9 Day Rwanda Tour, Gorillas, Chimps, Akagera Big Five

Kigali Arrival, Airport Pickup, Overnight in Kigali

Your trip starts at Kigali International Airport. Our driver will meet you outside the arrival gates, help with your heavy bags and take you to your hotel. Kigali is known as one of the cleanest cities in Africa. You will have time to rest and get used to the warm weather — the air is fresh, and the streets are very quiet. If you arrive early, you can take a short walk around the city streets and sit at a local cafe for fresh coffee. You will sleep well tonight to prepare for the long days ahead.

Lodging: Luxury: Kigali Serena Hotel · Mid-range: Heaven Boutique Hotel · Budget: Step Town Motel

Kigali to Akagera, Lake Ihema Boat Safari, Overnight Akagera

You wake up to a hot breakfast, then your driver picks you up and you leave the busy city behind, driving east — about two and a half hours as green hills turn into flat, dry plains and the air gets hotter and drier. You arrive at Akagera National Park just before lunch, check into your lodge and eat a fresh meal. In the afternoon, you go to Lake Ihema for a boat ride on the dark water — the best way to see hippos and big crocodiles. The boat ride lasts about two hours, and you'll also see many water birds near the muddy shore, moving slowly so you can take clear photos.

Lodging: Luxury: Magashi Camp · Mid-range: Mantis Akagera Game Lodge · Budget: Akagera Rhino Lodge

Akagera Full-Day Game Drive, Big Five Focus, Overnight at Akagera

You need to wake up long before sunrise — animals are most active in the early morning cold. After a quick breakfast, you get into your safari car with a pop-up roof so you can stand up. You drive to the northern part of the park; the Kilile plains are wide and very open, giving the best chance to see lions and rhinos. You carry a packed lunch from your lodge. In the afternoon, you keep driving to look for tall giraffes and heavy elephants, seeing herds of zebras eating the dry grass. You return to your lodge just before it gets dark, eat a large dinner and rest your tired legs.

Akagera to Nyungwe, Long Transfer, Overnight Nyungwe

This is a heavy travel day. You leave Akagera early in the morning and drive back through the centre of Kigali, stopping in the city for a hot lunch. After lunch, you drive south towards the deep woods of Nyungwe — the road twists and turns through many steep hills, passing small villages and local farms. As you get closer to Nyungwe, the air gets very cool, thick green trees cover the high mountains, and fog often rolls across the road. This full drive takes about six hours. You arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon, check in and have a quiet evening by a warm fire.

Lodging: Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House · Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel · Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse

Nyungwe Chimp Tracking, Canopy Walk, Overnight Nyungwe

You wake up at four in the morning — chimpanzees wake up early and move very fast, so you must reach the park office before dawn breaks. A park ranger leads you into the dark forest; the walk can be very steep and highly slippery. You'll hear the loud calls of the chimps before you see them, and spend one full hour watching them eat and play high in the trees. Return to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you drive to the Uwinka visitor centre for the famous canopy walk — a narrow bridge hung between huge old trees, 70 metres above the ground, giving you a bird's-eye view of the deep green forest.

Nyungwe to Volcanoes Area via Lake Kivu, Overnight near Musanze

You can sleep a little later today. After a hot breakfast, you check out and start the long drive north to Volcanoes National Park. This route takes you right past Lake Kivu, with deep blue, very calm water. The drive covers 232 kilometres and takes about five hours, with many stops to photograph the water. You arrive in Musanze town, a busy town sitting at the bottom of tall green mountains. The air here is thin and very cold — you're now at a very high altitude. You check into your lodge and should drink plenty of fresh water and rest to help your body adjust.

Lodging: Luxury: Bisate Lodge · Mid-range: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel · Budget: Hotel Muhabura

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Overnight near Musanze

This is the biggest day of your whole trip. You eat breakfast early and drive to the Kinigi park office, run by the strict Rwanda Development Board. Park rangers check your daily permits and give you a safety talk, explaining exactly how to act around the giant apes. You then drive to the raw edge of the forest — the dirt roads are rough and full of hard volcanic rocks, and the drive can take up to an hour. You leave the car and start walking up the hill; the hike is very hard, through thick bushes and deep sticky mud, taking two to six hours.

When you find the gorillas, you must stay seven metres away and get exactly one hour to watch them — seeing them eat leaves and care for their young babies. After the hour is up, you hike back down the steep mountain and return to your lodge to clean the mud off your boots.

Golden Monkeys, Ibyiwacu Cultural Village, Overnight near Musanze

You go back to the Kinigi park office on a cold morning. Today you track fast golden monkeys, which live in the lower bamboo forests. The hike is much easier than the gorilla trek — you walk for about an hour before you find them, and the monkeys are fast and very playful, jumping from branch to branch right above your head. Return to your lodge for a hot lunch. In the afternoon, you visit the Ibyiwacu cultural village, where local people show you how they used to live long ago, play loud drums, perform local group dances, and let you try shooting a wooden bow and arrow.

Kigali City Visit and Memorial, Airport Drop Off

You eat your last breakfast in the high, cold mountains, pack your bags and start the drive back to Kigali — the paved drive takes about 2.5 hours. When you reach Kigali, you visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a very sad but highly important place that teaches you about the country's dark past and shows how far the local people have come since then. You walk through the rooms and read the facts on the walls. After the heavy tour, your driver takes you to the airport, dropping you off in time for your flight home — marking the full end of your nine-day trip.