Rwanda day trips and tours starting from Kigali (with prices)

Business travelers that have just a day to spare and are looking for a day trip out of Kigali to experience Rwanda’s rich wildlife, marvelous scenery, rural life and culture of the Rwandan people, below are some of the great one-day tours (with price) you can choose from depending on what you want to see and do. Luckily Rwanda being a very small country and the capital Kigali well situated almost at the center, a number of the prime destinations can be easily reached for a tour in one day and get back to Kigali

1 Day Akagera National Park safari tour

Akagera National Park is the only savannah park that Rwanda has and thus the only destination to visit for one to experience the African savannah bush and see wild animals, including a chance to see some or all of the famous big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo). The park is located in the east of the country, 2 hours drive from Kigali.

A one day Akagera safari trip itinerary will be as follows:

Leave Kigali at 6am and drive for 2 hours to Akagera National Park, check in via the southern gate in Kayonza district and right away start your 5+ hours safari drive through the park. You explore different habitats as you drive from the south of the park to the north and along the way see a variety of wildlife and enjoy wonderful views. The north is the main animal watching area of the park where you will see more animals roaming the plains. It also has an exit gate, so after safari you shall have picnic lunch in the park, exit and drive back to Kigali, a 3 – 3.5 hours drive from the north of the park (Nyagatare District) to Kigali

Price of tour depending on number of people:

No. Pax	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Price per person	$563	$368	$305	$263	$239	$228	$215

Price covers for: transportation in 4X4 safari jeep, petrol, tour guide, park fees, lunch, bottled drinking water and taxes.

1 day trip of tracking the gorillas

The mountain gorilla trekking is the signature tour of Rwanda to say the least. In one day you can visit the home of a third of the world’s mountain gorillas, Volcanoes National Park, which is located in Musanze District in the north of Rwanda & 2.5 hours from Kigali, trek the awe-inspiring Virunga mountains and spend 1 hour with a family of mountain gorillas – a once in a lifetime experience – and you are back to Kigali by evening in time for your evening flight/night!

A one day gorilla trekking trip from Kigali is as follows:

Leave Kigali at 4.30am prompt and drive for 2.5 hours to north of Rwanda. Arrive at the park office in time to register for gorilla tracking and you will be allocated a gorilla family (preference for an easy to find family). A park ranger guide shall brief you on the tracking rules and thereafter head off into the jungles to find the gorillas. After the gorilla trek you shall drive back to Kigali.

Price of tour depending on number of people:

No. Pax	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Price per person	$2075	$1912	$1870	$1854	$1841	$1827	$1815

Price covers for: transportation in 4X4 car, petrol, tour driver, gorilla tracking permit ($1500), lunch, bottled drinking water and taxes.

1 Day hiking tour in the Virunga mountains

For hiking lovers, you can take on the magnificent Virunga mountains by hiking one of the beautiful volcanic cones in Volcanoes National Park. The most popular mountain for day hikes is Mt. Bisoke (3711m) which has a stunning crater lake at the summit. The other two volcanic mountains you can hike on a day trip are Mt. Muhavura which is a relatively longer hike than Bisoke, and Mt. Gahinga which is a shorter hike.

1 day Mt. Bisoke hiking trip will be as follows.

Leave Kigali at 4.30am and drive to Volcanoes National Park. It is a 2.5 hours drive on a good road. You will arrive at the park office in Kinigi to meet the rangers for briefing and thereafter transfer to the trailhead just outside the park and set off on the hiking adventure in the stunning jungle. You may be lucky and stumble into gorillas along the way. The hike is 4 hours going up and 2 hours coming down, a total of 6 hours for the round hike depending on your fitness it can be more or less.

Upon climbing down you shall leave for Kigali arriving in the evening.

Price of tour depending on number of people:

No. Pax	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Price per person	$443	$276	$220	$217	$196	$182	$172

Price covers for: transportation in 4X4 car, petrol, tour driver, hiking permit, lunch, bottled drinking water and taxes.

1 day trip to Mbyo reconciliation village + Nyamata church genocide memorial

To better understand and appreciate Rwanda’s tragic history of the genocide against the tutsi and process of reconciliation thus far, you will find the day tour to Mbyo reconciliation village + Nyamata church genocide memorial very educating, emotional and inspiring. Mbyo village is located in Bugesera district, about an hour’s drive from Kigali. The village has the genocide perpetrators and survivors of the families that were killed by the perpetrators. These two categories have made peace and live and work together. You hear from the genocide perpetrator and a survivor. You will also visit the women’s cooperative who make hand-made crafts, and a farmer’s cooperative that will take you to a garden and see different crops grown.

1 day Mbyo reconciliation village trip is as follows

Leave Kigali at 7am and drive to Bugesera District.

Your first stop will be at Nyamata Church genocide memorial which is significant in the starting of the genocide in Rwanda. The genocide in Rwanda started in Bugesera and before it started in full swing there was a test of the genocide in Nyamata. Spend about 1 hour here

Continue to Mbyo reconciliation village where perpetrators and survivors live in harmony. You will get a testimony from the genocide perpetrator talking about his role in the genocide and the process of reconciliation, and then hear from a survivor. You will be treated to a traditional dance presentation from the village group which is mostly made up of children of perpetrators and survivors. You will then visit the women’s cooperative of basket weaving and learn how it was used to break the silence and bring peace, see what they make and purchase some souvenirs. Also visit a farm to see how the crops are grown.

Return to Kigali with lunch along the way.

Price of tour depending on number of people:

No. Pax	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Price per person	$494	$334	$280	$276	$255	$242	232

Price covers for: transportation in 4X4 car, petrol, tour driver, all the day’s activities, lunch, bottled drinking water and taxes.

1 day Rwanda rural experience tour

A day in the life of an artisan by Azizi Life – is a perfect tour to give you an experience of the life of a local Rwandan in the village. During this tour, you visit a community in Muhganga district, that is about 2 hours drive from Kigali, and you are hosted by one of the village folks, an artisan. You will join in the day’s activities from morning till late afternoon. There are a variety of activities to engage in including: fetching water, gardening, cooking local meals, crafting/weaving, dancing, etc…

One day azizi life village tour will be as follows

Leave Kigali at 6am and drive to Muhanga, a 2 hours drive. Arrive and transfer to your rural host community and after being welcomed join the host for the morning activities that will be digging in the garden, planting crops or harvesting depending on the season. After garden work you will go fetch water in the valley spring for home use. Lunch will then be prepared and you can join in the cooking. After lunch you will go for crafting where you will have a one-to-one instruction in creating a simple item with the local fibers.

Later you will bid farewell to the host at about 4pm and return to Kigali