Itinerary

Day 1 – Kigali – Butare

• Arrival in Rwanda at your own convenience OR arrival from our Burundi Highlights Tour.
• Drive to Butare, a cultural and historical hub of Rwanda.
• Overnight stay in Butare.

Day 2 – Butare – Nyungwe Forest Nation Park

• Visit the Ethnographic Museum of Rwanda, one of the best museums in East Africa. Deep dive into Rwanda’s rich history, culture, and traditions.
• Highlight: Experience the vibrant Intore dance performance, a traditional Rwandan dance that was historically performed for the royal court. It is also known as the “Dance of Heroes”.
• Drive to Nyungwe Forest Nation Park.
• Enjoy a Canopy walk.
• Explore the park with a Colobus monkeys trek.
• Overnight stay in Nyungwe.

Day 3 – Nyungwe – Gitesi

• Enjoy an early morning Chimps trek in the forest.
• Drive to Gitesi, a breathtaking lakeside town.
• Highlight: Enjoy the boat ride on Lake Kivu. Exploring some small beautiful islands, among which is Napoleon island, famous for its bat colony.
• Overnight stay in Gitesi.

Day 4 – Gitesi – Rubavu – Musanze

• Drive to Rubavu, another beautiful lakeside town.
• Our drive will take us through different villages with stunning sceneries. We will also be driving through the Congo Nile trail, one of Rwanda’s most scenic routes.
• Highlight: Enjoy an evening city tour of Rubavu, including a visit to the hot springs.
• Head to Musanze, known as the gateway to Volcanoes National Park.
• Overnight in Musanze.

Day 5 – Musanze

• See the Burera and Ruhondo twin lakes. These lakes, formed by volcanic activity, are known for their crystal-clear waters, lush green hills, and serene atmosphere.
• Highlight: Visit the Pygmy Community in Kinigi, one of Rwanda’s indigenous groups.
• Check out the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village (Gorilla Guardians Village), a community-led initiative that showcases Rwandan traditions, music, dance, and history.
• Overnight in Musanze.

Day 6 – Musanze – Kigali

• Drive back to the capital of Rwanda: Kigali.
• Highlight: Visit the Presidential Palace Museum (also known as the Rwanda Art Museum), this palace used to belong to Juvenal Habyarimana. You can still find remains from his nightclub, a plane wreck and several hidden rooms.
• Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the memorial commemorating the loss of 250,000 people lost during the Civil War.
• Take a stroll around the Kigali City Market for some last minute souvenir shopping.
• Visit to the Hôtel des Mille Collines, made famous by the film Hotel Rwanda. During the Rwanda Genocide it became famous as it housed more then 1000 refugees.
• Overnight stay in Kigali, Rwanda.

Day 7 – Kigali

• Airport drop off.
• End of trip.
• OR: Continue with our Uganda tour.