rwanda
a week of gorillas and rainforest
Seven nights across Rwanda, linking Nyungwe rainforest, Lake Kivu and the gorillas of Volcanoes National Park.
- Private Safari
- From $8,700 pp
- 2 guests
- 7 nights
trip highlights
- Akagera is the only park in Rwanda where lion, elephant and reintroduced black and white rhino range across savannah, lakes and wetland.
- Boat excursions on Lake Rwanyakazinga bring you alongside one of Africa's highest densities of hippo, with the chance of a shoebill.
- Volcanoes National Park shelters more than a third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, tracked on foot through bamboo and forest.
- Nyungwe is one of Africa's best-preserved montane rainforests, with chimpanzee tracking and a canopy walkway 70 metres above the forest floor.
Scroll for the full itinerary
Kigali, Akagera, Volcanoes and Nyungwe
This ten-night route links three of Rwanda’s national parks and its capital in a single line. It opens in Kigali, spread across ridges at the centre of the country, then crosses east to the savannah, lakes and Big Five of Akagera. From there it climbs to the Virunga volcanoes and the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park, before closing in the montane rainforest of Nyungwe in the south-west.
You travel by road and air transfer between the parks. Days move from game drives and boat outings on the water to forest treks on foot for gorillas and chimpanzees. The accommodation is a sole-use villa in Kigali and three of the finest lodges in each park, each placed to spend more of the day with the wildlife and less reaching it.
Daily Itinerary Breakdown
Kigali, Arrival on Rebero Hill
You begin in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, spread across ridges at the centre of the country and widely regarded as the cleanest city in Africa. A single night gives time to settle after arrival, with the option of the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, Kimironko Market or the Inema Arts Center by private driver-guide. You stay at Villa Kigali, a four-bedroom family home on Rebero hill in Kicukiro, taken on sole use with a private chef and butler. Built in 2014, it looks out across Rwanda's folded country, with a garden and pool wrapping the house.
- Accommodation at Villa Kigali
Akagera, Savannah, Lakes and the Big Five
From Kigali you cross east to Akagera, Rwanda's only savannah and Big Five park, a restored landscape of open plains, acacia woodland and a chain of lakes. Game drives cross varied country in search of lion, elephant and the reintroduced black and white rhino, while boat excursions on Lake Rwanyakazinga bring you alongside hippo, crocodiles and waterbirds, with the chance of a shoebill. Guided walks and night drives extend the days. Magashi Camp holds the park's sole private concession, its eight tented suites set above the lake with a viewing deck and waterfront turned towards the water.
- Accommodation at Magashi Camp
Volcanoes, Trekking for Mountain Gorillas
You move north-west to Volcanoes National Park, home to more than a third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas across the forested Virunga peaks. Gorilla trekking is the signature outing, following guides and trackers through bamboo and forest to a habituated family for one hour, with a trek lasting anywhere from two to seven hours depending on where the group has moved. Golden monkey trekking makes a worthwhile second day. Singita Kwitonda Lodge shares a 1.2km border with the park, the closest of any lodge, and its eleven suites carry private heated plunge pools and volcano views drawn inside through timber-framed windows.
- Accommodation at Singita Kwitonda Lodge
Nyungwe, Rainforest and Chimpanzees
The route closes in Nyungwe, one of the oldest and largest mountain rainforests in Africa and Rwanda's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mornings begin early to track chimpanzees on foot through dense undergrowth, with black-and-white colobus moving in large troops through the canopy overhead. Days fill out with guided forest and waterfall walks, some of the finest birding in the region, and the canopy walkway strung around 70 metres above the valley floor. Nyungwe House sits on the working Gisakura tea estate, its villas set among the tea fields with the forest rising directly beyond, each room with an open fireplace, a private terrace and a deep soaking tub.
- Accommodation at Nyungwe House
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.
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rwanda
the country’s finest lodges
Eleven nights across Rwanda's three parks, from Akagera's savannah to Nyungwe's rainforest and the Virunga gorillas.
- Private Safari
- From $24,125 pp
- 2 guests
- 11 nights
rwanda & tanzania
a farm, gorillas and the serengeti
Twelve nights from Kigali to the Virunga gorillas and on to the eastern and western plains of the Serengeti.
- Private Safari
- From $16,650 pp
- 2 guests
- 12 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.