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12-Day Rwanda Safari: Gorillas, Chimps & Golden Monkeys Tour

Have a memorable experience in Rwanda on this 12-Day Rwanda Safari. You will visit the main national parks, including Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe National Park, and Akagera National Park, plus local markets, museums, Lake Kivu, and other tourist sites.

On this 12-Day Rwanda Safari tour, you will enjoy nature and take part in activities like chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, game drives, boat cruises, swimming, and nature walks.

On this Rwanda safari, you will see endangered mountain gorillas, waterfalls, and experience Rwandan culture through songs, dance, and storytelling. Book this 12-Day Rwanda Safari today and experience it all in one trip.

Highlights of the 12-Day Rwanda Safari

  • Visit three famous Rwanda national parks: Volcanoes, Nyungwe, and Akagera
  • Experience gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, and chimpanzee tracking
  • Enjoy game drives to see the Big Five animals in Akagera National Park
  • Take a canopy walk and coffee tour in Nyungwe Forest
  • Relax at Lake Kivu with swimming and boat cruises
  • Learn about Rwanda’s culture at Iby’iwachu Cultural Village
  • Explore Kigali city and visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial

Brief 12-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary

  • Day 1: Arrival in Kigali City, the capital of Rwanda
  • Day 2: City Tour and Transfer to Akagera National Park
  • Day 3: Game Drive and Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
  • Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park via Kigali City
  • Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk Adventure
  • Day 6: Waterfall Hike and Coffee Tour
  • Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
  • Day 8: Gorilla Trekking and Optional Hike to Dian Fossey’s Grave
  • Day 9: Golden Monkey Trekking and Visit to Iby’iwachu Cultural Village
  • Days 10-11: Explore Lake Kivu
  • Day 12: Transfer Back to Kigali and Fly Home

Detailed 12-Day Rwanda Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali City

Upon arrival, your Rwanda safari guide will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel. You will receive a short briefing about the Rwanda safari itinerary, including the activities and rules to follow. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 2: Kigali City Tour & Transfer to Akagera National Park

After breakfast, enjoy a Kigali city tour to explore Kimironko Market, scenic hills, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Learn about Rwanda’s history with your local guide. Later, transfer to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savannah park on the border with Tanzania. You may see wildlife and birds like the shoebill stork. Arrive in the evening for dinner and rest.

Day 3: Game Drive & Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema

After breakfast, take a game drive through the savannah plains to see the Big Five, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, and leopards, plus giraffes, zebras, and warthogs. After lunch, enjoy a boat safari on Lake Ihema to see hippos, crocodiles, and water birds.

Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park via Kigali

After breakfast, drive to Nyungwe National Park, home to chimpanzees and many other primates. The road trip offers views of green hills and villages. The park also shelters elephants, duikers, and birds. Check into your lodge and relax.

Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking & Canopy Walk

After breakfast, attend a short briefing and go for chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest. Once you find them, spend one hour observing and taking photos. After lunch, enjoy the canopy walk, which gives an aerial view of the forest and its monkeys. Return to the lodge.

Day 6: Waterfall Hike & Coffee Tour

After breakfast, take a guided hike to Kamiranzovu Waterfalls. Enjoy the views and sounds of nature. Later, go on a coffee tour to learn about Rwanda’s traditional farming and coffee-making process. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

Drive to Volcanoes National Park, home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. The park is also known for the Dian Fossey grave site. Upon arrival, check in and relax at your lodge.

Day 8: Gorilla Trekking & Visit to Dian Fossey’s Grave

After breakfast, go for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. The trek may take 2 to 8 hours depending on the gorilla family location. Spend one hour with the gorillas. After lunch, visit Dian Fossey’s grave to learn about her conservation work. Return to the lodge.

Day 9: Golden Monkey Trekking & Cultural Visit

After breakfast, go for golden monkey trekking. Spend one hour observing them. In the afternoon, visit Iby’iwachu Cultural Village, also called Gorilla Guardians Village, to enjoy Rwandan culture, dance, and food.

Days 10 to 11: Relax and Explore Lake Kivu

Spend two relaxing days at Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes. Enjoy swimming, kayaking, and boat cruises. Admire the views shared between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Day 12: Return to Kigali & Departure

Have breakfast and drive back to Kigali International Airport. Stop for lunch or shopping before your departure, marking the end of your 12-Day Rwanda Safari. Book this 12-Day Rwanda Safari now to reserve your spot.


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Our Reviews & Testimonials

Read what our clients have to say about us. You can read even more reviews on TripAdvisor.

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Wir haben ein zweitägiges Gorilla Trekking von kigali zum Bwindi Nationalpark in Uganda gebucht und hatten ein einmaliges Erlebnis! Alles hat reibungslos geklappt, unser Fahrer Naboth war toll und absolut zuverlässig - von der Abholung in unserem Hotel - über die Fahrten vor Ort bis zur Rückfahrt nach Uganda. Die Gorilla Wanderung war ein echtes Abenteuer und nach 2 Stunden Wanderung haben wir eine Gorilla Familie mit 16 Gorillas gefunden, der wir uns bis auf einen Meter nähern konnten um sie zu beobachten. Die gorillas haben sich dabei absolut nicht stören lassen. Es war unglaublich. Auch die Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge war toll. Ich würde diese Tour jedem empfehlen!
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Celine Kloss
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Absolutely outstanding experience. We did a 12-day safari across Kenya and Uganda (Gorilla trekking, Maasai Mara, Nakuru, Naivasha, Amboseli) in January 2026 and it exceeded expectations. The guides were exceptional: deeply knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely passionate. They ensured we learned not only about wildlife, but also about local cultures, traditions, and daily life, which made the trip truly immersive. Communication with the agency was flawless end to end—responsive, clear, and proactive. Everything ran smoothly, on time, and exactly as promised. I’ll recommend this agency to all my friends and relatives! Hopefully we’ll come back soon as well!
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Mario Gonzalez
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We spent two weeks in Uganda and Tanzania organized by Magical Gorilla Adventures and we had the best time. Communication was really good and fast via WhatsApp. The accommodations were great. Our guide Peter in Uganda was amazing. He was really friendly and a very good driver. He put a lot of effort to give us experiences and the best memories. We learned a lot about Uganda and its culture and he knew a lot about animals. We saw a lot of animals in Murchison Falls Nationalspark. The chimpanzee tracking in Kibale was very memorable. Our highlight in Uganda was the Gorilla tracking in Bwindi. We were very close to the gorillas and had the best experience. After an overnight stop in Ruanda we flew to Tanzania and were picked up by our guide Macha. We visited Central Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire Nationalpark and we saw so many animals. The cheetahs even played on our safari car and we saw more than 80 lions. Macha was a great driver and he spotted so many animals for us. The two weeks trip to Uganda and Tanzania was just amazing and we will never forget. Everything was organized very well. We definitely recommend Magical Gorilla Adventures and our guides Peter and Macha and would love to do another trip with them!
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Theresa
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We had an absolutely wonderful 17-day safari experience and can wholeheartedly recommend this company to anyone planning a trip. From the very beginning, communication was clear, professional, and fast. Emails were answered quickly, often much sooner than expected. Every question was addressed in detail, which gave us a lot of confidence before the trip. One of the biggest advantages was how flexible they were, both before and during the safari. They accommodated all our planning changes without any hesitation or feeling that we were “bothering” them. Adjustments to the itinerary were handled smoothly, and we always felt our preferences were truly listened to. The entire 17 days were organized seamlessly, and we could simply relax and enjoy the experience. Any changes or tweaks we requested on the road were taken care of quickly and efficiently. The trip felt very personal and tailored to us, rather than a standard, rigid package. Overall impression is that this is a company that genuinely cares about its guests and goes the extra mile to create a memorable safari. The combination of responsiveness, flexibility, and warm, attentive service made this one of our best trips ever. Highly recommended for anyone who values good communication, adaptable planning, and a worry-free safari experience
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Eran Vilensky
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Even though we booked very late, Magic Gorilla Adventures made it happen, allowing us to visit the Uganda Gorillas in their natural habitat. Our guide Colin first took us to Lake Bunyonyi, where we had a good lunch and a boat trip, and then to our lodge near the national park. The following day, we visited the Gorillas. Our Gorillas were up on the hill, so we had a challenging climb to reach them, but the rangers helped us. So, we could spend a fantastic time with them. Thank you, Colin, and thank you, Magical Gorilla Adventures, for these two beautiful days in Uganda.
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Rene Felder
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I had the best 7-day safari of my life with Magical Gorilla Adventures in Uganda. All communication and safari planning was very effective and clear from the start and they were supportive and patient with all the amendments and requests. Also, they give you great suggestions for the tour depending on your needs or wishes. Aina suggested me to do chimp trek, which was my favorite part of all the safari (thank you Aina!). As for our tour guide Eddie, he was the absolute best. He really went above and beyond for me to see all of the Big 5. I went to different safaris in Africa and had several tour guides and they all were good, but Eddie really was outstanding. I suggest that, if possible, book your safari with Eddie. Eddie always made sure to talk to other drivers and/or the national park’s authorities to look for the animals and he is also a good tracker, he knows where and how to look for the animals. He also made sure we were always safe and taking necessary precautions which is also a very important thing to look for in a tour guide. I strongly recommend Magical Gorilla Adventures for your safari, you won´t regret it.
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Elena Bravo
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**Wonderful Safari Experience** We had an amazing safari in Rwanda and Uganda, made even better by our guide, **Musa**. He was polite, professional, easy to talk to, and always looked after us. On the safari drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, he was fantastic at spotting animals and shared so much knowledge about wildlife, history, and the landscapes. The accommodations and food were excellent, and we felt very comfortable throughout the trip. We highly recommend this company — and especially Musa — for a great safari experience.
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Li Ka
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We had a great time on our safari! Our guide James was excellent, and Kolo was helpful in planning the whole trip according to our schedule and what we wanted to see. Highly recommended!
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Arvin Pal
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Magical Gorilla Adventures is zeker aan te raden. Reageren snel en ze hebben een prachtige 3-daagse safari voor ons geregeld. Alles was prima in orde! Goede en betrouwbare gids/driver, en prachtige lodges! Alles was perfect!
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Annemieke Manten
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Why Choose Us?

We plan gorilla treks that are enjoyable and affordable, because we love gorilla trekking as much as you do.

1

Who We Are

We are a gorilla trekking operator, agency, and Destination Management Company (DMC) based in Kampala, Uganda. Our Uganda Tourism Board license number is UTB/RTT/TO/2023/100931.

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2

Booking Gorilla Treks With Us

Along with our carefully planned gorilla trekking packages and years of experience, we offer flexible and friendly booking terms.

3

Our Honest Promise to You

We promise to plan, handle, and manage your gorilla trek carefully and correctly, from start to finish.

4

Our Values & Commitments

We are committed to excellent service and to making every gorilla trek as smooth as possible.

5

Our Cause

We profit from gorilla trekking tourism, and we make sure others do too. A portion of our profits supports single mothers in communities near the gorilla parks.


How We Work

We plan your gorilla trek the right way, starting with a clear and simple planning process.

1
We Listen to You

We listen to your gorilla trekking needs, then recommend and advise on the best options for your trip.

2
We Discuss Your Options

We talk through your options, match you to the right gorilla trekking itinerary, and refine it based on your feedback.

3
We Lock in Your Booking

We confirm your gorilla trekking booking and handle reservations while we finalize any remaining details.

Speak to a Gorilla Trekking Expert to Start Planning Your Trip

Call us now or book a video call, and we'll help you plan your gorilla trekking safari.

+256-787-230-575
Eddie Gorilla Trekking Guide
Eddie Guide with Alyssa