2024
Tour itinerary can be seen below.
• Arrive at Bujumbura Airport in Burundi and be transferred to your hotel.
• Kenya Airways, Rwandair and Ethiopian airlines all fly into Bujumbura.
• Take a morning tour of Bujumbura. We visit the Livingstone-Stanley Monument, a natural feature where the two explorers met in 1871.
• Head out of the city to visit the Kagera waterfalls. Along the way, you will see Burundi’s gorgeous tropical landscape and vast tea plantations.
• On the return to Bujumbura, we stop at one of the sources of the Blue Nile.
• Visit the Bujumbura Hippo Nature Reserve. There is an almost guaranteed chance to see hippos around the river, as well as birds and other wildlife.
• We then drive along the scenic route up north into Rwanda.
• Arrive in Butare, Rwanda.
• Evening at leisure.
• Take a morning tour of Butare, seeing sights such as the National Museum, and the Our Lady of Wisdom Cathedral.
• Have lunch then drive to Rwanda’s capital, Kigali.
• Spend the evening relaxing and exploring the capital.
• Embark on a full-day tour of Kigali. You will see the following: Mount Kigali, local markets, and the Gaddafi mosque.
• After lunch, visit the sobering Kigali Genocide Memorial, and the Hotel des Mille Collines—where 1,268 people took refuge inside the building during the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
• Take the evening at leisure, a good chance to think about how far Rwanda has come since the genocide that happened almost thirty years ago.
• In the morning, depart on the four-hour drive to Gisenyi, a Rwandan city right on Lake Kivu.
• After lunch, enjoy some free time where you can relax and watch the sunset over the lake.
• Spend a whole free day exploring Gisenyi.
• Off we go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo! First, take the morning at leisure in Gisenyi.
• After lunch, we make our way to The Heart of Africa as we cross from Rwanda into the D.R.C.
• Transfer to our accommodation in Virunga National Park.
• Head to the gorilla trekking staging point in the morning.
• There we split into groups of at most six people, and be taken to visit different families of gorillas. The trek takes around two hours in each direction, four hours in total. The first hour through fields and the second through the jungle of Virunga.
• After an hour with the gorillas, we trace our footsteps back out, then drive back to camp.
• The D.R.C. is one of only three countries where you can see Eastern Mountain Gorillas. They are gentle and don’t mind people’s presence. Yet they’re still wild animals. Treat them with respect, talk quietly, and keep a safe distance. Most importantly, enjoy your time with these lovely humanlike creatures—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
• Farewell breakfast, then transfer from Virunga to Goma airport. There is an Ethiopian Airlines flight departing from Goma today or we can offer advice on staying overnight in the area.
• There is an option to extend your tour for an extra day. This is a chance to climb the Nyiragongo Volcano. If you’re interested, please let us know.
• For those taking the extension, you will be dropped off at the base of the volcano. The team will meet you there and give you your gear.
• Once you’re ready, begin the climb, which takes around six hours.
• Spend an unforgettable night atop the volcano, gazing into the bubbling lava pool below. Little huts on the rim of the volcano will be your accommodation for the night.
• Tour ends today.
• Early morning start so we can hike back down the volcano and then transfer to Goma.
• Expect to arrive at the airport around midday.
EXTENSION DETAILS:
The extension fee is £490 and covers the basic trek/guides/accommodation plus gear pack (sleeping bag, rainy weather clothing and food/water). Additionally you'll have the option of employing a local porter to carry your gear, which we strongly recommend as the $25 fee is paid directly to the porter and is a great way to give back to the community.