9-Day Best of Rwanda Cultural Experiences & Primates

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrival in Kigali and transfer to the hotel

This exciting long Rwanda safari will start with a warm welcome at Kigali International Airport and a transfer to your hotel in Kigali. Our company representative will give you a briefing of the safari and assist with anything you may need, such as buying snacks and exchanging currency. They will then help you check in to your room and allow you to relax.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

One Click Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Kigali

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Meals & Drinks:

• Meals at own expense
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Kigali Genocide Memorial and transfer to Nyungwe with a visit to Nyanza King's Palace

After breakfast at the hotel this morning, you will check out and drive to the Kigali Genocide Memorial for a tour to learn more about the 1994 Rwanda genocide. More than 250,000 victims of the horrible genocide were laid to rest here, and it is currently an honored place of remembrance for these victims. The tour provides insight into the reconciliation of Rwandans and how fast their country is growing. From here, you will set off to Nyungwe National Park. On your way, you will stop at the King’s Palace in Nyanza, a historic site of the ancient Rwandan kingdom. You will learn about the monarchical history of Rwanda, meet the Inyambo cows, and later proceed with the journey. You will arrive at your lodge in the evening.

Main Destination:

Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)

Best Time To Visit June to September (Dry weather, best chimp trekking)

High Season June to September (Popular gorilla trekking time in Volcanoes NP)

Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Wildlife in Nyungwe NP

ChimpanzeeCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

Show more

ElephantNone

GiraffeNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Tea plantation experience and canopy walk

After breakfast at the lodge, head out to Gisakura Tea Plantation to learn about and participate in activities that take place on the tea plantation. Later in the day, you will drive to the park for the canopy walk experience. The adventure is exciting and offers a great experience in this jungle forest. After about 2 hours, you will return to the lodge and spend the evening relaxing. The canopy walk can be combined with the zipline and rope course as an option.

Main Destination:

Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Chimp trekking and transfer to Kibuye

On this day, you will have an early breakfast at the lodge and drive to the park offices for a briefing about chimp trekking. Set off for the trek into the jungle in search of the chimps, and when you come across them, you will spend an hour with them. On a lucky day, you can encounter some monkeys. After a great time in the jungle with the chimps, you will trek out of the forest, meet your driver and head to Kibuye, where you will stay for the night.

Main Destination:

Kibuye (Lake Kivu)

Accommodation:

Cormoran Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Kibuye (Lake Kivu)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Kibuye to Volcanoes National Park, with a stopover at Ibere rya Bigogwe

Early in the morning, you will go for a nature walk to explore the natural beauty of the surroundings. As the sun starts get brighter, you will return to the lodge for a leisurely breakfast, check out, and set off to Musanze. Along the way, you will stop at Ibere rya Bigogwe to experience Rwanda’s cow culture and the stunning virgin land around. Proceed to Volcanoes National Park, arriving at the lodge in the evening. Check in for the overnight.

Optional morning activity in Kibuye– kayaking on Lake Kivu.

Main Destination:

Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Best Time To Visit June to August (It is drier and hiking is easier)

High Season June to September (Permits are scarce)

Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Wildlife in Volcanoes NP

GorillaCommon

ChimpanzeeNone

ElephantRare

BuffaloRare

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

Show more

GiraffeNone

LionNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Visit Gorilla Guardians village, twin lakes tour

After a leisurely breakfast at the lodge, you will go for the Gorilla Guardians experience, which was formerly known as the Iby’Iwachu cultural experience. Meet local people from the village who will perform how Rwandans did their traditional weddings, and then will play music and dance. Interestingly, they participate in projects that contribute to wildlife conservation in Volcanoes National Park. From here, you will have lunch at the lodge and then go for the Twin Lakes tour with a boat ride to one of the islands on the lakes.

Main Destination:

Ruhengeri (City)

Accommodation:

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Ruhengeri (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Golden monkey trekking and coffee experience

After breakfast at the lodge, drive to the park offices for a briefing on golden monkey trekking. Start the trek through farmland into the forest, where you will find the golden monkeys playing. Watch and observe them for an hour, then exit the forest. Before returning to the lodge for lunch, you have an option to visit Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund to learn about the conservation of mountain gorillas.
In the evening, you will go for a coffee experience, which takes you through the process of organic coffee processing.

Main Destination:

Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Gorilla trekking, transfer to Kigali

This day will start with an early-morning breakfast at the lodge, then drive to the park headquarters. After a briefing and allocation of a gorilla family to visit, you will set off to search for the gorillas in the forest. When you come across them, you will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence. Later, you will leave the forest, return to the lodge, refresh, have lunch, check out, and drive to Kigali.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

One Click Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Kigali

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Kigali city tour and departure

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and drive to Nyamiramabo Women’s Centre, a non-profit organization that has supported disadvantaged women to improve their livelihoods. At their shop, you can buy nicely made craft items as souvenirs. From here, visit Kimironko Market and later proceed to the airport for your departure.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Non-alcoholic drinks

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.