Visit Rwanda Top Tours in Rwanda, Rwanda is such a beautiful country dotted with several hills that create great back drops and gained the country the name “the land of a thousand hills”. The beautifully dotted Rwanda is a luxury travel destination and one of the very safe and clean destinations to visit in Africa. Rwanda is home to part of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas hosted at the Volcanoes National Park and one of the top reasons for travelers visiting Rwanda.
Rwanda’s stunning scenery and warm, friendly people offer unique experiences in one of the most remarkable countries in the world. It is blessed with extraordinary biodiversity, with incredible wildlife living throughout its volcanoes, montane rainforest and sweeping plains.
Top Places to Visit in Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park – home of the mountain gorillas
Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the endangered mountain gorilla and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.
Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.
Tracking endangered mountain gorillas through the mysterious intimacy of the rain forest, alive with the calls of 200 species of colorful birds and chattering of the rare golden monkey, is only one of the truly unique experiences in the area.
Akagera National Park – Home of the Big Five
Unlike the high Volcanoes, the relatively warm and low-lying plains of Akagera comprise savannah, woodland, wetland and a dozen lakes. The largely open expanse is ideal for game viewing on safari game drives and a boat cruise during a wildlife safari in Rwanda.
The park has put in a lot of conservation efforts over time to ensure the Big Five sought after African animals which are Buffaloes, Rhinos, Elephants, Lions and Leopards roam around the park. This makes the destination compete with the popular safari destinations around East Africa for a rewarding game drive.
Nyungwe National Park – Chimpanzee & Canopy walk destination
For a chimpanzee trekking experience or the top canopy walk experience then Nyungwe National Park is the ultimate destination. One of the oldest rainforests in Africa, Nyungwe is rich in biodiversity and spectacularly beautiful. The mountainous region is teaming with wildlife, including a small population of chimpanzees as well as 12 other species of primate, including the L’Hoest’s monkey endemic to the Albertine Rift.
Botanists will marvel at the 1,068 plant species and 140 orchids. The birdwatching is among the best in Africa with 322 bird’s species including Red-collared Babbler and 29 other Albertine Rift Endemic species. Butterflies are also a common sight, with at least 120 species.
Gishwati Mukura National Park
Though not popular Gishwati Mukura is Rwanda’s fourth national park and made up of two separate forests – the larger Gishwati and small Mukura, forming a total of 34 square kilometres plus a buffer zone.
The forests sit on the ridge which divides the Congo and Nile water catchment areas, along the incredibly biodiverse Albertine Rift in the west of the country. It is made up of 60 species of tree, including indigenous hardwoods and bamboo.
Gishwati is home to a group of 20 chimpanzees which live alongside golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s and Blue Monkeys. Birds are well represented too, 232 species have been seen at Gishwati and 163 at Mukura, among them Albertine Rift Endemic species and forest specialists.
Activities in the park started in 2019 and include a guided nature hike, guided chimp and monkey tracking, bird watching and a visit to the waterfalls.
Top Rwanda Safari Activities
Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safaris
Rwanda gorilla trekking safaris offer such memorable Luxury gorilla tours in Africa to the country’s Volcanoes National Park that is home to the giant mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park is the only gorilla habitat in Rwanda home to a population of part of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. The mountain gorilla population that lives in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is habituated for gorilla trekking.
There are 10 gorilla families in the park that are habituated and can be trekked and seen as they go about their daily lives within their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking has been highly described as a lifetime experience as trekkers walk through the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas.
The cost of a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is USD 1500 each. Each Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is valid for a single gorilla trekking experience.
The best time to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda is during the short and long dry seasons, though the activity is available all year round. The short dry season is from the time of mid-December to early February. The long dry season is from June to September. Both the short and long dry seasons are best times for gorilla trekking Rwanda.
The months between June to September is the longest dry season in Rwanda. During this time hiking is easier as the trails are not so muddy and slippery. There are also few chances of rain pouring during this season of the year but since it is a tropical jungle anything can happen and it can rain.
During the dry season it offers the easiest hiking or walking conditions in the forest. The malaria risk is also low during this time. For the easier less muddy hike, low malaria risk and warmer environment the dry season becomes the favorite time of the year for a gorilla trek.
However, during the rainy season the activity is still done. If you want an experience with very minimal people then this is the time to book for your trek. The rainy season is also associated with low rates as permits are sometimes discounted as well as accommodation facilities giving out discounts.
Chimpanzee Trekking
Tracking chimpanzee in Rwanda is one of the most popular activities on Rwanda safaris besides Gorilla trekking. Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is an interesting safari activity that will allow you experience the tropical rainforests of Africa with incredible sightseeing opportunities.
Chimp trekking involves hiking in the tropical rainforest in Rwanda – Nyungwe Forest National Park where you will engage in search of these massive creatures. . Every night, chimpanzees build their nests in different places, therefore there is typically a group of trackers that travel ahead of the trekking members and communicate with the guides to help tourists avoid tedious and unnecessary hikes.
You'll see that they act exactly like humans as we share up to 98.7% DNA. You may watch them play, instigate fights, groom each other, mate, and nurse their young. The group has some quiet members and other boisterous ones. They have internal politics and group dynamics, just as humans.
