Rwanda is one of those destinations that takes you by surprise. Far from preconceived ideas, the country today unveils one of East Africa’s most fascinating and refined travel experiences.
Nicknamed the “Land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is immediately captivating for its spectacular scenery, remarkable cleanliness, warmth of its people and incredible diversity of experiences. Between misty tropical forests, volcanic lakes, intimate safaris and encounters with the last mountain gorillas, this trip offers a more confidential, deeply immersive and emotionally striking Africa.
With this 9-day, 8-night itinerary, we have imagined a complete discovery of Rwanda, combining large primates, lush nature, culture and safaris in some of the continent’s most beautiful landscapes.
As always with Travel With la French, each itinerary can be adjusted to suit your expectations and desires. Itinerary titles can be clicked to give you direct access to full details of the trip, day by day.
This itinerary : Balade au Pays des Mille Collines
offers an exceptional immersion experience between Kigali, Nyungwe, Lake Kivu, Volcanoes National Park and Akagera.
Kigali: a modern, deeply resilient capital city
The adventure begins in Kigali, capital of Rwanda and probably one of the most astonishing cities in Africa. Built on a succession of green hills, Kigali immediately impresses with its cleanliness, calm and particularly secure atmosphere.
But Kigali is also a city deeply marked by its history. A visit to the genocide memorial is a highlight of the trip. This place of remembrance retraces the tragic events of 1994, while highlighting the remarkable reconstruction of the country and the exceptional resilience of the Rwandan people.
This visit, which is often very moving, also gives us a better understanding of contemporary Rwanda and how the country has been transformed in just a few decades.
For this first stopover, travelers stay at the Four Points by Sheraton Kigali, located in the capital’s financial district. The establishment offers an excellent level of comfort with modern rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and an elegant atmosphere ideal after an international flight.
Lunch in a local restaurant also provides a first immersion in Rwandan culture and its traditional flavors, before setting off to explore the country’s wilder regions.
Nyungwe: the magic of the rainforest and chimpanzees
After Kigali, the itinerary takes in south-western Rwanda to the edge of Nyungwe National Park, one of Africa’s oldest rainforests.
The road itself is already part of the experience: hills covered with tea plantations, small villages, winding roads and spectacular panoramas accompany the journey to the shores of Lake Kivu. Along the way, a stop in Nyanza allows you to discover the ancient Rwandan royal palace and the famous Inyambo sacred cows with their long horns, historic symbols of the country’s monarchy.
Guests staying at the Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotelon the shores of Lake Kivu in Cyangugu. With its spacious rooms, lake views and proximity to the Nyungwe forest, the hotel is an excellent base for exploring the region.
The next morning sees the start of one of the great experiences of the trip: the chimpanzee trek.
At dawn, small groups accompanied by guides and trackers head off into the rainforest in search of chimpanzees. Nyungwe is home to thirteen species of primate, as well as exceptional biodiversity, with hundreds of species of tree and over 300 species of bird.
Unlike a traditional safari, here it’s all about listening and observing. Chimpanzee calls echo through the jungle, branches move above the visitors, then suddenly the group appears in the heart of the dense vegetation.
Watching these primates evolve freely in their natural environment is an incredibly immersive and profoundly moving experience.
For travelers wishing to extend the experience, several optional activities are available in the area, including a visit to a tea plantation or Nyungwe’s spectacular Canopy Walk, suspended dozens of meters above the rainforest.
Lake Kivu: a peaceful interlude in the Rwandan hills
After the intensity of the rainforest, the route reaches the shores of Lake Kivu, one of the most beautiful lakes in East Africa.
Surrounded by green hills, small fishing villages and volcanic islands, Lake Kivu offers a much gentler, more contemplative atmosphere. This region of Rwanda captivates with its calm, its landscapes and its almost meditative atmosphere.
Travelers stay at Cormoran Lodgelocated directly on the shores of the lake in Kibuye. It offers spectacular views of the lake and surrounding hills.
One of the highlights of this stage is the sunset cruise on Lake Kivu. The golden lights reflected on the water, the songs of the fishermen and the silhouettes of the islands create a particularly magical atmosphere.
It’s also the perfect place to slow down the pace of your journey before heading off to the volcanic mountains in the north of the country.
Volcanoes National Park: meet the mountain gorillas
If ever there was an experience capable of profoundly transforming a trip to Africa, this is it.
Parc National des Volcans, in the Virunga mountain range, is home to one of the last remaining populations of mountain gorillas on Earth.
The scenery is spectacular: vegetation-covered volcanoes, rainforests, bamboo groves and mist-shrouded mountains create an almost unreal backdrop.
Travelers stay at Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodgean elegant lodge located close to Volcanoes Park. The peaceful, green setting is perfect for this special stage of the trip.
The gorilla trek begins early in the morning after a briefing with park rangers. Visitors are divided into small groups according to the level of difficulty of the gorilla families assigned.
Then begins the ascent through the rainforest.
The walk can take several hours, but the emotion felt when meeting the gorillas far outweighs any effort. Watching a silverback protecting his group, seeing youngsters playing in the vegetation or meeting a gorilla’s gaze in the silence of the forest is an extremely powerful and deeply intimate experience.
Only one hour is allowed with the gorillas, but for most travellers it’s an hour they’ll never forget.
Akagera: Rwanda on safari
After tropical forests and volcanic mountains, the itinerary continues eastwards to discover a completely different face of Rwanda: Akagera National Park.
Here, green hills give way to savannah, lakes and open plains. Akagera offers a much more confidential safari experience than the major parks of East Africa, with a particularly varied landscape combining swamps, lakes, mountains and savannah.
Today, the park is home to the famous Big Five and a particularly diverse fauna: elephants, lions, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and numerous species of antelope roam freely.
Travellers stay at the magnificent Ruzizi Tented Lodgeon the shores of Lake Ihema. Its elegant tents open out onto nature, allowing total immersion in the park’s environment.
The sunset boat safari on the lake is one of the most peaceful moments of the trip. Watching hippos, crocodiles and waterfowl in the golden light at the end of the day offers a completely different approach to the African safari.
A profoundly different trip from the classic African safari
Rwanda is unlike any other destination in East Africa.
Here, experiences are more intimate, more immersive and often much more emotional. The country offers a rare balance of spectacular nature, human encounters, history, adventure and refinement.
Between the chimpanzees of Nyungwe, the gorillas of Virunga, the landscapes of Lake Kivu and the safaris of Akagera, this itinerary allows you to discover all the diversity of Rwanda in just a few days.
It’s a trip for nature lovers, travelers in search of rare experiences and those who want to discover a more confidential and deeply authentic Africa.
And frankly, it’s very difficult to remain totally indifferent after discovering Rwanda.
