In Search of Rwanda’s Big Five

Overview

To give an insight into the types of luxury travel experiences we create, please view the sample itinerary below. It can either be treated as a standalone program, incorporated into a longer itinerary, or modified to match your particular interests and budget. Alternatively, you may wish for us to start with a blank canvas, to handcraft a personalised itinerary based on what you want and nothing more. Prices will fluctuate based on the time of year, length of stay, accommodation choices, number of participants and inclusions.

We pride ourselves in our ability to plan and execute every trip to perfection.

Itinerary

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, meet your Travulous guide and transfer to your accommodation in Kigali.
Spend the rest of the day at leisure enjoying your accommodation's facilities or head out and explore Kigali, either on your own or on a guided city tour.
Some sites to consider visiting are the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Inema Arts Centre, 1000 Hills Distillery, Nyamirambo Women’s Center, Caplaki Craft Village, and Umusambi Village, to name a few.
In the evening, there are many charming restaurants in Kigali to choose from for dinner, many featuring panoramic views over the city.
Meals: All meals at own arrangement.
Overnight: Speak to us or browse the accommodation section below for inspiration. Your custom itinerary will contain full descriptions of your chosen properties.
Activities: Let's plan your safari! Contact us to learn about available activities.
After breakfast, meet your Travulous guide and transfer to Akagera National Park. Hugging the border of Tanzania, the savannah and woodlands are dominated by a labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering course of the Akagera River.
Akagera is the largest protected wetland in Central Africa and the only place to spot the Big Five in Rwanda. Since 2010, African Parks has managed Akagera in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), transforming the park into a thriving ecosystem for African wildlife with over 13,000 animals living there.
Spend the rest of the day enjoying your accommodation’s facilities. Time permitting, explore the park on an afternoon game drive.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight: Speak to us or browse the accommodation section below for inspiration. Your custom itinerary will contain full descriptions of your chosen properties.
Activities: Let's plan your safari! Contact us to learn about available activities.
After breakfast, depart on a full day of game drives. Go in search of elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion, leopard, hippo, antelope, zebra, giraffe, baboons, monkeys, and the continent's largest concentration of waterbirds, including the papyrus gonolek and shoebill stork.
By practically eliminating poaching, wildlife populations in Akagera have risen by almost 50%, with no losses of key species since 2010. Lions were reintroduced in 2015, followed by black rhinos in 2017 and white rhinos in 2021.
Enjoy an optional boat trip on Lake Ihema in the afternoon. Whilst drifting along the water surrounded by hippos and crocodiles, keep a lookout for more than 482 documented bird species.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight: Speak to us or browse the accommodation section below for inspiration. Your custom itinerary will contain full descriptions of your chosen properties.
Activities: Let's plan your safari! Contact us to learn about available activities.
Take to the skies on an optional early morning hot air balloon safari before returning to your accommodation in time for breakfast and heading out on a game drive. In addition to its wildlife, Akagera offers spectacular scenery and diverse habitats including, mountains, savannah, woodland, lakes and marshes.
After lunch, we will visit the park's headquarters for a behind-the-scenes tour and meet some key team members while learning more about the conservation success story of Akagera.
In the evening, we depart on a guided night drive. Starting as the sun sets, a night drive offers a unique opportunity to spot nocturnal wildlife, from elusive leopards to magnificent lions.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Overnight: Speak to us or browse the accommodation section below for inspiration. Your custom itinerary will contain full descriptions of your chosen properties.
Activities: Let's plan your safari! Contact us to learn about available activities.
After breakfast, we depart for Kigali airport and your homebound flight. Time permitting, consider stopping at Umusambi Village: a beautiful wetland sanctuary for endangered grey crowned cranes.
Alternatively, consider extending this trip by adding one of our Extension Ideas (see below) to this program.
Meals: Breakfast included, lunch and dinner at own arrangement.

General Info

Tailor-made

Rwanda

Duration: 5 days

Lodges/Camps: 4>5*

SUV or Traditional 4x4

Fitness: Easy

Your money: protected

Travel Notes: see below

Highlights

**BIG 5 GAME DRIVES**
Enjoy game drives spotting the Big Five, antelope, zebra, giraffe, baboons and monkeys

**AKAGERA BOAT CRUISE**
Cruise along Akagera’s Lake Ihema in search of large pods of hippos and Nile crocodiles

**BEHIND THE SCENES**
Take a behind the scenes tour of Akagera’s HQ to learn about its conservation success story

**BIRDING**
Discover the largest concentration of waterbirds in Africa, including the shoebill stork

Accommodations

When it comes to choosing accommodations in East Africa, we can suggest a wide range of properties. View a sample of some of our favourite hotels, lodges and camps below:

If you have an alternative property in mind, contact us as we contract with a large variety of accommodation providers.

Map

Extension Ideas

**SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS**

Visit world famous safari highlights including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and the Gorillas

**BEHIND THE SCENES**

Gain unique insights into Wildlife Conservation, Educational Experiences and History & Traditions

**BEACH DESTINATIONS**

Round-off your safari in East Africa with a great choice of world-class Indian Ocean beach destinations

**WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES**

Visit a wildlife sanctuary and learn about the incredible work they do to safeguard Africa’s wildlife

Your Money

Travulous, a trading name of Travaleur Limited, is a member of Protected Trust Services (PTS). Our PTS membership number is:

5472

All business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) clients of Travulous benefit from its PTS trust account and insurance model.

Regardless of your location, book with confidence knowing all monies are fully protected and safely held in a separate trust account, managed by independent trustees, with the funds only used to pay for each booking.

Travel Notes

Rwanda has a year-round tropical highland climate. Temperatures remain relatively consistent throughout the year, though these can vary significantly by location and altitude. Rain is commonplace in Rwanda. The driest months are typically June to mid-September and December to February. The wettest months tend to be from March to May and October to November.
Rainfall patterns can be unpredictable and localised showers can occur at any time, especially in the high-altitude areas like Volcanoes and Nyungwe National Parks.
All foreign nationals require a v isa for entry to Rwanda. Please check with your local Rwandan Embassy or our travel team for further information. Tourist visas can be obtained, on arrival, for all travellers at all ports of entry. Visitors from the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations and Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie are waived visa fees for visits up to 30 days. For travellers of other nationalities, a visa fee is payable. The Rwandan government has introduced an online ‘e-vi sa’ application system for obtaining tourist visas in advance of travel. Travellers who choose to arrange their visa prior to arrival should carry a printed copy of their visa to present to immigration officials.
The official languages of Rwanda are Kinyarwanda, English, French and Swahili. Nearly all Rwandans speak Kinyarwanda. English and French are spoken in most tourist areas, with varying degrees of fluency.
The local currency is the Rwandan franc, which divides into 100 centimes. US dollars are widely accepted in hotels and at tourist attractions; local currency is required for dining in restaurants, tipping and small purchases. Some vendors will only accept USD dated 2013, or newer. Few places accept credit cards outside of the major hotels. The national parks are cash-free and only card payments are accepted. Access to cash machines is available at the airport and in major towns (Kigali, Musanze and Rubavu), and exchanging currency can be done in banks and foreign exchange bureaus.
Kigali International Airport (KGL) is the primary airport serving Rwanda.