Tour starts at midday with a welcome meeting and orientation walk around the surrounding area. You might like to join your leader for a meal at their favourite local restaurant this evening.

An early morning drive to Ruhengeri takes us pass magnificent views of the hilly countryside which give Rwanda its stature as the Country of a Thousand Hills. It is also one of the last remaining sanctuaries for the mountain gorilla.

Upon arrival, we transfer to the park office for a Mountain Gorilla pre-visit briefing. The group may be split up into different trekking groups during the day depending on time of permit issue and group size. There is a maximum group size of 8 on each gorilla visit to any one habituated family and visits are strictly controlled to minimize the possibility of disturbance or transmission of disease to the animals.

Tracking gorillas in the dense forest can sometimes be wet, muddy and uncomfortable. The terrain is by no means easy either, so it can be pretty strenuous and very humid, but the sheer thrill of coming across a habituated group of gorillas, dominated by a great male silverback, more than outweighs any difficulty. You need to be prepared and fit enough to walk up to 4 hours- up and down hill.
Your visit with the group will last one unforgetable hour.

After the gorilla trek, there will an opportunity to explore other community-based tourism projects.

Our accommodation is located at the base of Parc National des Volcans, and 2 kms from the gorilla pre-briefing starting point. It is in a rural lovely setting, overlooking the green lawns, volcanoes and eucalyptus forest and local shambas. Rooms are embedded with grass thatched roofs in traditional Rwandese style. Thery are twin share with private bathroom facilities.

Distance travelled today is approx 2.30hrs/ 94kms on a good road.

Staying with our friends in the local community, we experience the village life of Rwanda.

Many people in these surrounding areas were very recently unhappy about having to co-exisit with their famous primate neighbours. The gorillas were seen as a pest as they often came to raid the village gardens for food leaving nothing for the villagers to eat themselves. The scene of desperation meant that some of the locals turned to poaching. Through small-scale sustainable tourism such as our visit and homestays, the people have found a different source of survival to subsidise their small-scale farming. Here we can visit the market, attend optional dance lessons, help in the gardens and enjoy the local food and take the chance to try banana beer.

You may choose to visit the iby'iwacu cultural village which includes cultural Intore dances, traditional healer visit, community walk and of course the local beer. (please see optional activites section of trip notes for approx. prices).

Our accommodation is in a local Village. The villagers have built three roundavels and a "Kings Palace", for a sleep like a king experience. They are all built with mud and grass thatched walls and roofs. Each has the famous kings bed, with clean linen and blankets. Accommodation tonight may be multishare with up the three people sleeping in each hut. There are no showers as such, but water for bathing is provided in local buckets and basins, local eco-latrines (long drops) with a traditional wooden throne to sit on. An unforgetable local experience.

Today we travel for approximately 1 hr/ 62km on a good road to Lake Kivu. We explore this great lakes, one of the largest of the freshwater lakes that gleam in the Albertine (Western) rift of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu stands 1,461 m (4,790 ft) above sea level and is Africa's highest lake.

In the afternoon, we head to Gisenyi, which offers excellent views of the lake and the Virunga volcanoes. With its waterfront and sandy beaches, Gisenyi is a wonderful place to relax. It is possible to organsie an optional boat ride on the lake.

Our accommodation is located on the shores of the Lake. Built with a local architectural touches this is a great place to check out the locals using their dug-out boats, fishing in the evening as the sun sets. Our rooms are twin share.

Today, we drive around the lake country and take in the interlocking landscapes and varying land use practices on our way to Nyungwe. It is a long driving day on roads which can get bumpy (approx. 450kms/8 hours).

Experience the natural beauty of Lake Kivu with its islands, oddly shaped peninsulas and the enormous Idjwi Island at its centre, so rich in the cultural history of the Rwandan people. We visit Kibuye in the afternoon, the most attractive of the lake ports. It's among Rwanda's best hidden treasures, with lush green hills and a peaceful cool breeze.

Tonight's accommodation is a simple, basic lodge with twin share accommodation and shared bathroom facilities, but you can't beat the location - right in the middle of the national park!

The Nyungwe National Park is the only destination in the world where you can see more than five primate species in a single location including rare species such as chimpanzee, mountain monkeys and the Angolan black and white colobus monkeys.

The Nyungwe presents a unique phenomenon in primate tourism due to its huge concentrations of habituated primates whose troops can include up to 500 individuals. As an avian hub for birders, the Nyungwe is also the best place in the country to partake in bird watching.

We set off on a hike to track the handsome chimps and colobus monkeys today, peering through the trees for a look at these endangered primates. Anyone of average fitness can participate in the walk but the distance and terrain depends on where the monkeys are located on a given day. You should plan to walk between 2-5 hours in conditions similar to your gorilla trek. You will need to carry your own water, camera and wet weather gear in your day pack and will need to wear your trekking shoes and appropriate trekking clothing in neutral colours.(again full length, lighweight trousers and long sleeved cool weight shirts recommended).

En route to Kigali we stop at the town of Butare where you can visit the National Museum, which provides interesting insight into Rwandan history and culture. Total drive time is approx. 6 hours/290kms on a good sealed road.

We arrive in Kigali in time to visit the Kigali Memorial Centre, a must for anyone wanting to learn more about the atrocious genocide that unfolded all too recently in this tiny nation.  We return to our start point hotel for tonight's accommodation.

No trip to Africa would be complete without a safari adventure. We head to the Akagera National Park taking a scenic route that passes through Rwanda's phenomenal landscape.(travel time approx.3 hours 114 kms on a good road).

After a quick rest at the hotel, we go on a game drive along the Lake Ihema circuit. There are plenty of animals to see in this park including elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and many other mammal species. One of the most scenic reserves in East Africa, the Akagera also provides a perfect opportunity to view gentle hills blending beautifully with lowland swamps and bodies of gleaming water.

We stay in a game lodge right in the park. it has great facilities including a swimming pool and bar. Rooms are twin share with ensuite facilities. A real treat for our last night together!

After a final game drive first thing in the morning, we head back to the capital where our adventure ends. You are free to depart anytime this afternoon.