Top things to do during your safari in Rwanda.
Top safari activities in Rwanda Rwanda is a small country that borders Tanzania, Burindi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making it one of the most popular safari locations in East Africa. Rwanda is well-known for its stunning hills, mountains, lakes, rivers, friendly locals, and a wide variety of wildlife, including various animal species like elephants, buffaloes, lions, hyenas, zebras, giraffes, bushbucks, roan antelopes, topi, waterbucks, duikers, impalas, oribi, and primates like the endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys. There are currently three national parks in Rwanda: Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park. During your Rwanda Safari, you can partake in these fascinating activities:
The best activities to do when on safari in Rwanda
Trekking with gorillas
One of the most popular safari activities in Rwanda that draws large crowds of tourists is gorilla trekking. Only in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, which is situated in Musanze Village in the northwest and borders the Virunga National Park in Congo and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, is gorilla trekking possible. In addition to Rwanda, gorilla trekking is also conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga and Kahuzi Biega national parks, Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
In Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking is an exciting activity that begins very early in the morning with a briefing on the guidelines to be followed. Following the briefing, you will be paired with a knowledgeable park guide who is familiar with the gorilla trekking routes and a habituated gorilla family to hike. Because mountain gorillas prefer to roam around in search of food, trekking with them at Volcanoes National Park might take anything from thirty minutes to six hours, depending on their location. Once the mountain gorillas are located, you will have the opportunity to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, where you can observe their daily activities, take pictures and videos, and learn more about their habits and behaviors. While trekking, you will also have the chance to see other primates, mammals, bird species, and various tree species.
Trekking chimpanzees
After gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking is Rwanda’s most popular and fascinating activity. Similar to gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda takes place in Nyungwe Forest National Park and begins early in the morning with a training on the rules and restrictions. Following the briefing, you will be split up into groups of eight, and each group will be assigned a habituated chimpanzee family to travel with as well as a park guide to help you navigate the forest. Depending on where you go, chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park can take anywhere from 30 to 4 hours. While trekking, you can see a variety of bird and primate species. After you find the chimpanzees, you can spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, where you can observe them feeding, nursing, hunting, fighting, resting, playing, taking pictures, and recording videos.
Trekking with golden monkeys
Another fascinating activity that tourists can partake in while on a Rwanda safari is golden monkey trekking. In Volcanoes National Park, golden monkey trekking is an active activity that begins with a briefing early in the morning. Golden monkeys are rare and exquisite primates that live in groups of between 30 to 60 people. They can also be found in the Virunga National Park in Congo and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Trekking with golden monkeys in Rwanda takes between thirty and four hours, and you will follow routes made of leftover bamboo shoots and leaves. After locating the golden monkeys, you will have the opportunity to spend an hour with them in their natural environment, where you can observe them eating, playing, and climbing trees, among other activities.
The canopy walk
In Rwanda, the canopy walk is a thrilling and daring activity that takes place in the Nyungwe Forest National Park. Following a briefing on the expectations, rules, and regulations, the canopy walk begins at the Uwinka receiving center. Following the briefing, you will be paired with a knowledgeable park guide and begin hiking along various routes, including the Umuyove and Igishigishi trails. You can see several primate species, including black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, bird species, insects, and animals, as well as take in views of Lake Kivu during the two-hour canopy walk.
Game drives and watching
Only the Akagera National Park in the country’s east can offer the thrilling game drive activities in Rwanda. In Akagera National Park, game drives are conducted in cozy safari cars accompanied by a knowledgeable driving guide who is familiar with the park’s several wildlife routes. Many creatures, including elephants, buffaloes, topis, oribi, waterbucks, bushbucks, roan antelopes, lions, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, elands, impalas, and duikers, can be seen during the game drives, which can take place early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Observing birds
With more than 750 known bird species, including 29 endemics of the Albertine Rift, water birds, savannah birds, forest birds, and migratory birds, Rwanda is one of Africa’s best places to go birdwatching. Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Akagera National Park, the area surrounding Kigali, and Lake Kivu are just a few of Rwanda’s birdwatching destinations. The Red-collared Babbler, Handsome Francolin, Purple Breasted Sunbird, Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu Ground Thrush, Neumann’s Warbler, Rwenzori Nighjar, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Albertine Owlet, Red-faced barbet, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Papyrus Gololek, White-winged Swamp Warbler, African Finfoot, Double-tooth barbet, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Yellow-billed waxbill, Grey Crowned Crane, and Papyrus Canary are just a few of the many bird species you will see while bird watching in Rwanda.
Cultural encounters
Getting to know the locals in the villages that border the national parks is one of the most fascinating things you can do in Rwanda. You can visit the Ibyi’wacu cultural village, which is situated in Kinigi, Musanze district, next to Volcanoes National Park. There, you can learn about their culture, way of life, dress code, and how local brew is made from bananas. You can also visit the king’s palace, hear their ancient stories about the former kingdoms, take in their traditional dances and ceremonies, and sample their traditional cuisine, among other things. The cultural experience will also include visits to the national history museum, the Nyanza genocide memorial, the Kitabi cultural center in Nyungwe National Park, where the last Rwandan king built his palace, the king’s palace in Nyanza, the presidential palace museum, and the Kigali genocide memorial center, where you can learn about the 1994 brutal killing between the Tutsi and Hutus.
Mountain climbing and hiking
Known as the “country of a thousand hills,” Rwanda provides thrilling mountain climbing experiences, the best of which can be had in Volcanoes National Park. You can ascend Mount Bisoke, which is 3,711 meters high, Mount Karisimbi, which is 4,507 meters high, and Mount Muhabura, which is 4,127 meters high, while mountain climbing in Rwanda. In one day, you may hike Mount Bisoke and Mount Muhabura and see a stunning crater lake at the top. In two days, you can hike Mount Karisimbi and see the caldera and Crater Lake at the top.
The ideal time to visit Rwanda for a safari
Although it is possible to visit Rwanda at any time of year, the ideal time to go is in the dry season, which is also referred to as the peak season and lasts from June to February. Because there is less or no rainfall in the national parks during the dry season, access roads, hiking routes, and gorilla trekking tracks will be dry and navigable, and the foliage will be sparse, allowing you to obtain a clear glimpse of many wildlife species.
