Welcome to Rwanda! On arrival into Kigali International Airport, make your way through passport control and collect your luggage.

All of your luggage will be scanned through an x-ray machine before you head to the arrivals hall. Please note that the following items are strictly prohibited: plastic bags, drones and any form of radio / walkie talkie equipment. 

We recommend that your draw some local currency at the airport before you head to your hotel. Many local businesses around Rwanda prefer to process Rwandan Franks rather than US Dollars, so it is important that you draw some local currency from an ATM before leaving the airport. There is also a small charge as you depart the airport that will need to be settled in the local currency. There are a number of ATM's near your hotel and along your journey and we are very happy to make recommendations of the best places to draw money during the rest of your trip. 

Once you have reached the arrivals hall, you will be met by a representative who will help you with your luggage and take you to your rental vehicle in the car park. They will meet you in the arrivals hall holding a board with your name displayed. 

On this day you will do Kigali city tour by visiting different attractions in the city including Umusambi Village, Kigali Genocide memorial and Kimironko market among others. Overnight at Heaven Boutique Hotel.

Morning transfer to Nyungwe National park and in the evening you will pass by King's palace museum for visiting that place and learn more about the History and culture of Rwanda. Evening local visit to Gisakura tea plantation will enable you experience and learn the art of picking tea leaves, wander through the lush tea estate to adventure close the variety of parallel ridges of tea plus the attractive mountains and hills that provide a beautiful back drop for the plantation.

You will learn how tea is grown and harvested, the best tea leaves to pick and how to pick them before you put them in an open traditional basket which you will be carrying on your back. After the picking process you will then experience how tea is processed locally by pounding the leaves and drying them, then after checking the well finished product you will do the tasting your own made cup of tea.

NOTE: We will be hiking/walking through the small trails heading to the tea estate where our tea picking will start from, hower, if you are the adventurous type you can opt for an optional tea tour with mountain bikes fr om the starting point to the tea estates and return to the base wh ere the tour ends on your bikes. This is also another good way to explore beautiful trails around Gisakura estates.

Meet your guide and drive back to Nyungwe Top View Hotel

Morning Visit the newly discovered waterfall in Nyungwe National Park. As you start to hike higher into the forest, enjoy the gorgeous views northwest to Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Several species of primates are commonly found here, as well as many birds.  

You may enjoy the sighting of the waterfall fr om two main vantage points depending upon how wet you want to get. The first is at the end of a short spur, which leads to a picnic bench overlooking the fall at 50 meters distance. Small trees partially obscure the view. The falls can be reached by descending to the wild river below and then clambering over wet rocks to a large boulder in the middle of the amphitheatre. From here, you’ll be close to the bottom of the falls, wh ere it thunders down. 

Afternoon visit to canopy walkway which is accessible from the Uwinka Visitor Centre a Forest Ranger will lead your walk through the forest. With an eye for some of the 310 bird species, butterflies, orchids, centuries-old trees and 75 mammals including 13 primates that live here this walk is a spectacular journey in the largest surviving example of an Afro Montane ecosystem and one of the oldest continuously forested locations on Earth.

The walk includes a 200m long canopy walkway that takes you high above the forest floor providing a unique platform for observing the forest. Overnight at Nyungwe top view Hotel.

Spend an amazing hour watching a troop of wild chimpanzees in the forest! Setting off very early at 5am, you will transfer to a section of Nyungwe Forest known as Cyamudongo, where most of Rwanda’s habituated chimpanzees are located. Here you’ll meet your local ranger a small visitor centre, and then as soon as the trackers locate the family of chimpanzees – that number about 40 individuals – you’ll be off, trekking along the paths but also possibly, scaling short sections of the steep rainforest slopes immersed in the forest. Listen carefully and you may hear the chimps before you see them literally swinging from the trees or possibly running around on the ground all around you!

This is a wonderful wildlife encounter! However, there’s more because chimps are only one of the primate species that are found in Nyungwe Forest; So there’s a good chance you may also encounter some of the others as such as Silver Monkey, L’Hoest Monkey, Owl faced monkeys, Red-Tailed Monkey, Crowned Monkey, Dent’s Mona Monkey, Vervet Monkey and Olive baboons... And if you're into birds then make sure to ask your guides to point out the species that you may find on the trails, which if you're really lucky may include the rather impressive Blue Turaco!

Today you will be transferred by road from Nyungwe Forest National Park to Cormoran Lodge on the shores of Lake Kivu in Karongi. Reaching out into the deep blue waters of Lake Kivu, and built entirely of locally sourced wood, Cormoran Lodge's seven ensuite cottage rooms are perched on a lush hillside near Kibuye. It has a lovely restaurant and bar that serves up some great local fish, Rwandan and international cuisine with a distinctly French feel. Overnight at Cormoran Lodge.

Set off from Kibuye to explore Lake Kivu’s stunning ‘Bay of Islands,’ where you’ll island-hop, swim in crystal-clear waters, and enjoy a lunch stop. Visit Napoleon Island, home to a noisy colony of fruit bats, before paddling to our campsite on a beautiful, uninhabited island. Here, native trees shelter numerous bird species.

Camp with exclusive access, purchase fresh fish from local fishermen, and cook a simple, delicious meal over an open fire. Wake up to a remarkable dawn chorus.

While staying in 'adventure' tents, expect nutritious meals prepared by guides, including vegetarian options unless fresh fish or meat is sourced locally. Meals typically include vegetable stew, curry, or chili, with breakfast options like porridge or flatbread and jam.

After a simple breakfast, we turn back towards Kibuye or end in Kinunu for a coffee tour before meeting your driver to proceed to your next destination, this time following the coast where we have superb views of the lush mosaic of crops on small farms that make Rwanda’s hills so special. Before reaching Kibuye, we call in for lunch on Amohoro (Peace) Island, where there will be time to contemplate just how special the past couple of days have been. Then, in the afternoon it’s just a short paddle back to where we began; was it only yesterday?

On this day you will continue to paddle your modern sea kayaks or sit-on-top to dip into inlets and across bays as you soak up the spectacular scenery, meet the fishermen, see local fish farms heading to Kinunu where we'll do a coffee tour with local farmers. 

You will also enjoy the fascinating tour of a thriving Coffee washing station provides brings to life the entire process of harvesting, washing, roasting, grinding and preparing some of the best coffee in Rwanda - and the world. Coffee has literally transformed lives of this community and created a sustainable income for numerous local families. In fact, whilst it is (sometimes) possible to buy Kinunu coffee after the tour, the beans grown here are also included in some of the best-known coffee brands in the world.

To finish this adventure, a rewarding swim in the warm, clean water from the kayaks is very refreshing!

Explore the Rwandan countryside on a quality hard-tail mountain bike or e-bike, with helmet and gloves provided. Ride through small villages, where you’ll witness traditional life, market activities, and friendly locals. Your experienced guide will help you engage with the community and tailor the ride to your preference, whether easy, moderate, or challenging.

In the afternoon, embark on a canoe journey set against the Virunga Volcanoes. Paddle through gentle and flat sections with one easy rapid, spotting birds and otters while soaking up scenic views. Starting with a 15-minute transfer from Musanze, you’ll receive briefings on canoeing and safety. Enjoy a 2.5-3 hour paddle before returning to Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge.

After meeting your park rangers at Volcanoes NP at 7am, there is a short drive to the trailhead and then you’re off for the hike in the lush, native rainforest. 

Entering the forest is like being in a different world. You will begin a steep climb surrounded by vines and tall native trees, as birds soar above the canopy. The muddy trail can be a bit of a slippery challenge in the wet season but high above the foothills, there are amazing views. 

As you ascend the vegetation changes as you pass through stands of bamboo, giant lobelia, hagenia and ultimately to alpine meadows. On the way, there are stunning views of Karisimbi, the highest of the Virunga volcanoes, and from the summit, weather permitting, you will gain a really spectacular view of the crater lake that sits on the border between Rwanda and DRC and across to Mt Mikano that is just over the border in DRC. Overnight at Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge.

On arrival, everyone will be split into groups of up to 8 people – and maybe joined with other tourists – before being allocated a ranger. You will then drive a short distance to the start of the trail, from where you will trek in the forest for around 1-3 hours or so to meet the gorillas. When you find them, the hour you spend with these incredible primates is a true lifetime experience that you will never forget. To see – and walk amongst – a family of mountain gorillas is a wildlife encounter unlike any other on Earth. You’ll be so close to the individual gorillas. Boisterous adolescents will be misbehaving whilst playful children are constantly demanding the attention of their parents as aunts and uncles wander together in an extended family group under the watchful eye of the silverback. You may only be a visitor, but you will briefly be part of their family in a really remarkable way.

Once you have returned to the Head Quarters, head back to your hotel for a celebration lunch, followed by an afternoon at leisure to relax or visit the local community projects in the area. 

Once you have returned to your lodge after your trek and freshened up, enjoy a celebration lunch before your afternoon activities or evening at leisure.

This morning, your driver will meet you at your hotel in Volcanoes National Park and transfer back to Kigali. END OF SERVICE