rwanda
gorillas and the shores of lake kivu
Twelve nights across Rwanda, from Akagera's savannah to Nyungwe's rainforest, Lake Kivu and the mountain gorillas.
- Private Safari
- From $13,135 pp
- 2 guests
- 12 nights
trip highlights
- A permit grants one hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park, eight visitors per gorilla family each day.
- Mara North Conservancy is explored by private vehicle with a guide-and-tracker team, across savannah and riverine forest ranged by elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard.
- At Sarara Treehouses in Namunyak, eight canvas suites stand on stilts in a forest glade where elephants, buffalo and giraffe move beneath the decks.
- On the Ol Malo escarpment above the Ewaso Ng'iro, riders on horseback and camel draw close to Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe.
Scroll for the full itinerary
From Volcanic Forest to Kilifi Creek
The route begins in Kigali, Rwanda’s hill-spread capital, then climbs to Volcanoes National Park for the mountain gorillas of the Virunga forests. It crosses into Kenya through Nairobi before three conservancies in turn: Mara North on the Mara River, Namunyak in the Mathews Range and Ol Malo on a Laikipia escarpment. It finishes on the coast at Kilifi Creek.
You travel by road and light aircraft, with private guiding through the conservancies and time to trek, drive, walk and ride at your own pace. The stays run from a sole-use villa in Kigali and a forest lodge below the volcanoes to exclusive-use camps and a private house above the Indian Ocean.
Daily Itinerary Breakdown
Kigali, Land of a Thousand Hills
Rwanda's capital spreads across a series of ridges, widely regarded as the cleanest city in Africa and a calm place to arrive. Give it a day for the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, the textile stalls of Kimironko Market and the painters of the Inema Arts Center. Your base is a four-bedroom family home on Rebero hill in Kicukiro, taken on sole use with a private chef and butler, its veranda and pool looking out across the folded country beyond.
- Accommodation at Villa Kigali
Volcanoes National Park and the Gorillas
From Kigali you move north to the Virunga volcanoes, where a permit grants one hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family, eight visitors per gorilla family each day. Treks assemble at Kinigi Park Headquarters by 7am and can last from two to seven hours across farmed foothills and forest; golden monkeys and around 200 bird species share the park. Between walks, the lodge sits among eucalyptus at the foot of the volcanoes, its free-standing suites raised among the trees with the peaks filling the view.
- Accommodation at Gorilla's Nest
Nairobi and the Karen Suburb
A night in Nairobi's Karen suburb breaks the move into Kenya. The Giraffe Centre and the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage lie fifteen minutes away, the Karen Blixen Museum a few minutes' drive, and Nairobi National Park is close enough for a morning game drive among lion, black rhino, zebra and giraffe. The house is a privately owned Cape Dutch guesthouse of seven rooms, its gardens falling to a quiet stream under mature shade trees.
- Accommodation at Karen Gables
Mara North and the River Camp
In Mara North Conservancy the days run to game drives with a private vehicle and a two-person guide-and-tracker team, following the day's light and the movement of animals across savannah and riverine forest. Elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard range the conservancy, and resident hippos wallow in the pools below camp. Three timber-and-canvas rooms above a bend of the Mara River are taken whole by up to six guests, so the river frontage and the guides are yours alone.
- Accommodation at Kimya Kimya Camp
Namunyak and the Mathews Range
Namunyak covers around 850,000 acres of plains, riverine corridors and rocky slopes in Samburu County, a community conservancy where activities face few restrictions. Days can hold unrestricted game drives, night drives, walking safaris, horseback rides on bush ponies and camel treks into the Mathews Range. Eight canvas suites stand on stilts in a forest glade at the foot of Mount Uarges, with elephants, buffalo and giraffe moving across the floor beneath the decks and a waterhole below the pool.
- Accommodation at Sarara Treehouses
Ol Malo, Riding the Laikipia Escarpment
On a Laikipia escarpment above the Ewaso Ng'iro, the days go on horseback, on camels and on foot with armed Samburu guides, drawing closer to Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe than a vehicle allows. Night drives and off-road tracking are permitted here on private land, and a waterhole and salt lick sit directly beneath the cliff, where leopards visit after dark. The lodge is a family ranch, hand-built in local stone above the river and now run by a third generation.
- Accommodation at Ol Malo Lodge
Kilifi Creek and the Coast
The trip finishes on the coast, on a clifftop above Kilifi Creek where the Goshi River meets the Indian Ocean. The sheltered, tidal channel suits sailing, kayaking and paddleboarding, the reef off the house holds tropical fish reached with mask and fins, and the estate's own boat goes out into deeper water. Six suites take twelve guests on exclusive use, with a private chef, a 25-metre infinity pool above the rock pools and gardens running to the cliff edge.
- Accommodation at Sirai Beach
Ed Charles, BBC Producer
Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.
looking for inspiration?
rwanda
nyungwe’s chimps to the volcanoes gorillas
Eight nights across Rwanda, from Nyungwe's rainforest and Lake Kivu to the gorilla trailheads of the Virunga volcanoes.
- Private Safari
- From $10,930 pp
- 2 guests
- 8 nights
rwanda
luxury primate & rhino safari
Ten nights across Rwanda, linking Kigali, the savannah of Akagera, the gorillas of Volcanoes and the rainforest of Nyungwe.
- Private Safari
- From $24,890 pp
- 2 guests
- 10 nights
rated five stars by our clients
our approach
remote, exclusive
& personal
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.
Get in touch to start planning yours.