20-Day Rwanda Grand Traverse

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

Morning Arrival in Kigali

Morning Arrival
You will be met by Attractive Safaris’s representative at the Kigali international airport, He will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with a sign marked “Attractive Safaris”. After greetings, you will be transferred to your accomodation.
After briefing on your trip program, take time to rest after the long plane journey.
After lunch, a 2-hour tour of the Kigali genocide memorial, dedicated to Unesco heritage in 2023, will take you back to the barbarity of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, which decimated the country and left around a million dead.

The day ends with a leisurely dinner at the Hôtel des Mille Collines, Pool Bar Restaurant.
Accommodation options:
High-end range accommodation: Blue Veil villa Hotel (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Overnight with a host family in Kigali
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Kigali International Airport (Kigali)

Accommodation:

5 Swiss Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Kigali

+4 Photos

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Reconciliation village in Bugesera

Visit the reconciliation village in Bugesera for an immersion in forgiveness and reconciliation among Rwandans, 30 years post-genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda.
After a leisurely breakfast, yo head East to admire the suplendid scenery of the Bugesera and Gashora wetlands. On the way, visit the junction of the Akanyaru and Nyabarongo rivers to form the Akagera, which flows into and out of Lake Victoria to form the Nile river, the longest in the world at 6695 km.
You then visit the Nyamata genocide memorial site, one of four national genocide memorial sites in Rwanda listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Then check your Hotel for lunch.
Then back to the hotel: relax and swim in the hotel's Olympic-size pool
Accommodation options:
High-end range accommodation: La Palisse Nyamata (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Palast Rock Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Nyamata Genocide Memorial

Accommodation:

Palast Rock Hotel

• Budget hotel

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Adventuring in the Bugesera Plains countryside

Adventure in the countryside, breathing in the pure country air and lakeside fishing farms. Throughout the Gashora sector, Bugesera district in Eastern Province, this is Savannah country. The general topography of this region deviates from the national model of hills and valleys, and is as flat as a plateau. Perhaps for this reason, cycling is a pervasive feature of local culture. Nowhere else in the country you will see such a concentration of bicycles as here. In contrast to elsewhere in Rwanda, here you can see almost more women cycling away, babies strapped to their backs and farm produce strapped to the bike rack. There doesn't seem to be any stigma attached to it here.
Lunch at a lakeside restaurant
Accommodation options:
High-end range accommodation: La Palisse Gashora (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Lakeside Fish Farm Home or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Nyamata Genocide Memorial

Accommodation:

Lakeside Fish Farm Home

• Mid-range hotel

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Visit to the Rusumo waterfalls and Urugo - Cultural Tour

The Rusumo waterfalls, about 15 m high and 40 m wide, are a waterfall on the Kagera River on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania, one of the most remote sources of the Nile. It's a great pleasure to be there, to observe the Rusumo waterfalls and to take in the view from the other side of Tanzania.
Visit Urugo - Cultural Center in Kayonza, where you'll experience different women activities including imigongo art made from cow dung. For generations, cow dung has created a striking and truly unique art form found only in Rwanda, called imigongo. Today's imigongo artworks have mostly migrated from the walls and are usually painted on panels, venaria, plates or portable wooden wall hangings.
Lunch at Urugo Cultural Center
Transfer to Akagera National Park for the Night Safari
Accommodation options:
High-end Luxury accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Lodge (Luxury Eco-Lodge) or Similar
Budget range accommodation: Muyumbu Campsite or similar
Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Main Destination:

Kayonza (Town)

Accommodation:

Muyumbu Campsite

• Mid-range tented bush camp located inside Kayonza (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Cruise on Lake Ihema and Wildlife Safari in Akagera

After an early breakfast, excursion by boat on Lake Ihema from 7.30-8.30 a.m. to discover the aquatic fauna (hippopotamuses, crocodiles, birds...) and other aquatic animals around Lake Ihema.
Then discover the Park from south to north (approx. 7 hours) to observe the many species of animals, including the Big 5 (lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalo and, by chance, the leopard), giraffe, zebra, antelope, impala, oribi and the discreet bushbuck, as well as the ungainly tsessebe and the world's largest antelope, the statuesque Cepeeland...). Also enjoy the Park's beautiful panoramic landscapes of hills and marshes.
Lunch during the visit (food packed by Ruzizi Tented Lodge)
Continue safari and overnight at Karenge Bush Camp.
Accommodation options:
High-end Luxury accommodation: Karenge Bush Camp (Luxury Eco-Lodge) or Similar
Budget range accommodation: Mihindi Campsite and Café or similar
Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Main Destination:

Akagera National Park

Best Time To Visit June to September and mid-December to mid-February (It is drier and wildlife is easier to spot)

High Season June to September (The park is busiest at weekends)

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

Wildlife in Akagera NP

GiraffeCommon

BuffaloAbundant

ZebraAbundant

HippoAbundant

White RhinoOccasional

LionOccasional

Show more

ElephantOccasional

Black RhinoRare

LeopardRare

HyenaRare

CheetahNone

WildebeestNone

Wild DogNone

Accommodation:

Mihindi Campsite

• Mid-range bush camp located inside Akagera NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Akagera Morning Safari and legendary Ngarama Rock visit

This morning excursion around 6:00 am will give you the chance to maximize your early morning game spotting with a great experience of the animal community association.
The tour ends at the camp around 8:00 am for breakfast and to order your packed lunch from Karenge Bush Camp.
Around 9:30 am, drive to Volcanoes National Park via "Gatsibo-Ibyapa bya Ngarama", via the town of Gicumbu (Byumba). On the way, discover the "Ngarama Rock", an interesting historical and cultural site in Rwanda covering an area of 3 hectares, where there are several footprints of King Ruganzu II Ndoli, a legendary Rwandan king of exceptional knowledge and greatness, who reigned in Rwanda from 1510 until his death in 1543.
Lunch on the way (food taken from the hotel).
Continue on to the town of Gicumbi
Accommodation options:
Mid-range: The King Fish Beach Hotel (3-star hotel) or Similar
Budget range accommodation: Ubwuzu Guesthouse or in an apartment in Gicumbi
Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch).

Main Destination:

Akagera National Park

Accommodation:

Ubwuzu Guesthouse

• Budget guest house located near Akagera NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Gicumbi to Volcanoes National Park

On the way: viewing the Kisaro's "Radical Terraces"and continue to visit the Rugezi swamp, have canoe excursion for bird-watching, especially Grey-crowned crane and Grauer's swamp warbler, as well as common species like the White-winged scrub warbler and Papyrus gonolek. Then visit the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, panoramic view of the volcano range.
The Rugezi marsh is located in the Buberuka highlands in Rwanda's Northern Province, east of Lake Burera, close to Rwanda's northern border with Uganda.
Visit the Burera-Ruhonndo Twin Lakes. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape
Lunch at My Hill Resort, fresh grilled fish
After lunch, continue your journey to Kinigi.
Accommodation options:
High-end Luxury accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Fatima Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

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:

Fatima Hotel

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

+8 Photos

+7 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mountain Gorilla Trekking (Optional)

Gorilla tracking: meet early in the morning at the National Park office for a briefing. With the help of an official guide and trackers, in groups of no more than 8 people, you set off in search of mountain gorillas. Tracking can take from 2 to 6 hours. Once the group of gorillas has been located and approached by the trackers, you can observe them for up to one hour, from a distance of no more than 5 meters, so as not to disturb them.
Optional activity: For those on a budget that doesn't allow a visit to the gorillas ($1500/person), visit Dian Fossey's grave ($75/person).
After trek, return to the hotel for lunch
Then visit the “Iby'iwacu cultural village” and marvel at Rwandan folk dances. A very exciting experience of Rwandan tradition, culture and customs.
Accommodation options:
High-end Luxury accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Fatima Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Virunga Mountains (Mountain Range)

Accommodation:

Fatima Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Ruhengeri (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mt Bisoke climbing (3711 m)

Appointment at the National Park to meet the staff who will brief you on the climbing of Mount Bisoke, one of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga chain. It takes three to four hours to climb the 1,200-metre ascent before reaching the summit, where a lake occupies the crater. The view takes in the surrounding volcanoes, including Nyiragongo, which is still active.
Hiking time (ascent and descent): 6 h
Optional activity: Golden monkey hike
For those whose age and strength do not allow them to climb Bisoke, go on the golden monkey trek (2-3h).
Continue on to Gisenyi to spend the night on the shores of Lake Kivu.
Accommodation options:
Mid-range accommodation: Gorillas Lake Kivu Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Kivu Peace View Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Virunga Mountains (Mountain Range)

Accommodation:

Kivu Peace View Hotel

• Budget hotel located near Virunga Mountains (Mountain Range)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Rest and relaxation in the balneal town of Gisenyi

Morning: Boat trip on Lake Kivu and hot-spring SPA massage at Nyamyumba.
Lunch in a restaurant on the shores of Lake Kivu.
Afternoon: City tour of Gisenyi and visit to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Accommodation options:
Mid-range accommodation: Gorillas Lake Kivu Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Kivu Peace View Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)

Accommodation:

Kivu Peace View Hotel

• Budget hotel located near Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Community and Solidarity Visit

Morning: Rest and swimming in this idyllic setting.
During the day, visit to the "Young Women Destination" association, a craft association made up of women who have dropped out of school due to unplanned pregnancies. The association offers various tourist activities to support their families:
* Handicraft and traditional dance classes
* Experience local cuisine
* Discover the habits and customs of the local population, and at the same time, share their cultural experience with their visitors.
Accommodation options:
Mid-range accommodation: Paradise Kivu Luxury Resort (3-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Maison St Benoit Kigufi or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)

Accommodation:

Maison Saint Benoit Kigufi

• Budget guest house located near Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Biking the Congo Nile Trail along Lake Kivu

Optional choice: for non-bikers, walk alternating with short car transfers
It's a three-day bike tour, alternating visits with community activities to make it suitable for everyone, whatever their age.
After an early breakfast, ride from Gisenyi to Kimbiri - 26 km - the trip takes 3 to 4 hours. This bike ride stretches partly along Lake Kivu with beautiful views over the lake.
Experience coffee from sowing to cup, visiting plantations, sorting, drying and roasting.
After lunch at Kimbiri, enjoy a cup of coffee with a natural aroma.
Afternoon meeting with the "Indangamuco" association: here you'll experience traditional medicine and discover the different herbs used for different types of illness, as well as traditional Rwandan dances.
Accommodation options:
Mid-range accommodation: Paradise Kivu Luxury Resort (3-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Maison St Benoit Kigufi or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Congo Nile Trail

Accommodation:

Maison Saint Benoit Kigufi

• Budget guest house located on Congo Nile Trail

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

2nd day of biking or walking on the Congo Nile Trail

From Kimbiri to Kinunu - 15 km and takes about 2-3 hours by bike. This bike ride takes you through beautiful landscapes and villages where local people live their lives. On the way, stop off at the Rugamba Center to meet the "Twitezimbere" Association of beekeepers: here, you'll learn how to make different types of traditional beehives from wood, cow dung and other materials, take local hives to the apiary and collect fresh honey for tasting.
Then continue your bike ride for lunch at Rushel Kivu Lodge.
Afternoon: Relax and swim at Kinunu on Lake Kivu.
Accommodation options:
Mid-range accommodation: Rushel Kivu Lodge (3-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Kinunu Guesthouse or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Congo Nile Trail

Accommodation:

Kinunu Guest House

• Budget guest house located at Lake Kivu

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

3rd day of biking or walking on the Congo Nile Trail (end)

Kinunu to Bumba (Congo-Nile Devide) - 29 km, a 5-6 hour ride.
After breakfast, continue your bike ride on the Congo Nile Trail along Lake Kivu to the Bumba "Congo Nile Divide" center, passing through the village of Musasa (15 km), where you'll stop for lunch. Then you cross the Koko river, which flows into the lake, and then drive up to the divide between the Nile and Congo rivers at 2300m, overlooking Lake Kivu.
En route, visit the "INGE BAHO" cooperative, offering visitors a memorable experience as they interact and participate in wood carving, weaving and knitting with the cooperative's talented women.
Continue by car to the seaside town of Kibuye (Karongi).
Accommodation options:
Mid-range accommodation: Cormoran Lodge (3-star hotel), Chalets comfortable or similar
Budget range accommodation: Bethany Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Congo Nile Trail

Accommodation:

Bethany Hotel

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

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Boat Cruise on Lake Kivu

After breakfast, head off to observe the crystal-clear waters of Lake Kivu, and discover the beauty of the small bay and nearby islands by boat: Amahoro Island, Napoleon Island and Monkey Island.
Afternoon: relaxing in the charming seaside town of Kibuye and/or swimming at the hotel.
Accommodation options:
Mid-range accommodation: Cormoran Lodge (3-star hotel), Chalets comfortable or similar
Budget range accommodation: Bethany Hotel (3-star hotel) or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Lake Kivu

Accommodation:

Bethany Hotel

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

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kibuye-Nyungwe Guided Tea Tour at Gisakura

After breakfast, continue on to Nyungwe via Nyamasheke.
Lunch at Gisakura Reception Center
After lunch, go to Gisakura's guided tea experience: with tea plantations covering several hectares, farmers offer tea-growing experiences, from sowing to delivery of tea leaves to the factory, including hands-on experience of tea leaf collection with workers.
Continue on the road to the town of Rusizi at Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel.
Accommodation options:
High-end range accommodation: Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: EAR Ken Barham Guesthouse
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

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:

EAR Ken Barham Guest House

• Budget guest house located less than 1hr drive from Nyungwe NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Guided Walk in the Nyungwe Forest and on the Canopy

After breakfast, go for a 4-5 hour guided walk on one or more of Nyungwe's trails. Nyungwe Forest has over 200 different types of trees and birds, and a myriad of flowering plants including the otherworldly giant lobelia and a host of colorful orchids. A vast, well-maintained network of footpaths leads through the Nyungwe forest to various waterfalls and viewpoints, including the Kamiranzovu waterfall.
Lunch at the Uwinka Reception Center
After lunch, enjoy an adventure on the canopy bridge in Nyungwe forest. The canopy walkway offers an exhilarating perspective of treetops and wildlife.
Accommodation options:
High-end range accommodation: Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: EAR Ken Barham Guesthouse
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

EAR Ken Barham Guest House

• Budget guest house located less than 1hr drive from Nyungwe NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Chimpanzee Trekking

The minimum age for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Park is 15 years.
Morning: Very early morning at 5:00 am, meet at the park office for a briefing and assignment of the accompanying professional guide for the chimpanzee tour. The chimpanzee search may last a few hours before you find a group, but you're likely to see many other groups of monkeys along the way, such as Angolan colobus or blue monkey.
Lunch at a Restaurant in Gisakura
Then drive to Butare.
Accommodation options:
High-end range accommodation: Hôtel Mater Boni Consilii (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Centre d’Accueil Mère du Verbe
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Centre D'Accueil Mère Du Verbe

• Budget guest house located near Nyungwe NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Getting in touch with Rwandan history and culture

Morning: Visit the national museum in Huye (Butare). The Butare National Museum is reputed to be the best ethnographic museum in East Africa.
Lunch in the town of Nyanza.
Then visit the Nyanza Royal Museum and the Inyambo big-horned cows. Nyanza was the Seat of the ancient Kingdom of Rwanda before the arrival of the Europeans.
Return to Kigali
Accommodation options:
High-end range accommodation: Blue Veil villa Hotel (4-star hotel) or similar
Budget range accommodation: Overnight with a host family in Kigali
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own).

Main Destination:

Nyanza (Town)

Accommodation:

5 Swiss Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Kigali

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Lounging in the City of Kigali and departure

Morning: Visit of Nyamirambo Women's Center
After a quiet breakfast, at 8:30 am, visit "Nyamirambo Women's Center (NWC)", an NGO launched in late 2007 by 18 Rwandan women living in Nyamirambo, Kigali. Together, they have created a project to combat gender-based violence, gender inequality and discrimination. NWC offers various tourist activities to support their beneficiaries, including:
* Visits to sewing workshops and boutiques run by association members
* Guided hike through the old popular town of Nyamirambo (1.5-hour experience)
Afterwards, free visit of the city of Kigali, its market (Kimironko) and souvenir shops.
Farewell dinner in a the city's restaurants
Afterwards, relax and swim at the Hôtel des Mille Collines swimming pool.
Dinner and evening at the Hôtel des Mille Collines swimming pool
Transfer to the airport in the evening
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Dinner on your own)

End of Safari.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

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