16-Day Rwanda Birding & Wildlife Tour

On this 16-day birding safari and wildlife tour in Rwanda, you will have a chance to explore the scenic landscape of Rwanda and the many wild habitats that will provide you with a variety of bird species, primates, and wildlife.

Rwanda is a beautiful small country with an area of about 26,338 square kilometers.

The country has a bird count of about 750 species, with about 29 of them being Albertine Rift endemics out of the total 40 known.

There are about 130 Palearctic and intra-African migrants here in the months of September to April.

See detailed Rwanda birding safari itinerary below.

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16 Days Rwanda Birding Tour Highlights

Day 1 – Arrival in Rwanda and Birding in Kigali
Day 2 – Full Day Birding in the Nyabarongo Wetlands and Forest in Bugesera District
Day 3 – Trip to Akagera National Park for Birding and Wildlife Safari
Day 4 – Full Day Birding Safari in Akagera National Park
Day 5 – Another Day Birding and Safari in Akagera National Park
Day 6 – Birding in Akagera and Transfer to Kigali
Day 7 – Transfer to Musanze in the North of Rwanda and Birding in Buhanga Forest
Day 8 – Birding in Rugezi Swamp (IBA)
Day 9 – Volcano Trekking and Birding in Volcanoes National Park (IBA)
Day 10 – Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes National Park Transfer to Lake Kivu
Day 11 – Transfer to Gishwati – Mukura National Park and Full Day Birding in Gishwati Forest
Day 12 – Transfer to Nyungwe National Park and Canopy Walk Tour
Day 13 – Birding in Nyungwe: Gisakura – Karamba – Kamiranzovu Marsh
Day 14 – Birding in Nyungwe: Mt. Bigugu Trail
Day 15 – Optional Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe National Park
Day 16 – Transfer to Kigali for Your Flight

Detailed 16 Days Rwanda Birding Tour Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Rwanda and Birding in Kigali

You will be met by our representative or guide who will take you to the hotel.

Depending on the time of arrival, you will do some birding around the city to kickstart your search for the local birds here.

You may also do a city tour which is also rewarding with a rich history.

Some of the birds you expect to see around the city are: White-collared Oliveback, Green-winged Pytilia, Spot-flanked Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Purple-crested Turaco, and African Firefinch.

Day 2 – Full Day Birding in the Nyabarongo Wetlands and Forest in Bugesera District

We shall have breakfast and head out to bird in the wetland and the surrounding forests of the southeast district of Bugesera in Rwanda.

It’s a few hours from the capital Kigali. The Wetland here is an important birding area along the Nyabarongo river.

We expect to see the Papyrus Gonolek and White-winged Swamp Warbler.

We shall return to Kigali afterward for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 – Trip to Akagera National Park for Birding and Wildlife Safari

We shall have an early morning breakfast and then set off by 7 am to the eastern region of the country to Akagera National Park.

The park is unique since it’s the only savanna protected area in Rwanda.

The park is marked as an important birding area (IBA).

The park boasts over 500 bird species with 2 of the three birds endemic to only Rwanda found here.

The best months to bird here are between September and April, and you will see a lot of migrant birds.

Day 4 – Full Day Birding Safari in Akagera National Park

We shall make sure we are up by 6 am and head out with packed lunch to do a full day of birding in Akagera National Park.

We shall explore mostly the southern sector of the park which has habitats like swamps, woodlands, thick grasslands, and acacia thickets. In the afternoon, we head to the northern sector of the park which is a bit rocky but with good bird life.

Day 5 – Another Day Birding and Safari in Akagera National Park

This is another opportunity to tick off birds that we may have missed on day one.

We shall explore more of the wetlands and the savanna plains.

If you are lucky, you may see the rare shoebill. We shall explore the northern sector to add to our checklist.

Day 6 – Birding in Akagera and Transfer to Kigali

We shall head out early again today into the Kilala plain of Akagera National Park.

These plains are not just about birds but we expect to see wildlife like Giraffes, Lions, Elephants, and several species of animals playing in the beautiful plains.

We shall head back to Kigali afterward for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 – Transfer to Musanze in the North of Rwanda and Birding in Buhanga Forest

We shall be headed to the Virunga Mountains and the Volcanoes National Park today.

We shall drive for about two hours from Kigali and start our birding en route as we lead into the Buhanga forest in Musanze.

Day 8 – Birding in Rugezi Swamp (IBA)

This swamp is one of the only swamps that are important birding areas in Rwanda.

The swamp is a very special one and harbors several Albertine rift endemics like the Grauer’s Swamp Warbler.

Day 9 – Volcano Trekking and Birding in Volcanoes National Park (IBA)

We shall be trekking the Volcanoes National Park today.

The park boasts about 200 bird species, and of these, 15 are Albertine rift endemics.

The trek will take you through the bamboo vegetation cover, which exposes you to many high-altitude bird species.

We shall bird around Lake Ngezi and the Bisoke Mountain.

We have optional gorilla trekking on this day.

Day 10 – Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes National Park Transfer to Lake Kivu

We shall make sure we have breakfast by 6:30 am and head out to the briefing point of the park to get ready for Golden monkey trekking.

There are over 100 habituated golden monkeys here.

You will have a whole hour to observe and interact with these primates.

We shall then later head out to the Gisenyi area of Rwanda. She shall be enjoying the shores of Lake Kivu.

Day 11 – Transfer to Gishwati – Mukura National Park and Full Day Birding in Gishwati Forest

We shall wake up early and set off by 6 am to the Gishwati forest of Gishwati in the Mukura National park area.

This is Rwanda’s youngest park about 2 hours from the Gisenyi area.

We shall spend our day birding here and we expect to find about 17 Albertine rift endemics that have been recorded here.

Day 12 – Transfer to Nyungwe National Park and Canopy Walk Tour

On this day, we shall be driving to the Nyungwe forest national park, which is in the southwestern region of the country.

This area is also recognized as an important birding area of Rwanda.

The area has a bird count of about 310 species with about 27 of these being the Albertine rift endemics out of the total 40 known.

There are about 13 primate species here that you will have a chance to explore.

Day 13 – Birding in Nyungwe: Gisakura – Karamba – Kamiranzovu Marsh

We shall be exploring more of the Nyungwe forest National park area starting from the Gisakura ranger post.

There are many trails here that will lead us to the many habitats of the area like the swamps and thick forests.

You will see many primates as well.

Day 14 – Birding in Nyungwe: Mt. Bigugu Trail

We shall be doing a full day of birding armed with our packed lunch.

This trail will take us to an altitude of about 2950 meters above sea level.

Some of the birds you expect to see are Neumann’s Warbler, Rwenzori Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Strip-breasted Tit, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Regal Sunbird, Olive woodpecker, Red-faced woodland Warbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Mountain Buzzard.