Rwanda
Rwanda is where morning drums echo through valleys, eucalyptus wood smoke lingers in the air, and mist rises above a thousand hills. A country of renewal, rich in wildlife, culture and warmth, and home to Wild Sage.
Rwanda journeys
Savannah to Rainforest
11 days, from US$ [price] per personAkagera's Big Five, gorillas in the Virungas and chimpanzees in Nyungwe, with a private guide and Land Cruiser throughout.
Rwanda & Uganda
10 days, from US$ [price] per personGorillas in Volcanoes and Bwindi, chimps in Kibale, with the same team on both sides of the border.
Two weeks in Rwanda
16 days, from US$ [price] per personKigali, Akagera, Nyungwe, Gishwati-Mukura, Lake Kivu and Volcanoes: all of Rwanda, at a slower pace.
Volcanoes National Park
Home of the mountain gorilla and the Twin Lakes. Trek to meet a gorilla family with one of Dian Fossey's original trackers, hike to her final resting place, glimpse golden monkeys in the bamboo forest, or climb the peaks of Bisoke and Karisimbi. In the evening, dine at chef Dieuveil Malonga's Culinary Innovation Village with the volcanoes silhouetted at dusk.
Best for: gorillas, first visits, photographers
Akagera National Park
Rolling savannah spills to the horizon in one of Africa's greatest conservation success stories: once devastated, now reborn, with lion reintroduced and rhino back on the plains. Home to the Big and Little Five, with sundowners on the Kilala Plains, boat trips on Lake Ihema for elephant, hippo and shoebill, and night drives with the African Parks team.
Best for: the Big Five, families, a classic safari
Nyungwe National Park
One of Africa's oldest rainforests and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to chimpanzee and 13 primate species. Track chimps through the understory, cross the canopy walkway 70 metres above the forest floor, and walk the Cyinzobe Trail between rustic forest cabins before a final night at a luxury lodge. Hike to the Ndambarare waterfall, look for the great blue turaco, and finish with tea at Gisakura.
Best for: chimps, birders, hikers
Lake Kivu and Beyond
One of Africa's Great Lakes, rimmed by volcanoes and dotted with islands. Still waters invite kayaking and swimming, and at twilight a boat ride takes you out to hear the singing fishermen cast their nets. Tour a coffee farm from bean to cup, explore Kibuye, and watch the lake change colour at sunset.
Best for: the end of a trip, honeymoons, slow travel
Gishwati-Mukura National Park
Rwanda's youngest national park, where chimpanzees are still being habituated and the wild is returning. A single guesthouse gives you the entire forest to yourself: hike montane rainforest with researchers, look for golden monkeys, take an early-morning chimp trek and look out across the Albertine Rift. Stay at Forest of Hope Guest House.
Best for: repeat visitors, slow travel, chimp lovers
Kigali
Few African capitals surprise like Kigali: vibrant, walkable and effortlessly cool, in the Land of a Thousand Hills. Spend a morning at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, explore Nyamirambo, the city's oldest neighbourhood, go birding at Nyandungu Eco Park, and meet the rescued grey crowned cranes of Umusambi Village. Dinner at Kōzo, cocktails at Imizi, and a stay at Hemingways Retreat or The Pinnacle Kigali.
Best for: the start or end of every trip
Good to know
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Four or five days covers gorillas and Kigali. Eight to eleven days lets you add Akagera and Nyungwe without rushing. Rwanda also pairs well with Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania.
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Permits are issued by the Rwanda Development Board, one per person per trek, and numbers each day are strictly limited. Book 9 to 12 months ahead for June to September and December to February, and 3 to 6 months ahead otherwise. The minimum age is 15.
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Gorilla and chimp trekking run all year. June to September and December to February are drier and busiest. March to May and October to November bring afternoon rain, lush forest, fewer people and lower lodge rates.
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Yes. Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa to travel in, and Kigali is known for being clean and orderly. Our team is based here and reachable around the clock while you travel.
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Yes, and we'd encourage it. We operate in both countries, so there's no handover at the border: the same team takes you from Volcanoes to Bwindi, Kibale or Queen Elizabeth.
Why book with Wild Sage
Rwanda and Uganda with no handover at the border, and teams in Kigali and Vancouver.
Two countries, one operator
Every guide trained by our co-founder Isaac, driving our own Land Cruisers.
Our own vehicles, our own guides
Alicia-Rae and Isaac shape every journey themselves, and teams in Kigali and Vancouver are reachable around the clock.