Helicopter Safaris in Rwanda: Akagera, Nyungwe and Volcanoes by Air
Five G-Step packages fly you to Rwanda's parks: Akagera in a day at US$595, gorillas at US$1,710, Magashi Camp, Nyungwe and a three-park circuit at US$19,875.
Nov 2, 2026 6 min read
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Five Rwanda packages from G-Step Tours use helicopter transfers to cut the drive to the parks: a one-day Akagera safari at US$595 per person, a one-day Volcanoes gorilla trek at US$1,710, a two-day stay at Magashi Camp in Akagera at US$5,277, a two-day Nyungwe canopy and chimpanzee trip at US$7,640, and a three-day circuit of all three parks at US$19,875. Count on 25 minutes in the air to Akagera and 30 minutes to Musanze for Volcanoes, against about 2.5 hours by road for each, and about 4 hours by road to Magashi Camp. The flight is written into some of these prices and offered as an option on others, so the first thing to ask us is which transfer your price covers.
The five packages at a glance
| Package | Days | Parks | Transfer | Price | Group size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Day Safari: Akagera National Park | 1 | Akagera | 25 minutes by helicopter or about 2.5 hours by road | US$595 | Up to 10 |
| One-Day Bucket List: Volcanoes Gorilla Trek | 1 | Volcanoes | Helicopter flight to Musanze or road transfer (30 minutes or about 2.5 hours) | US$1,710 | Up to 8 |
| Two-Day Luxury: Akagera Magashi Camp Safari | 2 | Akagera | Helicopter or road transfer option (30 minutes or about 4 hours) | US$5,277 | Up to 8 |
| Two-Day Escape: Nyungwe Canopy & Chimpanzee Tracking | 2 | Nyungwe | Helicopter return included | US$7,640 | Up to 8 |
| Three-Day Ultimate: Akagera, Nyungwe & Volcanoes | 3 | Akagera, Nyungwe, Volcanoes | Scenic helicopter routing between the parks | US$19,875 | Up to 8 |
Every package leaves out international flights, travel insurance, personal expenses and tips. Pickup is in Kigali, and G-Step confirms the exact pickup point and the helicopter or road timing after booking. Bring a passport or ID, sunscreen, a camera and rain protection; the Nyungwe, Volcanoes and three-day trips also ask for comfortable walking shoes and a light jacket.
The helicopters themselves are not described in the packages, so ask us which operator and aircraft your date uses. Rwanda's tourism board names Akagera Aviation as the company offering helicopter charters and scenic tours across the country. It is based at Kigali International Airport, licensed by the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, and flies an Agusta 109, an Agusta 139 and a Robinson 44, which seat six, five and three passengers. The largest seats six, so ask us how a bigger group is flown.
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A helicopter over Rwanda. Ask us which operator and aircraft your package uses.
Photo credit: RWAYITARE250, CC BY-SA 4.0
Akagera in a day: US$595, and the flight is an option
The One-Day Safari: Akagera National Park includes hotel pickup, morning and afternoon game drives, a picnic lunch by Lake Ihema, an optional sunset boat cruise and a G-Step guide, for up to ten guests. The transfer is given as 25 minutes by helicopter or about 2.5 hours by road, but the helicopter is not written into the inclusions, so ask us whether US$595 is the road price or the flying price before you book. If you would rather have a night in the park by road, our Akagera overnight safaris guide compares the 2 and 3-day trips.
One-Day Safari: Akagera National Park
A one-day Akagera National Park safari from G-Step Tours for travellers who want Rwanda's savannah wildlife in a single day. The public G-Step package includes early hotel pickup, morning and afternoon game drives, picnic lunch by Lake Ihema and an optional sunset boat cruise. Duration: 1 day. Transfer note: 25 minutes by helicopter or about 2.5 hours by road. Language: English. Guests should bring a passport or ID, sunscreen, a camera and rain protection.
per person · 1 day
- Pickup Dropoff
$595
View experienceGorillas in a day from Kigali: US$1,710, with the permit the biggest part
The One-Day Bucket List: Volcanoes Gorilla Trek includes early hotel pickup, a helicopter flight to Musanze or a road transfer, the park briefing and forest trek, one hour with a gorilla family, lunch at The Bishop's House and guide support. The Rwanda Development Board's gorilla tracking page puts the permit at US$1,500 per person per day, sets the minimum age at 15, issues eight permits per gorilla group per day (96 a day in all) and limits the visit to one hour. So most of the US$1,710 is the permit, and the question to settle is whether the balance buys the 30-minute flight or the 2.5-hour drive. On the day, everyone gathers at the park headquarters in Kinigi at 7am, and the walk to the family can take from 30 minutes to four hours or more, between 2,500 m and 4,000 m. RDB recommends solid walking shoes, sturdy clothing against stinging nettles and a lightweight waterproof jacket. Under-15s cannot trek at all.
One-Day Bucket List: Volcanoes Gorilla Trek
A one-day Volcanoes National Park gorilla-trekking experience from G-Step Tours for travellers looking for Rwanda's signature primate encounter. The public G-Step package lists early hotel pickup, helicopter flight to Musanze or road transfer, park briefing, forest trek, one hour with a gorilla family and lunch at The Bishop's House. Duration: 1 day. Transfer note: 30 minutes by helicopter or about 2.5 hours by road. Language: English. Guests should bring a passport or ID, comfortable hiking shoes, sunscreen, a light jacket, a camera and rain protection.
per person · 1 day
- Pickup Dropoff
$1,710
View experienceMagashi Camp for two days: US$5,277 with everything in
The Two-Day Luxury: Akagera Magashi Camp Safari is based at Magashi Camp on the shores of Lake Rwanyakizinga. The price includes the camp, night game drives, sunrise boat excursions, all meals, drinks and activities listed by G-Step, and a helicopter or road transfer option, given as 30 minutes by air or about 4 hours by road. Day one is the transfer and an evening or night drive, day two a sunrise boat trip and more safari time before the return. This is the package where the flight makes the most difference, because four hours each way by road is a large share of a two-day trip.
Two-Day Luxury: Akagera Magashi Camp Safari
A two-day luxury Akagera safari from G-Step Tours, based around Magashi Camp on the shores of Lake Rwanyakizinga. The public G-Step package lists night game drives, sunrise boat excursions, Big Five wildlife possibilities, all meals, drinks and activities, plus helicopter or road transfer options. Duration: 2 days. Transfer note: 30 minutes by helicopter or about 4 hours by road. Language: English. Guests should bring a passport or ID, sunscreen, a camera and rain protection.
per person · 2 days
- Accommodation
- Pickup Dropoff
$5,277
View experienceNyungwe for two days: US$7,640, and the helicopter return is in the price
The Two-Day Escape: Nyungwe Canopy & Chimpanzee Tracking is the only package here that writes the flight into the inclusions without an "or": canopy walkway, zipline, a tea plantation tour, a night at One&Only Nyungwe House, chimpanzee tracking at dawn, lodge lunch and the helicopter return. Day one is the canopy walkway, zipline and tea; day two is the dawn chimp trek, lunch and the flight back towards Kigali. The park's own site puts Nyungwe at 225 km and a 5 to 6-hour drive from Kigali (Visit Nyungwe), which is the drive the flight home replaces. Chimpanzee tracking starts early and the forest is wet, so the walking shoes, jacket and rain protection on the packing list are not optional. For the road-based packages, see Nyungwe packages from Kigali compared.
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The Nyungwe canopy walkway, on day one of the Two-Day Escape.
Photo credit: Alex Niragira, CC BY-SA 4.0
Two-Day Escape: Nyungwe Canopy & Chimpanzee Tracking
A two-day Nyungwe National Park escape from G-Step Tours, pairing the rainforest canopy walkway with chimpanzee tracking and a luxury lodge stay. The public G-Step package lists the canopy walkway, zipline, tea plantation tour, overnight at One&Only Nyungwe House, chimpanzee tracking at dawn, lodge lunch and helicopter return. Duration: 2 days. Language: English. Guests should bring a passport or ID, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a light jacket, a camera and rain protection.
per person · 2 days
- Accommodation
- Pickup Dropoff
$7,640
View experienceAll three parks in three days: US$19,875
The Three-Day Ultimate: Akagera, Nyungwe & Volcanoes links the three parks by helicopter: day one is an Akagera game drive and a night at Magashi Camp, day two the Nyungwe canopy walkway, day three the Volcanoes gorilla trek and the return to Kigali. Inclusions are the game drive, the Magashi stay, the canopy walkway, the gorilla trek, the scenic helicopter routing and guide support. It is the only way to see savannah, rainforest and gorillas in three days. Ask us which lodge is used in Nyungwe and whether the gorilla permit and all meals are in the price, since the inclusions name the activities rather than the meals.
Three-Day Ultimate: Akagera, Nyungwe & Volcanoes
A three-day Rwanda signature circuit from G-Step Tours, connecting Akagera safari, Nyungwe rainforest and Volcanoes gorilla trekking by scenic helicopter flights. The public G-Step package lists Akagera game drives and Magashi Camp, Nyungwe canopy walkway, then gorilla trekking before return to Kigali. Duration: 3 days. Language: English. Guests should bring a passport or ID, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a light jacket, a camera and rain protection.
per person · 3 days
- Accommodation
- Pickup Dropoff
$19,875
View experienceWho flying suits, and who it does not
- Two or three nights in Kigali for work, and one free day: the Akagera day or the gorilla day. Both start and end in the city.
- A honeymoon or a milestone trip: Magashi or Nyungwe. Both include the lodge and the activities, so the price is close to the whole cost.
- Wrong for: anyone under 15 on the gorilla packages, anyone who wants the drive itself, and budgets where the permit alone is the stretch. For road-based alternatives, see golden monkey trekking from Kigali and the Mount Bisoke hike from Kigali.
Ask these before you pay: which transfer is in the price, what the helicopter's baggage limit is, what happens to the flight in bad weather, and whether the park permits, meals and drinks are included on the package you choose.
More on Rwanda
Read Akagera overnight safaris from Kigali, gorilla trekking from Kigali by road, the Dian Fossey tomb hike and gorillas and safari in 10 days.
Prices checked 2 November 2026.
Good to know
About 25 minutes, against roughly 2.5 hours by road. The flight to Magashi Camp in Akagera is about 30 minutes against about 4 hours by road, and the flight to Musanze for Volcanoes National Park is about 30 minutes against about 2.5 hours.
US$1,710 per person on G-Step Tours' One-Day Bucket List package, which includes a helicopter flight to Musanze or a road transfer, the briefing, the trek, one hour with a gorilla family and lunch. The Rwanda Development Board's US$1,500 permit is most of that price, so confirm which transfer is in it.
On the Two-Day Escape to Nyungwe the helicopter return is in the inclusions, and the Three-Day Ultimate lists scenic helicopter routing between the parks. The Akagera day, the gorilla day and the Magashi stay list a helicopter or road option, so ask which one your price covers.
The packages do not name the operator. Rwanda's tourism board names Akagera Aviation, based at Kigali International Airport and licensed by the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, flying an Agusta 109, an Agusta 139 and a Robinson 44 that seat six, five and three passengers.
No. The Rwanda Development Board sets the minimum age for gorilla tracking at 15, so the gorilla day and the three-day circuit are for adults and older teenagers.
International flights, travel insurance, personal expenses and tips. Bring a passport or ID, sunscreen, a camera and rain protection, plus comfortable walking shoes and a light jacket for the Nyungwe, Volcanoes and three-day trips.