11-Day Expedition in Congo Basin and Rwanda
11-Day Expedition in Congo Basin and Rwanda through the Congo Basin and Rwanda promises an extraordinary journey into some of Africa’s most captivating and diverse landscapes.
Here’s an overview of what you can anticipate from this combined expedition:
Congo Basin: The Congo Basin is a vast expanse of tropical rainforest that spans across multiple Central African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s known as the world’s second-largest rainforest and is characterized by its incredible biodiversity, including a variety of flora and fauna that are endemic to the region. Wildlife Diversity: The Congo Basin is home to a remarkable array of wildlife, including various primate species, forest elephants, elusive big cats, and numerous bird species.
Ethnic and Cultural Diversity: The region is also rich in cultural diversity, with indigenous communities and tribes inhabiting the forests for generations, each with their unique traditions and ways of life.
Challenges and Conservation: Exploring the Congo Basin provides insight into the challenges of conserving this critical ecosystem due to deforestation, habitat loss, and other environmental concerns.
Rwanda is a small but incredibly scenic country known for its lush landscapes, rolling hills, and vibrant culture. Despite its tragic history, Rwanda has made significant strides in conservation and sustainable tourism.
Highlights:
Day 1; Kishasa _Zongo Falls -Kishasa
Day 2; Kinshasa- Goma
Day3; Goma
Day4; Kahuzi Biega National Park
Day 5; Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center
Day 6; Bukavu- Nyungwe National Park
Day 7; Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Kinshasa
Upon arrival at Kinshasa International Airport, you will meet our driver-guide and participate in a briefing on our upcoming activities. You will then be transferred to the Beatitudes Hotel. If you arrive in the morning, we will proceed into the city.
Main Destination:
Kinshasa (City, Congo (DRC))
Accommodation:
Les Beatitudes Hotel
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Kinshasa
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2: Kinshasa
After breakfast, we will go on a tour of Kinshasa to take in some of the history associated with this stunning city. Kinshasa was the colonial headquarters. You’ll pay a visit to the Palace of the Nation was built in 1959 to serve as the residence of Belgian Governor and was later used by Patrice Lumumba. You will then see the Marble Palace, which is the old residence of Mobutu, and the status of Patrice Lumumba before returning to your hotel.
Main Destination:
Kinshasa (City, Congo (DRC))
Accommodation:
Les Beatitudes Hotel
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Kinshasa
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 3:Kinshasa – Zongo Falls – Kinshasa
After breakfast, you will drive 130km (about 90 miles) to Zongo Falls. Zongo Park provides a lovely setting for these magnificent waterfalls. We’ll go deep into the Congolese rainforest into the raw and real nature experience of your dreams. This activity may take up to four hours as it involves some hiking. After your experience at the falls, we will head back to Kinshasa.
Main Destination:
Kinshasa (City, Congo (DRC))
Accommodation:
Les Beatitudes Hotel
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Kinshasa
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 4:Kinshasa – Goma
After breakfast, you will drive towards the Lolo bonobos sanctuary, which is at about a 1.5-hour drive from the central market. The bonobos are our closest living relatives (we share 99% of our DNA with them) and are protected in a special preserve right outside Kinshasa. The sanctuary is surrounded by the rainforest and has a lake inside. Right as you enter the sanctuary, you will be brought to the briefing room. The visit is done in groups, with the first group starting at 10:0amm. The others are done in 1.5-hour intervals until 4:00pm, when the final group is allowed to enter. In the evening you transfer via plane to Goma.
Main Destination:
Goma (City, Congo (DRC))
Accommodation:
Ihusi Hotel
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Goma
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 5: Goma
After breakfast you will get the chance to ride a tchukudu, which is a wooden bike that it is commonly used for transporting both people and goods around Goma. If time allows after your ride, we will continue with tour of the city before taking a rapid boat to Bukavu.
Main Destination:
Goma (City, Congo (DRC))
Accommodation:
Orchids Safari Club
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Bukavu
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 6: Kahuzi Biega National Park
After an early breakfast, you will head in the jungle and participate in a briefing in preparation for your gorilla trek on 11-Day Expedition in Congo Basin and Rwanda. The trek usually requires up to 2.5 hours of hiking one way, depending on location of the gorillas and the difficulty of the path. After spending your allotted hour with the gorillas, you will make your way back to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
Main Destination:
Kahuzi Biega National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation:
Orchids Safari Club
- Mid-range hotel located outside Kahuzi Biega NP
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinks not included
Day 7: Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center
After breakfast, we will visit Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center, which was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1997. The sanctuary takes care of 83 chimpanzees, 105 monkeys, and 12 other species. It gives orphaned chimps a second chance of life while also ensuring their protection in the wild. You will not only visit but participate in the conservation activities in the sanctuary as well. This activity will take the whole day. Later you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Main Destination:
Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center (Wildlife Sanctuary, Congo (DRC))
Accommodation:
Orchids Safari Club
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Bukavu
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 8: Bukavu – Nyungwe National Park
After breakfast, you will go on a tour of Bukavu city before crossing the DRC-Rwanda border and driving one hour to Nyungwe National Park. You will reach Nyungwe in the afternoon and eat lunch before paying a visit to a local community for some souvenir shopping.
Main Destination:
Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)
Accommodation:
Gisakura Guest House
- Budget guest house located just outside Nyungwe National Park
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 9: Kigali
After breakfast you will visit a tea plantation to see how the field becomes a cup! Rwandan tea is known to be among the best in Africa. After a taste you will drive 1.5 hours to Butare. Here you’ll visit the ethnographic museum to see the archeological collections documenting early Rwandan civilization. Later you will visit the king’s palace and learn about royal life in pre-colonial Rwanda. You may spot the famous long-horned Rwandan cow in the back yard! Around 4:00pm you will drive back to Kigali on this 11-Day Expedition in Congo Basin and Rwanda.
Main Destination:
Kigali
Accommodation:
Lebanon Hotel
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Kigali
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 10: Kigali
After breakfast, you will go to visit the genocide memorial to learn about the darkest period in Rwanda’s history. You will then go to the parliament building, where you will learn how the president of Rwanda and his team fought to stop the killings in 1994. You’ll also hear about other associated efforts to end the Tutsi genocide.
Main Destination:
Kigali
Accommodation:
Lebanon Hotel
- Mid-range hotel located in or near Kigali
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 11: Kigali
After breakfast, you will go on a short tour of the city before being transferred to the airport for your flight home. Thus the end of 11-Day Expedition in Congo Basin and Rwanda.
Main Destination:
Kigali International Airport (Kigali, Rwanda)
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
- Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
End of tour (See Getting There for more details)
- Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
- You’ll be dropped off at the airport.
