7 Day Journey Through Burundi | From Drums to Waterfalls
Overview
Discover the natural beauty and cultural charm of Burundi in just one day with this immersive Bujumbura City & Rusizi National Park Tour. From a serene morning amidst wildlife at Rusizi National Park to an afternoon exploring the vibrant history and heritage of Bujumbura, this tour offers the perfect blend of nature and culture. Ideal for travelers with limited time, it’s a snapshot of Burundi’s highlights—all in a single unforgettable day.
Included/Excluded
- Park Entrance Fees
- Roundtrip transport in a 4X4 Vehicle Van
- Boa trip & nature walk
- Bujumbura City Tour
- English speaking driver among others
- Drum sanctuary Gitega
- Price excludes all other things of personal nature like the bar bills, visas, gratitudes, personal insurance, porter hire among others
Tour Plan
Day 1: Arrival in Bujumbura
Arrive at Melchior Ndadaye International Airport where a guide or hotel transfer awaits. Check into a comfortable hotel such as Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika or Roca Golf Hotel. In the late afternoon, take a relaxing stroll along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. For dinner, consider enjoying Burundian grilled fish at a lakeside restaurant and watch the sunset over the water.
Day 2: Discover Bujumbura
Start the day with a visit to the Livingstone–Stanley Monument, a historic site marking the meeting point of two famous explorers. Continue to the Musée Vivant, an open-air museum combining a small zoo, traditional Burundian houses, and live drumming and crafts demonstrations. In the afternoon, take a safari-style boat tour of Rusizi National Park, where you may spot hippos, crocodiles, and a wide array of birdlife. Enjoy a relaxed evening back in Bujumbura with a meal at a local favorite like Restaurant Ubuntu. Overnight at Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika
Day 3: Cultural Journey to Gitega
Begin the drive to Gitega, Burundi’s cultural capital, located about three hours from Bujumbura. On the way, stop at the Gishora Drum Sanctuary near the town of Gitega. This site is home to Burundi’s sacred royal drums and features performances that highlight traditional drumming and dance. Upon arrival in Gitega, visit the National Museum to explore artifacts reflecting the country’s rich pre-colonial and colonial history. Overnight at Tropitel Gitega or similar
Day 4: Natural Wonders in the South
After breakfast, travel to the scenic Karera Waterfalls in Rutana province. The area offers multiple cascades surrounded by lush vegetation, ideal for light hiking and nature photography. A short drive takes you to the Nyakazu Fault, sometimes called the German Fault, which offers breathtaking views over the Rift Valley. Return to Gitega in the evening. Overnight at Tropitel Gitega or similar
Day 5: Exploring the Heart of Burundi
Make your way toward the town of Rutovu to visit what is considered one of the sources of the Nile River. Along the way, pass through rolling hills and small traditional communities. This is an excellent opportunity to interact with locals and observe rural life in Burundi. In the afternoon, head back to Bujumbura, stopping for scenic viewpoints or roadside snacks as desired. Overnight at Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika or similar
Day 6: Kibira Rainforest and Tea Plantations
Depart early for Kibira National Park, Burundi’s largest rainforest, located on the Congo-Nile Divide. Join a guided hike through the forest, which is home to chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, and hundreds of bird species. After the trek, visit the nearby Teza tea plantations, where you can learn about the cultivation and production of Burundian tea. Return to Bujumbura in the evening for a restful night. Overnight at Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika or similar
Day 7: Relaxation and Departure
Spend your final morning browsing artisan markets or relaxing by Lake Tanganyika. Optional activities include a boat ride or a visit to Saga Beach for swimming and refreshments. After lunch, prepare for your transfer to the airport and your departure from Burundi, bringing with you memories of a vibrant and welcoming country.
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Communication via WhatsApp to make arrangements went very smooth with Aron being quick and clear in his responses.
Aron drove us most of the time, but we also had a ride with driver Barnice. Every time they were in time, most of the times even early to make sure we could leave whenever we wanted. The service was more than just a private taxi service: Aron told us many interesting things about Uganda and let us taste some local food. That really made our trip more colourful and interesting.They know a lot of good places all over the country, like restaurants and accomodation. Although we organized our trip by ourselves, that was still an advantage. Above that, Aron uses his business in Uganda to help other Ugandans as well.
We would definitely recommend to travel with Safari 2 Gorilla Tours.

Jon Peters
USA


In my iniitial email to him I had explained that I'm Kenyan and would be travelling to Rwanda from Nairobi, Kenya. As an east African citizen I thought this information was useful in terms of national park fees and so on; little did I know that it would affect my whole Gorilla trek experience.
I'd settled the balance of my invoice in November 2019 and Aron emailed to confirm full payment. I never heard from Aron again except when I emailed him to find out the arrangements for when I arrived in Rwanda. At the time I didn't think much of it as I'd read so many glowing reviews of Aron and his tour company; his attentive nature, professionalism and general good nature. A fortnight or so before my arrival I'd still not heard from him so I emailed to find out the itinerary for when I arrived in Rwanda - nothing. Just a curt response confirming that he had the number for my hotel and presumably (Aron did not confirm) that he would call me at my hotel to arrange a time to pick me up from my hotel.
I arrived at the hotel, following a 10 hour flight from London on Friday, 24 January to find there was no message was left by Aron advising when I'd be picked up the following day. On Saturday, 25 January at about 9 am the receptionist knocked on my door to inform me that a driver had arrived to pick me up and drive me to Uganda. As I'd not had any advance information of this arrangement I was not ready; i hadn't showered or eaten breakfast. And so we did not set off until gone 10 am. This was the first poor service i'd received.
I'd paid for a 3-day Gorilla trek etc which included on the first day a visit to the Rwanda Genocide memorial. When the driver set off we'd been driving and passed a sign to the memorial site, after almost an hour I asked if we were still going to the memoial site, and only then did the driver inform me that due to the late departure he had decided to postpone the visit to the memorial until the return leg of my three day trip. The second poor service i'd received.
Bwindi national park is in Uganda and so I was driven through Rwanda to Uganda via a land border, an eight hour journey that ordinarily shouldn't have taken that long. The third poor service.
During the drive Aron maintained constant communication with the driver - whose name escapes me - and not once did he ask the driver to pass the phone to me so that he could speak to me. By that I mean even welcoming me, asking me how my trip was, finding out if there was anything I needed, any issues or problems with the trip I'd paid for. The fourth poor service I received
When we arrived at Rushaga camp each visitor at dinner was assigned a table with the name of their guide on it; stupidly I immediately thought Ohhh so Aron had sent a driver to pick me up from Rwanda and that now I was going to meet him! How wrong i was. When i sat down expecting to meet Aron who should turn up? but the driver! Cheekily I asked if he was Aron and offended he curtly replied no!. When i asked what happend to Aron he informed me that Aron had been in constant communication throughout the day! When I asked why Aron hadn't even said hello or welcomed me he just said that Aron was on another tour. At that moment I realised what was happening and why. In Aron's eyes I was a black African tourist that yes, had paid for the same service and support that my white counterparts had received but due to his low perception of me and fellow black Africans I did not warrant the same service, attention, or even respect. I did not speak to the driver again for the rest of the evening. I was surrounded by fellow travellers that were accompanied by guides who made them feel welcome, valued and respected; they sat together sharing stories from their travels whilst I and the driver sat silently. Even as I tried to get the driver to understand how insulted and disrespected I felt he just didn't get it. A part of me feels if i was white he wouldn't have found it so hard understanding how poorly I'd been treated. But as a black African what reason did I have to complain? The fifth poor service I'd received
On the second day i was due to visit Mgahinga national park almost a two hour drive away. As debrief started at 8 am we arranged to leave Rushaga Gorilla camp by 6 am; arranging to meet for breakfast at 05:30 am. 06:00 am the driver was nowhere to be found. Finally at 06:30 he appears in the dinning room feigning an alarm malfunction. I had to demand an apology from him. The sixth poor service i'd received.
We arrived at the national park at 08:25. I was the only black tourist and when I asked the guide to summarise the debrief he audibly commented that as I'd arrived late he'd not be able to repeat it for me. Cynically I felt that If I was white he'd problably have ignored the fact that the driver had got me to the debrief late and still gone through the key points. The seventh poor sevice I'd received.
I could go on and on but I won't. I think you get the gist. I never once spoke to Aron, met him or communicated with him during my time in Rwanda and Uganda. I left Rwanda on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 and have delayed posting this review until now to see whether or not I'd hear from Aron. I haven't and I know I never will.
I would never recommend this company to anyone regardless of who you are. I pity and despise racists and would never support a business that openly discriminates against black Africans.

Would absolutely recommend Safari 2 Gorilla Tours! Thanks Aaron and Martin for an unforgetable trip!

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Makanga Hill,
P.O.BOX 568 Kabale