Itinerary
- Day 1
Kigali
Your hotel pickup in Kigali gets things started, and you'll head straight to the Genocide Memorial Center to pay respects and learn about the events of 1994. From there, you're driven toward Nyungwe Forest, stopping at the Rwanda King's Palace Museum in Huye town along the way to see royal artifacts and local history.
Included Activities
- Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center
- Visit the Rwanda King's Palace Museum in Huye town
Landmarks/POIs Kigali Genocide Memorial Center Rwanda King's Palace Museum - Day 2
Nyungwe Forest
After breakfast, you'll trek into Nyungwe National Park searching for chimpanzees, spending about an hour watching them if the group finds them. Lunch comes next, and then you'll do a canopy walk through the forest, moving along suspended bridges above the tree cover for a different perspective on the landscape.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Chimpanzee trek in Nyungwe National Park with 1-hour observation period
- Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest
Landmarks/POIs Nyungwe National Park - Day 3
Rubavu (Gisenyi)
The drive takes you to Rubavu, the main town along Lake Kivu's shore. Once you arrive, you can walk the palm-lined waterfront and relax on the sandy beaches. If you're out in the evening, look across the water toward Congo where you might catch the glow from the active Nyiragongo volcano cone.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Landmarks/POIs Lake Kivu Mount Nyiragongo - Day 4
Rubavu to Volcanoes National Park
Breakfast done, you'll get on a boat for a Lake Kivu trip with chances to see hot springs bubbling up from the water. Later in the day, you're transferred to Volcanoes National Park, which takes a few hours, so expect to arrive in the late afternoon or early evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Boat trip on Lake Kivu with hot springs viewing
Landmarks/POIs Lake Kivu Volcanoes National Park - Day 5
Golden Monkeys
An early breakfast fuels the day before heading to park headquarters for a briefing on visitor rules. Then it's into the forest to search for golden monkeys, a trek that could take 1 to 3 hours depending on where they're located. Once found, you'll spend up to an hour watching them. The afternoon brings a visit to the Gorilla Guardian village in Musanze before heading back.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Golden monkey trek in Volcanoes National Park with 1-hour observation period
- Visit Gorilla Guardian village in Musanze
Landmarks/POIs Volcanoes National Park - Day 6
Mountain Gorillas
Starting before dawn with breakfast, you'll go to park headquarters with your packed lunch for the code of conduct briefing. The trek into the forest hunting for mountain gorillas is the main event, potentially 2 to 6 hours of hiking through thick vegetation. After locating them, you'll have up to an hour observing these remarkable creatures in their habitat.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Packed lunch), Dinner
Included Activities
- Mountain gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park with 1-hour observation period
Landmarks/POIs Volcanoes National Park - Day 7
Volcanoes National Park to Akagera National Park
You'll leave Volcanoes National Park and head south through Kigali toward Akagera National Park, a long drive that takes most of the day. Once you settle into your accommodation, lunch is served, and then you'll take a boat trip on Lake Ihema to watch hippos and crocodiles from the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Boat trip on Lake Ihema to view hippos and crocodiles
Landmarks/POIs Akagera National Park Lake Ihema - Day 8
Akagera National Park
Get an early breakfast and then spend the full day doing game drives in an open vehicle. You could see elephants, buffalos, hippos, lions, giraffes, gazelles, impalas, baboons, zebras, leopards, and other animals depending on where the drivers take you. There's a lunch break in the middle, followed by an evening drive before you return to your lodge for dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Morning game drive in open-roofed vehicle
- Afternoon/evening game drive in open-roofed vehicle
Landmarks/POIs Akagera National Park - Day 9
Akagera National Park to Kigali
One more game drive through Akagera in the morning, then you're driven back to Kigali. This final drive gives another chance to spot wildlife before heading home or connecting to your next destination.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Game drive in Akagera National Park
Landmarks/POIs Akagera National Park
