Rwanda holiday: gorillas, chimpanzees & the Big 5

Itinerary in brief:

• 1 night Kigali
• 2 nights Akagera National Park
• 1 night Kigali
• 2 nights Nyungwe Forest National Park 
• 1 night Lake Kivu
• 2 nights Volcanoes National Park

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flights 

Day 2: Arrive Kigali

On arrival in Kigali, you will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel in the city. Here, you will check-in for one night at The Retreat.  This small, luxury and eco-friendly hotel is a perfect base to relax after your flight with an excellent restaurant.

Included: Breakfast, transfers, The Retreat

Day 3: Kigali to Akagera National Park 

After breakfast, you’ll head out on a city tour of Kigali. First, you’ll confront the terrible history of this country at the Genocide Memorial site, a grim reminder of the senseless massacre in 1994. Learn about Rwanda’s history, from pre-colonial times to the modern-day. After this you’ll head to see the rest of the city – it’s a bright and bustling place, bouncing back from its past with passion and positivity for the future. 

After lunch, you’ll be driven to Akagera National Park in the east of the country, on the border with Tanzania. This area is dominated by a labyrinth of marshes and lakes that surround the Akagera River. The journey will take around two hours, although if you are interested in bird watching along the way, it might take a little longer. On arrival, you’ll check into Ruzizi Tented Camp on the forested shores of Lake Ihema for two nights. 

In the late afternoon, you’ll go on a game drive in the park before returning for dinner. 

Included: Breakfast, dinner, transfers, game drive, Ruzizi Tented Camp       

Day 4: Akagera National Park

Today you’ll head off on a full day game drive throughout the national park. Akagera is one of the most beautiful areas of Rwanda, with lush mountains and marshlands for miles around. Keep an eye out for elephants and buffalo in the grasslands, as well as impala and bushbuck drinking at the edge of the lake. Hippos lounge in the rivers, while giraffes and zebra roam the acacia dotted plains. If you’re lucky you might even spot the bizarre-looking shoebill storks that make their home here.

Included: All meals, full-day game drive, Ruzizi Tented Camp           

Day 5: Travel to Kigali

After breakfast, you will enjoy the scenic drive back to Kigali. Spend the rest of your day exploring the city, including a guided walk around the Nyamarimbo district and the inspiring Women's Centre.

Included: Breakfast, transfers, The Retreat                

Day 6: Travel to Nyungwe Forest National Park

Enjoy an early breakfast before departing on the scenic drive to Nyungwe National Park via Butare, the second largest city in Rwanda. Here you’ll stop for a tour of the Butare National Museum, one of the finest ethnographic museums of East Africa. It’s a great place to learn about the cultural history of the country. Enjoy lunch in Butare before heading onwards towards the rainforest reserve of Nyungwe. On arrival you’ll check into Top View Hill Hotel for two nights, with stunning views towards Lake Kivu and the DRC beyond.

Included: All meals, transfers, Top View Hill Hotel

Day 7: Nyungwe Forest National Park

It’s an early start today – enjoy breakfast and head out to the trailhead at around 5 am, before embarking on a thrilling hike to see the chimpanzees. The Rwanda chimpanzee population is approximately 500 individuals, all within the Nyungwe National Park. You’ll head these excitable primates before you see them, their hooting calls echoing through the trees. You might also spot some spectacular birdlife, including regal sunbirds and grey-cheeked hornbills.

After lunch, you’ll depart for your canopy walk. Suspended above the lush rainforest, canopy walkways will provide a unique view over the treetops, and a fascinating perspective of the wildlife below. Spend your afternoon and evening back at the lodge, recounting on stories from your day.

Included: All meals, guided chimpanzee trek with permit, Top View Hill Hotel       

Day 8: Travel to Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, you will head off for the scenic drive to Lake Kivu. Part of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Kivu is one of the largest lakes in the country. On arrival at your lodge Kivu Paradis, you will spend the afternoon at your leisure.  This is a wonderful spot for kayaking on the peaceful and calm Lake Kivu. 

Included: All meals, transfers, Kivu Paradis

Day 9: Travel to Volcanoes National Park

Today, you’ll head off on a scenic drive towards the beautiful, terraced hillsides that show of Rwanda’s mountainous landscape. You’ll pass through Musanze and onto your base for gorilla trekking in the Parc National des Volcans.  On the way break the journey for a wonderfully peaceful canoeing trip down the Mukungwa river. This is a beautiful way to see the Rwandan countryside, volcanoes and incredible birdlife as you gently flow with the current.  From there you'll check into Byiza Lodge for two nights.  Byiza means beautiful and the lodge is situated in the kingdom of the gorillas, on a hilltop between the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera.  Here you'll enjoy homecooked food, log fires and stunning views of the Virunga vocanoes.

Included: All meals, transfers, Byiza Lodge

Day 10: Volcanoes National Park & Gorilla trek

Another early start, you’ll be driven over to Volcanoes National Park where you’ll register for your gorilla trek. Here, the park staff will determine which group of gorillas you will visit. You will be put into groups and receive a trekking time, based on the gorilla’s location within the park the previous evening. There is a maximum of 96 gorilla permits available each day, with 8 trekkers in each group.

You’ll receive a briefing from your guide, learning of all of the ‘do’s and don’ts’ while in the presence of gorillas, before heading up into the mountains to begin the hike. Trekking can take from two to six hours, as the gorillas sometimes move before the park rangers locate them the next morning. You’ll be able to stop frequently for a chance to rest and take photos as you go.

Your encounter with the gorillas will be so special – coming so close to these magnificent animals is a joy. Whether you meet the majestic silverback or see some baby gorillas playing in the jungle, it will be an hour you’ll never forget.

After your experience, you’ll meet with a driver who will return you to the lodge for dinner.       

Included: All meals, guided gorilla trek with permit, Byiza Lodge     

Day 11: Depart Kigali

After breakfast at your lodge, you’ll take a scenic drive back to Kigali from the Virunga Volcanoes, being driven over to the airport for your flight home.

Included: Transfers, breakfast, international flights       

Day 12: Arrive UK