This 7 Days Rwanda Chimps and Gorilla Safari gives you an opportunity to explore Rwanda’s capital, Kigali; and also have close encounters with the gentle mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park and habituated chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park. During this safari, you will also track golden monkeys, visit Ibyi’wacu village and the Dian Fossey center at Karisoke.
Highlights for 7 Days Rwanda Chimps and Gorilla Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Day 2: City Tour in Kigali
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and Visit Ibyi’wacu Village
Day 6: Gorilla Trek and Visit Dian Fossey Centre
Day 7: Golden Monkey Trek and Drive back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary for 7 Days Rwanda Chimps and Gorilla Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport or at pick up from your hotel, our guide will welcome you and transfer to Kigali city and depending on the time of your arrival; you will go for a short city tour with in Kigali and visit the genocide memorial site. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 2: City Tour in Kigali
Wake up in the morning and have breakfast at lodge and head out to meet up with your driver guide. You will embark on a tour of Kigali city where you will visit sites like Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Caplaki craft village, Inema Arts Center, and Kimironko market to mention but a few. Have lunch in Kigali and return to your hotel where you will spend the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After a morning breakfast, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En route, you will pass through wonderful and magnificent hills and cultivated countryside. Have a stopover at the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Proceed and reach Butare town where you will have lunch after lunch you will visit the Rwanda National Museum for a tour around the site.
Proceed and reach the lodge in the evening. Dinner and overnight at stay at your selected hotel/lodge.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk
You will have an early morning breakfast then report to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. However, it is advisable to organize packed lunch and plenty of water prior to this expedition since it can sometimes last over 6 hours. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys – sometimes as many as 400 in a group.
After your gorilla trek, you will also enjoy a 2-hour hike to and from the Canopy walkway bridge- a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. This hike takes about 2 hours to and from the canopy walkway bridge. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before night fall, you will return to the hotel for dinner as above. Return late in the afternoon. Return to your hotel for dinner and Overnight stay.
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and Visit Ibyi’wacu Village
Breakfast will be served early this day on the sixth day of your 7 Days Rwanda Chimps and Gorilla Safari and then after, you will check out from your Hotel and later transfer to Ruhengeri. En route you will visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village where you may have a wonderful and interactive experience about the Rwandan traditions, culture and way of life. Have lunch at the lodge and spend the rest of your evening relaxing. Dinner and overnight at your selected lodge.
Day 6: Gorilla Trek and Visit Dian Fossey Centre
Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the RBD officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This experience of gorilla tracking is a once in a life time adventure. The rangers will lead you deep into the forest in search for the Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about 1 hour. The activity in Rwanda can take 3-5 hours since the gorillas move up and down.
This is an awesome and exciting moment. Return for lunch at the Lodge and in the afternoon, visit the Karisoke research center and the graves of Diane Fossey a woman who was murdered because she was protecting these endangered mountain Gorillas. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Golden Monkey Trek and Drive back to Kigali
As early at 6am, you will be expected to be up for breakfast and ready to set off for the trek. Our guide will meet you after having your breakfast and your lunches packed and he will take you to Kinigi Headquarters where you are expected to be given a brief before starting the golden monkey trek. This brief is done at 7am.
You are given guidelines during this brief before you are allowed to start the trek. This golden monkey trek can take to about 2 hours to half a day as it’s unpredictable. When you finally find the gorillas, you will have to maintain a 6 meters’ distance and you are allowed one hour to admire and take photos of the monkeys.
After your gorilla trek, you will have your packed lunch and head back to base where you will find your driver guide waiting for you. You will then drive back to Kigali where your driver guide will drop you off at a hotel of your choice or Kigali international airport.
End of 7 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee and Gorilla Safari!
