Rwanda Safaris

Guided Rwanda safaris offered by Engabi Tours and Travel give visitors memorable and amazing Wildlife and Primates experiences across the major National Parks in Rwanda. While on a Rwanda Safari Tour or vacation, wildlife enthusiasts can enjoy some of the best encounters in the African jungle such as the breathtaking gorilla and golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National park, Game drive encounters in Akagera National Park, Chimpanzee tracking Nyungwe Forest National Park, bird watching, canopy walks as well as cultural and historical tours.

Popular Rwanda Safaris Activities and Experiences

Popular Rwanda Safaris and tours include Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking and Wildlife encounters as explained in detail below:

Gorilla Trekking In Volcanoes National Park

Gorilla trekking is arguably the major highlight of Rwanda safaris and regarded as one of the best Wildlife experiences in the World. This Rwanda Safari activity attracts the highest number of visitors to the country and it takes place in Volcanoes National Park, the home to over 350 endangered mountain gorillas. To most visitors who have encountered the Mountain gorillas, the moment of meeting these gentle giants in their natural habitat of Volcanoes National Park face-to-face has been described as ‘magical.’

To walk with one of 12 Habituated Mountain Gorilla groups in Rwanda, visitors must purchase a gorilla trekking permit in advance at a cost of $1,500 per person which allows one to spend one hour in the presence of gorillas.

Game viewing in Akagera National Park

Game viewing in Akagera National Park is another Rwanda safaris activity we offer in our packages. Akagera National Park in the east of the Rwanda along the border with Tanzania is home to a number of Wildlife species including the famous ‘big five’ featuring lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. The other popular Wildlife animals in Akagera National Park include giraffe, zebra, antelopes and warthog among others. While in Akagera National Park visitors can also embark on Boat excursions on Lake Ihema which is located within Akagera National Park and here they will be able to see a variety of water-loving mammals like hippos, crocks, elephants as well as several water birds.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe National Park is the other Primate experience you can do apart from Gorillas trekking. Nyungwe National Park is also home to other species of primates numbering over twelve making it one of the best spots for primate tracking in East Africa.

Rwanda’s chimpanzee tracking permits are sold at $90 per person for foreign non-residents, $60 for Foreign residents with work permits, $10 for East African residents and RWF 5,000 for Rwanda citizens.

Golden Monkey Tracking

Visitors can track the endangered golden monkeys in Rwanda as part of their primate tracking safari or as a one off experience in Volcanoes National Park. The park has two groups of habituated golden monkeys that can be tracked by visitors and one of those groups is found on slopes of Mount Karisimbi while the other lives in the bamboo forests of Mount Sabyinyo.

Bird watching

Rwanda is arguably the best montane birding watching experience destination in East and Central Africa. There are over 700 bird species within the boundaries of Rwanda of which 29 are Albertine Rift endemics plus several Lake Victoria Basin endemics. Nyungwe National Park and Akagera National Park are the two top Bird watching Safaris destinations in Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park which is more popular for gorilla trekking has also got several bird species roaming through its montane forests. Generally birds are seen almost everywhere in Rwanda with sightings right from the capital Kigali. Some of the most iconic species drawing bird enthusiasts to Rwanda include the Red-collared Babble, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Nightjar, Purple Breasted Sunbirds, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler and  Grauer’s Swamp Warbler among others.

Canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park

The canopy walk is an exclusive experience in Nyungwe National Park where visitors to the park get a chance to walk along a suspended bridge over the stunning lush montane rainforest. The 160m long and 70m high bridge over the thick canopy of Nyungwe forest gives scintillating areas of the park and the surrounding areas. 

Volcano Hiking

For adventurous travelers, volcano hiking is an experience that can test your physicality while Rwanda. The experience takes place in Volcanoes National Park where 5 dormant volcanic summits lie waiting for climbers. The most popular summits for hiking include Mount Karisimbi (4,507m), the highest point in Rwanda, Mount Bisoke (3,700m) and Mount Sabyinyo. In addition to stunning views covering the entire geography of the Virunga ranges while on top of these summits, there are unique feature to see. These including a beautiful crater lake on top of Mount Bisoke.

Other Rwanda Safari Experiences

Away from wildlife experiences, Rwanda has got a variety of other amazing experiences for all travelers. These include cultural and historical tours where visitors are taken to different centres around the country to learn and enjoy Rwanda’s history and culture. These start right from the capital with a city tour around Kigali which include visits to the genocide memorial, art and craft stores, museums and markets. Still in Kigali, visitors can participate in several sports exercises such as golf, cricket, cycling and the marathon. While upcountry, visit several communities for cultural experiences for example the Gorilla Guardian Village, formerly known as Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village near Volcanoes National Park. 

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