6 Days Cultural Safari in Rwanda
6 Days Cultural Safari in Rwanda | Flawless Adventure Planners
This 6-day cultural safari in Rwanda takes aesthetes through the diverse landscapes and rich cultural tapestry of Rwanda, the land of a 1,000 hills.
Begin your cultural safari with a City Tour of the Capital, Kigali, before heading southwest.
Explore Genocide Museums and tea estates, then head to the northwestern part of the country.
Spend your time going on hikes through villages inhabited by indigenous communities. Â This trip is an opportunity to walk through the 100 days of the 1994 Genocide and reconciliation process by exploring Genocide sites/Museums.
Highlights of the 6 Days Cultural Safari in Rwanda
- Gisakura tea plantation excursion.
- Visit the Gorilla Guardian’s Village to learn about typical Rwandan lifestyle and culture.
- Tour Kigali, the capital, and meet locals.
- Visit different Genocide Site/Museums to get immersed in the painful 1994 Genocide experience.
- Browse art and crafts in Kigali City.
Brief Itinerary 6 Days Cultural Safari in Rwanda
Day 1: Arrive in Kigali, optional activities.
Day 2: Kigali City Tour: Kigali Genocide Museum, Niyo Art Center, and the Campaign against Genocide Museum.
Day 3: Travel from Kigali to southwestern Rwanda, the Nyungwe area.
Day 4: Tea plantation tour and transfer to Lake Kivu.
Day 5: Transfer to Northwestern Rwanda, Musanze area.
Day 6: Visit to Gorilla Guardian Village (Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village) and transfer back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary
 Day 1: Arrive in Kigali, Optional Activities
Welcome to Kigali, the captivating Capital of Rwanda, in the heart of the country, spread across Valleys, rolling hills, and ridges. Upon landing at the Airport, meet your field guide outside and transfer 25 minutes to your Hotel.
After settling in and depending on your arrival time, venture back out on a guided tour of the Capital to soak in its clean streets and rolling hills.
Your guided tour of Central Kigali provides an opportunity to browse crafts that showcase the country’s diverse traditions and diversity. After this educational tour, return to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options: Hemingways Retreat Hotel, Hotel Des Mille Collines, and Flame Tree Village.
Inclusions: Bed and Breakfast (B&B).
Exclusions: Lunch, dinner and Bar drinks.
Day 2: Tour the City: Kigali Genocide Museum, Niyo Art Center, and the Campaign against Genocide Museum
Start your day with breakfast, then head out on a full-day City Tour to get immersed in the culture and history of Kigali.
It starts at the Kigali Genocide Museum, where you will uncover the painful 1994 Rwandan Genocide, in which over 2,000,000 people (mostly from the Tutsi ethnicity) lost their lives.
Then, head to Niyo Arts Center, where you will interact with the artists and admire some of their beautiful work of art.
Lunch will be at its vibrant Café and if time permits, you will also have a tour of the Caplaki Craft Village.
In the late afternoon, continue exploring on this city tour, during which you will stop at the Campaign against Genocide Museum, a site that documents the country’s path to peace.
Afterwards, you will return to the Hotel for relaxation and dinner while enjoying views of Kigali’s rolling hills.
Accommodation options: Hemingways Retreat Hotel, Hotel Des Mille Collines, and Flame Tree Village.
Inclusions: Bed and Breakfast (B&B).
Exclusions: Lunch, Dinner and Bar drinks.
Day 3: Travel from Kigali to southwestern Rwanda, the Nyungwe area
Your safari guide will pick you up this morning for the 7-hour (it could be more or less) trip south of the City to the Nyungwe area.
Your first stop will be at the King’s Palace in Nyanza, a reconstruction of the traditional Royal residence with a beautifully crafted thatched house in a beehive shape.
Continue to visit the nearby Ethnographic Museum in Huye to discover some of the country’s finest collections hence a perfect place to complete your cultural tour experience.
Have lunch and continue to the Nyungwe area.
Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel, or Gisakura Guesthouse.
Inclusions: Full Board meals (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner).
Exclusions: All drinks. Some Lodges include house drinks.
Day 4: Tea plantation tour and transfer to Lake Kivu
The better part of today will be spent learning about one of Rwanda’s most crucial exports, tea.
Get a chance to hike through the lush tea estate of Gisakura, where you will pick fresh tea leaves and watch how they are turned into a delicious cup of tea (green, black, or white).
Follow the local guide/s through the tea estate and listen as you are taken through the hidden secrets of tea making, giving you a deeper appreciation for the hard work that goes into making each mug.
Proceed with the walk through the tea estate to get to the Lodge for lunch.
After a delicious meal, pack your bags and leave for the Lake Kivu area.
Meals and overnight at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel (midrange) or Gorillas Lake Kivu Hotel (budget).
Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Exclusions: All drinks, except water during meals.
Day 5: Transfer to Northwestern Rwanda, Musanze area
Have breakfast and head for a guided cultural/village tour around the Lake Kivu area to learn about the fishing tradition of the local communities. Later, pack your bags and load in the safari jeep.
Say goodbye to the Lake Kivu area as you transfer for 3 hours to Volcanoes National Park, situated in the northwestern side of the country.
Follow the beautiful winding roads surrounded by rolling hills, which are characteristic of the region.
As you traverse the expansive landscape, you will enjoy the stunning scenery transitioning to verdant greenery with towering Virunga volcanoes at the background.
When you get to your final destination, you will check in at the Lodge and spend the rest of the afternoon on a village tour.
Meals and overnight at the Bishop’s House (luxury), Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (midrange), or Kinigi Guesthouse (budget).
Inclusions: Full Board meals -(Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner).
Exclusions: All drinks.
Day 6: Visit to Gorilla Guardian Village (Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village) and transfer back to Kigali
Start your final day on the 6-day cultural safari in Rwanda with a visit to the Gorilla Guardian’s Village for the climax of this trip.
A number of adventures await you here, and these include a visit to the traditional healer, tours of the King’s Palace replica where you will act as a King/Queen for a day, and if time permits, a visit to the local school.
After lunch at the Lodge, it is now time to bid farewell. Start the three-hour journey to Rwanda’s Capital.
If you have time, visit a craft center before proceeding to the Airport. Safe travels!
Our 6-day cultural safari in Rwanda includes;
- Entry fees for tourist sites- museums and Craft markets (where applicable).
- Rwandan Government taxes.
- Bottled water.
- 5 nights’ accommodation (2 nights in Kigali, 1 night around Nyungwe, 1 night around Lake Kivu, and 1 night around Volcanoes National Park).
- Ground transportation with a custom-built 4X4 Safari vehicle.
- A full-time Flawless Adventure Planners’ safari guide.
- Airport transfers where applicable.
The 6-day cultural safari in Rwanda excludes;
- Post-safari accommodation (but can be arranged).
- Rwandan visa fees.
- Extra meals.
- Extra activities not included on the itinerary.
- Laundry fees.
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.