Day 1- Arrival at Kigali Airport and Welcome to Rwanda!

Arrival at Kigali International Airport and be met by our Representatives, pick you up, and drive to your hotel in Kigali for Check in and relaxation.

Main Destination: Kigali

Accommodation: Hotel Des Mille Colline

Meals & Drinks: Dinner included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 2-Kigali City tour and Transfer to volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, your day starts with a tour of Kigali 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 that may include:

Camp Kigali: commemorates the massacre of 10 Belgium UN Blue Berets on the first of the day of the genocide

  • Kigali Genocide Museum – Learn about Rwanda’s tragic past & the road to recovery
  • The Nyamirambo Women’s Centre: a cooperative by local women which offers skills to other women in the area as a way of uplifting them economically and socially. The center teaches basket weaving, handcraft making, cooking, computer literacy, sewing, etc.
  • Kimironko Market: This is the biggest and busiest market in Kigali where almost everything is sold from foodstuffs, fabrics to clothing.
  • Kaplaki Handicraft Market: This is a large crafts market and it is the place to visit if you are looking to purchase your handcraft souvenirs
  • Old and New Kigali: Kigali has a plan of what they want the city to look, and there is already a new Kigali that is developing to take the old Kigali. So, crossing between the new and old Kigali gives you a picture of what Kigali has been and what it will be in the next decade.
  • Art galleries: For the art lovers, Kigali has a range of art galleries for you to savor. Inema Art gallery is the most popular and if you are to include an art gallery in your Kigali day tour then this is one of the highly recommended galleries

Afterwards you’ll take a 2-hour drive from Kigali to Ruhengeri/Musanze, arriving late in the evening in time for check in at your lodge.

Main Destination: Volcanoes National Park

Accommodation: Tiloreza Eco Lodge

Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 3- Gorilla Trekking Adventure in Volcanoes National Park

After an early breakfast, you will proceed to the National Park headquarters – Kinigi to meet your guides for the day. After completing our park formalities, embark on a once in a life time experience of tracking mountain gorillas. Once you spot them you are allowed to spend an hour watching your closest long-lost cousin. This is perhaps one of the most breath-taking wildlife experiences on earth!!! You get so close to these awesome giant primates. You stare at each other blankly not knowing who to break the long silence first. Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga is a magical experience. These massive primates are extremely rare, with less than 700 living today. You will get within meters of the family, and be privileged to spend an hour amongst them. The trekking may be fairly strenuous; up to six hours or longer at a relatively high altitude. We encourage for your own enjoyment to make sure that you are perfectly fit and healthy. (We’ve had people as old as 70 years old do gorilla tracking so this should not be a problem; all you need is to ask your driver guide to request a shorter group for you if cannot you trek far.) It is important to bring good hiking boots, long trousers, gloves for protection against stinging nettles, some snacks & sweets (for you, not the gorillas) as well as sufficient water as the rain forest gets hot and humid during the day. You will spend one hour with the gorillas, but it is an hour you will never forget. Return to your hotel for lunch, later in the afternoon is spent on leisure.

Main Destination: Volcanoes National Park

Accommodation: Tiloreza Eco Lodge

Meals & Drinks: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 4- Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Ibyiwachu Village Tour – Lake Kivu

We will start the day with a golden monkey trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park. This primate is native to the high-altitude forests of the park. Once we have seen their playful interactions, we will head out of the park and later visit Iby’iwacu Cultural Village a Non-Profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood-based projects. Return to your hotel to freshen up and have lunch then later transfer back to Kigali and proceed to the airport for onward journey to Lake Kivu

Overnight camp at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel – B, L, D

Day 05 –Visit Lake Kivu and Gisenyi Lake Kivu: 

Kivu is one of the great lakes in Africa and the largest of the fresh water lakes that gleam in the Albertine (Western) rift of the Great Rift Valley.
The northern shore is subject to eruptions from nearby Mt Nyiragongo.

  • Visit water springs and learn the geographic make up of volcanic chain.
  • Visit our local projects in the area and interact with project members.
  • Visit local artisans and local women weaving associations, and experience home basketry weaving and see how your visit makes a difference in their lives.

Overnight camp at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel – B, L, D

Day 06 – Transfer to Nyungwe National Park En – route along Gisenyi – Lake Kivu – and Kibuye Lake Kivu:

Kibuye is the most attractive of the lake ports, with a series of interwoven and undulating hills. Its among Rwandas hidden treasures, with lush green hills and a peaceful breeze.

During this journey, you will see interlocking landscapes and varying land use practices.

Overnight at Gisakura Guest House Nyungwe – B, L, D

Day 07 :  Trek chimpanzees

Nyungwe National Park is the only destination in the world where you can see more than five primate species in a single location including rare species such as chimpanzee, mountain monkeys and the angolan black and while colobus monkeys.

On this day (depending on trekking time), we offer you a choice value package:

  • Participate in tea harvesting in the neighboring local communities.
  • Visit the tea factory and learn about the production processes of one the highest quality tea produced in East Africa.
  • Visit local artisan groups to learn and participate in other local community income generating projects. This is also an opportunity to buy local crafts products.
  • Listen to a presentation on the ecology of Nyungwe National Park and the ongoing conservation efforts, including the dynamics of coexistence of park/wildlife and local people.
  • Watch cultural dance performed by one of the local community dance groups.

Overnight at Nyungwe TopView Lodge (B, L, D)

Day 08 : July 18 Trek colobus monkeys

Nyungwe National Park the only place in the world where you can see a colony of more than 500 individuals in the wild.

On this day (depending on trekking time), we depart for Kigali with stop enroute to visit the Kings Palace Museum and Enthnographic museum in butare.

Overnight Hotel Des Mille Colline

Day 09: Transfer to Akagera game drives

Depart for Akagera National Park. The route which passes through Rwandans phenomenal landscape and living lifestyles. After a quick rest at the hotel, you will go on a southern game drive alongside the Lake Ihema circuit.

On this day (depending on game drive time), we offer you a choice of Added Package:
Evening walks around the hotel where you can see various bird species.

Participate in day-to-day local pastoral lifestyle. Presentation on the ecology of the Akagera ecosystem and the conservation efforts, including the coexistence dynamics between local people and wildlife.
Overnight at Akagera Game Lodge – B, L, D

Day 10:  Transfer to Kigali City and departure (to Kenya)

 After breakfast leaves the lodge by 07:00 hrs to engage on a full day game drive and your exploration starts with a visit to the giraffe valley. Akagera National Park is characterized by woodland, swamps, low mountains and savannah. The varied terrain shelters wildlife including zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions and hundreds of bird species, such as the rare shoebill stork.

Later in the afternoon after your game drive, transfer back to Kigali and drop off at the airport for flight onward to Kenya. Upon arrival, be transferred to Nairobi Serena Hotel for overnight stay on bed and breakfast meals plan. https://www.serenahotels.com/nairobi

Day 11) Nairobi to Tsavo West National Park 265 kms 4.5 hours’ drive: 7.30 am, after breakfast depart from Nairobi Serena Hotel and drive through the city center to join the great trans African highway along the Nairobi Mombasa road. The journey takes you through lovely scenery in the Eastern part of Kenya, sight-seeing wild animals on the way and the different cultural setting of the community around. After this fascinating drive, you will enter Tsavo West National Park through Mtito Andei park entrance. After park formalities, enjoy a game drive en-route to arrive in time for lunch at Ngulia Safari lodge. After check-in and lunch, you will have a short rest followed by an afternoon game drive that commences at 3.30 pm. The Park comprises a diversity of habitats, open plains alternating with Savannah bush and semi-desert scrub; acacia woodlands; rocky ridges and outcrops. With a permanent water source, the park is virtually guaranteed enormous herds and excellent game viewing including cheetah, lion, leopard and hyena and herds of over 3,500 Elephants. The red elephants of Tsavo are the ONLY red elephants in the world. Actually, they are really the same color as every other elephant in the world, but they just appear red due to constantly dust-bathing with the Park’s fine red volcanic soil. All meals & accommodation at Ngulia Safari lodge. https://safari-hotels.com/ngulia-safari-lodge/

Day 12) explore Tsavo West National Park; two game drives are scheduled for this day. The extensive diverse habitats offer an ideal area to search for pride of lions, buffaloes, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hippos and wildebeests. The Park is a vast expansion of African savanna with a more diverse array of habitats which include open plains, semi desert scrub, woodland, Chyulu Hills and rock outcrops. It’s famous for the Red Elephants, Oryx, and Gerenuk among other mammal’s species and bird life. Other notable features include Mzima Springs which are water source for Mombasa Town, Shetani Lava Flow and Ash cones, which is an example of recent volcanic eruption. Movie the Ghost and the Darkness was shot here. All meals & accommodation at Ngulia Safari lodge. https://safari-hotels.com/ngulia-safari-lodge/

Day 13) Tsavo West National Park to Tsavo East National Park: 100 kms 3 hrs drive: 6:30 am, pre-breakfast game drive at Tsavo West National Park. Thereafter, return for full breakfast. 10:30 am, start the journey by road to Tsavo East National Park to arrive in time for lunch at Voi Safari lodge. At 4 pm, embark on a game drive to enjoy the wonders of Tsavo East National Park. All meals & overnight at Voi Safari lodge. https://safari-hotels.com/voi-safari-lodge/

Day 14) Tsavo East National Park to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport 330 kms 6 hours’ drive: 6:30 am, a morning game drive to savoir the beauty of the park. After a 2 hours game drive, return to the lodge for a full breakfast. 11 am, check-out from the lodge and have a short game drive en route to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.