By length · 10 days
10 days in Rwanda
The complete country: volcanoes in the north, the full Kivu Belt, Nyungwe's canopy, then savannah in the east — without a single rushed morning.
Length
10 days
Destinations
5 stops
From
$740 per person
Best for
Travellers who want all three landscapes in one trip.
01 — The route
Where this trip actually goes
- 1
Kigali
Arrival, memory, food and the final night.
- 2
Volcanoes National Park
Gorillas, golden monkeys or Bisoke's crater lake.
- 3
Rubavu and Karongi
The lively and the quiet ends of Lake Kivu.
- 4
Nyungwe National Park
Chimpanzees, the canopy walkway and Kamiranzovu waterfall.
- 5
Akagera National Park
Big Five savannah and the Ihema boat.
The route on the map
Numbered pins follow the order of the route above.
Map of the 10 days in Rwanda route
The interactive Google Map loads on the live site.
02 — Highlights
What you will remember
One dawn in the Virungas and one in the rainforest
The full Kivu Belt with two lake nights
The canopy walkway 60 metres above the forest floor
A last-day game drive with lions before the flight home
03 — Day by day
10 days, priced honestly
Every figure below is per person and covers the room, the food, local transport, the intercity leg and any fixed fee that day. Switch the travel style to reprice the whole route.
Trip total, per person
$1,775
about $177 a day · mid-range
Comfortable en-suite room, a mix of local and tourist restaurants, occasional private transfer.
Day 1
Arrive Kigali
Muhanga (Gitarama) · Southern province
Transfer, dinner, early night.
Day cost
$83
- Room, food, local transport
- $81
- Intercity leg
- $1.5
- Airport → Kigali · 1,300–2,200 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Muhanga
Prices for Muhanga: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 2
Kigali day
Muhanga (Gitarama) · Southern province
Memorial, Nyamirambo, galleries, Kimironko market.
Day cost
$81
- Room, food, local transport
- $81
- Intercity leg
- —
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Muhanga
Prices for Muhanga: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 3
North to Musanze
Musanze (Ruhengeri) · Northern province
Coach north, lava caves, briefing.
Day cost
$174
- Room, food, local transport
- $172
- Intercity leg
- $2.4
- Kigali → Musanze · 2,400–3,500 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Musanze
Prices for Musanze: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 4
Volcanoes National Park
Musanze (Ruhengeri) · Northern province
Dawn at Kinigi, afternoon on the Twin Lakes ridge.
Day cost
$272
- Room, food, local transport
- $172
- Intercity leg
- —
- Permits and fees
- $100
- Golden monkey permit
- Sleeping in
- Musanze
Prices for Musanze: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 5
Musanze to Rubavu
Rubavu (Gisenyi) · Western province
Mountain road west, hot springs, beach evening.
Day cost
$155
- Room, food, local transport
- $151
- Intercity leg
- $4.5
- Musanze → Rubavu · 4,700–6,500 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Rubavu
Prices for Rubavu: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 6
Rubavu to Karongi
Karongi (Kibuye) · Western province
Belt road, Napoleon Island boat at dusk.
Day cost
$166
- Room, food, local transport
- $137
- Intercity leg
- $3.8
- Rubavu → Karongi · 4,000–5,500 RWF
- Permits and fees
- $25
- Island boat
- Sleeping in
- Karongi
Prices for Karongi: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 7
Karongi to Rusizi
Rusizi (Kamembe / Cyangugu) · Western province
The finest stretch of the belt road, tea estates by evening.
Day cost
$155
- Room, food, local transport
- $148
- Intercity leg
- $6.5
- Karongi → Rusizi · 7,500–9,500 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Rusizi
Prices for Rusizi: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 8
Nyungwe
Nyamagabe (Gikongoro / Nyungwe gateway) · Southern province
Igishigishigi trail at first light, canopy walkway, night at the forest edge.
Day cost
$257
- Room, food, local transport
- $197
- Intercity leg
- —
- Permits and fees
- $60
- Nyungwe park fee
- Sleeping in
- Nyamagabe
Prices for Nyamagabe: Operator fare boards at Nyabugogo (Ritco, Volcano, Virunga Express, Horizon) · checked September 2026
Day 9
South to east
Rwamagana · Eastern province
The long transfer via Huye and Kigali to Lake Muhazi.
Day cost
$110
- Room, food, local transport
- $109
- Intercity leg
- $1.4
- Nyungwe → Rwamagana · 1,200–2,000 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Rwamagana
Prices for Rwamagana: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 10
Akagera and out
Kayonza · Eastern province
Gate at opening, full game drive, Ihema boat, evening flight from Kigali.
Day cost
$322
- Room, food, local transport
- $210
- Intercity leg
- $1.8
- Rwamagana → Akagera · 1,700–2,600 RWF
- Permits and fees
- $110
- Park entry and boat
- Sleeping in
- Kayonza
Prices for Kayonza: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Per person, priced in USD. Using a recent fallback exchange rate. Coach fares follow the current RURA intercity tariff.
04 — The big line items
What the day totals leave out
Park permits and vehicle hire are the two costs that decide a Rwandan budget. They are listed separately so you can add only the ones you will actually buy.
05 — Practical desk
When to go, and how to move
Best time to travel
June to September covers all four regions comfortably. In the long rains, keep Nyungwe and Akagera but expect slower roads.
Getting around
This is the itinerary where a hired vehicle with a driver stops being a luxury: day nine is a long transfer and the park days need 4x4.
Know before you book
- ·Day nine is a driving day. Do not schedule anything else on it.
- ·Nyungwe and Akagera fees are paid in advance and are per person per day.
- ·If the flight is late evening, Akagera on the final day works; if not, move it earlier.
06 — Quick answers
Before you commit
Is ten days too long for Rwanda?
No. Ten days is the first length at which nothing is skipped and nothing is rushed.
Could I fly between regions?
There are no scheduled internal flights on these routes. Charter helicopters exist and cost more than the rest of the trip.
Other Rwanda trips
Northern route · 4 days
Volcanoes and Twin Lakes
First-time visitors who want mountains without a long drive.
Western route · 6 days
The Kivu Belt
Travellers with a week and a taste for long, spectacular drives.
Southern route · 3 days
Southern heritage run
Students, researchers and anyone here for the history.
Get 10 days in Rwanda quoted properly
Send your dates and travel style and we’ll pass this route to licensed Rwandan operators for a real quote on permits, transfers and rooms.