Best Safari Package in Rwanda for Couples
Best Safari Package in Rwanda for Couples begins with excitement, smart planning, and two hearts ready for adventure. Rwanda offers some of the most breathtaking wildlife experiences across all of East Africa. However, careful planning is essential, as Rwanda is one of the pricier East African destinations for travel logistics.
You need at least 7–10 days to explore its most stunning destinations without feeling rushed. A 10-day mid-range safari starts from $6,700 per person for two people sharing accommodation. This cost covers transport, accommodation, gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, golden monkey trekking, and all park entry fees. It also includes the canopy walk, boat cruise, Mount Bisoke hiking, Kigali city tour, and beach activities at Lake Kivu. A luxury safari starts from $12,000–$22,000 per person, depending on your chosen lodge level. From Kigali’s vibrant streets to the misty volcanoes of the north, every day creates a deeper bond between you both.
10-Day Safari Package for Couples in Rwanda
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali & Kigali City Tour
Your warm and friendly driver-guide meets you right at Kigali International Airport upon arrival. Together, you drive comfortably to your hotel for check-in and some well-deserved rest after your journey. After relaxing and enjoying a satisfying lunch, you head to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Site together. This powerful memorial invites you both to pause and honor the 800,000 Tutsi victims of the 1994 genocide with deep respect. Although solemn, this shared moment builds a strong emotional connection that quietly deepens your bond as a couple. Afterward, you stroll through Kigali’s colorful local markets and vibrant art galleries, hand in hand. The lively streets, warm smiles of locals, and colorful crafts make your first evening in Rwanda feel genuinely welcoming and romantic.
Where You Stay on Day 1:
Mid-range couples: Onomo Hotel — A sleek, modern property in the heart of Kigali offering stylish rooms, a rooftop pool, and stunning city views perfect for a romantic evening together.
Luxury couples: The Governor’s Residence — An elegant colonial-style boutique hotel with manicured gardens, personalized service, and a deeply intimate atmosphere that sets the tone for romance.
Day 2: Drive to Akagera National Park & Afternoon Game Drive
After a satisfying early breakfast, you check out and settle comfortably into your pop-up roof safari jeep for the scenic 3-hour drive east. Rolling green hills and small rural communities line the roadside as you make your way toward Akagera National Park. You arrive at the park, check into your lodge, and enjoy a relaxed lunch before the afternoon game drive begins.
Akagera National Park covers approximately 1,122 square kilometers of classic African savannah in eastern Rwanda. Furthermore, it is Rwanda’s only savannah park, sheltering lions, elephants, white and black rhinos, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, giraffes, and thousands of antelopes. Diverse vegetation spans open grasslands, dense woodlands, and vast papyrus swamps alongside a chain of sparkling lakes. As the jeep rolls quietly through the golden plains, the feeling of sitting side by side – watching a lion walk freely — instantly fills your hearts with shared wonder and deep intimacy.
Where You Stay on Day 2:
Mid-range couples: Akagera Game Lodge —Located in the southern section of the Akagera National Park, and boasts panoramic views of Lake Ihema and the smaller Lake Shikani, offering cozy rooms, and a warm atmosphere that feels tailored for two.
Luxury couples: Ruzizi Tented Lodge — A romantic tented camp sitting right on Lake Ihema’s shores, with private decks perfectly positioned for watching golden sunsets together over the water.
Day 3: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema
You rise early and catch the thrilling 6:00 AM game drive just as the first golden light sweeps across the open savannah. The Big Five – rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, lions, and leopards – roam freely alongside zebras, giraffes, and countless graceful antelopes. Sitting close together in the pop-up roof jeep as each sighting appears, your shared gasps and wide smiles say everything. After 3–4 hours of pure wildlife magic, you return to the lodge for a hearty lunch and a refreshing rest. Later in the afternoon, you board a boat for a romantic cruise along Lake Ihema, the largest lake in Akagera.
Lake Ihema stretches over 90 square kilometers and hosts enormous hippo pods, Nile crocodiles, and over 500 colorful bird species including kingfishers, herons, and African fish eagles. As the sun dips slowly toward the horizon, its golden reflections dance across the calm water, making the evening feel perfectly designed just for the two of you.
Day 4: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park (5–6 Hours)
After breakfast, you begin the scenic 5–6 hour drive southwest toward the ancient Nyungwe Forest National Park. The route winds through Rwanda’s famous thousand hills, past sweeping tea plantations, charming local villages, and roadside markets full of color. You arrive in Nyungwe in the afternoon, check into your lodge, and enjoy a well-deserved lunch together.
In the late evening, you have the option to take a leisurely stroll through nearby tea plantations as cool mountain air wraps gently around you both. Walking hand in hand through endless rows of bright green tea bushes, with birds singing and the sky turning purple at dusk, creates a deeply calming and romantic atmosphere. This slower, quieter day gives you both precious space to breathe deeply and fall a little more in love with Rwanda.
Where You Stay on Day 4:
Mid-range couples: Top View Hill Hotel Nyungwe — A comfortable hillside property offering sweeping panoramic views over forested valleys, creating a peaceful and scenic retreat for two.
Luxury couples: One & Only Nyungwe House — A breathtaking luxury retreat surrounded by ancient rainforest and rolling tea estates, offering world-class dining and private forest walks that feel exclusively yours.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking (Morning) & Canopy Walk (Afternoon)
You wake between 5:30 and 6:00 AM, energized by excitement and a warm breakfast before setting out. At park headquarters, rangers brief your small group on the rules and divide trekkers into intimate groups to keep the experience personal. At 8:00 AM, you enter the forest with experienced guides, beginning the search for habituated chimpanzees deep in the canopy.
Nyungwe National Park covers 1,019 square kilometers of ancient montane rainforest, one of Africa’s oldest and most biodiverse ecosystems. Moreover, it shelters 13 primate species, including chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Angola colobus, owl-faced monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys. When you finally find the chimps swinging through branches, calling loudly, and grooming one another, your hearts race together with shared excitement and awe. You spend exactly 1 precious hour watching them before heading back for a relaxed lunch. In the afternoon, the canopy walk takes you both 50 meters above the forest floor on a 200-meter swaying suspension bridge, where you grip each other tightly while spotting great blue turacos, Rwenzori turacos, and dozens of rare forest birds gliding through the green below.
Day 6: Drive to Lake Kivu (1–2 Hours)
After breakfast, you take a short and scenic 1–2 hour drive from Nyungwe directly down to Lake Kivu’s beautiful shoreline. Lake Kivu is one of Africa’s Great Lakes, stretching 90 kilometers in length and sitting at 1,460 meters above sea level along the Congo border. Uniquely, Lake Kivu contains no hippos or crocodiles, making it completely safe for swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding in its calm, warm waters. The gentle turquoise surface, soft breeze, and lush green hills surrounding the lake create the perfect setting for a slow and deeply romantic day by the water. You swim freely together, kayak side by side across the shimmering surface, or simply sit barefoot on the shore watching small wooden fishing boats drift peacefully past. This is the day you both simply exhale, lean into each other, and let Rwanda’s natural beauty do the rest.
Where You Stay on Day 6:
Couples: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel — An elegant lakeside property featuring a private beach, an infinity pool that appears to melt into the lake, and panoramic water views from every room that make every moment feel like a honeymoon.
Day 7: Optional Lake Activities & Drive to Volcanoes National Park
After a leisurely morning breakfast, you choose whether to enjoy one final activity at Lake Kivu before heading north. The 2.5–3 hour drive to Volcanoes National Park carries you through Rwanda’s striking volcanic landscape and vibrant green countryside. After checking in and enjoying lunch, your late afternoon brings an extraordinary cultural experience at the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village. Here, local community members welcome you warmly with traditional Intore dances, rhythmic drumming performances, and ancient storytelling that reaches deep into Rwanda’s rich history. You try traditional crafts together, taste local dishes, and even attempt a few energetic dance moves that leave you both laughing loudly. This genuine cultural experience connects you both to the beating heart of Rwanda in a joyful, meaningful, and unforgettable way that no game drive can replicate.
Where You Stay on Day 7:
Mid-range couples: Ingagi Lodge or Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge — Both warm, welcoming properties offering comfortable rooms, genuine hospitality, and a friendly atmosphere close to the park gates.
Luxury couples: Virunga Lodge or Amakoro Songa Lodge — Stunning lodges with sweeping volcano views, elegant interiors, and romantic outdoor spaces perfectly designed for couples sharing this extraordinary adventure.
High-end couples: Bisate Lodge — An award-winning eco-luxury retreat with dramatic Virunga volcano views, private plunge pools, and immersive conservation experiences that make every stay feel truly extraordinary.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking Experience
This is the moment every couple has been quietly waiting for — the most profound wildlife encounter on earth. You wake between 5:30 and 6:30 AM, eat a hearty breakfast, and then head to park headquarters for the 7:30 AM briefing. Rangers carefully assign trekkers into small groups of just eight people per gorilla family, thoughtfully matched by fitness level and age. Before setting off, consider hiring a local porter for $15–$20 to carry your bag and support the surrounding community directly.
Volcanoes National Park covers 160 square kilometers of bamboo forest, hagenia woodland, and high-altitude moorland across northwest Rwanda’s dramatic Virunga range. At 8:00 AM, you hike into the ancient bamboo forest with armed rangers who clear the path and ensure your safety throughout. The trek can last anywhere from 1 to 5 hours depending on where the gorilla family has moved that day. When rangers finally signal silence and you step into the clearing, your breath catches completely. For 1 full, precious hour, you watch the silverback protect his family, mothers nurse their infants tenderly, and curious youngsters tumble playfully through the green undergrowth just meters away. This shared moment, standing together in the mountain mist, changes both of you quietly and forever.
Day 9: Mount Bisoke Hiking
After an energizing breakfast, you arrive at Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi by 7:00 AM for registration, briefing, and to meet your guide. Mount Bisoke stands powerfully at 3,711 meters in the ancient Virunga volcanic chain, last erupting dramatically in 1957.
The hike begins through dense rainforest teeming with birdlife, then climbs through open shrubland, and ends at a breathtaking crater lake perched at the very summit. Round-trip, the hike takes 6–8 hours and genuinely tests your stamina, determination, and trust in each other on the steeper sections. Hiring a porter is strongly recommended, as they guide your pace and help you tackle the challenging final stretch with encouragement. As you both reach the crater lake at the top, a wave of shared achievement washes over you completely. Standing together above the clouds, with the entire Virunga mountain chain spreading around you in every direction, is a triumph you will carry in your hearts for the rest of your lives together.
Day 10: Dian Fossey Hike, Karisoke Research Centre & Departure
On your final morning, you hike to the grave of Dian Fossey, the legendary American primatologist who gave her life protecting Rwanda’s mountain gorillas. The Karisoke Research Centre sits at 3,000 meters deep in the Virunga forest, a sacred place where her groundbreaking conservation work began in 1967. Walking through this quiet, mossy forest together — knowing the gorillas you met yesterday exist because of her courage — fills the moment with extraordinary depth and meaning. This shared experience reminds you both that love, like nature, is always worth fighting to protect. At midday, you drive back to Kigali for your departure flight, or choose an extra night in the city to savor your final hours in this remarkable country together.
Best Time to Plan this Adventure
Rwanda welcomes visitors throughout the entire year, but the dry seasons offer the very best conditions for trekking and wildlife viewing. The long dry season runs from June through September, when forest trails are drier and gorilla sightings are highly reliable. Additionally, the short dry season from December through February provides another excellent window with clear skies and firm forest paths. During dry season, game drives in Akagera also reveal more wildlife congregating near water sources, making every sighting richer and more exciting for couples.
Why Book this Adventure with Iconic Africa Safaris
Iconic Africa Safaris pairs you with experienced local guides who carry deep, personal knowledge of Rwanda’s landscapes, wildlife corridors, and hidden gems that no guidebook covers. Furthermore, their dedicated team handles every single logistical detail — from permits to lodge bookings – with careful attention paid specifically to your comfort and privacy as a couple. They also thoughtfully select lodges that prioritize intimacy, romantic settings, and genuinely authentic African experiences rather than generic tourist packages. Most importantly, they understand that this is not just a safari — it is a love story unfolding against one of the world’s most beautiful backdrops. Therefore, you arrive, you explore, you fall deeper in love, and you leave changed forever.
When to Book this Adventure
Book this adventure 3–4 months in advance to guarantee gorilla permits and lodge availability, especially during the peak dry season months. However, last-minute bookings made 1–2 months ahead remain possible depending on availability during peak periods. During the quieter low season, booking just 1–2 months in advance typically secures your spot without any difficulty at all. No matter when you decide to go, the sooner you plan, the more options you have – and the sooner your greatest adventure together can begin.
