Rwanda enchants. From the mountain gorillas that occupy its forests to the inspiring communities that welcome you with smiles, this small country is one of Africa's great surprises and greatest success stories as you will be embraced by a journey that combines cultural connections with surreal primate encounters. Over your 9-day itinerary, you will see the best of Rwanda with two gorilla treks and the chance to see many endangered species.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Kigali – Evocative Colors of Rwanda's History
Rwanda's history could fill a thousand books, perhaps one for each of the green rolls in the country's self-proclaimed nickname, The Land of 1,000 Hills. Most of the narrative remains undocumented as so much of the 1994 genocide went unseen. But this isn't a country fixated on the past, rather, one that shares an optimistic future. Land in Kigali and you will immediately encounter its modernity and fresh thinking. Plastic bags are illegal, boulevards draw comparisons with Paris, and there's an unexpected affluence that cascades across the city. Your hotel is the centerpiece of this prosperity, a historical residence that remains the luxurious heart of the country.
The transition has been remarkable, and a half-day tour of the city tour helps you to unravel not only the past but also the optimism and enthusiasm that has steered the country since 1994. A guide will lead you to the National Genocide Memorial Centre, which will provide an excellent background to how such atrocities developed as you look back some 30 years before the genocide. Personal testimonies and photos are incredibly powerful while hundreds of thousands are buried in mass graves at the memorial. Thought-provoking and sometimes haunting, the memorial can be an intensely moving and emotional place. At the end of a half-day city tour, it is also imbued with inspiration. You will see the city and then see what the country had to recover from which will enhance your respect for everything you see in Rwanda.
What's Included:
Day 2
Nyungwe Forest National Park – Inspiring Memorials and into the Forest
Day 3
Nyungwe Forest National Park – Tracking Chimpanzees
Day 4
Nyungwe Forest National Park – The Rare Primates of Rwanda
Day 5
Volcanoes National Park – Traversing the Land of 1000 Hills
Day 6
Volcanoes National Park – Full Day Gorilla Trekking
Day 7
Volcanoes National Park – Meeting the Locals
Day 8
Volcanoes National Park – Second Gorilla Trekking Experience
Day 9
Volcanoes National Park – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Go gorilla trekking and visit two contrasting troops in the enchanting rainforest of Volcanoes National Park
- Spend two hours with wild mountain gorillas to admire their behavior, from the silverbacks that beat their chests to the play of the youngsters
- Track chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park and discover a troop's intimate social structure
- Discover a dozen rare primate species beneath the Nyungwe Canopy, many of them endangered or critically endangered in the wild
- Explore Rwanda's history and find a country that remembers the past but firmly looks towards the future
- Spend a day with a rural Rwandan community, learning about life in remote Africa and sharing stories with ebullient locals
Starting Price
$14,700 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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