Destinations
Where we take you
From the volcanoes in the north to Lake Kivu in the west, every destination is within a day's drive of Kigali.
- Mount Karisimbi, highest Virunga peak
- 4,507 m
- Bisoke crater summit
- 3,711 m
- With a gorilla family
- 1 h
Musanze · Northern Province
Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda's side of the Virunga massif, home to mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and the crater lake on Mount Bisoke.
Five of the Virunga volcanoes rise along the border here, their slopes covered in bamboo and montane forest. Treks start from park headquarters in Kinigi, about two and a half hours from Kigali, where rangers assign each group to a habituated gorilla family. The same park offers golden monkey tracking in the bamboo zone and a full-day climb to the Bisoke crater lake. The twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo sit just below the volcanoes.
Highlights
- Mountain gorilla trekking
- Golden monkeys in the bamboo forest
- Mount Bisoke crater lake hike
- Burera and Ruhondo twin lakes
Tours that go here
- Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino
- Big 5
- Travellers on the day safari
- 14
Eastern Province
Akagera National Park
Rwanda's savannah park: rolling plains, acacia woodland and a chain of lakes along the Tanzanian border.
Akagera is the country's Big Five park and a complete change of scenery from the green hills of the west. Game drives start in the southern woodland around Lake Ihema and move north into open grassland. On the two-day safari you spend a night at a lodge and take an afternoon boat ride on Lake Ihema, where hippos and waterbirds gather along the shore.
Highlights
- Big Five game drives
- Lake Ihema boat ride
- Northern plains and gate
Tours that go here
- Primate species
- 13
- Zipline in three sections
- 2,000 m
Southwest Rwanda
Nyungwe Forest National Park
An ancient montane rainforest with chimpanzees, a canopy walkway and a 2,000 m zipline.
Nyungwe covers the high ridges of the southwest and is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa. Chimpanzee treks start before dawn, when the troops are most active. During the day you can cross the canopy walkway suspended above the valley, ride the zipline in three sections or hike to a waterfall. Most trips stop at the King's Palace Museum in Nyanza on the way.
Highlights
- Chimpanzee trekking at dawn
- Canopy Walkway
- 2,000 m zipline or waterfall hike
- King's Palace Museum, Nyanza
Tours that go here
- Boat trip departure on the 3-day tour
- 09:30
Western Province
Lake Kivu
One of Africa's Great Lakes, with quiet beaches, islands and mountain views along Rwanda's western border.
After the forest, Lake Kivu is where trips slow down. You arrive in the afternoon, spend the night by the water and head out on a morning boat excursion among the islands before the drive back to Kigali. Bring swimwear if you want to swim.
Highlights
- Morning boat excursion among the islands
- Lakeside overnight
- Swimming and beaches
Tours that go here
- City tour pickup
- 09:00
The capital
Kigali
Rwanda's hilltop capital: memorials, galleries, markets and the start of every Turaco Safaris tour.
Every tour starts with a pickup from your accommodation in Kigali. Give the city a day of its own: the Kigali Genocide Memorial, local art galleries, busy markets and the old town. Nearby day trips go to the Ntarama and Nyamata memorials and to Lake Muhazi for bird watching.
Highlights
- Kigali Genocide Memorial
- Art galleries and the Women's Centre
- Ntarama and Nyamata memorials
- Lake Muhazi bird watching