7 daysPrivate tourLuxuryPermits included

7-Day Best of Rwanda

4.9(43 reviews)·Kigali → Akagera → Volcanoes → Lake Kivu·Offered by Emerald Rwanda Collection

One week, the whole story: Big Five savannah in Akagera, mountain gorillas in the Virungas, and a slow day on Lake Kivu to let it all settle. This is the itinerary we recommend when someone asks for 'the' Rwanda trip — it touches every landscape the country does best, and thanks to Rwanda's compact geography and excellent roads, no single drive exceeds five hours.

The route runs east to west: savannah sunrises and a boat among hippos first, then north to the volcanoes for the gorilla trek, finishing on the lake shore where the only item on the agenda is a sunset kayak. Luxury lodges and tented camps throughout, with the permit and park logistics handled entirely by your operator.

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, permit included
Two days of Big Five game drives in Akagera
Sunset boat safari among hippos on Lake Ihema
A recovery day on the shore of Lake Kivu
Luxury lodges and tented camps, unhurried pacing

Duration7 days

Tour stylePrivate tour

ComfortLuxury · Lodge & Tented Camp

Park permitsIncluded ($1,500 pp)

Minimum age15 years (RDB rule)

Solo travelersNot available solo

CustomizableYes — request changes with a quote

RouteKigali → Akagera → Volcanoes → Lake Kivu

Day by day

1
Day 1Kigali
Kigali arrival & city highlights
Airport pick-up, lunch at a hillside restaurant, and an afternoon shaped around the Genocide Memorial and the Nyamirambo women's centre walking tour. A gentle first day to land properly before the wildlife begins.
The Retreat by HeavenKigali's finest boutique hotel, saltwater poolLunch & dinner included
2–3
Day 2–3Akagera National Park
Akagera: game drives & Lake Ihema boat safari
An early drive east and you are inside the park by mid-morning, game-driving up through lakes and papyrus marsh toward the northern plains — elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe and, with luck, lion and black rhino. Day three starts with a dawn drive when cats are moving, and ends with the sunset boat safari on Lake Ihema, drifting past hippo pods and fish eagles. Nights at a tented camp where hippos graze the lawn after dark.
Ruzizi Tented LodgeTwo nights — lakeside tented camp inside the parkAll meals included
4
Day 4Volcanoes National Park
Across the country to the Virungas
The one long drive of the trip (about five hours), broken with lunch in Kigali and a stop at the Nyirangarama market. By late afternoon the savannah has been replaced by volcanoes, and your lodge sits at the foot of them.
Mountain Gorilla View LodgeSpacious stone cottages facing SabyinyoAll meals included
5
Day 5Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trekking
The day the whole week points toward. Briefing at 7am, then a trek of one to four hours through the bamboo to your assigned gorilla family, and the single hour in their company that travellers consistently call the best of their lives. Celebration dinner back at the lodge.
Mountain Gorilla View LodgeSecond nightAll meals included
6
Day 6Lake Kivu
Down to Lake Kivu
A short, scenic ninety-minute descent to Gisenyi on the Lake Kivu shore. The afternoon is deliberately empty: swim, doze, or take the sunset kayak out past singing fishermen in their catamaran canoes. Dinner on the beach.
Lake Kivu Serena HotelBeachfront on Gisenyi's sandy bayAll meals included
7
Day 7Kigali
Lake morning & return to Kigali
A last swim and a boat spin to a coffee island where beans are washed the traditional way, then the three-hour drive back to Kigali for evening flights. Travellers with later departures can add the Inema Arts Centre en route.
No overnight — tour ends or day tripBreakfast & lunch included

Rates per person

Group size	Price per person (USD)
Solo	n/a — not offered solo
2 people	$6,400
3 people	$6,205
4 people	$6,055
5 people	$5,960
6+ people	$5,810

US$1,500 of the pp price is the fixed RDB gorilla permit — group-size savings apply to the rest.
Rates are per person in USD and vary with group size — everyone in the vehicle shares the guide and transport costs.
A 50% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 30 days before the trip starts.
Cancellation follows the operator's platform-standard policy shown at checkout.

What's included

Included

Gorilla trekking permit (US$1,500 per person)
Akagera park entrance fees (2 days)
Sunset boat safari on Lake Ihema
Sunset kayak on Lake Kivu with guide
Kigali city tour & Genocide Memorial
Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
Airport pick-up and drop-off
Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
Meals as listed in the itinerary
Bottled water throughout the trip
All taxes and VAT

Excluded

Porter for the gorilla trek (US$10–20, recommended)
International flights
Rwanda visa (US$50 on arrival for most nationalities)
Travel insurance
Tips and gratuities (guide, trackers, porters)
Drinks and meals not listed in the itinerary
Personal items and souvenirs

Getting there

Fly into Kigali International Airport (KGL) — it is served by direct flights from Brussels, Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Nairobi and Addis Ababa.
This tour starts and ends in Kigali. Airport pick-up and drop-off are included — your guide meets you in arrivals.
Most nationalities receive a Rwanda visa on arrival (US$50). The East African Tourist Visa also covers Rwanda if you are combining countries.
Arriving early or leaving late? Extra nights in Kigali before or after the tour can be arranged with your quote.

Traveler reviews

4.9

Based on 43 traveler reviews

Reviews are verified — only travelers who completed this tour can leave one.

“A whole country in seven days”

We saw lion, rhino and elephant in Akagera, sat an arm's length from a silverback two days later, and were kayaking on glass by Friday. The pacing is clever — you never feel rushed, yet nothing is wasted. Emerald's guides are exceptional.

The Okafor family · Nigeria · Traveled April 2026

“Better than our Kenya/Tanzania trips”

We've done the big-name circuits. Rwanda beat them on roads, lodges, guiding and sheer variety per mile. Ruzizi's hippos grazing outside the tent at midnight, then gorillas 48 hours later — unreal. Book the dry season.

Martin & Lucy H. · United Kingdom · Traveled August 2025

“The Kivu day matters”

I nearly asked to swap the lake day for more safari. Don't — after the gorilla trek you want exactly that: a beach, a kayak, a cold drink. One long drive on day four but the scenery does the entertaining.

Elena P. · Italy · Traveled December 2025

Showing recent reviews. The full review history arrives with verified post-trip reviews (Milestone 4).