7 Days Complete Rwanda Tour

Overview

For those who want a more complete overview of what makes Rwanda such a wonderful country, our Complete Rwanda tour covers a mixture of its natural beauty and its fascinating culture. This tour really does have it all. Not only do you get to see Rwanda’s famous mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, but you also get to mix in engaging cultural experiences and your choice of a variety of optional activities to make the trip your own. If you’re looking to soak in as much of Rwanda’s stunning natural beauty as humanly possible, The Complete Rwanda is the tour for you.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Kigali – Nyungwe National Park

You’ll depart from Kigali after breakfast for the long but beautiful drive south to Nyungwe National Park. Along the way you’ll come to understand why they call Rwanda ‘The Land of 1000 Hills’. The trip will be broken up with a number of stops. You’ll pay a visit to Nyanza, where you can visit the former palace of the last Rwandan king. Further you will make a stop the Butare National Museum. After lunch, you’ll proceed to Nyungwe, passing through the forest along the way. You’ll have the chance to see playful primates playing by the road as you travel. You’ll arrive at your Nyungwe accommodation in time for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 2: Nyungwe National Park

You’ll rise early for breakfast as you go off in search of Rwanda’s enigmatic and endangered chimpanzee population. With only four hundred chimpanzees in the country, there’s no guarantee you’ll see chimps during your day’s hike, but your guide will do all he can to get you a glimpse of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to spot a chimpanzee, the national park is a wonderfully diverse place that you’ll get a chance to explore both in the morning in your hunt for chimpanzees and after lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll go in search of another of the park’s primate residents – the cheeky black and white colobus monkey. These playful primates are an easier hike than the chimpanzees, and you’ll delight in their antics.
Accommodation Options: Nyungwe Top View Hotel (Luxury), Chimpanzee Lodge (Mid-range), EAR Ken Barham guest house (Budget).

Day 3: Nyungwe – Lake Kivu

You’ll start your day with your choice of a guided waterfall walk or a walk along the Nyungwe Forest National Park’s famous elevated canopy walk. Both offer a unique perspective on this beautiful park, and you’ll find a new appreciation for Rwanda’s natural beauty as you move through this dense forest.
After your morning activity, you’ll make your way to Karongi on the shores of Lake Kivu. The drive to this beautiful city takes you along one of the most scenic stretches of road you’ll everencounter – wending your way through hills and valleys along the way.
Accommodation Options: Cleo lake Kivu Hotel (Luxury), Moriah Hills resort (Mid- range), Delta Hotel (Budget)

Day 4: Lake Kivu – Volcanoes National Park

You’ll start your day with a morning boat ride on Lake Kivu, taking in the serenity and beauty of this massive freshwater lake. As you enjoy your boat ride, you’ll take in the gorges, mountains, creeks, and islands that make for one of Rwanda’s most beautiful panoramas. After a sumptuous lunch, you’ll continue on to Musanze on the outskirts of  Volcanoes National Park, where you’ll pay a visit to the Gorilla Guardian Village to learn more about Rwanda’s pre-colonial past.
Accommodation Options: Virunga Inn resort & SPA (Luxury), Fatima Hotel (Mid-range), Virunga Homestay (Budget).

Day 5: Gorilla trekking

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you’ll proceed directly to the Volcanoes National Park’s headquarters to meet your guides. After completing the briefing, you’ll embark on the once in a lifetime experience of tracking the enigmatic mountain gorillas. There is no guarantee how long or difficult your tracking experience will be as it depends on where the family of gorillas is and on weather conditions, It can take anywhere from two up to six hours of trekking through the mountain forest at relatively high altitudes. Fitness is definitely recommended for those wishing to undertake the excursion. One of the most memorable experiences you’re likely to ever have, you’ll be allowed an hour of close contact with the gorillas once you’ve found them. You’ll be privileged enough to come within mere metres of a family of these rare and beautiful animals, observing their family dynamics and getting to learn a bit about each gorilla’s distinct personality in serene silence.

Day 6: Golden Monkey trekking – Kigali

Today after breakfast, we transfer again to the briefing area but this time for golden monkey trekking. Golden monkeys are primates that reside in the Virunga regions of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. The golden monkey is generally more active than the gorillas. This requires that for great photos you will continuously follow them as they forage for food especially the delicious bamboo shoots. Sometimes they are seen getting into the surrounding gardens for potatoes. However, to note is that they are generally not located too far so the trek to their habitat is much more manageable than some of the gorilla families. You will receive a briefing at the park headquarters before you start your golden monkey trek just like the previous day. You can carry packed lunch but usually the trek lasts a few minutes and you are able to return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch the driver guide will transfer you to Kigali as he transfers you to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Options: Radisson Blu Hotel (Luxury), ONOMO Hotel (Mid-range), Ikaze B&B(Budget).

Day 7: Kigali city tour – Departure

After breakfast you’ll be treated to a city tour covering some of the city’s most famous sites including the craft markets, genocide memorial and the campaign against genocide museum. Get your last-minute shopping done, and then it’s off to the airport for your onward journey.

End of Safari