10 Days Rwanda Complete Safari

Overview

This 10 Days Rwanda Complete Safari is our flagship Rwanda itinerary, covering Akagera National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest, and a final relaxed stay at Lake Kivu, with real time built in at every stop rather than a rushed circuit.

The extra two days compared to our 8 Days Grand Safari go toward slower pacing, a dedicated golden monkey trekking day, and a genuine rest stay at Lake Kivu to close out the trip.

Safari Highlights

Akagera Big Five game drive
Lake Ihema boat safari
Mountain gorilla trekking
Golden monkey trekking
Musanze Caves visit
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe
Nyungwe canopy walkway
Lake Kivu relaxation

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali

Meet your driver-guide at Kigali International Airport and settle in for the evening.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel

Mid-range: Ubumwe Grande Hotel

Luxury: Kigali Serena Hotel

Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Kigali City Tour and Transfer to Akagera

A morning Genocide Memorial and city tour before the drive east to Akagera National Park.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Ruzizi Tented Lodge

Mid-range: Akagera Game Lodge

Luxury: Magashi Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Akagera Game Drive and Boat Safari

A full day combining a game drive with a boat safari on Lake Ihema.

Accommodation

As above

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

Drive from Akagera to Kinigi, a long but scenic crossing of Rwanda’s northern highlands.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Kinigi Guest House

Mid-range: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge

Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Gorilla Trekking

A full day tracking mountain gorillas through Volcanoes National Park’s bamboo forest.

Accommodation

As above

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Golden Monkey Trekking and Musanze Caves

A morning golden monkey trek followed by an afternoon visit to the Musanze Caves.

Accommodation

As above

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest

Drive south along the Congo-Nile Divide trail to Nyungwe Forest.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Gisakura Guest House

Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk

An early chimpanzee trek followed by an afternoon canopy walkway visit.

Accommodation

As above

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Kivu

A short scenic drive to Lake Kivu for a relaxed final full day.

Accommodation Options

Budget: Paradis Malahide

Mid-range: Cormoran Lodge

Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Departure

Transfer back to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast

Optional Activities

Akagera

Night game drive
Rhino tracking with rangers

Volcanoes

Dian Fossey Karisoke hike

Nyungwe

Colobus monkey trek
Isumo waterfall hike

Lake Kivu

Kayaking
Coffee farm tour

Best Time to Go

The dry seasons, June to September and December to February, offer the firmest conditions across every activity on this itinerary, though Rwanda’s compact size and good road network make this trip workable in most months.

Fitness and What to Pack

This is our most physically complete Rwanda itinerary, combining three treks, a game drive, a boat safari, and considerable driving distance. Pack sturdy hiking boots, layered clothing for altitude changes, a rain jacket, gardening gloves for the forest treks, and swimwear for Lake Kivu.

Conservation Impact

Covering all four of Rwanda’s protected areas, this itinerary contributes meaningfully to permit-funded ranger patrols, habitat protection and community revenue-sharing programmes across the country’s full conservation network.

Health and Travel Documents

Rwanda requires a yellow fever certificate for entry if arriving from an at-risk country, and most nationalities can apply for a Rwanda e-visa online before travel.

Planning Notes

This itinerary is our benchmark ten-day Rwanda trip, built for travellers with the time to see the country properly without the tighter compression of our eight-day Grand Safari.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this differ from the 8 Days Grand Safari?

This itinerary adds a dedicated golden monkey trekking day and a closing stay at Lake Kivu, giving a more relaxed overall pace than the more compressed eight-day version.

Is this the best itinerary for a first trip to Rwanda?

Yes, for travellers with ten days available, this is our most complete single-country Rwanda itinerary and the one we recommend most often for a first visit.

How much total driving does this itinerary involve?

Driving days are spread across the ten days rather than clustered together, with the longest single transfer being the crossing from Akagera to Volcanoes on day four.

Can this itinerary be extended with a Uganda or Tanzania add-on?

Yes, this itinerary connects naturally with cross-border extensions to Uganda for extended primate trekking or to Tanzania for the northern safari circuit, both of which we can arrange as one combined booking.

How does this itinerary handle jet lag and altitude adjustment?

Starting with lower-altitude Akagera before moving to the higher elevations of Volcanoes National Park gives most travellers two to three days to adjust before the physically demanding trekking days begin.

Is single supplement pricing available for solo travellers?

Yes, this itinerary runs for solo travellers with a single supplement applied to accommodation, and we can also discuss joining scheduled group departures for travellers who would prefer to share costs and company.

What is the single biggest planning mistake to avoid on this itinerary?

Booking flights before permits are confirmed is the most common issue we see, since gorilla and golden monkey permits can sell out months ahead in peak season, whereas flight dates are almost always easier to adjust around confirmed permit availability.

What currency should I bring for this trip?

US dollars printed after 2009 are widely accepted for permits and lodge bills across all four destinations, while Rwandan francs are more practical for tips, markets and smaller purchases along the way.

Can I customise the lodge category differently at each stop?

Yes, many travellers mix categories across the trip, for example choosing luxury for the Volcanoes stay specifically while keeping midrange lodges elsewhere, and we can build any combination into your final quote.

What kind of vehicle is used across this itinerary?

A private 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof is used for the entire trip, suited to Akagera’s game-viewing tracks, the mountain roads near Volcanoes, and the longer paved transfers between destinations.

Why This Is Our Recommended First Rwanda Itinerary

When travellers ask us which Rwanda itinerary to book for a first visit, this ten-day trip is almost always our answer, and the reasoning comes down to balance. Shorter itineraries force compromises, either skipping a park entirely or compressing multiple activities into single, exhausting days. Our eight-day Grand Safari covers similar ground but at a noticeably tighter pace. This version adds a dedicated golden monkey trekking day, separated from the gorilla trek rather than combined with it, and closes with a genuine rest stay at Lake Kivu rather than ending on a travel day.

The sequencing also matters more than it might first appear. Starting with Akagera lets travellers ease into the trip with vehicle-based game drives before the physical demands of gorilla and chimpanzee trekking later on, rather than front-loading the hardest activities immediately after a long international flight. By the time you reach Volcanoes National Park on day four, you have had two full days to adjust to Rwanda’s altitude and climate, which noticeably improves how most travellers experience the trekking days that follow.

Closing the trip at Lake Kivu rather than flying out directly from a park area also changes the emotional arc of the trip. Instead of ending on an intense trekking day, travellers get a full day to process the experience somewhere calm, swim, read, or simply sit with a coffee overlooking the water, before the final transfer to Kigali. Past travellers consistently rate this closing structure as one of the details that made the difference between a good trip and a genuinely well-paced one.

Why Travel With All in Africa Safaris

We are a Rwanda-based operator, and our driver-guides run this exact route regularly, which means the pacing, lodge choices and activity order on this page reflect real operational experience rather than a generic template. Every detail can be adjusted to your travel dates and interests before you book.

Ready to Plan Your Trip

Every detail on this itinerary, lodge category, exact pacing, and optional activities, can be adjusted to fit your specific travel dates and interests. Whether this is your first visit to Rwanda or part of a longer regional trip, our team stays reachable from initial planning through your return flight home, coordinating permits, accommodation and transport as a single, connected itinerary.

Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda

Alongside its famous mountain gorillas, Volcanoes National Park is home to habituated troops of golden monkeys, an endangered species found only in the Albertine Rift’s bamboo forests. These highly active, gold-and-black primates move in large groups of up to 80 individuals and are considerably more energetic and vocal than gorillas, making for a lively, fast-paced trek as they leap through the bamboo canopy. Golden monkey permits are less expensive and less restricted than gorilla permits, and the trek is generally shorter and less physically demanding, making it a good complementary activity for travellers with an extra day in the park or those trekking with less experienced hikers.

Big Five Safari at Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park, in Rwanda’s far east along the Tanzanian border, is the country’s only savannah park and, following a sustained reintroduction and anti-poaching programme, is once again a genuine Big Five destination — lions were reintroduced in 2015 and eastern black rhinos in 2017, joining the park’s existing elephant, buffalo and leopard populations. The park’s landscape of rolling savannah, papyrus swamp and a chain of lakes along its eastern edge supports one of the richest bird lists in Rwanda, alongside substantial herds of zebra, impala and topi. A boat cruise on Lake Ihema is one of the park’s highlights, bringing close sightings of hippo pods, crocodiles and fish eagles against a backdrop that feels markedly different from Rwanda’s mountainous west.

Canopy Walk and Chimp Trekking in Nyungwe

Nyungwe Forest National Park protects one of Africa’s oldest and most biodiverse montane rainforests, home to thirteen primate species including chimpanzees and large troops of Angola colobus monkeys that can number in the hundreds. The park’s canopy walkway, suspended around 60 metres above the forest floor and stretching roughly 200 metres between three viewing platforms, offers a rare perspective on the rainforest ecosystem below and views across the forested valleys toward Lake Kivu. Chimpanzee trekking here is generally more physically demanding than in Uganda’s Kibale Forest, since Nyungwe’s chimps range across steep, hilly terrain, but the reward is time with one of the largest habituated chimp communities in East Africa.