Rwanda Safari Prices – all you need to know about safari costs in Rwanda – Acacia safaris Limited 2023 – 2024

Rwanda Safari Prices – What is the average cost for a safari in Rwanda? Adventure Rwanda safaris are truly rewarding and most popular on travelers’ bucket lists when visiting Africa. Known as a country of a thousand hills, Rwanda has a variety to offer to its visitor from the famous gorilla trekking adventures to exclusive wildlife viewing in savannah safari parks like Akagera National Park. When planning safaris to this beautiful country, Rwanda Safari Prices are considered by many travelers and this article is meant to offer you exclusive knowledge of different safari costs you may incur while in Rwanda. Rwanda Safari Prices – different safari activities in Rwanda have different prices attached to them and in this article, we explain different safari activities and their costs

Gorilla Trekking

All you need to know about different safari costs/prices in Rwanda – Rwanda Safari Prices – different activity prices in Rwanda

Gorilla Trekking Permit Cost – Rwanda Safari Prices

To trek mountain gorillas in any gorilla safari destination, be it Rwanda, Uganda, or DR. Congo, one must acquire a gorilla trekking permit. Since May 2017, the Rwanda Development Board, which oversees gorilla trekking in Rwanda, raised the price of a gorilla permit from USD 750 to USD 1500 per person for each trip. In comparison to other gorilla safari destinations, Rwanda has the most expensive gorilla permits: whereas a gorilla permit in DR. Congo is at USD 450 per person, a gorilla permit in Uganda is at USD 700 (foreign non-residents), USD 600 (foreign residents) and UGX 250,000 for east African Citizens.

Gorilla Safari Packing List – To have the best experience while trekking mountain gorillas, there are several items that you require to make your Rwanda gorilla safari a success. These include insect repellents, hand gloves, a good camera, hiking shoes, long-sleeved clothing, birding binoculars, and a rain jacket. These items should be purchased before your gorilla safari.

Chimpanzee Trekking Cost – how much is chimp trekking in Rwanda

Nyungwe Forest is home to approximately 400 chimps making it a prime destination for chimp tracking in Rwanda. These massive human cousins are spectacular to watch in the wild as they mimic human behavior and way of life. Tracking chimps offer travelers with an absolute sense of familiarity since they are human closest cousins sharing up to 97% DNA with humans.

In Nyungwe, there are two communities of chimpanzees that can be tracked in Uwinka. Travelers must arrive at the Uwinka Park headquarters by 7:00 a.m. for a briefing and registration. The trek to meet the chimps begins at 8:00 a.m., and the amount of time spent before meeting the chimps is variable. Depending on where the primates are that day, the trek can go anywhere from 30 minutes to a whole day. Travelers are, however, 99% certain of meeting the gentle giants on the day of the excursion. The maximum time spent with chimps is one hour.

Chimpanzee tracking

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest costs $90 for foreign non-residents, $60 for foreign residents and East African Citizens, RWF 5000 for Rwandans, and $10 for East African community citizens. Students from Rwanda pay RWF2500, foreign residents pay $30, and East African Community students pay $5. This price is good for 24 hours. A chimpanzee permit, like a gorilla permit, expires within an hour of observing the chimpanzees.

Besides chimpanzees, Nyungwe forest is home to 12 more primate species which include Olive Baboons, Silver Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, Golden monkeys, Crowned monkeys, Owl-faced monkeys, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Red Tailed Monkeys, Golden Monkeys, Dent’s Mona Monkeys, Hamly’s Monkeys among many others.

Cost of trekking other Primates (Black and white colobus, Golden Monkey among others)

If you are visiting Nyungwe and would like to trek other primates, foreign non-residents pay $60, foreign residents pay $40, Rwanda citizens pay Rwf 5000, Rwandan citizen students pay Rwf1,500, East African Community students pay $3, and foreign resident students pay $20. This price includes park admission, a tour fee, a conservation fee, and revenue to local communities.

Cost of Portage

For travelers who wish to hire potters, they are usually available at an affordable cost, especially during the gorilla trek. Porters will provide services such as luggage lifting when you travel to the jungle for gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking can be tough for the elderly; and since they must utilize sedan chairs, they have to pay porters to hoist them up when walking. Hiring a sedan chair may cost you around $400, and porters will transport it for you. Porter services are available at $10 per porter.

These porters, some of them are students looking for money for their studies, and others who are men looking for money to support their families, all live close to national parks. However, they are all locals, and by using their services, you will surely be expanding job opportunities and ensuring the welfare of the neighborhood because these porters will be making a living from this line of work.

Cost of a Wildlife Safari in Akagera National Park

The picturesque National Park Akagera is Rwanda’s only savannah national park. The park is home to various wildlife species including the big five, as well as numerous bird species. Visitors who want to view Rwanda’s rich biodiversity should visit the park. However, a lot of fees, taxes, and related donations are used to maintain this lovely park. Each of the three groups of visitors to Akagera Park—Rwandans, East Africans, and foreign tourists—is billed differently in terms of the activities they will partake in, which include game drives, boat excursions, bird viewing, and camping, to name just a few.

Rwanda Safari Prices

Park Entry Fees

Every tourist to Akagera National Park is required to pay park entry fees. Park entrance fees for international tourists are $100 for adults and $50 for children aged 6 to 12 years, $50 for foreign East African residents (adults), and $30 for children. Rwandese nationals on the other hand pay $16 for adults and $11 for children for entrance fees.

Entrance fee for vehicles

Depending on its size and registration number, a fee must be paid by each vehicle entering the National Park. $10 is the registration fee for small safari cars and minibuses in Rwanda and the East African region, while $20 to $24 is the fee for omnibus buses or overlanders. Buses, overlanders, and omnibuses are taxed $100, whereas international compact cars and minibusses are charged $40.

Safari Game Drives.

Safari game drives in Akagera National Park cost $180 for day game drives which last a maximum of 5 hours. This cost includes a driver and safari car that seats up to 7 people. Additionally, the complete day game drive costs $280. Sight View Safaris offers night game drives for $40 per adult and $25 for children.

Boat Rides

This costs $20 for adults and $30 for children per hour, at a maximum of 11 people, and $180 if you want to rent a whole boat. Sunset boat cruises in Akagera cost $40 for adults and $35 for youngsters.

Camping charge

Camping in Akagera National Park costs $25 per night for adults and $15 for children in a secure camping area and includes your tent and other camping goods.

Fishing Excursions

These cost $25 for adults and $15 for children. This cost is meant to cover the fishing equipment.