Luxury Rwanda safaris

All Wilderness camps are fully inclusive. Your rate covers all game activities (game drives, guided walks, boat trips where applicable), all meals and drinks including house wines, beers and spirits, laundry, and park fees. Excluded are items such as gratuities, gorilla trekking permits, spa treatments, curio purchases, and premium spirits or wines.

Wilderness camps are in the premium segment of African safari. Rates are fully inclusive (all meals, drinks, activities) and typically range from USD1,000 to USD4,000+ per person per night depending on camp, season, and configuration. Ultra-exclusive properties such as Little Mombo, The Sanctuary at Mombo, or The Sanctuary at Bisate sit at the higher end. Peak season (July to October in most regions) commands higher rates than green season. Contact a Wilderness Travel Designer for a personalised quote.

Minimum age requirements vary by camp. At most Wilderness properties children aged 6 and above are welcome when booking exclusive use of a camp and vehicle or travelling as a family group. Activity restrictions (e.g. walking safaris and gorilla trekking) carry their own age minimums set by regional park authorities. Speak with your Wilderness Travel Designer to confirm suitability for your children's ages.

The optimal season varies by destination and what you want to see. As a general guide: Rwanda's gorilla trekking is year-round with drier conditions in June to September and December to February. Your Wilderness specialist can advise based on your priorities.

Wilderness Rwanda camps in the Volcanoes National Parks and Akagera are all done via roud transfers with Thousand Hills Touring. Talk to your Wilderness Travel Designer for more details.

Wilderness recommends neutral colours (khaki, olive, beige) for safari activities — avoid bright colours and white. Pack layers: mornings and evenings can be cool year-round in most regions. Include a wide-brim hat, good sunscreen, quality binoculars, and a camera.

Many camps have a weight limit of 15kg (33lb soft bag only) for light aircraft transfers. Full packing lists are provided in your pre-departure documentation.

Wilderness operates under strict safety protocols developed over 40 years in the African bush. Guides are fully trained and licensed in wilderness first aid and wildlife safety. All camps maintain satellite communication and emergency evacuation procedures. The areas Wilderness operates in are private concessions, remote from tourist crowds, and consistently safe for guests. As with any wildlife encounter, guests follow guide instructions at all times in the bush.

Wilderness24 is our proprietary response capability internal and commitment to your wellbeing. This integrated risk management function, managed from within the business, involves internal experts and dedicated partners to ensure that if any unexpected situation arises, it is handled swiftly and seamlessly.

Every Wilderness camp directly contributes funds to conservation through a dedicated conservation innitiative, the Wilderness Trust. Wilderness also runs community partnerships in every region it operates — from community trusts in Botswana and Namibia to reforestation programmes in Rwanda. 

Rwanda is a land of staggering beauty, home to extraordinary biodiversity, iconic wildlife, volcanoes, montane rainforest and sweeping plains. From Wilderness Magashi , you can explore the wonders of Akagera National Park by boat or 4x4 vehicle. Don’t miss the unforgettable experience of gorilla trekking, or golden monkey trekking, in Volcanoes National Park . Beside the rich wildlife, you can also explore Kigali, the bustling capital city, alive with tradition and culture. 

Rwanda works exceptionally well as part of a longer East or Southern Africa itinerary. Kigali is a natural hub connecting onward to Nairobi (for Kenya/Tanzania) or to Johannesburg (for Botswana, Zimbabwe, or Zambia). A popular combination is gorilla trekking at Bisate or Sabyinyo followed by a classic savanna safari — a complete contrast in terrain and wildlife that delivers one of Africa's most diverse safari experiences. 

Yes, you need a visa to enter Rwanda. Thirty-day tourist visas are free and available on arrival for citizens of member states of the Commonwealth, as well as for those of the African Union and Francophone countries.

Yes, as advised by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) , please obtain your permits prior to arrival. The process is facilitated by our Wilderness Rwanda Travel Shop & Touring, and your Travel Designer. The permits are essential  to ensure the sustainability of the conservation initiatives, and to benefit the development of communities  surrounding Volcanoes National Park. Your Travel Designer can also provide guidance on the different permit options, including standard, discounted or private primate trekking permits, as well as their associated costs. 

Yellow fever vaccination is not a requirement when visiting Rwanda. However, one of Rwanda’s entry requirements states that if you also travel to Kenya and Uganda, you need to be inoculated for yellow fever. Again, please make sure to check with your travel clinic and Travel Designer before your holiday. 

While Bisate’s elevation means that it is not located in a malaria-risk area, other regions in Rwanda which you may pass through, do carry a risk, including Magashi in Akagera National Park. We advise our guests to check with their medical practitioner or travel clinic regarding malaria prevention. Please be sure to do this several weeks prior to departure, as some courses of medication need to be started in advance of your arrival in Rwanda. 

Rwandan Franc (RWF)

Yes, MasterCard and Visa are usually accepted throughout Rwanda, including Wilderness destinations. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept American Express and Diners Club cards at our Wilderness properties.

Rwanda shares the same time zone as the rest of Southern Africa, which is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time – (GMT) + 2 hours, in the Central Africa Time Zone (CAT).

At Bisate, Sabyinyo and Bisate Reserve, electricity is provided from the national power grid and supported by a back-up generator system. Each Villa is equipped with 220V plug points, including multi-plug adaptors with USB ports for charging mobile devices, batteries and sleep apnoea machines.

Magashi is 100% solar powered with a back-up generator for emergencies. Geysers are solar powered. Multi-plug adaptor charging facilities (230V) for mobile devices with USB ports are available, and charging facilities are available on request and with prior notice for the use of sleep apnoea machines.

Rainforests tend to be rainy and wet, so we suggest you pack warm, protective clothing and comfortable walking or hiking boots. A hat and a lightweight parka/raincoat are essential. Be sure to bring garden gloves, to protect yourself from stinging nettles – you’ll be glad you did!

Our menus in Rwanda are designed to be sustainable and self-sufficient, often created with ingredients sourced from our own gardens. We also support local communities already growing crops, and buy much of our produce from our neighbouring farms. Some Rwandan specialities include Liboke (chicken cooked and served in banana leaves), Sambaza (fried, spicy small fish served with spiced ginger rice), coconut fish and Kachumbari (a traditional tomato and onion salad).

Rwanda  enjoys a pleasant temperate tropical highland climate. Thanks to its high elevation, the country experiences cooler temperatures than one would expect for an equatorial region. Kigali's daily temperatures range from 12°C to 27 °C, with very little variation   throughout the year. The cooler mountainous north-west, home to Bisate, Sabyinyo and Bisate Reserve, tends to be cooler than the lower-lying eastern areas.