After breakfast we embark on a tour of Kigali which is ranked as the cleanest city in Africa. During this tour we will visit historical places like the Richard Kandt Museum which was the first modern house in Kigali, the Genocide memorial to have a better understanding the tragedy that happened in 1994. The tour through the old and new Kigali takes us to cultural and artistic places like the Inema Arts Centre and pass through Nyamirambo, the most vibrant area in Kigali. We can have lunch at Hotel de Milles Collines and later drive back to Onomo Hotel for overnight stay.

Accommodation: Onomo Hotel

Meal Plan: B B

After breakfast, we take a 2 and half hours’ drive to Akagera National Park with an optional stop-over for lunch at the Imigongo Arts Center in Kayonza. After check in at the Park we head on for a 2 hours afternoon nature walk near the Lodge at the edge of Akagera National Park. We will learn about the history of the area, the native plants and animals as well as meet community members in their daily activities including beekeeping, handcrafts and farming.  Before driving back to the Lodge, we enjoy an evening boat cruise on one of the Parks’ lakes, Lake Ihema then drive back to the lodge for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge

Meal Plan: B L D

After an early breakfast with packed lunch, we go for a game drive within Akagera National park with the chance to meet the big five (elephants, rhinos, buffalos, leopards, lions) Beside the big five Akagera NP offers beautiful landscapes and plenty other animals like zebras, bushbuck, antelopes and primates like olive baboons, velvets and secretive blue monkey which are seen during the day. Akagera NP is also home to over 500 birds’ species. The games drive starts from the South gate and exit in the North gate for an overnight stay at Epic Hotel and Suites.

Accommodation: Epic Hotel and Suites

Meal Plan: D B

At 8 am in the morning, we leave Epic Hotel heading to Musanze, the most popular touristic city and the gateway to the Volcanoes. The city has got so many restaurants and hotels seen along the way. We have lunch on the way at la Palme Hotel and go for canoeing in River Mukungwa and enjoy beautiful surroundings of vegetation and views of the Volcanoes. From canoeing we drive to Gorilla View Lodge for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Gorilla View Lodge

Meal Plan: B L D

After breakfast, we drive to Volcanoes National Park headquarters for briefing which starts at 7 a.m for the hike to Dian Fossey’s grave.

We take a 30 minutes’ drive from the National park HQ to the trail head to access the Karisoke Research Camp where Dian’s grave is located in between Mt. Karisimbi and Mt. Bisoke. We enjoy a walk for 10 minutes to the park boundary. The walk from the park boundary to the research center where Dian’s grave is, takes about an hour and affords good views of forest hogs, forest elephants, a variety of primates and bird species.

After enjoying the beautiful and wonderful hike we drive to the hotel for lunch and after have a village tour at Iby’ iwacu Village. – the visit offers an adventurous stay in a traditional rural Rwandan village that has existed for centuries living with and next to mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National park. From that wonderful village tour, we drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Gorilla View Lodge

Meal Plan: B L D

After an early breakfast, we report to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters at 7 am for briefing to start gorilla tracking. There are 10 habituated Rwanda gorilla families that are available for tracking. The trek may take anything between 2 to 4 hours until we spot the gorillas feasting on bamboo sprouts. We have an hour to observe them in their habitat and take pictures. This is a once in a lifetime experience. After gorilla tracking, we drive back to the hotel for lunch then drive to Lake Kivu, Gisenyi and spend the rest of the evening at the beach. Overnight stay will be at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel.

Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

Meal Plan: B D

After breakfast we enjoy a 3 hour’s boat ride from Kivu Serena Hotel to Kibuye. Along the ride we get to see beautiful islands within Lake Kivu, a view of Goma city of the Republic Democratic of Congo as well as people fishing on the lake. We stop for Lunch at Rushel Lodge a beautiful lodge on the lake shores and then continue to Cormoran Lodge located in Karongi city where we spend the night.

Accommodation: Cormoran Lodge

Meal Plan: B D

Today is a leisure day at the Lake. We can opt to go for water sports activities like kayaking, fishing, swimming, boat tours or relax at the beach enjoying the sun and Kivu smell. We will have both lunch and dinner at Cormoran Lodge.

Accommodation: Cormoran Lodge

Meal Plan: B L D

After breakfast we drive to Nyungwe National Park using Kivu Belt Road through the winding roads, huge tea fields and get a beautiful view of the hilly green hills that make Rwanda the land of a thousand hills.  We check in at Top Hill View Hotel, have lunch and drive to Uwinka at Park Office for briefing and start the 2-3 hours canopy walk.  This activity is the most exciting activity, where we might get a chance to see monkeys, tree species some of which have existed for decades and centuries. The walk is 70 meters above the ground level and 90 meters long also the platform is above a steep and deep valley trotting across massive forest. You will be at “eye-to-eye level” during the canopy with 300 bird species, all of which are fond of inhabiting the upper scales of the forest. After the Canopy walk, we drive back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Top Hill View Hotel

Meal Plan: B L D

After breakfast we drive to Kigali, a five-hour drive, through the southern part of Rwanda known as the Heritage Corridor for its rich culture and historical sites. Along the corridor we make stop overs to visit some cultural sites and museums.  The first visit will be to the Ethnographic Museum located in Huye District, the cultural city, learn more about the Rwandan culture where a traditional troop will perform a dance for us.  We have an optional lunch at Ibis Hotel then continue to Nyanza passing by Save where we find the first built Catholic church in Rwanda in 1900.  We also make a stop at the Kings Palace Museum, a replica of the ancient Kings houses and learn more about the Rwandan Kingdom life.’We continue to Kigali with more stop overs at cultural and historical sites on the way including, Kabgayi Basilica and King Ruganzu footprints in Muhanga. Upon arriving at Kigali, we drive to Scheba Hotel to check in and get ready for a wonderful dinner at Ubumwe Grand Hotel rooftop.

We enjoy our dinner with the best view of Kigali at night and then drive to Onomo Hotel for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Onomo Hotel

Meal Plan: B

After breakfast we drive to Kigali International Airport from the hotel for our departure.