Rwanda, landlocked republic lying south of the Equator in east-central Africa. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Rwanda is often referred to as le pays des mille collines (French: “land of a thousand hills”). The capital is Kigali, located in the center of the country on the Ruganwa River.
In the space of a week, it’s possible to experience an extraordinary range of wildlife and landscapes thanks to the country’s relatively small size and biodiversity.
Rwanda is nicknamed the “Land of a Thousand Hills” for a reason. Its landscape doesn’t stop rolling, and the hills are dotted with plunging ravines, waterfalls, and ancient forests. Rwanda is also one of the only places on earth where travelers can trek among 13 species of primates, including the world-famous mountain gorillas and the rare golden monkey.
With a serene and modern capital city and excellent national park infrastructure, the country’s tumultuous past can feel worlds away—for travelers interested in learning more about Rwanda’s somber history and honoring the victims of genocide, there are many opportunities in Kigali and beyond.
Rwanda has a tropical climate, meaning there’s a chance of rain no matter what time of year you visit. There are technically “dry” and “wet” seasons—which unsurprisingly align with the high and low seasons for tourism. Rwanda can be visited year-round, but the best time for gorilla trekking is during the short dry season from December-February, or the long dry season lasting from June-September. You may need to procure a permit further in advance, but you’ll appreciate the mud-free trails.
Murtala Muhammed International Airport (Google Map)
3 Hours Before Flight Time
Rwanda is known as a fantastic destination for gorilla tracking but there are also plenty of other things to do in Rwanda. This Central African country offers so many unique things to do, breathtaking views, and kind people that you’d really be missing out on if you chose to fly in and out after only a day to two.
Arrival and transfer to Chez Lando Hotel for accommodation and dinner.
After breakfast, we meet students of one of the universities in Rwanda and we exchange academic and life experiences. After lunch, we visit Kigali Genocide Memorial and later we drive to Akagera NP. Accommodation and dinner at Akagera Game Lodge.
We have a full day game drive and we can see different savannah wildlife among other Elephants, Giraffe, Buffaloes, Zebra, Impala, Waterbuck, etc. Afternoon, we have a boat tour on Lake Ihema to see Crocodiles and Hippopotamus; Accommodation and diner at Akagera Game Lodge
The morning game driving along the park and we can see more wildlife and good scenery of the park as well as the western side of Tanzania. After lunch, we drive to Kigali. Accommodation and dinner at Chez Lando Hotel.
It’s market day in Lausanne! Enjoy browsing and packing a picnic lunch for our 11 a.m. boat cruise on Lake Geneva. A few miles down-shore we’ll dock at Château de Chillon, where we’ll have a guided tour of this delightfully medieval castle on the water. On our way back we’ll take time to peek into the vineyards surrounding Lutry before returning to Lausanne. Boat: 2 hrs. Bus: 1 hr. Walking: moderate.
A morning after breakfast, we Visit Golden Monkeys, and afternoon we drive to Gisenyi, a colonial town with a brief visit to the border with DRC. Accommodation at Gorilla Hotel.
After breakfast, we visit Bralirwa Factory, the oldest brewery in Rwanda (established in 1958), after we visit Pfunda Tea Factory on our way to Kibuye along Lake Kivu; Accommodation and dinner at Moriah Hotel.
After breakfast, we have a boat tour on Lake Kivu, climb Nyamunini Island; we also visit the Methane Gaz extraction project (alternatively we have Coffee processing experience). After lunch, we drive along Lake Kivu to Cyangugu/Rusizi, the southern border between Rwanda and DRC, Accommodation at Kivu Emeraude.
We track Chimpanzees and afternoon we have a canopy walkway, the only bridge in East Africa. After we drive to Butare, a town of National Museum. Accommodation and diner at Gallileo Hotel.
After breakfast, we visit the National Museum and learn more about the History of Rwanda, before, during, and after the colonial period. After the museum, we drive to Kigali. We have an afternoon souvenir shopping and later evening we drive to the airport.
