LION SAFARIS TEAM
Lion Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- RTTA, RDB, RSGA, VISIT RWANDA & RWANDA CHAMBER OF TOURISM
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $650 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
FR
Email Claire PROPHETE | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Efficiency, professionalism and organization at the top !
I wanted to go on a safari in Rwanda. I contacted Lion Safaris. Emile, the manager and also guide, immediately answered all my questions and requests with a lot of patience. I chose the 8-day Safari option, but the agency offers many other options. The organization and timing where perfect, whether for accommodation, transport, visite, or trekking. I had the honor of being guided by Emile, perfectly french-speaking, always concerned about my well-being and I spend an intense week, rich in knowledge about Rwanda. In a word.... Amazing !!!
Email Sangita | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lion Safaris creates thoughtful, incredible, unforgettable experiences
Emile was communicative and thoughtful from designing the trip to actually driving us around Rwanda.
Everything - from the animal experiences to the lodges we stayed at, food we ate, and even bathroom stops - were top notch.
Emile himself is gregarious and knowledgeable - ready to do what it takes for his clients to see what they want and learn about the history and flora/fauna of Rwanda. If you're a birder - he'll make sure you pause for every kite and roller and heron!
Email A Khan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Flexible guide, Incredible experience, 10/10 recommend!
My family and I spent 8 days with Emile (founder and owner of Lion Safaris) traveling through Kigali, Nyungwe, Volcanoes, and Akagera. I have lived in Rwanda for 5 months, and spent a lot of time finding the best company - and Lion safaris ended up coming up to the number one spot.
First, Emile: He was incredible. Very knowledgeable, personable, funny, and quite honestly the best guide I've encountered (having been on trips in many other countries as well). We always felt safe and informed with him, and his experience as a guide in Akagera and having been in the business for 17 years really paid off.
Second, the trip: Our trip was amazing. Emile booked the best hotels for us, and the process was seamless. The parks are amazing, the experiences are once-in-a-lifetime, and I was really impressed with Rwanda as a whole. While I've lived here for several months, this was my first time traveling extensively outside of Kigali and I cannot express how incredible this place is.
If you are on the fence about booking this tour, reach out to Emile. It was worth every penny.
Email Andrea | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Emile was the best (knowledgeable, patient, kind, caring - an overall generous guide)
10/10 would recommend!!
We had an excellent trip, all made possible through Emile and Lion Safaris. We didn’t have to worry about any of the logistics or the driving. The places we stayed were excellent. The food was top notch. I feel like a showed up, got to look at animals, and was very well taken care of. We got to see chimpanzees, gorillas, rhino, giraffes, elephants, hippos, baboons, and many more, all in their natural habitats. I felt safe and didn’t have to life a finger for more than a photo.
If you’re looking for the perfect African adventure, look no further.
Email Nyree Squires | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent attentive service
Dany our driving was amazing. He was kind, would check on our wellbeing. Extremely knowledgeable about the game park, and the animals. Willing to go that extra distance to find the animals we hadn't yet seen.
We would definitely chose to go back with this company.
CZ
Email Petra Fry | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing trip, perfect organization
We spent with Lion Safaris and our lovely guide Emile 10 days over Christmas 2025, doing a tour Kigali-Nungwe-Volcanoes-Akagera-Kigali. We are typically self-driving during our travels but for Rwanda Lion Safaris was definetely the right choice. Emile is local Rwandian, he studied tourism and worked many years as park guide in Akagera and Volcanoes national parks, which means that he was extremely knowledgable about all the facts about Rwanda, culture, wildlife, people, etc. and he was proffessional. Communication before our arrival was smooth, Lion Safaris helped us to adjust the trip as per our needs (in Volcanoes we added on top of Gorillas also the Golden Monkeys treck), we paid the deposite online, Emile instructed us what to pack with us and then our guide was waiting for us at the airport. The ten days spent with him were very pleasant. All was organized seamlessly, we were not waiting for any formalities anywehere, Emile was always on time, selection of accommodation was very good, food served or packed for us everywhere was always very tasty and Emile made sure we had plenty of water, food or breaks as per needs, as well as information about everything what we see. He speaks fluent perfectly English, French and is very interesting person. Spending the long drives with him was fun and very educative. Rwanda is stunning, all the activities of our itinerary were jaw dropping, we enjoyed the long drives as well as the landscape combined with stories of Emile it was simply beautiful.
Our first guided travel ever couldnt go any better better and we will definetely recommend Lion Safaris to all our friends. Keep up the great work Emile, we will miss you!
CZ
Email Kelly | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Couldn't have asked for better, Emille is a wonderful host, knowledgable and very friendly
Just finished an amazing 10 day tour with Emille and Lion Safaris. Communication was excellent and the tour surpassed our expectations. We did Kigali, Nyungwe NP, Volcanoes NP and Akagera NP. We stayed in amazing places, ate delicious foods, blended with the local people and saw the most amazing and beautiful scenery. We have fallen in love with Rwanda. The tour was excellent value and we loved that we chose a local company but importantly Emille has such a passion for his country, you simply couldnt get the same experience from a self drive. We were so sad to leave and would highly recommend Lion Safaris for your adventure to Rwanda. Emille is an experienced guide from all the parks which really gave us a perspective and insight you couldnt get anywhere else
Well organised, helpful and knowledgable local operator
Last minute trip to Kigali and we added an extra 3 days to do a 2 night safari in Akagera at the last minute. Lion Safaris responded well, answered our questions and took the last minute booking as an opportunity to offer good value (unlike other organisers). They are an operator and not just subcontracting to others which can sometimes lead to problems.
They suggested a night at Kerenge bush lodge (much more luxurious than it sounds) and a night at Ruzizi Lodge which would allow us to see more of the park. This worked out very well with the north part being more savannah and the south bush and scrub.
Their driver picked us up in Kigali with their vehicle, a Toyota pop-top (essential) and stayed with us in Kigali until late on our third day as we had a late flight out. We felt very safe and his knowledge of the park and the animals greatly added to the trip. They also arranged a boat trip and a night safari, both excellent.
Lion Safaris are a highly recommended local operator.
Email Lisa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
New Rwandan friends!
I started planning my trip with Emile. He was so accommodating as I had to change the usual way for the trip I took. He sent a driver for me who was excellent! Emile was so good at communicating with me through what’s app. He was patient , kind, informative, thourough, and professional. He chose Iris to drive me.
Iris was so easy to talk to. He had wonderful English and explained many things to me about his country. He was very knowledgeable and could answer all my questions. He was fun too! We laughed about things! After the golden monkeys trip he suggested I see the Dian Fossey Museum which was excellent. We also stopped at some small shops so I could pick up a few gifts for home.
I will definitely call Lion Safaris my next time to Rwanda!!
Email Gail | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great!
Emil is reliable, kind, and energetic. Would recommend! It’s a smaller company so may not have many reviews right now, but he’s looking to expand & we had a great experience with him!