Silverbird Tours Agency
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- Rwanda Tours & Travel Association
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $180 to $2,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Michelle C | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip to Nyungwe National Park
Every time I have visited Rwanda for work, I've reached out to Peter and Silverbird Tours Agency to schedule side trips. On two previous trips, I booked trips with Silverbird to visit Akagera National Park and the mountain gorillas. In March of this year, I contacted Peter regarding Nyungwe National Park.
Peter put together an amazing 2-day itinerary, starting from Kigali. On the way to Nyungwe, we stopped at the fascinating King's Palace with its replicas of traditional, thatched royal quarters as well the modern palace of Rwanda's last king. The long-horned Inyambo cattle, descendants of the king's herd, are alone worth the trip. There is also a lovely outdoor cafe with very good food and an excellent souvenir shop on the grounds.
The next day, we tracked chimps early in the morning - after about an hour or so, our guides located a group traveling on the ground and followed them as they moved up into the tree canopy. We spent a good two hours with the chimps sitting in trees above our heads. After lunch, we hiked through a primordial forest to a breathtaking waterfall. It was truly a spectacular hike, one of the best of my life. The park ranger assigned to us (you cannot hike on trails in Rwandan national parks without one) was impressively knowledgeable - she knew the Latin name of every tree and bird I asked about. During the return trip, a cloud descended on the forest to create a dreamlike scape of silhouetted parasol trees, ferns, and tangled vines, with a few pops of color from wildflowers along the path.
After the hike, we visited a group of women working on a tea plantation to learn about the process of tea production - how tea leaves are picked and sorted by hand before they are bagged and sent to a nearby factory for processing. We joined the women and practiced picking leaves ourselves. Afterwards, we stopped at a local shop to try samples of tea, learn more about how teas are tasted and assessed at auctions (tea tasters are like wine sommeliers in their knowledge and ability to pinpoint where a particular tea originates) and purchase dried tea to take home. (FYI, Rwandan tea is among the most highly valued tea in Africa.)
The next day, we did the famous canopy walk inside Nyungwe, an experience that literally took my breath away: I'm not usually afraid of heights, but my breathing immediately became sharp and shallow, and I had to consciously calm my nervous system down a bit! The suspension bridge rocked a bit, which didn't help, but we continued on, above the broccoli tops of ancient trees and the forest floor far below - suspended above the tapestry of tangled branches and vines that yesterday formed the verdant, living ceiling towering above us on our hike to the waterfall.
After the canopy hike, we stopped at the Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre, one of several genocide memorials across the country. The Murambi Centre is on the campus of a former technical college, where some 20,000 Tutsis were killed in 1994. It's hard to put in words the impact of visiting this memorial, one of the most powerful experiences I've ever had. It's a very emotionally difficult place to visit, but I was very grateful to Peter for including this stop. I've read quite a bit about the genocide, but it's an altogether different experience to visit a place where it happened.
Before reaching Kigali, we made two last stops: a coffee plantation started by a Rwandan where we sampled some of the best coffee I've ever tasted and an elegant cafe/craft shop (unfortunately, I forget the name) before we arrived back up in Kigali.
I was truly amazed by how many great and varied experiences Peter put together in only 2 days. I've now experienced three of the best short trips of my life with Silverbird. I trust Peter and his team immensely and always enjoy his company. I now consider him a friend and will be sure to contact him again next time I'm in Kigali.
SG
Email K Gin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionalism beyond expectations
First time to Africa and first time Rwanda. Was recommended Silverbird Tours for the mountain gorilla trek.
I was very well looked after, and we followed the program and even made unscheduled stops and detours.
My guide Jonathan Rukundo was most informative and articulate and well red not just about Rwanda, Mountain gorillas, but also about world affairs. A great insight for me.
The mountain gorilla trek was an amazing experience. It is difficult to describe and the best way to state it is to experience it!
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Email Astrid | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience
I traveled by myself and I got the best rate and quality service from the staff, they promptly resolved any question I had prior to my adventure. Justin was my guide, he arrived to my hotel few minutea before the pick up time, and since the moment I started my journey he was amazing, he is very knowledgeable, kind and respectful. I had the best experience and would love to come back.
Email Symone M | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Made our time really special! Would highly recommend
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour to Lake Kivu and the Muzanze district. Jonathon our guide was both knowledgeable and friendly. The trip was organised seamlessly and i especially liked that the car came equipped with wifi. The highlight of the day was definitely our trip to the Muzanze District where we got to spend some time with the gorilla gaurdians. My boyfriend and I recently got engaged and they preformed a whole wedding ceremony for us which was super sweet!
Jonathon also took us to a really nice local spot by the lake to eat which was delicious! The day was jam packed with things to see and really gave us a new appreciation for Rwanda and its people. If you are on the fence about booking this please take it from me and just book it! You won't regret it
BE
Email Andreas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great plan, excellent execution and super price
We did an one day Akagera safari, were picked up by Kigali hotel. Your guide was excellent, expert, friendly and great driver. We enjoyed a great safari day! Everything went as per plan and price and communication with the agency amazing!
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Email Adam Zucker | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Silverbird is the Best!
We had such an amazing time touring Rwanda with Silverbird! Peter, Faith, and the whole team were so knowledgeable, communicative, and kind, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience! We saw Akagera National Park, Volcanoes National Park/gorilla trekking, and a Kigali city tour with Silverbird, and I absolutely recommend all of them! Thank you so much to the whole team at Silverbird for your incredible tours and kindness!!
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Email Chary rico toro | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable , profesional ,easy to reach .
Very happy with silver tours ,
I was in contact with them frequently.
Great service , provided the hotel stays , tour guide and experience as promised .
AE
Email Esraa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional ,outstanding ,perfect ,dedicated one! Justin was one of the best tour guide I have ever
We had 2 tours with Justin Kigali sightseeing tour and Akagera national patk and it was one of the unforgettable tours
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Email Michelle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great gorilla trekking trip with Silverbird
Last July, I had booked a 2-day tour to Akagera with Silverbird Tours Agency, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. So when I was back in Kigali I went straight to Silverbird to book a 1-day gorilla trekking trip in Volcanoes National Park. I contacted Peter and he arranged all the details--including the ride up, purchasing the trekking permit, helping me get a COVID test, and lunch after the trek. Damascene was the Silverbird employee who drove me up to Silverbird and made sure everything ran smoothly - I didn't have to worry about a thing. I truly enjoyed his company and learning more about Rwanda from him.
The Silverbird staff are professional yet personable and I trust them 100%. If I travel again to Rwanda for work, there's no doubt in my mind that I would go straight to SIlverbird to arrange any side trips - hopefully next time to Nyungwe!
Thank you, Peter and Damascene, and all the staff at Silverbird! You make Rwanda feel like a home away from home.
Best,
Michelle
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Email Suzanne | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional and friendly!
We have such a good experience with Silverbird Tours. They offer a good (honest) price, are professional and reliable and are easy to get in touch with. We had Damascene as our tour guide to Akagera and had a great experience. So friendly and really on the lookout for animals. Murakoze!