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Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

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

Day 1

Kigali international airport pick up and transfer to your hotel

Kigali international airport pick up and transfer to your hotel

Upon your arrival at Kigali international airport, you will meet our driver-guide who will welcome and brief you about your daily activities and then transfer you to your hotel. After check in at your hotel, if time allows, we will proceed with Kigali City tour and visit the genocide memorial.

Main Destination:
Kigali (Rwanda)
Accommodation:
Lebanon Hotel
  • Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 2

Transfer to Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda ethnographic, King Palace museums and canopy walk

Transfer to Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda ethnographic, King Palace museums and canopy walk

After your lunch, you will start driving some two hours to Butare, where Rwanda takes its roots and then go to visit King Palace museum where the famous and majestic Rwandan kings were staying. You will get that chance to enter the king palace and learn about the royal style, the smartness and the authority of pre-colonial Rwanda. The famous Long Horns Rwandan Cow is also in the palace backyard. Their permanent keepers who pass the long days singing and interacting romantically with them are much styled to discover. You will experience how animals and human beings are closer friends beyond imagination.

Thereafter, you will proceed with a visit to the ethnographic museum, which wins top marks for having one of the best ethnological and archaeological collections in the entire region. You will be experiencing and learn about the archeological collections from our ancestors and then continue your way to Nyungwe National park for canopy walk. Then after, be welcomed at your hotel.

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

Accommodation:
Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
  • Mid-range guest housejust outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 3

Chimpanzee trek

Chimpanzee trek

After an early breakfast, we will go to check in at Uwinka reception before you start trekking in the rainforest, which has remained undisturbed in Rwanda. The chimps are our cousins that share about 80% of our DNA. You will remain with them 1hour taking photos for your memories. The trek will take up to 2 hours depending on the location of the chimps trekked and then return to your hotel.
Thereafter, we will drive to Karongi and stay at Bethany hotel on Kivu shores.

Main Destination:
Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)
Accommodation:
Bethany Hotel
  • Mid-range hotelin Karongi (Town, Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 4

Go to respond to the calling islands

Go to respond to the calling islands

After breakfast, you will get in the local boat, time to explore splendid Rwanda. You will visit islands and islets but mainly you will visit three of them: Napoleon Island, the Blue monkey Island, and the peace island. You will get chance to see Monkeys that live on the island.
Then after you will ride back to Amahoro Island (Peace island) and stop at the open peninsula for a local beer.
After this experience, you will get transferred to Rubavu and stay at Kivu Paradis Malahide along kivu shoreline.

Main Destination:
Karongi (Town, Rwanda)
Accommodation:
Paradise Malahide
  • Mid-range hotelnear Rubavu (Lake Kivu, Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 5

Kivu beach and Bigorwe cow farm experience and transfer to Musanze

Kivu beach and Bigorwe cow farm experience and transfer to Musanze

After your breakfast, you will go to relax at Kivu lake beach, which will let you explore the landscape and sceneries of Goma and the Nyiragongo volcano on the side of Congo. Thereafter, we will drive about 1hour to visit some cow farms in Bigogwe and get to learn how cows play a great important in the Rwandan culture, symbol of wealth, prosperity and identity; you will get to know how they are used to pay marriage dowry and bride price. Milk is, as a result, also important culturally. You will get to know all the associated cultural rites with it and how Rwanda has been dealing with “Gira Inka Munyarwanda” program known as Cows to all Rwandans to facilitate Genocide survivor rebuild themselves after the darkest period.
After this, you will drive around 1 hour to get in Musanze and stay at Best view hotel.

Main Destination:
Musanze (City, Rwanda)
Accommodation:
Best View Hotel
  • Mid-range hotelin Musanze (City, Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 6

Golden Monkey trekking in Volcano National Park and Musanze city tour

Golden Monkey trekking in Volcano National Park and Musanze city tour

After your early breakfast, we will drive 15min toward Volcano national park headquarters to be briefed about the golden monkey trek. You will then attend the Golden Monkey briefing at 7h 30 and then at 8 drive directly to the home of monkey. You will remain with them about 1hour taking pictures for your memory before you turn back to your hotel for lunch and stay there.

Later in the evening, we will do Musanze city tour to visit some local market and other interesting areas before we get back to our hotel.

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

Accommodation:
Best View Hotel
  • Mid-range hotelless than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas, Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 7

Musanze caves and Iby’Iwacu cultural center

Musanze caves and Iby’Iwacu cultural center

After your breakfast, we will go to visit the Musanze caves which is the result of volcanic activities that took place around Virunga volcanoes and the caves are believed to be formed by lava basaltic layers from Bisoke and Sabyinyo volcano. You will walk in the darkness with torches on a distance of 1.25miles and encounter some animals in the cave especially the bats.

Later in the evening, we will visit Iby’iwacu cultural center, a group of poachers turned into conservationists along the volcano national park feet. You will see them coming to you with spears. Here, the Intore dancers, will dance with their arms forming horns of Inyambo. You will be surprised by their rapidness and be a part of them, which will make your day special.

Main Destination:
Musanze (City, Rwanda)
Accommodation:
Best View Hotel
  • Mid-range hotelin Musanze (City, Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 8

Visit Twin Lakes and community walk

Visit Twin Lakes and community walk

After your breakfast, we will walk toward Twin lakes (25km) and then get into a boat ride in twin Lakes to explore the beauty of the area and its surroundings. The boat will take you to islands, visit a community living on the islands, and learn their lifestyles. A visit to this lake will give you an overview of volcanoes. You will get pictures while boating and get to learn the background of Volcanoes, as the lakes are the result of Volcano eruption.

Main Destination:
Musanze (City, Rwanda)
Accommodation:
My Hill Eco-Lodge
  • Mid-range hotelless than 1hr drive from Musanze (City, Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 9

Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable National Park, Pygmy trail walk

Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable National Park, Pygmy trail walk

After your breakfast, you will cross Rwanda-Uganda border via Cyanika border and drive about 3hours to Bwindi impenetrable forest.
You will arrive in Bwindi during lunch time and then after your lunch you will proceed with a visit to Batwa(Pygmy). A pygmy guide who will pass you through their journey from before and after they have been evicted from the Bwindi impenetrable forest and how they have survived will guide you.

Main Destination:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
Best Time To Visit June to August and December to February
High Season June to September (Gorilla permits are scarce)
Best Weather June to July and December to February (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Bwindi NP

Accommodation:
Buhoma Community Haven Lodge
  • Budget lodgejust outside Bwindi NP (Gorillas, Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 10

Mountain Gorilla trek in Bwindi impenetrable forest

Mountain Gorilla trek in Bwindi impenetrable forest

After your breakfast, we will be heading to Bwindi impenetrable for forest headquarters for the pre-trekking brief. The ranger guides will guide on what to expect during the trek and the code of conduct while in the forest. The mountain Gorilla trek will take from 2-4hours depending on where the gorillas are located in the forest. Once you get across the gorilla family of the day, you will be allowed to stay with them one hour taking pictures for your memory. After this experience, you drive back to your hotel for a late lunch and relax as you wait for the next day to come.

Main Destination:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation:
Buhoma Community Haven Lodge
  • Budget lodgejust outside Bwindi NP (Gorillas, Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 11

Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for bird watching, sightseeing and a boat ride

Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for bird watching, sightseeing and a boat ride

After your breakfast, you will get ready to be transferred to lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is a famous spot for birding tours in Uganda and sightseeing. It is a small lake with over 40 islands and is ideal for honeymooners and those who want a quiet, serene and romantic place. You will go for a boat ride and island hopping as you watch the local fishermen carrying out their activities. You could also visit the punishment island. This is where young girls who had conceived before wedlock were abandoned to die. Most were rescued by men who couldn’t afford bride price.

Main Destination:
Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda)
Accommodation:
BirdNest Resort
  • Mid-range resort located at Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 12

Drive back to Kigali, canoeing experience in Mukungwa river

Drive back to Kigali, canoeing experience in Mukungwa river

After your breakfast in Bwindi, we will drive 3 hours back to Rwanda and cross Uganda-rwanda border via Cyanika border. After we cross the border, we will go straight to Mukungwa river, a lake on the feet of volcanoes and go to experience canoeing in Mukungwa before we continue our way to Kigali.

Main Destination:
Kigali (Rwanda)
Accommodation:
Lebanon Hotel
  • Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 13

Mbyo reconciliation village and Nyamirambo women group

Mbyo reconciliation village and Nyamirambo women group

After your breakfast, you will visit the Bugesera reconciliation village and witness how after the darkest period, the Hutus and Tutsis get to reconcile and live together as brother and sister.
After your lunch in Bugesera, we will drive back to Kigali and go to experience the Nyamirambo women group before you are transferred to your hotel. The Nyamirambo walking tour will offer you an experience on foot with Rwandan traditional snacks, and participate in a women’s hairdressing salon.

Main Destination:
Kigali (Rwanda)
Accommodation:
Lebanon Hotel
  • Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 14

Kigali genocide memorial and drop off to airport to fly to your home

Kigali genocide memorial and drop off to airport to fly to your home

After your breakfast, we will go to visit the genocide memorial to learn about the darkest period Rwanda had been passing through before we transfer you to your airport to return back to your home.

Main Destination:
Kigali International Airport (Kigali, Rwanda)
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

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

  • This tour is offered by Empirical Tour and Travel, not SafariBookings.
  • This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
  • If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
  • If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
  • Gorilla tracking permits are subject to availability.