7 Day Rwanda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari

DAY 1 : KIGALI

On arrival into Kigali Airport having traveled under your own flight arrangements, you will be met by your private driver guide who will be looking after you for the duration of your stay in Rwanda.

After introductions you will be transferred to your accommodations for a stay of one night.  Your driver will also provide a briefing about the days ahead and confirm pick up time for tomorrow morning.

Overnight: GLORIA HOTEL

DAY 2 : VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Enjoy a privately guided tour of Kigali city and visit the craft market, Gisozi genocide memorial site & Kigali museum (lunch in the city is included on this day) before departing for Ruhengeri (around 2.5 hours drive) on the edge of the Volcanoes National Park.

Spend the afternoon meeting the communities who live side by side with the Gorillas on a guided walking tour of the local village.  The funds from this walk go directly to the village to enable them to purchase materials for craft and skills demonstrations.  You are also welcome to purchase locally made baskets from the women directly.

Overnight: MOUNTAIN GORILLA VIEW LODGE

Our privately guided tours are as unique as our clients.  Each tour is led by a local driver guide from Kigali.  Choose from a variety of suggested tour options or mix & match the below activities and we will make a plan to fit them into your available time. Kigali is a wonderful city full of colour and vibrant re-growth and great fun to explore!

Please note that activities below do not include transfers, however we can also quote for private transfers to the various locations.

Kigali Genocide Museum and Memorial Sites  (this activity is included in tour price)
Start your day with a tour of the city.  Named in 1907 by Dr. Richard Kandt, the first colonial resident governor of Rwanda; Kigali city is surrounded by lush hills of green and is referred to as the land of a thousand hills. Get to visit interesting spots which may include; the craft market, Gisozi Genocide Memorial site & Kigali Museum. During the spring and early summer of 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Tutsis were slaughtered in a mass genocide planned by the country’s Hutu majority government. Some 259,000 victims of the massacre were laid to rest at what is today the Kigali Genocide Memorial.  (Duration: 3 hours). 

If you would like to extend your time in Kigali city the below tours are optional add-on’s.  These should be booked through us in advance:

Nyamiramo Women’s Workshop Center (recommended activity)
Nyamirambo Women’s Center offers   our clients a   uniquely   personal   insight   into   the   culture, history, and   daily   life   of   our community. The walking tour begins at the Women’s Center with a traditional snack, a quick Kinyarwanda language lesson, and an introduction to the Center and its activities. It then weaves through Nyamirambo, one of Kigali’s oldest neighborhoods. Along the way guides lead participants into a women’s hairdressing salon where the adventurous type can get a free braid. Next up get to see the sisal basketry products and how they make them. Then enjoy a local buffet lunch with the women as you interact with them.

Price: $60 per person (duration: 3 hours). Excludes transfers.

Art Center Visit
Enjoy a visit to the Inema Art center – a collective of Rwandan creative artists. At its core, Inema Arts Center provides space for 10 artists in residence to explore their creative talents; specializing in contemporary African Arts, Crafts, Music, and Dance. The artists produce paintings, sculptures, and mixed media expressions showcased in the Gallery at the Center. The Center is also home to programmes, projects, and initiatives that expand creative arts in Rwanda.  Through workshops, trainings, and hands on classes, the Inema Arts Center provides a space to fuel creative expression. Other art studios include – Ivuka Studio & Uburanga Studio

Price $25 per person (duration: 3-5 hours).  Excludes transfer.

Kimironko Market Place | Caplaki Craft Village 
The Kimironko Market offers you the opportunity to interact with vendors in of the busiest markets in town. Each stall you visit you will be greeted with smiles.  Stalls sell everything from meat, vegetables, fruits and fish to sunglasses and household items. But it is once you get inside the structure that you will see fruit and vegetable stands extending in every direction. Packed with carrots, onions, potatoes, lemons, cucumbers, herbs, spices, dried beans and anything else you can imagine in extraordinary abundance, there is no wonder why locals and visitors alike choose it for their grocery shopping.  For the Caplaki visit just as the name suggests, lots of crafts can be purchased from the many stalls found here. It’s the one of the places known to offer very good souvenirs in Kigali: looking for that souvenir to take back home, then this is the place!

Price: Entrance is free (duration: 3-5 hours).  Excludes transfer & guide.

Rwanda Distillery Tours
Visit the 1000 Hills distillery. The tour involves a visit to the distillery room with an explanation of the process used to make a range of products; enjoy a tasting of the Whisky, Gin, Rum, Vodka & Coffee Liqueur produced here.  Afterwards, select a cocktail of your choice, made with your favorite liquor, and enjoy the breath-taking view of the rolling hills of Rwanda, along with the house specialty tacos (choice of beef, chicken or vegetarian), served with chips and salad!

Price: $55 per adult (duration: 1-2 hours) includes drink and snacks.  Excludes transfers.

Question Coffee Visit
Rwanda’s rolling hills and rich soils produce coffee of extraordinary quality. As a result, the country is a star in the specialty coffee world, with its delicate flavors loved by connoisseurs around the world. Since 2015, Question Coffee has been serving Rwanda’s best coffee at its busy Kigali cafe and training center.  Question Coffee serves coffee exclusively grown by women trained and supported through the Relationship Coffee Institute, a partnership between Sustainable Harvest and Bloomberg Philanthropies providing training and market access to female coffee farmers.

Price: $50 per person (duration: 3 hours).  Excludes transfers.

DAY 3 : VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Enjoy the wildlife encounter of a lifetime as you trek the majestic Mountain Gorillas.  This is an experience you will never forget as you come face to face with the giant Silverback or watch the youngsters play.  Mountain Gorillas are only ever seen in the wild (never in zoos) and they are much larger than their lowland cousins.  Prepare yourselves for the wildlife encounter of a lifetime.

After the trek, you will be taken on a boat trip at the beautiful twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.  This is a small fishing boat but but the scenery is wonderful and birding enthusiasts will not be disappointed.

Overnight: MOUNTAIN GORILLA VIEW LODGE

DAY 4 : LAKE KIVU

Spend the morning trekking the Golden Monkey in the Volcanoes National Park.  Your ranger will lead you to a group of ‘habituated’ golden monkeys – (monkeys that have become accustomed to human presence).  Though viewing is kept to a maximum of one hour, your experience of the monkeys is often close up and they are a joy to watch as they interact and jump from tree to tree.

After lunch transfer around 3-4 hours to Lake Kivu where you stay for one night.  Relax and enjoy the view of the lake.

Alternative to Golden Monkey trek – enjoy a half-day guided canoe trail along the Mukungwa river in modern canoes.   Excellent for birders (the canoe guide can do the paddling if required).   Deduct $50 per person from total price if replacing the monkey trek with canoe activity.  

Overnight: RWIZA VILLAGE

DAY 5 : NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast your guide will escort you on a boat trip to Napoleon’s island, famous for the colony of fruit bats (also known as one bar island because it only has one bar!).   The area is home to vast mountain ranges and stunning views.   Those who wish to take a refreshing dip in the lake may enjoy a swim (safe water) before continuing onward around 2-3 hours drive to Nyungwe National Park.

Overnight: NYUNGWE ECO LODGE

Upgrade option – NYUNGWE HILL TOP VIEW – please contact us for prices

DAY 6 : NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

This morning you will trek another of the Great Apes as you journey deep into this unique rain forest to search for the Chimpanzees.  There are two species of chimpanzee occur in Africa.  Around 400 Chimpanzees reside in Rwanda so the population is endangered and sightings are not guaranteed with the chimps ability to travel large distances in one day but the hike in the forest is one of the most interesting and scenic hikes possible.  The rain forest is alive with a variety of flora, fauna, insects and bird life.

After lunch join the rangers again for a guided walking tour over the famous tree-top canopy walk.  A suspension bridge of  150 meters long and 50 meters above the ground it is the first of its kind in East Africa and one of only 3 in the entire continent.

Visitors peer down on the canopy top and join the birds at eye level.  The canopy walk lasts around two hours, afterward you will return to your chosen accommodations.

Overnight: NYUNGWE ECO LODGE

DAY 7 : END OF ITINERARY

Transfer with your guide around 6 ½ hrs to Kigali.  Stopping en-route at Butare to view the famous National Museum and the King´s Palace at Nyanza.  The National Museum remained untouched during the civil war in 1994 and is home to a variety of crafts and artifacts illustrating Rwanda’s history.

On arrival in Kigali there may be time for a little shopping before transferring to the Airport (evening flight recommended).

Option — Those wishing to avoid the drive back may choose to return by regional flight which takes around 40 minutes.   Our driver will drop you at the airstrip and the flight lands into Kigali International Airport.  Please contact us for additional flight prices.

Low Season special:  Based on 2 people travelling between JANUARY – MAY  &  NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2019.

From: USD $3,765 per person (mid-range accommodations). 

Upgrade options available for this package.  Please contact us for pricing or for other travel dates.

Price Includes

Private 4×4 Safari Landcruiser vehicle and English speaking driver/guide, accommodation, meals as listed, bottled water in vehicle, guided village walk, boat cruise to Napoleon’s island, 1x gorilla trekking  permit per person, 1x Golden Monkey trekking permit per person, 1 x Chimpanzee trekking permit per person, canopy walk, park fees & VAT and medical evacuation cover.

Price Excludes

International flights, visas, travel insurance, drinks, additional services such as laundry or massage treatments, tipping and porter hire.