Private • Rwanda
5 Days Rwanda Big Five Safari and Gorilla Trekking Adventure
Akagera's open savanna, then Volcanoes' ancient forest — Rwanda's two wildest worlds in one week
Overview
About this journey
- Region
- Eastern Province
- Duration
- 5 days
- Departures
- All year round
- Party size
- Up to 6
Experience the best of Rwanda's wildlife on this unforgettable 5-Day Rwanda Big Five Safari and Gorilla Trekking Tour. This carefully designed safari combines two of Rwanda's most incredible destinations: Volcanoes National Park, home to the endangered mountain gorillas, and Akagera National Park, Rwanda's premier savannah wildlife destination.
Explore Rwanda's diverse landscapes, from mist-covered volcanic forests to open savannah plains, while searching for Africa's iconic wildlife, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, and the rare black rhinoceros. Alongside thrilling game drives and boat safaris, enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. This safari offers the perfect combination of primate trekking, Big Five wildlife viewing, breathtaking scenery, and unforgettable conservation experiences.
Safari Highlights
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Big Five game viewing in Akagera National Park
Black rhinoceros tracking experience
Game drives through Rwanda's savannah landscapes
Boat safari on Lake Ihema
Wildlife encounters with elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, and birds
Scenic journey through Rwanda's beautiful countryside
Professional English-speaking safari guide
Highlights
What you'll experience
Big Five Game Drives in Akagera
Akagera National Park holds elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion, and the eastern black rhinoceros — one of Africa's great conservation recoveries. Early-morning drives through miombo woodland and along the chain of papyrus lakes give you the best chance at each of them.
Boat Safari on Lake Ihema
A late-afternoon boat on Lake Ihema puts you at eye level with pods of hippos and Nile crocodiles basking on sandbars, while African fish eagles call from the fever trees above. Yellow-billed stork and African spoonbill work the shallows within arm's reach of the bow.
Mountain Gorilla Trek, Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda's gorilla trekking permit places you with habituated family groups in the bamboo and Hagenia forests of the Virunga volcanoes. Once trackers radio the group's location, your guide leads you uphill through nettles and rain-wet moss until the forest suddenly fills with sound and movement.
Golden Monkey Tracking at Volcano's Edge
The same volcanic forest that shelters gorillas is home to the critically endangered golden monkey — a species found nowhere outside the Albertine Rift. Morning tracking brings you into dense bamboo where troops of fifty or more crash through the canopy in cascades of amber fur.
Twin Volcanoes Sunrise Walk
On your final morning, guide Théodore Habimana leads a short ridge walk above Kinigi village as the clouds thin between Karisimbi and Bisoke. Below, the patchwork of potato fields and eucalyptus gives way to the dark green seam of the forest — the boundary between a recovered world and the one still being built.
Rhino Tracking on Foot in Akagera
A small population of black rhino — reintroduced from South Africa and Kenya — now ranges across Akagera's northern sector. A guided morning walk with park rangers into that sector, radio contact on and tracker reading the soil, is one of the most focused wildlife experiences in East Africa.
Why choose us
Why choose a Private Journey?
Rwanda packs remarkable ecological range into a country smaller than Belgium. We've built this itinerary so that no day feels like a transfer day — every drive has stops worth making, every lodge sits where the wildlife actually is.
Two Ecosystems, Zero Filler
Akagera's restored savanna and Volcanoes' montane forest are genuinely different worlds. Linking them makes the contrast part of the experience, not a logistical inconvenience.
Expert Local Guides Throughout
David Nkurunziza in Akagera and Théodore Habimana in Volcanoes are both licensed Rwanda Development Board guides with decades in the field. They brief, they translate, they know which hillside the lions used last Tuesday.
Conservation-Aligned Travel
Your gorilla permit fee funds Volcanoes National Park directly. Part of your Akagera accommodation fee supports the park's rhino and lion reintroduction programme. We choose partners whose revenue stays in the ecosystem.
Itinerary
Your day-by-day journey
Day 1
Arrival in Kigali – Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your professional guide from Arrive Africa Safaris. After a short safari briefing, begin your journey to Volcanoes National Park, located in northwestern Rwanda. The scenic drive takes you through Rwanda's famous rolling hills, green valleys, terraced farms, and charming rural communities, giving you your first impression of why Rwanda is known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills."
Upon arrival near the park, check in at your lodge nestled near the foothills of the Virunga Mountains. Spend the evening relaxing and enjoying the peaceful surroundings as you prepare for your exciting gorilla trekking adventure.
Accommodation: Lodge near Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Dinner
Meals · Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After an early breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters for a briefing by experienced park rangers. You will learn about gorilla trekking guidelines, safety procedures, and the important conservation work protecting Rwanda's endangered mountain gorillas.
Together with expert trackers and guides, enter the dense rainforest slopes of the Virunga Mountains in search of a habituated gorilla family. The trek can take between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas and the terrain. The journey through the forest offers beautiful scenery and opportunities to spot birds, monkeys, and other wildlife.
When you finally encounter the gorillas, you will spend one unforgettable hour observing them in their natural environment. Watch these gentle giants feed, play, groom one another, and interact within their family groups. This close encounter is one of Africa's most emotional and memorable wildlife experiences. After the trek, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.
Accommodation: Lodge near Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Transfer to Akagera National Park – Big Five Game Drive
After breakfast, depart for Akagera National Park, located in eastern Rwanda. The journey takes you across beautiful countryside landscapes, offering views of local villages, farmlands, and Rwanda's scenic hills. Akagera National Park is Rwanda's largest protected area and a remarkable conservation success story. The park's diverse ecosystem of savannah plains, wetlands, lakes, and woodlands supports a variety of wildlife, including the famous Big Five.
Upon arrival, begin an exciting game drive through the park in search of Africa's iconic animals. Keep your eyes open for lions resting in the grasslands, elephants moving through the wilderness, buffalo herds grazing, leopards hiding among vegetation, and various antelope species. Enjoy the breathtaking scenery and incredible wildlife encounters as you explore one of Rwanda's most rewarding safari destinations.
Accommodation: Lodge near Akagera National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
Black Rhinoceros Tracking in Akagera National Park
Today offers a unique wildlife experience as you take part in a black rhinoceros tracking adventure in Akagera National Park. Accompanied by experienced park rangers, venture into the wilderness in search of these critically endangered animals. Learn about Rwanda's successful conservation efforts that have helped reintroduce and protect rhinoceros populations within the park.
Tracking rhinos through their natural habitat provides an intimate and educational wildlife experience. Seeing these powerful prehistoric-looking creatures in the wild is a rare privilege and a highlight for any safari enthusiast. After the activity, continue exploring Akagera with additional game viewing opportunities before returning to your lodge.
Accommodation: Lodge near Akagera National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Lake Ihema Boat Safari – Return to Kigali – Departur
Begin your final day with a relaxing boat safari on Lake Ihema, one of Rwanda's most beautiful lakes located within Akagera National Park. Cruise along the calm waters while enjoying close views of hippos, crocodiles, and numerous bird species that thrive around the lake. Bird lovers will appreciate sightings of species such as African fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, and other colorful water birds. After the boat cruise, bid farewell to the incredible wildlife of Akagera National Park and begin your journey back to Kigali.
Depending on your flight schedule, your guide will transfer you to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight, marking the end of your unforgettable 5-Day Rwanda Big Five Safari and Gorilla Trekking Adventure. This safari showcases Rwanda's remarkable commitment to conservation, from protecting mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park to restoring Big Five wildlife populations in Akagera National Park.
Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Safari Includes
Airport transfers
Transportation in a comfortable 4x4 safari vehicle
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
Gorilla trekking permit
Akagera National Park entrance fees
Game drives in Akagera National Park
Black rhino tracking experience
Lake Ihema boat safari
Accommodation for four nights
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
Bottled drinking water during the safari
Safari Excludes
International flights
Rwanda visa (where applicable)
Travel insurance
Alcoholic and soft drinks
Tips and gratuities
Personal expenses such as laundry, souvenirs, and telephone calls
Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
End of Your 5 Days Rwanda Big Five Safari and Gorilla Trekking Adventure
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch
Inclusions
What is and isn't included
Included
- 4 nights' accommodation as listed (twin or double sharing)
- 1 mountain gorilla trekking permit per person (Volcanoes National Park)
- 1 golden monkey tracking permit per person (Volcanoes National Park)
- All park entry fees (Akagera and Volcanoes)
- Akagera boat safari on Lake Ihema
- All game drives in Akagera (private vehicle, 4WD)
- All meals as shown in the itinerary
- Airport transfers on Day 1 and Day 5
- English-speaking guides (David in Akagera, Théodore in Volcanoes)
- Bottled water throughout
- Walking sticks and porter for gorilla trek (Volcanoes)
Not included
- International flights to and from the region
- Entry visas and any transit visas
- Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory
- Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
- Laundry, telephone and other items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities for your guide, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional activities not listed in the day-by-day itinerary
Pricing
Available all year round
A private itinerary with no fixed departure dates. Rates are per person in USD.
Journey Details
Essential information
Minimum Age
15 years for gorilla trekking (Rwanda Development Board regulation)
Safari Duffel
Soft-sided bag of 20 kg or less recommended for vehicle transfers; hard cases can be stored in Kigali
First Group Event
Airport or hotel pick-up on Day 1 (time confirmed at booking)
Last Group Event
Drop at Kigali airport or city hotel end of Day 5
Guaranteed Departures
All listed departures run with a minimum of 2 guests
Alternate Sightseeing
Gorilla permit allocation is confirmed by Rwanda Development Board and may occasionally require a group or date adjustment; we notify guests immediately if this occurs and offer a full alternative