Volcanoes National Park
North-western RwandaAround a dozen habituated gorilla families, golden monkeys and Africa's finest gorilla lodges, two to three hours from Kigali.
Explore Volcanoes National ParkMountain gorillas, a restored Big Five park and chimpanzees in ancient rainforest, in the cleanest, safest country in the region.
Plan My SafariRwanda is the most polished safari destination in East Africa. Small, mountainous and remarkably clean and well organised, the Land of a Thousand Hills has built its tourism on conservation and quality rather than volume, and it shows: short distances, excellent lodges and a sense of order that surprises first-time visitors.
The mountain gorilla is the headline. Volcanoes National Park, on the Virunga massif, holds around a dozen habituated gorilla families and is the most accessible major gorilla destination in Africa, around two to three hours from Kigali airport. Rwanda prices its permits at a premium, which keeps numbers low and the experience exclusive. It is the same animal as in Uganda, in a more refined, more expensive package.
There is far more to Rwanda than gorillas, though. Akagera, on the eastern border, has been transformed by the conservation organisation African Parks into a genuine Big Five savannah reserve, and Nyungwe in the south-west protects one of Africa's oldest rainforests, alive with chimpanzees and an East African canopy walkway. With Uganda next door, the two make the finest gorilla-and-primate circuit on the continent.
Volcanoes National Park is the most accessible major gorilla destination in Africa, around two to three hours from Kigali. The treks can be shorter than in Uganda, and the lodges are among the best in Africa.
Akagera was nearly lost, then rebuilt by African Parks: lion were reintroduced in 2015 and rhino from 2017, restoring the Big Five to a savannah park within easy reach of Kigali. See our conservation safaris.
Nyungwe Forest holds 13 primate species, including chimpanzees and huge troops of Angola colobus, plus East Africa's only canopy walkway, suspended 60 metres above the rainforest floor.
Rwanda is one of the safest and cleanest countries in Africa, with short distances between its parks and an efficiency that makes a packed itinerary genuinely comfortable.
A share of tourism revenue goes directly to communities around the parks, and the partnership with African Parks at Akagera and Nyungwe has become a model for the continent.
Combine Rwanda's gorillas with Uganda's Bwindi and Kibale and you have the best gorilla, chimp and primate trip in Africa, crossing a single, easy border.
Volcanoes National Park holds around a dozen habituated mountain gorilla families on the Rwandan side of the Virunga massif, the mountains where Dian Fossey did her pioneering research at Karisoke.
Volcanoes also offers golden monkey trekking, and Nyungwe holds 13 primate species, including chimpanzees and troops of several hundred Angola colobus, the largest in Africa.
Akagera is once again a Big Five park, with lion reintroduced in 2015 and both black and white rhino since 2017, alongside elephant, buffalo and leopard on the eastern savannah.
Nyungwe Forest is Rwanda's premier chimpanzee destination, with habituated communities tracked from dawn through one of the oldest montane rainforests in Africa.
Rwanda is a superb birding country, with Albertine Rift endemics in Nyungwe and the Virungas, and the prehistoric shoebill stork in the papyrus swamps of Akagera. Over 700 species are recorded.
Gorillas at close range, the rolling green hills, Akagera's lakes and Nyungwe's canopy give Rwanda a varied photographic palette. See our photographic safaris.
Rwanda packs three very different experiences into a small country: the gorillas of the volcanoes in the north-west, the restored Big Five savannah of Akagera in the east, and the chimpanzees and canopy of Nyungwe in the south-west.
Around a dozen habituated gorilla families, golden monkeys and Africa's finest gorilla lodges, two to three hours from Kigali.
Explore Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda's only Big Five park, rebuilt by African Parks, with lion, rhino, elephant and boat safaris on Lake Ihema.
Explore Akagera
A vast montane rainforest with 13 primate species, chimpanzee trekking and East Africa's only canopy walkway.
Explore Nyungwe Forest| Reserve | Best for | Best time | Suggested stay | Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volcanoes National Park | Gorilla trekking, golden monkeys, luxury | Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb | 2 to 3 nights | Mid to ultra-luxury |
| Akagera | Big Five, boat safari, conservation | Jun to Sep | 2 to 3 nights | Mid to luxury |
| Nyungwe Forest | Chimps, primates, canopy walk, birding | Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb | 2 nights | Mid to ultra-luxury |
Rwanda has two dry seasons and is trekked year-round, but the drier months mean firmer forest trails and easier travel. Our safari calendar sets out the wider East African picture.
| Month | Weather | Game viewing | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Warm, dry | Prime trekking; dry forest trails | Peak |
| February | Warm, dry | Excellent trekking and game viewing | Peak |
| March | Warm, long rains | Green and muddy; fewer visitors | Shoulder |
| April | Warm, wettest | Lush; low season, lowest rates | Green |
| May | Warm, easing rains | Green and quiet; good value | Green |
| June | Mild, dry | Dry season; prime gorilla trekking | Peak |
| July | Cool, dry | Peak trekking; firm trails | Peak |
| August | Cool, dry | Peak season; best conditions | Peak |
| September | Warm, dry | Excellent; Kwita Izina gorilla naming | Peak |
| October | Warm, short rains | Rains return; trails muddier | Shoulder |
| November | Warm, wet | Short rains; lower rates, quiet | Green |
| December | Warm, drying out | Dry season returns; festive, book ahead | Peak |
Tell us when you want to travel and what you most want to see. We will build the trip around the wildlife calendar.
Plan My Safari WhatsApp UsYes. Rwanda is one of the safest and cleanest countries in Africa, with very low crime and an efficient, well-organised tourism sector. It is consistently rated among the safest destinations on the continent.
The two dry seasons, June to September and December to February, give the firmest forest trails and easiest travel. Gorilla trekking is available year-round, and the wet season is greener, quieter and cheaper.
USD 1,500 per person for a single trek in Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda prices its permits at a premium to limit numbers and fund conservation, so the experience is more exclusive than in Uganda.
Rwanda is easier to reach (Volcanoes is two to three hours from Kigali), more polished and has the best lodges, but permits cost USD 1,500 against Uganda's USD 800. Uganda is cheaper and wilder, with more habituated families. Both see the same species. Many travellers combine the two.
Yes, at Akagera. After lion were reintroduced in 2015 and rhino from 2017, Akagera became a genuine Big Five park, the only one in Rwanda, on the eastern savannah within easy reach of Kigali.
Yes, in Nyungwe Forest, which holds habituated chimpanzee communities alongside 12 other primate species and East Africa's only canopy walkway.
It varies. Treks in Volcanoes can be anything from one to several hours at altitude, climbing through bamboo and forest. Reasonable fitness is needed, and porters are available to help on the steeper sections.
15 years, as in Uganda. Younger children can enjoy Akagera, Nyungwe's canopy walk and other activities, but gorilla and chimpanzee trekking are restricted by age.
The high-altitude gorilla areas are lower risk, but Akagera and the lower regions are malaria zones. Take prophylaxis and consult your doctor before travelling.
A focused gorilla trip needs only three or four nights. To add Akagera and Nyungwe, allow seven to ten days. The short distances make a varied itinerary comfortable.
Yes, and it makes the best primate circuit in Africa. Gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda, chimps in Kibale or Nyungwe, and savannah game in Akagera or Queen Elizabeth, across one straightforward border.
Most visitors can obtain a visa on arrival or online. The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya in a single application, which is useful for a combined trip. Confirm current requirements before booking.
Rwanda's annual gorilla naming ceremony, held in September, when newborn gorillas are named in a national celebration. It has become a symbol of the country's conservation success.
Kigali International Airport, which is modern, efficient and well connected, and within two to three hours of all three of Rwanda's main parks.
The gorilla permits make it one of the more expensive safari destinations, and Rwanda positions itself at the premium end. That said, Akagera, Nyungwe and a range of lodges offer more accessible options around the headline gorilla experience.
Tell us roughly when you would like to travel and what you most want to see. Every enquiry is answered personally by Jarryd, a former Sabi Sands guide and Head Ranger at andBeyond Phinda, usually within 24 hours. No set packages, no booking fees.