- Three full days of Big Five game drives in Akagera National Park
- A classic savanna reserve shaped by lakes, papyrus swamps and the Akagera River
- Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Optional cultural visit to the Gorilla Guardians Village
Summary Itinerary
| Day | Overview |
| Day 1 | Arrival in Kigali |
| Day 2 | Transfer to Akagera National Park |
| Day 3-4 | Full days in Akagera National Park |
| Day 5 | Transfer to Volcanoes National Park |
| Day 6 | Gorilla trekking |
| Day 7 | Departure |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Kigali
As you step out of the airport, you’ll be warmly welcomed by your driver-guide and transferred to your hotel in Kigali.
Accommodation: The Retreat by Heaven
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 2: Akagera National Park
After an early breakfast, depart for Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savanna reserve and the sole place in the country where a classic game-drive safari is possible. Akagera has undergone an ambitious rehabilitation program over the past two decades to become a genuine Big Five destination. The park comprises a chain of low, grassy mountains sloping down to undulating, moist savanna, hemmed in by an extensive wetland made up of a dozen lakes, wide papyrus swamps, and a maze of channels fed by the meandering Akagera River.
On arrival, check in at your lodge for lunch and a short rest, then head out for an afternoon game drive across the open plains, tracking rhino, giraffe and lion, among other species. Return to the lodge in the early evening for tea or coffee, followed by dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Wilderness Magashi
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3-4: Akagera National Park
Spend these two full days exploring Akagera on thrilling game drives. Wildlife sightings are always unpredictable, which is part of what makes a game drive so exciting; look out for tracks, listen for alarm calls, and stay alert for nearby predators. There’s a great deal to see in Akagera, with lion, leopard, towering giraffe, rhino and eland among the species to watch for.
Accommodation: Wilderness Magashi
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Akagera to Volcanoes National Park
Today involves an early departure toward the mountainous gorilla territory of Volcanoes National Park. It’s a long day of driving through beautiful countryside, including a lunch stop in Kigali city, though a helicopter transfer can be arranged at an extra cost, weather permitting, for travelers wanting to save time. You’ll arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon, with time to freshen up before dinner.
Volcanoes National Park protects the Rwandan sector of the Virunga Mountains and is best known as the place where primatologist Dian Fossey launched her pioneering study of mountain gorillas in the wild in the 1960s. With around a dozen habituated gorilla families and roughly 96 trekking permits issued daily, it offers one of the best gorilla trekking experiences in Africa.
Accommodation: Virunga Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking
This morning, depart early for the park headquarters for a briefing on gorilla trekking. Once briefed on your assigned gorilla family, you’ll head out in groups of up to eight, walking through tropical rainforest in search of the gorillas. The trek typically takes between 30 minutes and 6 hours or more, depending on the family’s movement and where they spent the previous night. You’ll find the gorillas going about their daily routine, feeding their young, climbing trees, or simply resting, and you’ll have about an hour in their presence before trekking back to the park headquarters.
Transfer back to the lodge in time for a late lunch, with the afternoon free to relax. You can hike around the lodge grounds or take an optional cultural visit to the Gorilla Guardians Village. Dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.
Accommodation: Virunga Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: End of the Safari
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before checking out for the road transfer to Kigali city, with a short Kigali city tour visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial and local market areas. Your guide will then drop you at Kigali International Airport for your departure flight home.
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Park entrance fees and game drives
- Boat cruise fees where applicable
- Full-time English-speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation as specified in the itinerary
- All meals as specified in the itinerary
Excludes
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Optional helicopter transfer
- Optional activities such as the Gorilla Guardians Village visit
- Personal expenses such as souvenirs, laundry and tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this itinerary give Akagera three full days instead of just one?
A longer stay meaningfully improves the odds of quality sightings, since wildlife viewing in Akagera, like any savanna park, benefits from multiple game drives across different times of day and different areas of the reserve.
Who was Dian Fossey and what is her connection to Volcanoes National Park?
Dian Fossey was an American primatologist who established the Karisoke Research Center in Volcanoes National Park in the 1960s, conducting pioneering long-term research on mountain gorillas that remains foundational to their conservation today.
Is a helicopter transfer available between Akagera and Volcanoes National Park?
Yes, a helicopter transfer can be arranged at an extra cost, weather permitting, as a faster alternative to the road transfer between the two parks.
What is the Gorilla Guardians Village?
The Gorilla Guardians Village, formerly known as Iby’Iwacu, is a cultural village near Volcanoes National Park where former poachers and local community members now share traditional Rwandan culture, dance and daily life with visitors.
Book Your 7 Days Wildlife and Gorillas of Rwanda Safari
For travelers who want to properly experience both Akagera’s Big Five wildlife and Volcanoes National Park’s mountain gorillas, without rushing either, this unhurried 7-day itinerary strikes an ideal balance.
Get in touch to check gorilla permit availability and start planning your 7 Days Wildlife and Gorillas of Rwanda safari.