Day 1 - Arrival to Rwanda

Check-in 16:00 - 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 - Birding in Kigali

Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-tourism Park

Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism park is a 134 hectares Rwandan tourism park located between Gasabo and Kicukiro Districts which allows people to enjoy natural areas and birds in Nyandungu Valley.

Umusambi Village

Umusambi Village is a beautifully restored wetland area, operated by the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association. It provides a sanctuary for over 50 endangered Grey Crowned Cranes that have been saved from the illegal pet trade. These majestic birds have been disabled as a result of captivity and are unable to be returned to the wild. Their new permanent home provides an enriching environment for them to enjoy nature again. As well as the Grey Crowned Cranes, this 21-hectare nature reserve is a peaceful haven for visitors to enjoy the walking trails and be at one with nature, while also learning about our conservation work and the importance of protecting our natural environments. Run by internationally acclaimed conservation non-profit Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, Umusambi Village is an environmentally sound place of interest for socially responsible tourists and locals to visit. The site has been carefully restored, supervised by our dedicated botanist, to remove all invasive and non-native species and populated with a large variety of native plants and trees that can support a rich array of wildlife. During your visit, you will be able to learn about the plants and wildlife around you and understand how important it is to protect wetland areas and promote biodiversity.

Day 3 - Birding at Nyabarongo Wetland & Transfer to Nyungwe National Park

Check out 07:00 - Heaven Boutique Hotel

Nyabarongo Wetland

A huge and rich in birds' species wetland located between the Kigali city and the southern province of Rwanda.

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.

Lunch in Butare at 14:00

Check-in 17:00 - Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel (Cottage)

Set on top of a hill within the Nyungwe Forest National Park, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel boasts panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Each room at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel has a seating area equipped with a TV, and some rooms have satellite channels. They all have a balcony offering mountain views and a private bathroom fitted with a shower-over-bath combo. Slippers and free toiletries are provided for your convenience. Guests can enjoy a meal at the on-site restaurant or relax with a drink at the bar. Barbecue facilities are also available. Nyungwe has a 24-hour front desk and arrange shuttle services on request. Using Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel as your peaceful retreat to return to, head out to the forest in search of chimpanzees and colobus monkeys, explore scenic nature trails or visit to a nearby waterfall.

Day 4 - Birding in Nyungwe National Park

On this day, you will enjoy the birding experience inside the lovely Nyungwe National Park in the morning from 7am to 10am and in the afternoon from 3pm to 5pm. You will have lunch from your hotel and every while your guide will be with you to help you not miss out to any bird species you may encounter.

Nyungwe Birding experience

Birding in Nyungwe National Park is an extraordinary experience. With over 700 species recorded Rwanda offers to birders great birdwatching opportunities within relatively short distances. Located at the heart of the Albertine Rift, within the Great African Rift, Rwanda's natural habitats are incredibly varied, ranging from afro-montane ecosystems in the northern and western regions to lowland forests, savannah woodlands and savannah grasslands in the southern and eastern regions. There are other habitats around volcanic hot springs and old lava flows, especially in the northern and western parts of the country. Rwanda has several lakes and wetlands which are rich in different species. All these ecosystems - along with much of the human-modified landscape - covers a range of elevations with varied rainfall which leads it to support a huge variety of bird species. On this tour, supported by expert birding rangers in Nyungwe and Volcanoes National park and your own expert birding guide to accompany you elsewhere, you will find a huge variety and abundance of Rwanda's birds, and maybe some of the elusive endemics such as the shoebill, that is occasionally spotted in Akagera

Day 5 - Chimpanzee Trekking & Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park

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!

Day 6 Lake Ruhondo

On this day, you will enjoy the gorilla trekking within the Volcanoes National Park, you will definitely see a good number of birds during the experience. After this breathtaking moment, you will head back to your lodge for lunch; afterwards, you will proceed with your birding from Five Volcanoes garden and a short neighborhood walk with your guide.

Day 7 - Mountain Gorillas Trekking

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 - Rugezi Wetland Birding & Finale

Rugezi wetland, one of the important wetlands in Rwanda, is a high altitude swamp located in an inundated valley in the north of Rwanda, to the east of Lake Burera on Uganda border (D.C.Loncoln et al, 2001). This site is important for Bradypterus graueri, Albertine Rift endemic and endangered species.