Rwanda’s Natural Highlights
Tour Introduction
Rwanda is known for being a land of staggering natural beauty and unforgettable wildlife encounters, and this itinerary has been designed to see the very best of these. By using simple yet good, locally-owned small hotels and lodges, it offers excellent value too. Begin with three nights in Volcanoes National Park with not one but two exhilarating mornings with the highland gorillas. Then descend to Lake Kivu for jaw-dropping landscapes of terraced green hills, sleepy fishing villages, distant volcanos and tranquil waters. Finally, three nights in the mountain rainforests of Nyungwe should reveal chimpanzees and twelve other species of primates, animals and birds. Transported by private 4×4 vehicle throughout, this is truly an intense immersion in Rwanda’s incredible landscapes and natural history.
Full Itinerary
Arrive Kigali. Met on arrival by your private driver with 4x4 vehicle and transfer to your hotel close to the Volcanoes National Park. Free afternoon to relax and explore.
Staying at Gorilla Mountain View Lodge. Includes Dinner.
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park entrance by 0700 for a thrilling morning of mountain gorilla tracking. The length and difficulty of the walk to the gorillas depends on which group you are tracking and its whereabouts that day, but once there you can spend up to a full hour watching these amazing primates, so large and powerful yet so peaceful. Lunch at the hotel and afternoon at leisure.
Staying at Gorilla Mountain View Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Another morning of exhilarating gorilla encounters. You will typically be assigned a different group from the previous day. Lunch at the hotel and afternoon again at leisure.
Staying at Gorilla Mountain View Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Depart with you private driver to Lake Kivu and drive south through green terraced hills, past homesteads and through sleepy fishing villages to the small town of Kibuye on the lake shore.
Staying at Moriah Hills. Includes Breakfast.
A free day to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of Kibuye. This sleepy lakeside town has a white sand beach and kayaks for hire: additionally, boat trips are available to nearby islands.
Staying at Moriah Hills. Includes Breakfast.
Continue south along Lake Kivu then head inland through farming terraces, tropical forest and tea plantations to Nyungwe National Park.
Staying at Gisakura Guest House. Includes All Meals.
Early morning transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park to meet with your trackers. Spend morning primate tracking. Chimpanzees will be your main quarry, and you should encounter other primates, birds and insects along the way. PLEASE NOTE: the walking here is very steep and slippery – primate troupes may be many hours’ walk from the park headquarters and are often fast moving. Therefore, a good level of personal fitness is essential.
Return to guesthouse for lunch. Free afternoon at leisure. Perhaps hike to one of the many waterfalls or visit the nearby tea estate and factory with its resident colobus monkeys.
Staying at Gisakura Guest House. Includes All Meals.
Another morning of primate tracking. Free afternoon to explore the forest trails, waterfalls and tea plantations (guide and vehicle included).
Includes All Meals.
Today you will return to Kigali. If you wish, you can opt for a little free time in Nyungwe Forest and/or stop at the Murambi and Kigali Genocide Memorials. Drop off at airport in time for flight home. Depart Kigali.
Includes In-flight Meals.
Tour Accommodation
Gorilla Mountain View Lodge
Overview
Gorilla Mountain View Lodge is a new hotel located just 15 minutes from the entrance to Volcanoes National Park. Each of the thirty individual stone cottages comes complete with a log fire and private bathroom with hot water showers. The rooms have basic furnishings but are comfortable and well kept. Each room offers a fireplace, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities and amenities such as hairdryers, umbrellas and bottled water. The electricity and hot water are supplied by generator which usually runs from 6pm.
Gorilla Mountain View Lodge sits in a clearing with impressive views towards the high peaks of the Virunga Mountains and is ideally located for gorilla trekking in the park. The restaurant serves delicious homemade food and there is also a well-stocked bar in the main building where guests can share their day’s experiences.
The highlight of a stay at the lodge is to track the habituated groups of mountain gorillas in the park. Spending a maximum of an hour watching these great apes in their natural habitat is an unforgettable experience.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar, communal area, private cottages with bathroom, hot water showers, generator powered electricity, minibar, tea and coffee facilities and hair-dryer.
Local Wildlife
Over 300 rare, endangered mountain gorillas are the undoubted highlight of the reserve, but rare golden monkeys and other unusual primates can also be tracked here. Further species include elephant, buffalo, kob antelope and red forest duiker, and there is also good bird diversity.
Optional Activities
Gorilla tracking, primate watching, birdwatching.
Moriah Hills
Overview
Moriah Hills is a relatively new, four-star hotel on the banks of Lake Kivu with its own man-made beach. The resort offers sixteen comfortable standard rooms with king beds and two larger family rooms/suites. All rooms have modern, chic décor, and private balconies with stunning views across the lake. Each is en suite with modern facilities including safety deposit boxes, minibar and satellite TV. The restaurant has a magnificent lake backdrop and serves fine local and international cuisine. Other facilities include a bar and lounge.
Below the resort is a private beach offering safe swimming and kayaks are available to explore the lake. Motorised boat trips are also available for guests to visit the fruit bat colony on Napoleon Island.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar, lounge, conference room, private bathroom, safety deposit box, mini-bar, satellite TV, daily housekeeping, room service, laundry service, mosquito net and internet service available.
Local Wildlife
There is an enormous roost of fruit bats on Napoleon Island. Pelicans, crowned cranes, kingfishers and variety of other water birds can be seen on and around the lake.
Optional Activities
Boat trip to Napoleon Island to see roosting fruit bats. Kayaks are also available to explore the lake with and safe swimming is possible from the resort’s man made beach.
Gisakura Guest House
Overview
Gisakura is a National Park-run guesthouse adjacent to a lush tea plantation just outside the Nyungwe Forest National Park boundary. Accommodation is quite basic and the bathrooms are shared but do have hot water and are kept very clean. Meals are fairly simple but plentiful and the staff are always friendly and hospitable. There is usually a campfire at night offering the perfect opportunity to meet other guests and swap wildlife encounters.
Gisakura Guesthouse is located 2km away from Nyungwe Forest National Park, the largest area of intact montane rainforest in East and Central Africa. The lodge also sits on the edge of the Gisakura Tea Estate and has numerous trails that guests can explore.
The highlight of a visit to Nyungwe Forest is to track and watch the habituated troops of chimpanzees that inhabit the park as well as the 13 other species of rare primates and much other wildlife.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, lounge, bar, camp fire and private bathrooms with hot water showers.
Local Wildlife
13 species of primate and great ape including habituated chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, Angolan black-and-white colobus, owl-faced monkey and mona monkey. The park is home to a total of 86 mammal and 120 butterfly species as well as 5 species of chameleons and 280 birds including 26 central highland endemics.
Optional Activities
Chimpanzee and primate tracking in the park. Treks to waterfalls and scenic viewpoints and a canopy walkway are also available.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Flight Info:
No flights included.
Best Visited:
June to September
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Jonathan Morris
Area Specialist
You are only allowed to spend one hour with each gorilla group but it’s difficult to find a more intense wildlife experience. From a photography point of view, it’s best to come prepared. It is unlikely that you will need a very long lens – a 75-300mm zoom should be ample plus a wide-angle lens for close encounters. If possible, take two cameras: one with a long lens and one with a wide-angle to save changing lenses. Expect low light conditions but remember that you are not allowed to use a flash, so start with a high ISO (1600 and above) and revise down if conditions allow.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
I am sorry for taking so long to let you know my thoughts on my tour of Rwanda in August. It was such an amazing experience that I had to write a journal of it while everything was still fresh in my mind. There was so much to say that it took a while and of course having to go back to work and come down to earth again! Janice Booth is an excellent tour leader and I appreciated the background information she sent me beforehand so making it even more interesting. I learned and gained so much. We were fortunate to locate the Sabinyo group [of gorillas] quite quickly and the hour with them was an exhilarating experience… Hopefully Reef and Rainforest will do another trip there again sometime. I will certainly recommend it to friends.
