Classic Rwanda
What you'll see
The journey, one day at a time
Into Kigali
Arrive in Kigali, met and transferred to your accommodation. Most safari capitals are just transit. Kigali is different — a day here, and especially at the Memorial, gives the whole trip its human depth, framing the gorillas and forests within the story of a country that came through catastrophe and rebuilt itself with deliberate care.
On to Volcanoes
Transfer to Volcanoes and settle in, with time to get your bearings.
Gorilla trekking
Trek to a habituated mountain gorilla family in the Virungas and spend a permitted hour with them.
On to Lake Kivu
Transfer to Lake Kivu and settle in, with time to get your bearings.
Lake & rest
Swimming, a boat trip to the islands and lakeside rest — the trip's exhale. Gorilla and chimp trekking are physically hard, and a Rwanda trip built only on them leaves no room to absorb it. Lake Kivu is the deliberate pause — the swim, the boat, the view — that lets the experience settle, and turns a string of treks into a properly paced journey.
Departure
A final morning in onward — a last outing or a slow start as time allows — before the transfer onward and the journey home.
The season changes what you see.
Long dry season
Firmer forest trails and the best trekking, with strong savanna game — the prime, busiest window. Permits go early.
Short dry season
A second dry window, again excellent for trekking and game, warm and largely dry.
Hand-picked camps & lodges
The Retreat
A standout retreat at Kigali, a comfortable base in the capital.
Cleo Lake Kivu
A standout lodge at Lake Kivu, on the shore for the lake and the rest.
Singita Kwitonda
Singita's exquisite lodge at the foot of the Volcanoes — the most refined base in Rwanda's gorilla country.
Kigali Serena
A polished hotel, a comfortable base in the capital.
Radisson Blu
A polished lodge, a comfortable base in the capital.
Lake Kivu Serena
A polished hotel, on the shore for the lake and the rest.
Make it yours.
Add nights, swap a park, extend to the coast — this route is a starting point, not a fixed menu. Tell us how you travel and we'll route the rest.