Eco-friendly Rwanda safari activities for 2024 to 2026

Conservation is taken seriously in Rwanda by all the stakeholders. Under the Rwanda Development Board, four national parks, forest reserves, and four protected wetlands cover about 40% of the land in the country. Rwanda has undertaken a project to protect wildlife and landscapes across the country, including Mountain gorillas, Black rhinos, and golden monkeys. Rwanda is significantly leaning on tourism, and with the help of the different conservation partners, including the Rwanda Development Board, Eco-friendly activities have been introduced to raise awareness of the conservation of wildlife while simultaneously enjoying your safari in the country.

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The top eco-friendly destinations in Rwanda

Some of the best eco-friendly tourist destinations in Rwanda that you should visit include the following:

Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is home to the endangered mountain gorillas and is Rwanda's top eco-friendly safari destination. This protected area is part of the Virunga region in the country's northwestern part. The conservation of gorillas in Volcanoes National Park started in the 1960s when Dian Fossey undertook the study and preservation of the almost extinct gorillas. Locals were poaching the mountain gorillas and encroaching on their natural habitat, which had been infringed on and greatly affected the mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Centre within the park around 1967, which started the habituation process.

Dian Fossey also introduced a conservation technique known today as the ranger monitoring program, where the Mountain gorillas are guarded 24/7 by armed rangers and doctors from poachers, any other dangers, and also treating the gorillas when they are sick or injured. Due to the constant protection, the population of the gorillas in Rwanda has increased to over 600 in the Virunga region.

Locals have also been introduced and trained on how to protect the gorillas. For example, the introduction of the Ibyiwacu Cultural Centre, currently known as the Gorilla Guardians village, is a rehabilitation center for ex-poachers who are now empowered to promote and preserve the Rwanda culture. Introducing such villages has reduced the number of people living around the national park, improving the conservation process.

There was also the introduction of rules and regulations that the Rwanda Development Board set as one of the ways gorillas would be conserved. Conserving gorillas is also not an easy fit, and that is why the gorilla permit was introduced. The cost is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $500 for African citizens, and $200 for East African citizens per person. This has greatly helped in the conservation of the primates.

You can check on the conservation process by visiting Volcanoes National Park and taking a hike to the grave of Dian Fossey, who was buried in the park after losing her life.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe Forest National Park is a dense tropical forest that is found in the Albertine region and home to 13 primates, including chimpanzees, LHoest monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and olive baboons, and over 300 recorded bird species, 16 of which are endemic to the Albertine valley. The Rwanda Development Board and the Wildlife Conservation Society partnered to help with the conservation of the park, and this started in 1988. The partnership between the two has promoted eco-friendly activities, including canopy walks, chimpanzee trekking, bird watching, and hiking through the forest. Although Rwanda is trying hard to conserve Nyungwe, The population around the park is still high, so the government has also sought another partnership with African Parks to protect the biodiversity. 

Gishwati-Mukura National Park 

This is one of the country's most recently introduced national parks and the most significant introduction to ecotourism. It was also recognized as a UNESCO biosphere reserve used as a learning center for development. The Gishwati-Mukura Park is home to chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and several bird species, which are being protected to increase the number of chimpanzees and golden monkeys in the country. During the genocide, the Mukura forests and Gishwati forests were reduced, but after the joining of the two to form Gishwati-Mukura, it covers 34 square kilometers. The locals who used to cut down the trees have been incorporated into ecotourism to protect the trees and the natural habitat for the chimps. The locals are now engaged in various activities like cattle keeping, beekeeping, and handcrafts, among others.

Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is home to several wildlife species. In a bid to conserve wildlife in the country, the government of Rwanda re-introduced animals that had become extinct for over two decades. Lions, Black rhinos, and white rhinos were re-introduced to the national park, which has dramatically improved the tourism sector of Rwanda.

Eco-friendly safaris in Rwanda offer a wide range of activities that allow you to observe wildlife, participate in the conservation of natural habitats, and support the local communities. Some of the activities that you can enjoy on your eco-friendly safari in Rwanda include the following:

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda are the top safari activities and are well-organized, bringing in a lot of revenue.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is carried out in Volcanoes National Park, found in the Virunga region along the border of Rwanda with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Volcanoes National Park is home to 12 gorilla-habituated gorilla families open for trekking. If you wish to trek gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, you first need to purchase a gorilla permit that will give you access to the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $500 for African residents, and $200 for East African citizens per person per session. The gorilla permit is expensive because a percentage of the cost is used to conserve the endangered Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is one of the eco-friendly activities that you can engage in while on a safari to Rwanda. Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is mainly carried out in Nyungwe Forest National Park, home to hundreds of chimpanzees and two habituated chimp communities, one in Nyungwe and the other in Cyamudongo. To participate in chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe, you must purchase a chimp trekking permit, which costs $250 per person per session. There are two sessions offered in Nyungwe, one in the morning and another in the afternoon hours, and these are carried out with the help of an experienced guide.

Wildlife safaris in Rwanda

Wildlife safaris are one of the eco-friendly activities that can be carried out in Rwanda, and some of the activities you cannot miss out on include game drives, bird-watching safaris, and guided nature walks. These can be carried out in Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.

Game drives: Game drives are carried out in Akagera National Park, the largest national park in Rwanda. Akagera is home to a wide range of animals, including waterbucks, impalas, elephants, antelopes, hyenas, klipspringer, duikers, lions, leopards, zebras, buffaloes and giraffes, among others. Game drives in Akagera start early in the morning and are carried out in 4x4 safari vehicles, and the drives usually last about 2 hours. Night drives are offered at Akagera National Park, which lasts about 2 hours from around 6 pm to around 8:30 pm. This allows you to spot nocturnal wildlife, and you don't need to worry about the vision because a spotlight is used.

Bird watching: Bird watching in Rwanda is an exciting activity that is carried out in the different parts of the country including Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda has over 500 recorded bird species, 29 of which are endemic to the Albertine region. Some of the notable bird species you should look out for include the Albertine Boubou, Blue-headed sunbird, handsome francolin, Albertine Owlet, purple-breasted sunbird, regal sunbird, black-faced Apalis, Congo bay owl, kivu ground thrush, Archer's robin-chat, Kungwe Apalis, red-throated Alethe, Neumann's warbler, dusky crimsonwing, red-faced woodland warbler, Grauer's swamp warbler, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Ruwenzori nightjar, strange weaver, Schouteden's swift and Ruwenzori Turaco among other.

Guided nature walks: Guided nature walks are some of the eco-friendly activities that can be carried out in the different national parks in the country, such as Akagera, Nyungwe Forest, and Volcanoes National Park. During the guided nature walks, you can spot the different wildlife in the parks, including golden monkeys, L'Hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, several bird species, and olive baboons, among others. 

Several ways in which Rwanda is investing in eco-friendly tourism

Rwanda has greatly leaned into eco-friendly tourism and conservation by protecting all the country's national parks, including those encroached on, and introducing more parks and reserves to continue preserving wildlife and the environment. The government and the Rwanda Development Board have demonstrated strong commitment by promoting payment for ecosystem services and conservation. 

Some of the ways that Rwanda is conserving and promoting ecotourism and eco-friendly safari activities are:

Conservation and re-introduction of almost extinct and endangered wildlife species:

The Rwandan government, in collaboration with the different conservation partners and the Rwanda Development Board, has increased the protection of the endangered species in the country, like Mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park. With the increased conservation, the Mountain gorilla population in 2016 increased from around 480 to 604, and they upgraded from critically endangered to endangered species on the IUCN list.

Rwanda also re-introduced lions and rhinos in Akagera National Park, which were extinct for almost two decades in the country. The lions were brought into the park in 2015, the endangered black rhinos were re-introduced in Rwanda in 2017, and the white rhinos were re-introduced in 2019, increasing the number of white and black rhinos in the country.

As a result of re-introducing and conserving the endangered species, the population of the different species has increased, saving them from critically endangered and extinction.

Protection of the national parks:

Rwanda is one of the few countries that has invested highly in its tourism sector, and in a bid to help promote eco-friendly activities, the government has announced the protection of the national parks in the country like the Gishwati-Mukura National Park, Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and the expansion of the Volcanoes National Park.

Introduction of the Gishwati-Mukura National Park:

Rwanda created the Gishwati-Mukura National Park in 2016 to protect the area, which became the country's fourth national park. The area was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve four years later. This achievement has improved the conservation of the Gishwati-Mukura National Park, as it is home to the chimpanzees; this has also created new opportunities for the community, research, education, and development of the ecotourism sector in the country.

Investing in ecotourism:

Tourism is a significant income earner, and the government has always invested big in the tourism sector. Rwanda has positioned itself as a high-end tourism destination, attracting professional and high-end partners, including the Mantis collection, Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, One&Only, Singita, Amakoro Songa Africa, and Wilderness Safaris. 

When is the best time to go for an Eco-Friendly safari to Rwanda?

An Eco-friendly safari to Rwanda can be carried out all year round, but the best time is during the dry months of June to September and December to February. Most eco-friendly activities are best carried out during the dry season. However, the wet season, March to May and October to November, is also an excellent time to go for an Eco-friendly safari in Rwanda.

Eco-friendly activities are introduced to the community by giving them opportunities and, at the same time, conserving the protected areas. Some programs have been taught that have improved the livelihoods of the locals, which has ultimately stopped poaching, the biggest threat to endangered wildlife.

Contact us to plan your safari in advance.