12 Days Best of Rwanda|12 days Highlight of Rwanda

Safari highlights for 12 days best of Rwanda organized by Mum and Dad Dad Uganda Tours

12 Days best of Rwanda , Welcome to Rwanda, the “land of a thousand hills” as it is sometimes referred to. This tour will begin and end in Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city. This safari has been planned to show you the best highlights of this enthralling country from chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park on a canopy walk to close encounters with the gorillas of the mist. You will even get a chance to go on a wildlife safari in Akagera National Park, a home to the big 5 mammal. After this 12 Days best of Rwanda Safari , you will have a great experience!

Brief Itinerary12 Days best of Rwanda

• Day 1: Arrival to Kigali
• Day 2: Visit Genocide Memorial & Travel to Nyungwe Forest NP
• Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking & Canopy Walk
• Day 4: Lake Kivu
• Day 5: Full-day Kayaking Tour on Lake Kivu
• Day 6: Volcanoes National Park
• Day 7: Gorilla Tracking-volcanoes national park
• Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking & Canoe Trip
• Day 9: transfer to Akagera National Park & Game Drive
• Day 10: Full-day game drive in Akagera NP
• Day 11: Private boat safari on Lake Ihema & Drive to Kigali
• Day 12: Kigali City Tour & Departure

Detailed itinerary for 12 Days best of Rwanda 

Day 1: Arrival to Kigali

Upon your arrival at Kigali international airport on this 12 Days best of Rwanda , you will be greeted by your Mum and Dad Uganda Tours representative gets  you driven to your hotel in a quiet verdant street in the heart of down-town Kigali. Arrive at your pre-booked hotel/lodge. at the lodge, you will be welcomes by a soft drink inside the room or by the hotel’s pool bar, you will get briefed by your guide on the details of your upcoming memorable adventure. However if you arrive in Kigali on time your guide will take you and explore the city on this very day.  the city tour will take you and visit the craft markets to browse among the pottery, carvings, batik, weaving, musical instruments, leather and fabrics on offer. you will enjoy Dinner and an overnight at

Location: Kigali (City)

Meal plan: Half board

Accommodation options:

Luxury: Kigali Marriott Hotel| The Retreat by Heaven

Mid-range: Heaven Boutique Hotel or Similar

Budget: Five to Five

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits throughout

Day 2: Visit Genocide Memorial & Transfer to Nyungwe Forest

On this day after breakfast, setoff for Nyungwe Forest national park, however you will first visit the Genocide Memorial in town before. The Genocide Memorial is a place of commemoration for the 250,000 victims buried in mass graves after the brutality of the 1994 genocide. The exhibit is an intensely emotional experiences but also an educational one, where you will learn about the darkest hour in Rwanda’s recent history. After this experience and lunch you will continue to western part of Rwanda passing through the town of Butare which is about 135km from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city.

In Butare you can visit the national Museum displaying a range of ethnographic objects that will give you an insight into the rich traditional life and culture of Rwanda. You arrive Nyungwe forest national park  in the evening. The park is known as the world’s oldest and arguably Africa’s beautiful rainforest. The forest houses over 13 species of primates coupled with chimpanzees the closet relative to human, other primates include the colobus monkeys, mangabeys, blue monkeys the park also over 310 bird species recorded here, 26 of which are endemic to Rwanda.  Dinner and an overnight at

Location: Nyungwe Forest  national park

Meal plan: Full board

Accommodation options:

Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House or similar

Mid-range: Top View Hill Hotel or similar

Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse or similar

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits throughout

Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking & Canopy Walk

After breakfast, you will get briefed from the park wardens about the dos and don’ts while with the chimps.  Later follow the ranger guide to venture deep into Nyungwe Forest National Park in search of the chimpanzees. During the search of Chimpanzee you have a chance to see other primates and many forest dwellers that live into the forest.

Once the chimps are met are you are strictly allowed to stay with them for a period of one hour watching them interact with each other and go about their daily routine of grooming, playing and foraging is an incredible experience.

Chances of meeting the chimps are high however it’s never 100% guaranteed since they are wild animals with wills and minds of their own! Retire back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch, if the evening is free you can go for an optional activity canopy walk, enjoying the luxurious comforts of the lodge or doing one of the complimentary activities on offer there, just let your guide know in advance. .  Dinner and an overnight at

Location: Nyungwe Forest national park

Meal plan: Full board

Accommodation options:

Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House or similar

Mid-range: Top View Hill Hotel or similar

Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse or similar

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits throughout

Day 4: Transfer To Lake Kivu

On 12 Days best of Rwanda Safari, After a hearty breakfast make a transfer to the north along the shores of Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes in the Albertine Rift, creating a natural border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. You have a chance to explore the lake which has some of the best inland beaches on the continent. You can choose to relax at the lodge today, or you can opt to explore the shorelines and bays on a half-day kayaking tour. Dinner and an overnight stay at

Accommodation options to choose from:

Location: Lake Kivu

Accommodation options:

Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel or similar

Mid-range: Paradise Malahide or similar

Budget: Inzu Lodge or similar

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits throughout

Day 5: Full-day Kayaking Excursion on Lake Kivu

On this day of 12 Days best of Rwanda Safari, you will enjoy full day kayaking excursion on the Lake Kivu which is one of the bizarre way to explore the Lake Kivu’s scenic shoreline and its many beaches, coves and islands. You will have a chance to see Fishermen in traditional boats ply the blue waters as they go about their livelihoods while the active Nyiragongo Volcano in DRC can be seen rising above the lush surrounding hills it’s so breathtaking. You will be paddling your way north, stopping for a packed lunch along the way, later get back to the lodge for the night. Your guide will already be there waiting with your luggage when you arrive. Dinner and an overnight at

Accommodation options to choose from:

Location: Lake Kivu

Accommodation options:

Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel or similar

Mid-range: Paradise Malahide or similar

Budget: Inzu Lodge or similar

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits throughout

Day 6: Make A transfer to Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Volcanoes national park in the northern part of Rwanda.  Volcanoes national park contains parts of the Virunga mountain range and its 5 volcanoes that form the border between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park has the most scenic sights in Africa, and not only that but also it’s known as one of the three parks in the world which provide a gateway to face-to-face encounters with the iconic mountain gorillas our closest relative who shares almost 95% of human DNA make-up.

Not only gorilla trekking but the park has a lot to offer including , tracking trips to find the rare golden monkeys, spectacular volcano hikes and a visit to the Dian Fossey research center. If you are interested in one of the above activities, you can speak with your Travel Consultant if you would like to extend your stay in the park for an additional day to include one or more of these activities. Arrive at your pre-booked accommodation for lunch and if the evening is free you can go for cultural tour. Dinner and an overnight stay at

Destination: Volcanoes national park

Accommodation Options

Luxury: One and Only |Five Volcanoes

Mid-range: Le Bambou gorilla lodge| Da vinc gorilla lodge

Budget: Garden Palace hotel

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinking Water throughout

Day 7: Gorilla Tracking in volcanoes national park

On this day of lifetime experience 12 Days best of Rwanda Safari , you will first report to the park headquarters to receive short briefings about the dos and dont’s and as well as getting a ranger guide. In the company of an experienced park ranger, you will be tracking the whereabouts of one of the habituated family groups who live in the park and can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day.

Gorilla trekking is challenging yet exciting,  trekking involves passing through muddy and slippery slopes, tangled vines, thick vegetation and bamboo forests before you reach the territory of these gentle giants. The search for these gentle giants takes about 1-5 hours, your ranger will point out telltale signs of previous gorilla activity like dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots.

Once the family of gorillas have been located, settle in to the environment and enjoy the one hour allowed to stray with the gorillas, observe these charming primates whose habits and gestures remind us so much of our own. After this wonderful experience you will be driven back to the lodge for relaxation lunch, dinner and an overnight at;

Destination: Volcanoes national park

Accommodation Options

Luxury: One and Only |Five Volcanoes

Mid-range: Le Bambou gorilla lodge| Da vinc gorilla lodge

Budget: Garden Palace Hotel

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinking Water throughout

Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking & Canoe Trip on Twin Lakes – Bulera and Ruhondo

On this 12 Days best of Rwanda Safari after an early morning breakfast and transfer to the pack headquarters to receive short briefings bout golden monkey trekking which is another exciting activity done in volcanoes national park. Golden Monkeys are endemic to the volcanic mountains of the Virunga Range and typically live in the bamboo vegetation zones near the base of the volcanoes.

A professional guide will help you to search these apes in their natural setting, like gorillas and chimps trekking the golden monkeys trekking may also  last from between 1-5 hours. Once they are meet, you are strictly allowed only one hour with them.

Retire back to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon you will head out on a canoeing trip on the Twin Lakes – Bulera and Ruhondo, which are located at the base of the volcano Mount Muhabura. In modern canoes you will skate across the dark blue waters of these stunning lakes, which are surrounded by rolling hills and scenic views of the Virunga volcanoes. Dinner and an overnight stay

Destination: Volcanoes national park

Accommodation Options

Luxury: One and Only |Five Volcanoes

Mid-range: Le Bambou gorilla lodge| Da vinc gorilla lodge

Budget: Garden Palace Hotel

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinking Water throughout

Day 9: Transfer to Akagera National Park & Game Drive

After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Akagera national park which is located in the north-eastern part of Rwanda. Additionally, it covers an area of about 2500km2 of savannah plains. The park has a wide variety of wildlife including the big five mammals and it’s a home for over 500 different species of birds some of which you can’t see elsewhere in the world.

Arrive in time at the lodge and check in for lunch. Thereafter, you will go for an evening game drive in the park to spot various species of animals. You will see herds of elephant and buffaloes which emerge from the woodland to drink at the lakes. If you are lucky, maybe even leopard, spotted hyena or lions.

Dinner and an overnight stay

Location: Akagera National Park

Accommodation Option:

Luxury:  Ruzizi Tented Lodge

Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge

Budget:  Akagera Rhino Lodge

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinking Water throughout

Day 10: Full-day game drive in Akagera NP

You will have all day to explore the park and its inhabitants today. 12 Days best of Rwanda Safari , A knowledgeable ranger will join you in your vehicle to guide you around the park and hopefully help you spot all the big 5. For instance; the elephants, buffaloes, lion, leopard and rhino, and many species of antelopes and birds.

Location: Akagera National Park

Accommodation Option:

Luxury:  Ruzizi Tented Lodge

Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge

Budget:  Akagera Rhino Lodge

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drinking Water throughout

Day 11: Private boat safari on Lake Ihema & Drive to Kigali

This will be a wonderful day as you will explore the Akagera national park on a private boat on Lake Ihema.

From your boat you will see the park and its inhabitants from a different vantage point as you cruise along the shoreline. While on the boat, you will stand a chance to see many Crocodiles bask on the banks of the lake. Also, you will see hippos and bird species.

Also, you may see elephants and buffalo at close range as they come down to the shoreline for a drink. After this activity retire back to the lodge for lunch. Later, you will drive back to Kigali for your final night.

Accommodation options Heaven Boutique Hotel

Meal Plan:  Half board Breakfast

Day 12: Departure

This day is for transfer back home if your flight is on schedule on this day. However, if your flight is in the late evening, you can ask your guide to take you on a city tour of Kigali before dropping you off at the airport.

End of 12 Days best of Rwanda Safari

Included in the tour package

• Airport transfers
• Transportation in a 4WD All fuel for the tour
• Professional English-speaking driver/guide
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Welcome drink on arrival day
• Drinking water in the vehicle
• Park entrance fees
• Activities as listed
• Game drives and boat cruise
• Activities on lake Kivu
• 1 Chimpanzee Tracking permit per person (USD 90)
• 1 Gorilla Tracking permit per person (USD 1.500)

Excluded

• International flights
• Visa
• Meals that are not part of your accommodation
• Optional activities in the program
• A porter to carry your daypack during gorilla tracking (recommended)
• Government tax or increments in park fees
• Personal insurance (medical/travel)
• Tips and gratuities to your driver/guide, rangers, site guides, porters, hotel staff, etc.
• All expenses of a personal nature (e.g. drinks, laundry, souvenirs etc.)