The Ultimate Adventure Through Rwanda

This trip is designed for those with good fitness, but none of the activities are hugely strenuous or require previous experience.

You should be able to trek for up to six hours across uneven terrain or dense jungle. The hiking, while not technically difficult, can involve some steep sections, sometimes on muddy and slippery paths or under humid forest canopies, so a sense of adventure and decent stamina is important. You should also feel comfortable riding a bike for a couple of hours, but no technical skills are required. No previous experience is needed for the kayaking, but you'll be spending some hours paddling on Lake Kivu so you should have reasonable upper body strength to enjoy it to the full.

There are a couple of long drives (up to four hours) but these will be a great chance to rest your legs while taking in dazzling views of Rwanda the way. There will also be several early starts in order to avoid the heat and maximise the wildlife-spotting opportunities, so a willingness here is key to enjoying the experience.

Marta Marinelli, raised in Italy’s serene Prosecco Hills, dreamt of global adventures, inspired by her father's travel stories. Her passion evolved into a career, backed by a decade of studies including degrees in international tourism and destination management. She’s worked in the adventure travel sector since 2012, living in Italy, the UK, and now sunny Portugal.

Over twenty years, Marta has explored over 55 countries, visiting remote areas like Ghana, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Haiti and Nepal’s Upper Mustang region. As a Senior Adventure Expansion Manager at Much Better Adventures, she focuses on creating life-changing experiences, ranging from multi-activity adventures, challenging treks to ultimate adventures in iconic places. She loves the challenge of finding the best local adventure hosts around the world, collaborating on adventures that offer genuine immersion, pushing beyond the beaten path and working on exclusive itineraries that challenge your comfort zone.

What makes her tick? Enabling people to live adventure-rich lives while positively impacting and empowering local communities around the world, generating sustainable opportunities for both the host, guides, community, and the environment.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife experience, so if you want to see these incredible animals in the wild this can be arranged for you on Day 8 (in replacement of visiting the golden monkeys). Gorilla viewing permits are limited and the price is set by the Rwandan Government, so if you wish to book this excursion we recommend planning it as early in advance as possible.

The total price payable for the permit is $1442 per person, inclusive of some booking fees (this is calculated as the full standard permit fee, minus the cost of the golden monkey activity, which is included in the full trip cost but you'll need to skip this if you choose to visit the mountain gorillas instead). In order to book a gorilla permit, please request this from your host after booking the adventure and provide your passport details. Your host will process the permit request for you and collect a deposit of $600, if the request is made before your final trip balance is due. Alternatively, the full amount will be collected.

If you change your mind and need to cancel or postpone your trip, the $600 permit deposit is not usually refundable. Within 30 days from arrival, no changes are possible and no refunds are available. Standard cancellation terms and fees apply for the remaining cost of the trip, which you can try to claim back via your insurance.

Gorilla health is taken very seriously in Rwanda. This means that if you are ill (even the slightest of colds), you will be unable to visit them. The government does not offer refunds, so if this was to occur you would need to try and claim this on your travel insurance (please check that you are covered for such an eventuality).

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

While tap water is unsafe for drinking, please bring a refillable water bottle with you as a plentiful supply of filtered/treated water will be available during the trip.

Rwanda is warm and spring-like all year round. Temperatures average 24-34°C in the daytime and 17-20°C at night. Short thunderstorms that usually pass within an hour or so can occur at any time of year, but the main wet seasons are March to mid-May and September to mid-November.

Rain is unlikely in the main dry season (from the start of July to mid-August) but it can be a little more hazy due to the dust in the air. Rwanda is a great place to visit at any time of year; however, December to February are the most popular as there's lots of sunshine and the landscape is lush and green.

During the activities you'll only need to carry your day pack containing lunch, waterproofs, camera, water etc. During the two-day kayaking expedition on Lake Kivu you will need to bring with you an overnight kit with only the essential items you need for those two days. Your main luggage will be transferred by vehicle throughout the trip.

We recommend checking out the country specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

For current advice about travelling in Rwanda, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages.

Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice, however, we'd suggest the following as a guideline per person:

• Guide: approx. $25-50pp
• Driver: approx. $15-30pp
• National park guide: approx. $8pp
• Total: $50-90pp

Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality – a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

All foreign nationalities entering Rwanda require a valid visa. This can be obtained upon arrival in Kigali and in many cases, is free. The Visit Rwanda website provides more information. Please check the regulations for your nationality.

Weather conditions should be pretty favourable in the season when this trip is scheduled to run, but as always Mother Nature is unpredictable so the best you can do is to be prepared for anything and come equipped with sunscreen, a hat and waterproofs. Your host will be monitoring the weather conditions during the course of the trip and may suggest alternative, safer activities should the weather get particularly bad, or change the order and timings of them.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.

Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.