This eight-night route links Rwanda’s centre, south-west and north. It opens in Kigali, the capital spread across ridges and valleys, then heads to Nyungwe Forest, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and its largest montane rainforest. From there it drops to Lake Kivu, a rift lake without crocodiles or hippos, before climbing to Volcanoes National Park at the foot of the Virunga peaks and returning to Kigali.
You travel with a private driver-guide and, where it suits, by air. Days move from forest tracking on foot to time on the water and the gorilla trailheads at Kinigi. The accommodation runs from a boutique city hotel and a rainforest lodge on a tea estate to stilted lake cabins, a working organic farm and an established five-star base for the final night.
Two nights in Kigali settle you after the flight and open the trip. The city sits at the centre of Rwanda, spread across ridges and valleys, and rewards the time you give it: the textile stalls of Kimironko Market, the makers at Caplaki Craft Village, the Inema Arts Center and the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi. Hemingways Retreat Kigali, a boutique hotel of stone and teak in the leafy Kiyovu district, is a calm base a short drive from the airport.
Two nights on the edge of Nyungwe, one of the oldest and largest mountain rainforests in Africa and Rwanda's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mornings begin early for chimpanzee tracking, following habituated groups through dense undergrowth, with black-and-white colobus moving through the upper canopy. Days fill out with guided forest walks to the Kamiranzovu marsh and the waterfalls, and the canopy walkway high above the valley floor. Nyungwe House sits on a working tea estate within walking reach of the forest.
One night on Lake Kivu, a rift lake without crocodiles or hippos, where people swim without a second thought. This is a stop between parks rather than a base for exploring one, built around the water rather than game drives. Kayaks and canoes go out from the boathouse, swimmers go straight off the jetty, and at dusk the singing of fishermen carries across the water. Cormoran Lodge holds a wooded hillside above the lake, its timber cabins on stilts above a private beach.
Two nights at Kinigi, at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes and a short drive from the park headquarters where the gorilla treks begin. Farmhouse Rwanda is a working organic farm first, with rooms attached, and guests join the work: cow milking, egg collecting, cheese-making and beekeeping fill the days of anyone not on the day's tracking permit. Mornings open with mist lifting off the peaks, and around 95 percent of what is served is grown or harvested on site.
A final night back in Kigali on Boulevard de la Révolution, one of the city's more agreeable central streets. The Kigali Serena Hotel is an established five-star address roughly twenty minutes from the airport, built around a polished granite atrium that displays Rwandese art and craft. It does the quiet work of departure well, with attentive service and a settled, well-tended feel.
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 & tanzania
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rwanda & uganda
Ten nights linking Kigali, Volcanoes, Mgahinga and Bwindi, tracking mountain gorillas across Rwanda and Uganda.
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rwanda
Eleven nights across Rwanda's three parks, from Akagera's savannah to Nyungwe's rainforest and the Virunga gorillas.
rated five stars by our clients
our approach
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.
