4-Day Nyungwe Forest & Lake Kivu Tour, Rwanda

After breakfast and hotel checkout, the drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park in southwestern Rwanda takes approximately five hours. En route, stops include the Gisozi Genocide Memorial in Kigali, and in Butare — Rwanda's cultural capital — the Ethnographic Museum, which documents traditional Rwandan crafts, history, and royal heritage. After lunch in Butare, the drive continues to Nyungwe, arriving in the evening. Dinner and overnight near the park.

Distance: Approximately 5 hours from Kigali to Nyungwe, with en route stops

Activity: Gisozi Genocide Memorial; Ethnographic Museum in Butare; evening arrival at Nyungwe

Accommodation: Lodge near Nyungwe National Park

Meals: Half Board

An early start for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest. After a briefing at park headquarters, experienced rangers and trackers lead the trek into the ancient rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzee communities. Nyungwe's 13 primate species include Angola colobus in troops of up to 400, L'Hoest's monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys encountered throughout the forest. After returning from the trek, lunch at your lodge is followed by the afternoon canopy walk at the Uwinka visitor centre. The walkway spans the forest canopy at heights of up to 90 metres, offering a spectacular aerial perspective of the ancient rainforest.

Distance: Trekking and canopy walk within Nyungwe National Park

Activity: Morning chimpanzee trekking; afternoon Uwinka canopy walk

Accommodation: Lodge near Nyungwe National Park

Meals: Full Board

After breakfast and checkout, the drive to Kibuye on the shores of Lake Kivu takes one to two hours through Rwanda's spectacular western highlands. Lake Kivu is one of Africa's Great Lakes, shared between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a dramatic shoreline of volcanic hills, peninsulas, and islands. After checking in, lunch is followed by an afternoon boat trip on the lake — a gentle cruise giving views of the surrounding hills and the opportunity to visit one of the lake's small islands. Dinner and overnight in Kibuye.

Distance: Approximately 1-2 hours from Nyungwe to Kibuye

Activity: Transfer to Kibuye; afternoon boat trip on Lake Kivu

Accommodation: Lodge or hotel in Kibuye, Lake Kivu

Meals: Full Board

After breakfast and checkout, the drive back to Kigali takes approximately three hours. An optional stop at a Lake Kivu viewpoint gives a final view across the water, and a tea plantation visit en route allows a brief introduction to Rwanda's tea production — one of the country's major agricultural industries. Drop-off in Kigali at your hotel or Kigali International Airport.

Distance: Approximately 3 hours from Kibuye to Kigali

Activity: Return to Kigali; optional lake shore and tea plantation stops

Accommodation: N/A – return to Kigali

Meals: Half Board

Extend your trip

Add gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park for a comprehensive Rwanda primates safari — see our 5-day Rwanda primates safari. For a shorter 2-day Nyungwe-only option, see our 2-day Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking.