Northern Rwanda

For those arriving this morning, we will pick you up from the airport and take you straight to Heaven, your first night's accommodation in Kigali’s leafy former Belgian quarter. There we will have breakfast and you will be able to freshen up before heading out to explore the city. The morning brings us to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a profoundly moving experience and an essential visit for any first-time traveller to Rwanda, offering context for so much of what you will see and hear over the days ahead. From there, we move to something more life-affirming: the striking Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, a pioneering project deeply woven into the story of our founder, Oli, and a symbol of the country's remarkable rebuilding. Here, we'll enjoy a relaxed lunch and soak in the surroundings. Later in the afternoon, we will gather to introduce you to your bicycles. Time will be taken to ensure you are perfectly fitted and entirely comfortable, so you are ready to embrace the red dirt roads that await tomorrow. In the evening, we will have dinner and brief you on the adventure ahead.

Our cycling adventure begins in Rulindo District, to the north of Kigali, as we set out across rolling ridges with breathtaking views over Rwanda's endless green valleys. The final stretch this morning takes us through tea valleys and up to Sorwathe Tea Estate, where lunch awaits and, with any luck, a magnificent panorama with the towering Mount Muhabura in the distance. After a tour of the estate and factory, we pedal on towards Rugezi Marsh, a high-altitude wetland sanctuary that is a haven for rare bird species, including the endangered Grauer's Swamp Warbler and the Grey Crowned Crane. It is also the headquarters of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA), our charity partner, who will host us overnight. To end the day we can explore the wetland by pirogue before settling into the RWCA’s permanent tented camp and spending the night fully immersed in nature.

After breakfast, we'll either cycle or drive the short distance to Ibanda, a thriving cooperative where community members join forces to trade produce and crafts, bolstering the local economy. From there it's onwards to the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, which sit directly south of the chain of volcanoes separating Rwanda from its northern neighbour, Uganda. At the lakeshore, a boat gathers us up and carries us across to our overnight slice of paradise: a peninsula stretching into the middle of Lake Ruhondo, with views in every direction.

Today begins with another boat, this time crossing to the northern shore of Lake Ruhondo. From there we continue on foot, hiking through local villages to Lake Burera and onwards to a vibrant community library. Our final destination this morning is Virunga Lodge, Rwanda's original gorilla trekking lodge and home to some of the finest views across Volcanoes National Park. We will have lunch there before getting on the bikes for a fantastic ride on a mix of surfaces to the frontier town of Musanze. We will spend two nights at La Locanda, a comfortable guest house on the edge of town in its own private gardens.

Today is arguably the highlight of our week. Should you choose to do so, you will trek into the misty forests of Volcanoes National Park to spend time in the presence of some of the last remaining mountain gorillas on Earth. It is an encounter that is likely to live with you long after you've left Rwanda. You can read more about the experience in the ‘On the Move’ section of this brochure. Tonight, after your trek, is our second night in Musanze, with dinner at the inspiring women-owned Kinigi Table, an elegant restaurant and craft gin distillery nestled in the foothills of the Virunga Mountains.

Our journey today leads all the way to Lake Kivu, one of Africa's Great Lakes and among the deepest in the world. After a slow morning, we transfer to the former home of Rosamond Carr, an American humanitarian and author whose life became entwined with Rwanda's, first as a flower farmer, later as the founder of an orphanage for children left parentless by the 1994 genocide, and a close friend to the primatologist Dian Fossey. We'll tour her home and its gardens on the slopes of Mount Karisimbi before lunch. Afterwards, we take to our bikes and cycle across stunning landscapes of volcanoes, bamboo forests, remote villages and banana plantations. On reaching Lake Kivu, we take to the water once more, this time for a 1.5-hour boat journey to Umutuzo Lodge, our lakeside retreat for the next two nights.

Today is yours to spend as you choose: exercise and explore, or unwind at and around Umutuzo. You might walk to a local coffee washing station to see the bean-to-cup process up close, cycle a section of the Congo-Nile Trail, kayak out onto the lake, or simply relax by Umutuzo's swimming pool. Tonight - your last with us - will be spent at the guest house, with stunning views over Lake Kivu providing a fitting end to your Rwandan adventure.

We depart for Kigali, with stops along the way for shopping at the Kiaka Co-operative and lunch in Musanze. For those on a later flight, we'll enjoy a farewell dinner at Heaven before you transfer to the airport.