10 days Rwanda Adventure

Activity note: Upon arrival in Kigali, Rwanda this evening, you’ll be picked by your hotel representative as confirmed on your pre-flight passenger locater before boarding and be escorted you to your hotel—a transfer of about 30 minutes.

When you arrive at the hotel, you will check in and receive your room assignment. Depending on what hotel we stay at, we’ll likely be located in Kigali’s business district, just steps away from Kigali City Tower in the center of the city. Typical hotel amenities include a restaurant, bar, an outdoor swimming pool, and a fitness center; rooms are likely to feature air conditioning, satellite TV, wireless Internet, and private bath with hair dryer.

Dinner: Around 7pm, in the restaurant of your Hotel. Perhaps you’ll enjoy a meal at the on-site restaurant.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, beginning at 6:30am.

Morning:  Around 9am, we’ll depart our hotel for a morning of discoveries in the gleaming Rwandan capital of Kigali. Nestled along picturesque hilltops and pulsing with African charm, Kigali is not only situated in Rwanda’s geographical center, but was also at the center of the horrific events of 1994, when close to a million ethnic Tutsis (and moderate Hutus) were systematically murdered  by their Hutu neighbours over the course of 100 unspeakably brutal days.

President Paul Kagame is largely credited with Rwanda’s remarkable transformation from a genocidal battlefield into a thriving, peaceful nation once more. To learn more about Rwanda’s tragic past, we’ll begin our day at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which was conceived both as a tribute to the victims of the Rwandan genocide and to ensure that this history is never repeated.

Built over a mass burial ground for a quarter million victims, this moving memorial features various exhibit halls that trace the events of the 100-day genocide, reveal the colonial history of Rwanda and factors leading up to the slaughter, and highlight other instances of 20th-century genocides around the world that speak to mankind’s capacity for cruelty.

Lunch: Around noon at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Continue with our city exploration visiting the Art museum, former presidential museum and Kimironko open air market.

Dinner: Around 7pm, in the restaurant of our Hotel.

Evening: You are free to explore the hotel’s facilities, which may include a relaxing garden.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 8am, with a variety of fresh breads, pastries, and hot and cold selections.

Morning: We depart for Ruhengeri. We’ll make brief stops along the way, and we’ll take a short break to admire the breathtaking views of the Virungas, five massive volcanoes looming in the distance. At about 1pm, we’ll arrive at our hotel. Depending on which hotel we stay at, we’ll likely be minutes from the main gate of Volcanoes National Park. Lodge amenities may include a restaurant and bar. Rooms should include a fireplace and private bath with shower. You’ll have time to settle in before dinner.

Lunch: At our lodge/hotel

Afternoon: at around 3pm, we head out for a walk around town and visit the market and shopping arcades within the town. Visit the Dian Fossey museum and learn about Gorilla conservation project undertaken by the Gorilla doctors.

Dinner: Around 7pm, in the restaurant of our Hotel.

Evening: You are free to explore the hotel’s facilities, which may include a relaxing garden, or take in the scenic views of the nearby volcanic mountain peaks in the evening light.

Activity Note: Today’s mountain gorilla trek typically involves two to four hours of walking through thick brush over steep, rugged terrain at elevations ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 feet—and can include exposure to stinging nettles and fire ants.

As overexposure to humans is harmful to mountain gorillas, contact is limited to one hour—and there is the possibility that they may become agitated and retreat back into the bush in less than our allotted time. Any travelers showing signs of obvious illness may be refused entrance by park authorities..

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the lodge, beginning at 6am.

Morning: At about 7:00am, we take a drive of about 30 minutes to the National Park headquarters at to meet your guides for the day. After completing our park formalities, we are 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 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 1000 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 3 hours or longer at a relatively high altitude. 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. Depending on the length of our trek, groups will return to our lodge by about 1pm.

Lunch: Around 1:30pm at our lodge.

Afternoon: Spent at leisure.

Dinner: Around 7:30pm, in the restaurant of your hotel.

Evening: You are free to relax from the day’s activities at the bar, or retire early to rest up for tomorrow.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the lodge, beginning at 7:30am.

Morning: Around 9am, we’ll depart our hotel for a morning drive to the border town of Gisenyi/Goma. We’ll make brief stops along the way, and we’ll take a short break to admire the breath-taking views. We’ll arrive in time to check in at your resort. Rest before you lunch later in the hotel.

Lunch: Around noon at a your hotel

Afternoon: After lunch, explore the city, and take boat rides on one of Africa Great lakes. Later return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Dinner: Around 7pm, in the restaurant of our Hotel.

Evening: You are free to explore the hotel’s facilities, which may include a relaxing garden, or enjoy the nice breeze of the lake.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 7am, with a variety of fresh breads, pastries, and hot and cold selections.

Morning: Around 9am, you will depart for Nyungwe National park. The unpaved road gently curves back and forth as it weaves through hills and mountains beside the lake from Gisenyi to Cyangugu. Eucalyptus trees line the road, while every corner of the hills is terraced with bananas.

Villagers smile and wave; you’ll end up with hands tired from waving, and feel like royalty at the end of the trip! Arrive at your hotel, nestled on the foots of the deeply incised creeks, towering Forest offering a magnificent panorama. 

Lunch: Lunch will be at your hotel in Nyungwe

Afternoon: Around 2pm, you’ll enjoy the scenic tea plantation walk before returning to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Dinner: Around 7pm, in the restaurant of our lodge.

Evening: You are free to explore the lodge’s facilities, which may include a relaxing bar, or take in the scenic views of the nearby Tea plantation in the afternoon light.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the lodge, beginning at 6:30am.

Morning:  Take an early morning breakfast then with your packed lunch drive to this park for the starting point of your chimpanzee trek. Two species of chimpanzee occur in Africa. There is the Bonobo and the Common Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes (often shortened to Chimpanzee, and sometimes referred to as the Robust Chimpanzee). The largest remaining populations occur in central Africa (Gabon, DR Congo and Cameroon).

About only 400 individuals, the population in Rwanda is an endangered one. However; it should be mentioned that it is not guaranteed to see the chimps as they are unpredictable and can move long distances in one day. Nyungwe National Park is the largest block of montane forest in East and Central Africa and it is an incredibly rich area of biodiversity. 

Lunch: Picnic Lunch enroute

Afternoon: Later Around 11am, your guide will be waiting to pick you up and you will depart for Kigali takes about 6 ½ hrs drive via Butare visiting enroute, the famous National Museum at Butare and the ancient King´s Palace at Nyanza. The museum was donated in 1989 by the Belgium government with some ethnic collection, the design and concept all realized in co-operation with the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren; Belgium.

Ethnographic objects are grouped together according to the theme giving premium information on the daily life. Traditional ceramics and basketry are still manufactured and belong to the finest handicrafts of the region. The National Museum remained surprisingly untouched during the civil war in 1994. Arrive in Kigali Late in the evening.

Dinner: Around 7pm, in the restaurant of our Hotel.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 8am, with American options available.

Morning: At about 5:30am, we’ll depart for Akagera Nat Park, arriving at the park at around 8am in the morning for briefing and later embark on a game-viewing drive in the northern section of the park, keeping our eyes open for giraffe and zebra in open woodland, or small herds of elephant and buffalo that emerge from the dense woodland to drink at the park’s many lakes.

One of Africa’s oldest national parks, Akagera is a 348-square-mile scenic game reserve of savannah, woodlands, and wetlands featuring a dozen lakes linked by channels and papyrus swamps teeming with crocodiles and hippos. Considered one of the safari world’s best kept secrets, the scenery, wildlife, birdlife, and one-on-one experience with nature doesn’t get much better than here as we’ll discover on our game-viewing drive.

Lunch: Around 12:30pm, in the park.

Afternoon: Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll continue our game-viewing drive through Akagera. At about 6pm, we’ll drive back to our lodge for rest and evening dinner.

 Dinner: Around 7:30pm, in our lodge’s dining area, with a variety of hot and cold regional selections.

Evening: You are free to explore on your own, take advantage of the game lodge’s facilities, or relax in your room.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the Lodge beginning at 7am, with a variety of fresh breads, pastries, and hot and cold selections.

Morning: After an Early breakfast your exploration starts with a boat trip on Lake Ihema which is a very rewarding for seeing abundant birdlife and view elephants, buffaloes and school of hippos cooling off at the shores and the huge Nile crocodiles. They are the most interesting part of the park especially for birders. 

Lunch: Picnic Lunch prepared by the lodge

Afternoon: You will return to the giraffe valley which is usually full of surprises. We search for animals not seen on the previous drive. Later return to you lodge in the evening.

Dinner: Around 6pm, we’ll enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a restaurant in Kigali, with appetizer, main course, dessert, and choice of beer, wine, or soft drink.

Evening: You are free to explore the lodge’s facilities, which may include a relaxing bar.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the lodge, beginning at 6am.

Morning: At about 7am, we’ll set off on a game-viewing drive searching for animals not seen the previous day, continue and exit the park and drive back to Kigali arriving early afternoon.

Lunch: Around 12:30pm, at a local restaurant in Kigali.

Afternoon: Spent at Leisure at your hotel. 

Dinner: Around 6pm, we’ll enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a restaurant in Kigali, with appetizer, main course, dessert, and choice of beer, wine, or soft drink.