Luxury Lodges in Rwanda: Unforgettable Stays in Africa’s Hidden Gem

Rwanda is home to some of the most stunning luxury eco-lodges and exclusive resorts in Africa, making it the perfect destination for travelers seeking a luxurious stay in Rwanda. From 5-star hotels with breathtaking views of the lush Rwandan hills to private villas nestled in scenic landscapes, the best luxury lodges in Rwanda offer unparalleled comfort and elegance. Whether you’re visiting Rwanda for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park or exploring the beauty of Nyungwe Forest, these lodges provide an unforgettable experience with world-class service and stunning vistas.

Known for its lush green landscapes, diverse wildlife, and warm hospitality, Rwanda offers a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. The luxury lodges in Rwanda offer guests not only top-tier accommodations but also access to the most extraordinary natural surroundings, making them a top choice for those seeking a high-end safari experience.

Discover Rwanda’s luxurious lodges, each offering a unique setting and exceptional service, from intimate retreats to all-inclusive resorts. Below, we highlight the top luxury lodges in Rwanda, organized by their locations to help you plan your perfect stay.

Volcanoes National Park

• One&Only Gorilla’s Nest

This Luxury Lodge is located near the Volcanoes National Park and offers spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys. With its tranquil atmosphere and scenic surroundings, the hotel is perfect for honeymooners, explorers, and anyone who appreciates nature. One&Only Gorilla’s Nest offers an authentic safari experience in the stunning location of mountains, meadows, and lakes.

With delicious food and beautiful rooms, you will be fully immersed in luxury during your stay. A single room costs about $600, and double luxury rooms can go up to $2,288 a night. Guests will be greeted with traditional Rwandan music and drum beats as they enter the resort. They will then be served either rose water or Rwandan coffee in the main lodge, where they can learn more about the hotel and its surroundings.

• Singita’s Kwitonda Lodge

Set right on the edge of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, where more than a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas find refuge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge’s unrivalled position puts lifechanging gorilla trekking experiences within easy reach. Each of the eight luxurious suites features a private heated plunge pool, wellness treatment area, in- and outdoor fireplaces and large timber-framed windows that welcome breathtaking scenery and volcano views inside.

• Singita’s Kataza House

Singita Kataza House’s two heated plunge pools, in- and outdoor fireplaces and large timber-framed windows continuously welcome the breathtaking scenery inside, ensuring a guest experience unlike any other. Set right on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, it puts gorilla-trekking experiences within easy reach and the villa’s four luxurious suites provide comfortable, reflective and nurturing spaces in which to appreciate the transformative experience of coming face to face with the gentle giants of the forest.

• Bisate Lodge

The Bisate lodge is a Rwandan wildlife reserve situated in an extremely rare and picturesque location. The Lodge Villas have all the amenities you could hope for on your vacation. These include inside showers with both hot and warm water, a dressing room, and plenty of luggage space. The hotel also has a comfortable lounge area, a library stocked with books to help pass the time, a minibar service available 24/7, and even your own private butler.

In addition to these wonderful in-villa features, each villa also has its own large balcony affording stunning views of the park below as well as some mountains off in the distance. A double room per night at Bisate Eco-Lodge costs about $3000.

• Virunga Lodge

Before Bisate Lodge, there was no other like Virunga Lodge. This top-of-the-line lodge is owned by Volcanoes Safaris and boasts stunning views of the Volcanoes National Park. The quality services on offer have earned Virunga Lodge international awards! The lodge has ten luxury cottages made from local materials and decorated with beautiful fabrics and African art. It’s truly a sight to behold. 

The hotel also serves tasty African food grown right from the gardens nearby. A double room at Virunga Lodge costs about $1,100. This includes drinks and food

• Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

The beautiful Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge lies hidden amongst the foothills of the spectacular Virungas (a chain of volcanoes that lie in what is thought to be the heart of the legendary land of King Solomon’s mines). Surrounded by the tropical forests of Rwanda, guests can unwind in their choice of stone cottage or suites, each with a large sitting room, fireplace, stylish ensuite bathroom and private veranda. The stone buildings feature traditional terracotta tile roofs and polished wooden floors.

Scrumptious menus can be savoured in the cosy dining room or al fresco on the outside deck, with its breath-taking views of the Virunga volcanoes. Nearby adventures include hikes into the Parc National des Volcans in search of the majestic mountain gorilla and the enchanting golden monkey, cultural excursions, bird watching and mountain biking trails and visits to a multitude of scenic destinations.

• Amakoro Songa Lodge

Nestled in a small village outside the town of Kinigi, the Amakoro Songa Lodge is a genuine blend of conservation and tourism. Its eight luxurious cottages are designed and built to take advantage of its serene surroundings which give every visitor a chance to escape everyday life and a sense of tranquility. Amakoro Songa Lodge gets its name from the black volcanic rocks that characterize this mountainous part of Rwanda that is home to the Mountain Gorillas. The lodge is set on a seven-acre plot with beautifully manicured lawns, surrounded by the Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabinyo mountain volcanoes.

All the cottages at Amakoro Songa Lodge are intentionally furnished with rustic elegance, fusing local and modern pieces that create a good warmth and comfort. The spacious rooms, each equipped with a fireplace, allow guests to opt for a post-trekking massage. Our ‘must-experience’ outdoor fireplace is not to be missed and it allows guests to enjoy an evening drink while watching the traditional Intore Dance Troupe.

• Five Volanoes Hotel

Without a doubt the go-to option in the area for those travelling on a budget. Although Five Volcanoes is fairly simple, standards of food and service here are good, while the lodge makes for the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding areas… and of course to trek gorillas.

Five Volcanoes is a brilliant base for exploring Volcanoes National Park – not only to check out the gorillas, but to see golden monkeys and enjoy canoeing and cycling too.

Akagera National Park

• Magash Camp

Magashi, a luxury lodge owned by Wilderness Safaris, offers some of the most luxurious rooms in Akagera National Park. The Magashi lodges overlook Lake Rwanyakazinga on the northeastern side of the park. They furnish each room with African art and operate as a private reserve to which only their guests have access.

Magashi camp offers various services to make your stay as comfortable as possible, including free Wi-Fi, a swimming pool, baggage storage and more. You’ll also have plenty of activities to keep you busy during your stays, such as game drives, birding, guided nature walks and more.

• Akagera Mantis Lodge

Akagera Mantis Lodge, formerly Akagera Game Lodge, is the main competition to Ruzizi Tented Lodge. Unlike Ruzizi, they built Akagera from bricks and on a hill so that guests can experience stunning views of the park. The rooms are also more luxurious, with wooden furniture, stone walls, TVs, and internet access. Other amenities at the hotel include a large swimming pool and conference facilities that have been popular with businesses and non-profits alike.

Nyungwe National Park

• One&Only Nyungwe House.

In the mountainous southwest corner of Rwanda, one of Africa’s oldest mountain rain forests is also one of the country’s most exciting emerging destinations.

One&Only Nyungwe House was the only luxury retreat in this less-discovered part of Rwanda. But that could change quickly, now that African Parks, a Johannesburg-based conservation NGO that works with governments on long-term, donor and tourism-funded park management agreements, is taking over the management of the Nyungwe Forest to improve wildlife conservation efforts and develop tourism. The goal is to showcase why Nyungwe—which supplies 70 percent of Rwanda’s water—is also a compelling destination for aficionados of the natural world. The terrain is filled with mahogany and ebony trees, swamps, and waterfalls, and it’s home to 13 species of primates, including the colobus monkey and the gray-cheeked mangabey. There’s plenty for the bird lovers, too: close to 300 bird species, such as great blue turacos and giant hornbills, inhabit the area.

The sprawling One&Only retreat, with its 22 one- and two-bedroom suites, is a destination unto itself. Geometric Imigongo designs cover interior walls with their dramatic, black-white-and-red color scheme; hand-woven decorative plates from local cooperative Indego Africa decorate the rooms; and king-size four-poster beds dominate the spacious bedrooms, all of which face the jungle through floor-to-ceiling windows.

In Kigali City

• The Retreat

San Francisco native Alissa Ruxin started out as a health professional, but that all changed when she arrived in Rwanda with her husband, Josh, in 2006. Her pivot to hospitality in 2008, when she opened Heaven Boutique Hotel and Heaven Restaurant, was part of a larger plan to bring more hospitality training and employment to the city at a time when Rwanda was beginning to emerge as a global tourism destination.

Two years ago, she opened her second hotel, the Retreat, which is now regarded as one of the city’s most sought-after boutique hotels—and likely even more so after the debut of eight enormous villa suites in January 2021. Each suite is slated to be massive (1,300 square feet) and will feature oak floors, high ceilings, mattresses made of organic materials, and outdoor showers; they’ll also have their own saltwater plunge pools heated by solar power. Part of the property upgrade included an expanded gym, a new three-room spa, and an outdoor fitness deck that hosts weekly yoga classes.

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