Day 1 - Arrival into Kigali

Check-in 21:00 - Heaven Boutique Hotel

Heaven Boutique Hotel is a popular four star hotel with 30 rooms located on two separate properties in a peaceful, residential area of Kigali. Heaven Boutique Hotel features local Rwandan décor, warm hospitality, delicious breakfasts at Heaven Restaurant, and access to a solar-heated salt water swimming pool, outdoor yoga deck and fitness center.

Day 2 - Orientation day in Kigali

Start at 08:00 - Question Coffee Gishushu

Take a journey with us... An unforgettable coffee experience awaits. The best coffee in Rwanda doesn't happen by chance. Question Coffee is the result of many people's hard work, from the inspiring farmers who produce the ripe cherries to the barista who pulls the perfect espresso shot. Our coffee is produced by professionals at every step of the supply chain, and supports the livelihoods of everyone involved. Question Coffee Cafe is a state-of-the-art speciality coffee cafe located in Kigali where everyone is welcome! Day 2 Orientation day in Kigali Start at 08:00 Question Coffee Gishushu 11 Show less Take a journey with us... An unforgettable coffee experience awaits. The best coffee in Rwanda doesn't happen by chance. Question Coffee is the result of many people's hard work, from the inspiring farmers who produce the ripe cherries to the barista who pulls the perfect espresso shot. Our coffee is produced by professionals at every step of the supply chain, and supports the livelihoods of everyone involved. Question Coffee Cafe is a state-of-the-art speciality coffee cafe located in Kigali where everyone is welcome!

Start at 09:00 - Nyamirambo Walking Tour

Nyamirambo Women's Center offers tourists a uniquely personal insight into the culture, history, and daily life of their community. All of the tour guides either grew up in Nyamirambo or live there, so the tours truly are a welcome into their home. Profits from the tours also go back into the Center and is used to pay seamstresses a fair wage and fund community engagement initiatives, which include free literacy classes; a library with afternoon programming for children; and periodical sewing courses, English classes, and workshops on women's rights, health, and nutrition.

Start at 12:30 - Kigali Lunch

Stop for lunch at one of our recommended, vibrant, restaurants in the heart of Kigali that are popular with local people, but not well known to tourists. Whether we book in advance, or if your guide helps you choose on the day, you will find superb food and a fantastic Rwandan welcome!

14:30 - Kigali Genocide Memorial Visit

The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a place of remembrance & learning where you will have time to reflect on a tragic time in Rwanda’s past. As you walk around the memorial and think about and remember the victims, 250,000 of whom have their final resting place here, you will be moved by the shocking events that led up to and took place during the genocide.

Day 3 - Kigali to Nyungwe Forest National Park

Start at 09:40 - King's Palace Museum

A reconstruction of the traditional royal residence, the King’s Palace is a beautifully-crafted thatched dwelling shaped like a beehive. In olden times, Nyanza was the heart of Rwanda. According to oral tradition, it was the site of battles and power struggles. For a long time, the monarchy was mobile, moving the court between various locations. When it eventually settled in one place, Nyanza was the obvious choice. The capital of the kingdom had as many as 2,000 inhabitants, and huts built with the same methods as seen here. At the back live a few long-horned Inyambo cattle, descended from the king’s herd, whose keepers carefully tend and sing to them, keeping alive a unique tradition. The elegant cows, derived from the wider Ankole breed, played an important role during ceremonies in honour of the king. They were decorated with rich jewellery and were taught to listen to a trainer’s songs and follow his movements in a stately parade. Rwanda ceased to be a monarchy in 1962, when it gained independence from colonial rule. However, the breeding and grooming of Inyambo is still carried out and a fascinating insight into Rwanda's history.

Start at 11:15 - Ethnographic Museum of RwandaNyungwe National Park

Nyungwe Forest is a high-altitude, montane tropical rainforest in southern Rwanda established as a forest reserve in 1933. The conservation area consists of approximately 1015 km2. The forest is located in the Albertine Rift, a series of mountain ranges beginning at the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda and including eastern D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and northern Zambia. Contiguous with Kibira National Park in Burundi, Nyungwe is one of the largest montane rainforests remaining in Africa and East Africa’s largest protected high-altitude rainforest.

Day 4 - The Chimpanzees, Black & White Colobus or Waterfalls of Nyungwe Forest

05:00 Chimpanzee Trekking

Spend an amazing hour watching a troop of wild chimpanzees in the forest! Setting off very early at 5am, you will transfer to a section of Nyungwe Forest known as Cyamudongo, where most of Rwanda’s habituated chimpanzees are located. Here you’ll meet your local ranger a small visitor centre, and then as soon as the trackers locate the family of chimpanzees – that number about 40 individuals – you’ll be off, trekking along the paths but also possibly, scaling short sections of the steep rainforest slopes immersed in the forest. Listen carefully and you may hear the chimps before you see them literally swinging from the trees or possibly running around on the ground all around you! This is a wonderful wildlife encounter! However, there’s more because chimps are only one of the primate species that are found in Nyungwe Forest; So there’s a good chance you may also encounter some of the others as such as Silver Monkey, L’Hoest Monkey, Owl faced monkeys, Red-Tailed Monkey, Crowned Monkey, Dent’s Mona Monkey, Vervet Monkey and Olive baboons... And if you're into birds then make sure to ask your guides to point out the species that you may find on the trails, which if you're really lucky may include the rather impressive Blue Turaco!

Start at 12:30 - Lunch at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

After your morning activity to see the chimpanzees, enjoy a delicious lunch at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel before checking out and making your way to Lake Kivu.

Day 5 - Experience Lake Kivu by Kayak

Start at 07:30 - Kayaking on Lake Kivu from Kibuye

Explore Lake Kivu on a peaceful kayaking journey along the shores of one of Africa’s Great Lakes. With an experienced and qualified leader in charge, you will paddle a modern sea kayak or sit-on-top to dip into inlets and across bays as you soak up the spectacular scenery, meet the fishermen, see local fish farms and optionally visit the hot springs. You will have the chance to visit a nearby fishing village and you’ll also visit Munini, popularly known as Napoleon Island, for a hike to the summit viewpoint and the spectacle of a raucous bat colony. To finish this adventure, a rewarding swim in the warm, clean water from the kayaks is very refreshing! This afternoon you will be transferred to Cyimbili by motorboat to go on a fascinating tour of the artisanal coffee plantations. After the coffee tour, you will be transferred back to Gisenyi for dinner and to check into your next hotel.

Start at 14:00 - Cyimbili Coffee Tour

This fascinating tour of a thriving Coffee washing station provides brings to life the entire process of harvesting, washing, roasting, grinding and preparing some of the best coffee in Rwanda - and the world. Coffee has literally transformed the small community of Cyimbili and created a sustainable income for numerous local families. In fact, whilst it is (sometimes) possible to buy Cyimbili coffee after the tour, the beans grown here are also included in some of the best-known coffee brands in the world.

Day 6 - Exploring the shores of Lake Ruhondo and Mukungwa River Canoe trip: Volcanoes National Park

Start at 14:00 - Mukungwa River Canoe Trip

Set in the foothills of the Virunga Volcanoes, discover this special way to journey though the countryside in our modern canoes! Soak up impressive views, spot abundant birds, look out for the otters and meet friendly communities. Led by an experienced Kingfisher Journey’s activity leader, this river is mostly very gentle and flat with one short, easy rapid and one section where the water goes quite fast. The start is a 15 minute transfer from central Musanze (add about 15 minutes from Kinigi). Here your activity leader will give you a briefing on the riverside before you get on the water. The first section is a flat and easy opportunity to learn how to steer your canoe as you float gently downstream. After about 20-30 minutes you will pull over for a short additional briefing about the small rapid, where helmets must be worn. Then as you continue deep into the countryside, you are surrounded by the sights and sounds of rural Rwanda. You’ll be given an additional briefing about the approximately 200m section where the water speeds up as it goes around a few corners. After about 2.5-3 hours on the water the end of the trip is just after a road bridge. It takes about 20 minutes to drive back to Musanze and a further 15 minutes to Kinigi.

Day 7 - The Mountain Gorillas: Your Finale

On arrival, everyone will be split into groups of up to 8 people – and maybe joined with other tourists – before being allocated a ranger. You will then drive a short distance to the start of the trail, from where you will trek in the forest for around 1-3 hours or so to meet the gorillas. When you find them, the hour you spend with these incredible primates is a true lifetime experience that you will never forget. To see – and walk amongst – a family of mountain gorillas is a wildlife encounter unlike any other on Earth. You’ll be so close to the individual gorillas. Boisterous adolescents will be misbehaving whilst playful children are constantly demanding the attention of their parents as aunts and uncles wander together in an extended family group under the watchful eye of the silverback. You may only be a visitor, but you will briefly be part of their family in a really remarkable way. Once you have returned to the Head Quaters, head back to your hotel for a celebration lunch, followed by an afternoon at leisure to relax or visit the local community projects in the area.

Day 8 - Depart Rwanda