The safari guide from Iconic Africa Safaris will pick you up from your hotel or the airport in Kigali, then drive east for about 2 to 3 hours through green hills and farming villages until you reach Akagera National Park – Rwanda’s only savannah park, covering over 1,000 square kilometres along the border with Tanzania.

After arriving and checking in at Ruzizi Tented Camp, a beautiful eco-lodge sitting on the shores of Lake Ihema, you will enjoy lunch and settle into your comfortable tent.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Camp

Rise early for a morning game drive through Akagera’s open grasslands and woodland. Since lions were reintroduced in 2015 and black rhinos were brought back in 2017, Akagera is now home to all of Africa’s Big 5 -lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and black rhino. You will also look for zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, and over 12 types of antelope including impala, topi and the Cape eland — the world’s largest antelope.

Akagera is also a paradise for bird lovers, with over 520 recorded species. Keep your eyes open for the rare and prehistoric-looking Shoebill Stork, the colourful Lilac-Breasted Roller, the dramatic Saddle-Billed Stork, the majestic African Fish Eagle, Grey Crowned Cranes, Marabou Storks, Malachite Kingfishers, African Grey Hornbills, Long-Crested Eagles, Helmeted Guineafowl, and the endangered Papyrus Gonolek found in the papyrus swamps.

In the late afternoon, board a boat on Lake Ihema for a peaceful sunset cruise. As the golden light fades over the water, you may spot hippos rising from the surface, huge crocodiles resting on the banks, and water birds coming in to roost.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Camp

Wake up before sunrise for another early morning game drive when the animals are most active and the light is perfect for photography. You may spot predators returning from a night hunt, or herds of elephants and buffalo moving across the plains.

In the afternoon, you have the option to join another boat cruise on Lake Ihema – a great second chance to look for the elusive Shoebill Stork and other water birds in the papyrus swamps, or simply enjoy the calm of the lake and its wildlife at your own pace.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Camp

After breakfast, you will pack up and begin the drive westward, passing back through Kigali for a brief stop perhaps for lunch or any last errands in the city. You will then continue northwest through terraced hills and tea plantations until you arrive at the base of the Virunga Mountains, a chain of ancient volcanoes that straddle the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Here, in the shadow of the volcanoes, you check into the beautiful Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge — a charming and sustainable lodge surrounded by nature, just a short distance from the entrance to Volcanoes National Park.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge

Start your morning with a briefing at the park headquarters before setting off into the bamboo forests of Volcanoes National Park to track the Golden Monkey — a playful and strikingly beautiful primate found only in the Virunga Mountains. Their golden-orange fur and lively behaviour make them wonderful to watch as they leap through the bamboo. You will spend one hour with the group once they are found.

In the evening, visit the famous Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, run by a community of former poachers who now protect the park and share their traditions with visitors. You will be welcomed with traditional song and dance, watch local craftspeople at work, learn about traditional medicine, and even try on traditional royal clothing. It is a warm and memorable experience that connects you to the heart of Rwandan culture.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge

On this day you cross an international border. After breakfast, you drive south through Rwanda toward the Cyanika Border Post, crossing into Uganda and entering Kisoro District — a scenic highland area of volcanic peaks and terraced hills. From Kisoro, you travel on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, one of Africa’s most ancient forests and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bwindi is home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas – making it one of the most precious wildlife destinations on the planet. You check into Gorilla Leisure Lodge, a comfortable lodge near the park, to rest and prepare for your gorilla trekking experience tomorrow.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Gorilla Leisure Lodge

After an early breakfast and park briefing which starts at 7:00am, you head out with a ranger guide into the forest for your first gorilla trek. Rushaga is one of Bwindi’s busiest sectors and is home to several habituated gorilla families, which means you have excellent chances of a sighting. The trek can take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas have moved, but once you find them, you are allowed to spend 1 magical hour watching them up close – mothers nursing their babies, silverbacks resting in the undergrowth and young ones tumbling and playing.

In the late afternoon, you transfer to the Ruhija Sector in the eastern part of Bwindi, checking into Bakiga Lodge ahead of your second gorilla trekking experience the following morning.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge

Your second gorilla trek takes place in the Ruhija Sector, which sits at a higher altitude and offers a different landscape – misty montane forest with rich biodiversity. The gorilla families here are equally well habituated and spending a second day with these incredible animals often feels even more powerful than the first, as you begin to understand their family dynamics and individual personalities.

In the evening, you have the option to visit a Batwa community. The Batwa are the indigenous forest people of Bwindi, who lived inside the forest for thousands of years before the park was created. Today, they share their remarkable knowledge of forest plants, traditional hunting skills, music and storytelling in a cultural experience that is both moving and deeply informative.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge

Day 9 Return to Kigali & Optional City Tour Before Departure

After a final breakfast in Uganda, you begin the long but scenic drive back through Kable District and across the Katuna border into Rwanda, heading to Kigali. On arrival, you have time for a short but meaningful city tour before your flight or onward journey. You may choose to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a deeply moving tribute to the victims of the 1994 genocide and a powerful reminder of Rwanda’s extraordinary journey of healing and reconciliation. Alternatively, explore the city’s thriving art scene at Inema Arts Center or Niyo Art Gallery, where local artists showcase paintings, sculptures, and crafts that celebrate Rwandan identity and culture.

After lunch, your guide will transfer you to Kigali International Airport for your departure with a heart full of unforgettable memories.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation: None – but can be available on request at extra cost