Highlights
- Explore Kigali's hospitality, visit the genocide memorial, and see local art
- Visit Ibyi Iwacu village to learn about rural life and traditions from locals
- Trek in Nyungwe Forest National Park to see a chimpanzee family up close
- Try your hand at haggling in bustling Kimironko Market
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival – Kigali | Kigali |
| Day 2 | Kigali- Transfer to Volcanoes National Park, Ibyi Iwacu | Volcanoes National Park |
| Day 3 | Golden Monkey trekking | Lake Kivu |
| Day 4 | Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park- Canopy walk | Nyungwe Forest National Park |
| Day 5 | Chimpanzee Trekking and Departure |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – Kigali
Welcome to Kigali! A tour representative will meet you in the airport outside of customs and transfer you to your city hotel. Check in and enjoy a well-deserved rest.
Day 2: Kigali- Transfer to Volcanoes National Park, Ibyi Iwacu cultural village
The Kigali Genocide Memorial Center is a memorial to the 1 million victims of the 1994 genocide. It is designed to commemorate the international significance of the genocide against the ethnic Tutsis and challenge an international visitor base. Continue the tour to the Kimironko Market, one of the largest in Kigali. Meet the local vegetable vendors and try your bargaining power at the fruit and succulent stands.
Visit the Inema Arts Center was founded in 2012 by brothers and self-taught painters Emmanuel Nkuranga and Innocent Nkurunziza to tap into the art potential in Rwanda and to use creative expression to bring the community and the country alive. It serves as a beacon in Rwanda to create exposure for Rwanda's artistic community. Shop here for souvenirs, art, traditional Rwandese crafts, and jewelry as gifts to bring home.
Stop for lunch a local restaurant, then transfer to Volcanoes National Park. Head to the Ibyi Iwacu Cultural Village, which relies on tourism to support itself, to see traditional village life. Many of the locals are former poachers who now share their traditional rural culture and livelihoods and educate visitors. You will get to tour the village with a local, hear local songs, see different traditional dances, prepare food with a family, and visit a healer and the king's palace.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 3: Golden Monkey trekking
Start your morning with a 6:00 A.M. breakfast before heading out for your hike at 8:00 A.M. There are two habituated groups of Golden Monkeys that live in the park at the foot of Mt. Sabyinyo, and visitors are permitted one hour to spend with the monkey troop.
Return to the lodge for lunch, then transfer to Lake Kivu for a relaxing evening and dinner at the lodge.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National park- canopy walk
Get an early start to begin your drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park. The scenic drive will parallel Lake Kivu, with spectacular views of the countryside on the way. After lunch at the lodge, head out to explore the forest canopy on walkways which are built high into treetops. Learn about the importance of the forest canopy in the jungle and the animals that live there, then continue to the rest of the Igishigishigi Trail. Return to the lodge for dinner.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking and Departure
Nyungwe Forest National Park is a famous destination with visitors hoping for a visit with some of the park's 13 species of primates. The treks to see a chimpanzee group are especially popular. Starting from the lodge early in the morning, you will hike deep into the forest with a guide to find the chimp family. Once located, visitors are allowed one hour to view the animals before returning to the lodge. The dense forest can make seeing the chimps difficult but their playfulness, curiosity, and human-like characteristics make the long trek worthwhile.
Transfer back to Kigali for your flight home. If time permits, visit the king's palace in Nyanza before stopping for lunch in the colonial town of Huve.