Safari Packages · Akagera, Nyanza & Nyungwe
5 Days Savannah & Rainforest
Big game in Akagera National Park, royal history at Nyanza and chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park: Rwanda’s savannah and rainforest in one journey, without gorilla permit costs.
Duration
5 days · 4 nights
Best season
Jun–Sep · Dec–Feb
Style
Private journey · Mid-range lodges
From
$1,950 per person
Overview
Akagera, Nyanza & Nyungwe
A journey across Rwanda from east to west. You start on Akagera’s savannah with a game drive and a sunset boat trip, travel south through the royal heartland of Nyanza, and finish in the Nyungwe rainforest with chimpanzee tracking and the canopy walk. It’s a great-value way to see Rwanda’s wildlife and culture.
Highlights
- Game drive and sunset boat trip in Akagera
- The King's Palace Museum and Inyambo cattle at Nyanza
- Chimpanzee tracking and the canopy walkway
- Tea plantations of Nyungwe
Every journey is private and can be adjusted to your dates, pace and preferred lodges. Share your plans with us and we will shape the details around you.
From
$1,950
per person · 5 days · 4 nights
| Solo | 2 sharing | 4 sharing |
|---|---|---|
| $3,100 | $1,950 | $1,600 |
Price per person based on 2 people sharing, mid-range lodges, gorilla and chimpanzee permits included where listed. Solo travellers, larger groups and luxury lodges priced on request. Permit prices are set by the Rwanda Development Board and may change.
Itinerary
Day by day
An early 6am pickup in Kigali and the drive east to Akagera (2.5 hours). After registration, you set out on a game drive across savannah, hills and lakeshore, looking for elephants, buffalo, giraffes and zebras, and lions with luck. Picnic lunch in the park, then a sunset boat trip on Lake Ihema at 4:30pm among hippos and crocodiles.
Meals Lunch, dinner
Stay Akagera Game Lodge or similar
A morning game drive on the way out of the park, then the drive south-west (about 5 hours) via the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza. Explore the reconstructed royal residence, learn about Rwanda’s kings and see the long-horned Inyambo cattle. Overnight in the university town of Huye.
Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Stay Hotel Credo, Huye, or similar
Visit the Ethnographic Museum in Huye, one of the finest in East Africa, then drive 2 hours to Nyungwe. In the afternoon, take a guided walk through the tea plantations on the forest edge.
Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Stay Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel or similar
A 5am start to track chimpanzees at dawn, then the canopy walkway, a suspended bridge high above the forest.
Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Stay Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel or similar
After breakfast, drive back to Kigali (5–6 hours).
Meals Breakfast
What's included
- Akagera park entry and sunset boat trip
- King's Palace Museum and Ethnographic Museum entry
- One chimpanzee tracking permit per person ($150)
- Nyungwe canopy walk
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, fuel included
- Airport or Kigali hotel pickup and drop-off
- Accommodation as listed, sharing a double or twin room
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- All park entry fees for the activities listed
- Booking and securing your permits through the Rwanda Development Board
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
What's not included
- International flights
- Rwanda visa
- Travel and medical insurance
- Drinks other than water
- Tips for guides, porters and lodge staff (guideline: $20 per guide per day)
- Porters on treks (about $15–20 plus a tip, paid locally)
- Optional activities and personal expenses
Good to know
- The minimum age for chimpanzee tracking is 15.
- In Akagera, avoid dark blue clothing (it attracts tsetse flies).
- Guide: the best time to visit Rwanda
- Guide: how much a Rwanda safari costs
- Guide: Rwanda visa and entry requirements
Ready when you are
Plan this journey with us
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and a Rwanda specialist will shape this itinerary around you.