Community, wildlife & conservation 8-day Rwanda adventure

Welcome to Rwanda! When you arrive at Kigali International Airport, make your way through passport control and collect your luggage. While you're there, we'd recommend withdrawing some local currency from an ATM machine before you head to your hotel.

At the arrivals hall, you'll be met by a representative and shown to your rental vehicle, properly marking the start of your adventure! From there, you'll drive to your hotel – a luxury boutique retreat minutes from the centre of Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

Settle into your hotel, then relax after your journey, ready for tomorrow. 

AFter breakfast today, head into Kigali's Nyamirambo neighbourhood, where you'll gain unique insight into the community's culture, history and daily life. Your walking tour begins at the Nyamirambo Women's Center, where you'll enjoy a traditional snack, a quick Kinyarwanda language lesson and an introduction to the centre's activities.

You'll then wander through the neighbourhood, one of the capital's oldest, to visit the following spots: a hairdressing salon, where curious travellers can get a free braid; a family compound to pound cassava leaves; two mosques and a lookout viewpoint; and a tailor's shop for a dive into traditional fabrics. The tour ends with lunch.

In the afternoon, you'll pay a sobering visit to the Camp Kigali Belgian Monument memorial site and Kigali Genocide Memorial, both showcasing Rwanda's past.

After, head back to your hotel for a free evening.  

The Akagera National Park is one of Africa's most remarkable success stories. Now home to over 13,000 large animals that include lions, rhinos and much more, it is one of the best places for game viewing on the continent, in spite of its modest size. Conservation is at the heart of the park's story, and you'll get to explore this with a selection of activities and trails to choose from.

After breakfast, start your trip with a morning game drive, setting off into low-lying plains, savannah, woodlands and wetlands to find zebras, giraffes, impalas and more. Check into your luxury eco-lodge, on the banks of the park's Lake Ihema, before continuing with an afternoon boat trip filled with even more incredible wildlife sightings – keep an eye out for hippos, crocodiles and majestic birdlife.

In the evening, enjoy dinner back at the lodge. 

Good morning, Akagera! Have an early breakfast this morning, making sure you set off early for today's full-day game drive, maximising your chance of spotting some of the beautiful wildlife that call the park home. From hyenas and leopards to elands and bushbuck, the sightings are sure to be plentiful, if you take your time, show patience and enjoy the ride! Enjoy a picnic lunch then take the best loop drive: the Rwisirabo, Kitabili and Kajumbura circuit, during which you can also visit the Kageyo and Nyampiki Peninsulars.

In the evening, seize your chance to encounter the animals that emerge after dark on a night drive, beginning at 5.30pm and ending around 8–8.30pm. Then, head back to the lodge for dinner and a good night's rest. 

Wake up to one last early-morning game drive amid the beauty of Akagera, before leaving your lodge behind and transferring to Volcanoes National Park, a journey of approximately four to five hours.

Check into your charming lodge-style accommodation. There, you can take lunch, spend the rest of the day there relaxing after your travels, then have dinner right on the doorstep of one of Rwanda's most incredible natural attractions.

After breakfast today, you'll head out into the forest to track the endangered golden monkey, and spend an hour watching the monkey families play in the forest, surrounded by magical birdlife. They are sprightly creatures, leaping from tree to tree in a very entertaining manner and great fun to watch, as they get on with their daily activities. Proceeds from this wonderful wildlife encounter go towards research into the protection of this species and the preservation of its natural habitat.

In the afternoon, you'll take a relaxing guided walk along the north shore of Lake Ruhondo, including a motorboat trip to a local restaurant or a small island for a picnic lunch. Then, you'll take to the waters again with a canoeing trip on both Lake Ruhondo and Lake Bulera – a perfect opportunity to watch birds and enjoy the bright orange sunset before dinner at the lodge.

One of the highlights of your itinerary awaits today: the chance to observe mesmerising mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

At the tour headquarters, all visitors will be split into groups of up to eight people before being allocated a ranger. You'll then drive a short distance to the start of the trail, where you'll trek into the forest for up to three hours to meet the gorillas. Spend a truly unforgettable hour in their presence, observing their daily lives and interactions, before returning to the headquarters for a transfer back to your hotel.

Enjoy a celebration lunch, steeped in memories of the fascinating tour you've just returned from and spend the afternoon diving into a local cooperative – the Handspun Hope Community, learning all about the work they do to help employ local women and change lives.

After, head back to your accommodation for a relaxed evening and dinner.

Today is your last day in Rwanda. After breakfast, you'll pay a morning visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, to witness gorilla conservation efforts in action. Learn about how mountain gorillas are monitored and closely studied and retrace 50 years of work towards the protection of these magnificent creatures.

Then, at a suitable time, you'll leave your accommodation behind and begin a three-hour transfer back to the airport in Kigali, where your onward flight awaits.