Arrival & Welcome

Murakaza neza Rwanda! (“Welcome to Rwanda!”) Upon your arrival at the airport, make your way through immigration and customs. Collect your baggage and make your way out to the arrivals hall. Connect with your driver and transfer to the hotel. Check in and settle in to the hotel for the afternoon.

Kick off the trip with a welcome dinner at the hotel to get to know one another and prepare for the week ahead!

Overnight: Heaven

Nyamirambo & Memorial Center

Start your day with breakfast at the hotel then head to the Nyamirambo Women’s Center. The center was started by 18 women in the community who sought to address gender-based violence, gender inequality and discrimination through vocational training and employment opportunities. Begin your visit with a guided walking tour through the vibrant and bustling suburb of Nyamirambo, one of Kigali’s oldest neighborhoods. Here, you’ll immerse yourself in the rich local culture, experiencing an authentic slice of daily life and even participating in it firsthand. During the tour, participate in a hands-on cooking class and enjoy the lunch you prepare.

Afterwards, visit the Kigali Memorial Center at Gisozi, serving as a place of remembrance and learning dedicated to the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. While these are never easy experiences, we encourage those visiting Rwanda to learn and honor and remember up to the 1 million people lost during the Genocide against the Tutsi minority ethnic group.

Return to the hotel to freshen up before dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Heaven

Gardens for Health & Shopping

After breakfast, embark on your first grantee visit at Gardens for Health in Ndera, a city in the Gasabo District of Kigali. This remarkable organization offers innovative agricultural solutions to combat childhood malnutrition. Gardens for Health encourages families to cultivate and consume healthy foods through health & nutrition education, hands-on training in regenerative, climate-resilient gardening, and cooking lessons. During the visit, enjoy a personalized farm-to-table lunch.
After lunch, return to Kigali and visit the Kimironko Market, the busiest and most colorful market in the city. Explore a wide array of produce from Rwanda and neighboring regions, alongside stalls brimming with fabrics, clothing, shoes, and household essentials. Make your way to art galleries and jewelry stores, where you can purchase unique local crafts.

In the late afternoon, return to the hotel to rest and freshen up before this evening’s group dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Heaven

Komera Project

After breakfast, check out and take a scenic drive to Kayonza where the Komera Project is located. Along the two hour drive, enjoy a relaxing lunch amidst the beautiful, hilly Rwandan countryside. Komera Project’s Leadership Center is located in the Akagera National Park, so when you arrive at the park gates, you’ll sign in and then set off for Komera’s Center.

When you arrive, you’ll be welcomed by the Komera community and today’s half-day visit will begin with a tour of the center. Komera staff will introduce you to their various programs and initiatives, which includes investing in the health, wellness, education, and careers of young women aimed at empowering them with the best possible chance of success. Throughout the visit, engage in meaningful conversations with team members, gaining valuable insights into their efforts. Take a break with a refreshing afternoon snack and tea, followed by a rejuvenating yoga, meditation, or stretch session to unwind after the journey.

After the visit, you’ll drive to the lodge to check in, settle into your rooms and will have time to freshen up before reconvening this evening’s group dinner at the lodge.

Overnight: Akagera Transit Lodge

Game Drive & Komera Project

After breakfast, depart the hotel to drive to one of Komera’s community initiatives. On your way enjoy a game drive through Akagera National Park, a top safari destination in Africa renowned for its stunning landscapes, diverse wildlife, and Big 5 sightings. Following the safari, head over to Komera for lunch and an afternoon site visit. During today’s visit you will have a deep dive into Komera’s community and education initiatives that you were introduced to the day before, and connect with the individuals driving these efforts.

Return to the lodge for dinner.

Overnight: Akagera Transit Lodge

Full Day Visit at Kula Project

After breakfast, set out for a full day with the Kula Project, starting at their office in the Kayonza area. You will start your visit with an orientation session to be introduced to their work and community. The day will continue with sessions with their fellows and graduates to give you a deep understanding of their experience and the impact of the Kula Business Fellowship. This transformative program provides essential training and business investment to small coffee entrepreneurs, equipping them with leadership skills to build thriving businesses and secure a prosperous future for their families. During the visit, enjoy lunch with the entire Kula Project team at their office.

In the late afternoon, return to the lodge to relax and prepare for tomorrow’s early checkout.

Come together as a group in the evening for a relaxing dinner at the lodge.

Overnight: Akagera Transit Lodge

Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

After an early breakfast, check out and head towards Musanze in northwestern Rwanda. Drive about five hours around the breathtaking hills and landscapes. There will be plenty of water and snacks in the vehicle, and rest stops throughout the drive. Along the way, you will stop for a traditional Rwandan lunch.

Arrive at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in the afternoon. Here you’ll learn about the organization’s 55+ years working on gorilla conservation under the leadership of legendary conservationist, Dian Fossey. The visit will start with a private tour, where you’ll learn about the groundbreaking research conducted on-site and the significant impact of Rise’s funding on their Girls in Conservation project.

After your visit, drive to the lodge where you will check in and have time to freshen up before this evening’s group dinner.

Overnight: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Golden Monkey Trek

After breakfast, depart on your chosen wildlife adventure! The golden monkeys are included in your trip cost and if you would prefer to do a gorilla trek, we can arrange that for a supplemental cost (details and descriptions below).

Golden Monkey Trek: Golden monkeys are classified as an endangered species, and Volcanoes National Park is home to two habituated groups, each consisting of approximately 80 members. The golden monkeys inhabit bamboo forests at the volcanoes’ base and are now accustomed to daily visits. Similar to gorilla trekking, small groups can spend an hour observing the monkeys. Their constant tree-hopping is fascinating to watch, though challenging to photograph! The hike can range from just a few minutes to several hours, depending on how fast the monkeys move. Unlike gorillas, golden monkeys remain at lower altitudes, allowing visitors to avoid the longer, more strenuous hikes typically associated with gorilla trekking.

Gorilla Trek: Alternatively, if you sign up for the gorilla trek, you will depart early for the excursion which starts at a ranger station for a briefing. Then you will hike 2 to 8 hours through dense vegetation to an altitude of at least 8,000 feet with a guide, depending on where the silverback gorillas are located, and spend 1 hour observing the endangered gorillas in their natural habitat.

You will need a good degree of fitness, as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes. Once you are close to the group, the guides will ask you to leave behind your bags as no food items should be carried close to the gorillas. Take only cameras and yourselves, as you are about to meet the gentle giants in their natural forest habitat! Sit in the forest amongst the gorillas, listening to them grumble to each other and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male: the silverback.

It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining 880 mountain gorillas in the world.

Please note: This excursion is an additional cost of $1,450 and needs to be booked upon your registration. We recommend $50 additional dollars for small tips along the way (porters, guides, trackers). To participate in the trek, a moderate to high fitness level is required. The trek can be physically demanding, involving navigating steep, uneven, and sometimes muddy terrain through dense vegetation in the rainforest with steep inclines, often on narrow, unmarked trails.

Return to the hotel to rest from today’s adventures. Dinner will be at the lodge this evening.

Overnight: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Return to Kigali & Departures

After an early breakfast, check out of the hotel and return to Kigali, about a five hour drive with stops along the way.

Enjoy one last one last lunch together in Kigali before your international departures or onward travels. An airport transfer will be arranged for you in which you will arrive at the airport 3 hours ahead of your flight.

Dinner is not included this evening. If you have a late night flight home and would like a day room for an additional cost to freshen up before your flight, please contact Yumi (yumi@elevatedestinations.com).

For more information about this incredible journey to Rwanda with Together Women Rise, be sure to visit the following pages:

Registration & Pricing
Pre-Departure Information
Health & Safety
Destination Information
Extend Your Travel
About Elevate Destinations