7-Day Rwanda Highlights: Nyungwe National Park, Gorillas & Scenic Routes

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you’ll be warmly welcomed by a professional driver-guide from Volcanoes Gorilla Tours. After a short briefing, you’ll check into your hotel before heading out for a guided tour of Kigali, one of Africa’s cleanest and most vibrant cities.

Highlights include the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a powerful yet uplifting testament to Rwanda’s resilience and unity, the Kandt House Museum, and the bustling Kimironko Market, where you can mingle with locals and shop for colorful crafts, spices, and traditional textiles.

Return to your hotel in the evening for dinner and rest before the journey to Nyungwe the following day.

Overnight: Kigali Serena Hotel / Hotel des Mille Collines / Ubumwe Grande Hotel
Meal Plan: Dinner

After breakfast, begin your scenic southwestern journey to Nyungwe National Park — one of Africa’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests. The 5–6-hour drive winds through the rolling green hills that define Rwanda’s countryside.

En route, visit the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza, a reconstructed royal compound that offers insight into Rwanda’s pre-colonial monarchy. Here, you’ll encounter the elegant Inyambo cattle, revered for their long, graceful horns. Continue to Huye (Butare) for a stop at the Ethnographic Museum, home to an extraordinary collection of Rwandan art, history, and traditional tools that tell the story of the nation’s cultural evolution.

Enjoy lunch in Huye, then proceed to Gisakura, where the cool mountain air welcomes you to Nyungwe’s lush, mist-shrouded forest. Upon arrival, check in at your lodge nestled on the park’s edge and enjoy a quiet evening surrounded by nature’s symphony.

Overnight: One&Only Nyungwe House / Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel / Gisakura Guest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Today begins before sunrise with an early breakfast and a drive to the Uwinka Visitor Center or Cyamudongo Forest, where your chimpanzee trekking experience begins. Accompanied by expert rangers, you’ll venture into the forest to track these lively primates.

The trek offers a rare chance to observe the chimpanzees in their natural habitat — playing, grooming, and calling across the canopy. The experience is exhilarating and deeply emotional, providing an intimate window into their social behavior and intelligence.

After the trek, return to your lodge for lunch and a brief rest before heading back into the forest for the famous Canopy Walk. Suspended 60 meters above the forest floor, the 160-meter bridge offers panoramic views of the forest’s green expanse. It’s a thrilling experience that gives you a unique perspective of the treetops, birds, and misty valleys stretching beyond the horizon.

Return to your lodge for dinner and relaxation.

Overnight: One&Only Nyungwe House / Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel / Gisakura Guest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After breakfast, set out on the Isumo Waterfall Trail, one of Nyungwe’s most scenic hiking routes. This rewarding trek leads through dense rainforest, across bridges, and down to the roaring Isumo Waterfall, a magnificent cascade that plunges through lush greenery. The sound of falling water mixed with birdsong creates a sense of tranquility few places can match.

After the hike, visit the Gisakura Tea Estate to experience the beauty of Rwanda’s tea culture. Wander through the endless green plantations, meet local pickers, and learn about the tea-making process from field to factory.

In the afternoon, depart for Kibuye (Karongi), a peaceful town along the shores of Lake Kivu. The journey along the Congo-Nile Trail offers sweeping views of terraced hills and sparkling water below. Arrive in time for a sunset walk along the lake or an evening boat ride.

Overnight: Cormoran Lodge / Lake Kivu Serena Hotel / Moriah Hill Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Enjoy a leisurely morning by the lake. After breakfast, take a boat ride on Lake Kivu, visiting nearby islands such as Napoleon Island, home to hundreds of fruit bats and water birds. The lake’s calm waters and mountain backdrop make for excellent photography and quiet reflection.

Later, drive north toward Volcanoes National Park, located in Rwanda’s Musanze District near the border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This scenic drive reveals breathtaking views of the Virunga volcanoes rising like giants from the mist.

Arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon and relax as you prepare for the highlight of your Rwandan safari — the mountain gorilla trek.

Overnight: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge / Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

This is the day you’ve been waiting for — a once-in-a-lifetime gorilla trekking adventure in the magnificent Volcanoes National Park. After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing from the rangers. You’ll be assigned to one of the habituated gorilla families and set off into the forest with your guides.

The trek can last from 1 to 5 hours depending on the gorillas’ location, but every step through the misty bamboo forests and slopes of the Virunga volcanoes is an experience in itself. When you finally meet the gorillas, the moment is profound. Watching a silverback’s calm authority, a mother’s gentle care, and the playful antics of juveniles evokes awe and emotion beyond words.

You’ll spend one precious hour in their presence — a time that will stay with you forever.

After the trek, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, you may visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, where you’ll meet local communities, learn traditional dances, and see how conservation and culture coexist in harmony.

Overnight: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge / Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After breakfast, take in your final views of the Virunga Mountains before beginning your drive back to Kigali. Along the way, you can stop at Musanze Caves, Twin Lakes (Burera and Ruhondo), or local craft shops for souvenirs.

Arrive in Kigali in time for lunch or your onward flight, marking the end of an extraordinary 7-day journey through Rwanda’s highlights — a story of misty forests, majestic primates, and landscapes that stir the soul.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch