On this 9 Days Best of Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari, the ultimate primate tracking experience, discover Rwanda’s mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Enquire Now You will also follow lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park and cross the Congolese border. Get in touch with us to arrange this adventure.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – Kigali City Tour.
The trip starts in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, this morning. Located in the geographical centre of the country, this bustling metropolis was once a German colonial outpost at the turn of the century. Today, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country, dispersed throughout the hills and valleys at the foot of Mount Kigali. We’ll go tour Nyamirambo, an area with a diverse range of cultures, after cleaning up at our hotel. Our tour of this lively district will be hosted by the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre, which will allow us to meet some of the locals and learn more about this fascinating area. In the afternoon, we’ll go on a guided tour of the city to discover some of its colonial history. A memorial for the fallen peacekeepers and the infamous Hôtel des Mille Collines will also be visible to us.
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
You will visit the Kigali Memorial Centre at Gisozi this morning. Constructed on the location where it was estimated that up to 250,000 victims were interred in mass graves, the centre serves as the nation’s most significant reminder of the genocide. We will depart the capital of Rwanda in the middle of the morning and travel to Nyungwe National Park, making a stop along the way to see the former Mwami’s Palace, which served as the seat of Rwanda’s feudal kingdom in the 19th century. We’ll also go to the National Museum in Huye, which is considered to be one of the best ethnographic museums in East Africa and offers a wealth of information about Rwandan history and culture. One of Africa’s greatest remaining mountainous rainforests, Nyungwe Forest spans around a thousand square km.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe Forest.
You will travel through Nyungwe Forest early this morning in the hopes of sighting some chimpanzees. During this trip, you might spot chimpanzees leaping in the tree canopies above your head. As they engage with one another, you may also take in the sounds of their cries and hooting. Sightings are impossible due to the chimps’ fast-paced conduct, but the tour’s high point will undoubtedly be the sounds of nature, which will create an amazing experience. In the afternoon, we return to our hotel to relax and enjoy the surroundings. More local activities, like trips to tea estates or longer nature walks, may be organised and funded.
Day 4: Canopy Walk in Nyungwe – Cross over to Bukavu in the DRC.
You will take the canopy walk this morning, which will take you 90 meters above the forest floor, in the hopes of sighting some of the 13 different species of monkeys or any of the over 300 bird species that make this park home. Following there, we’ll return to the hotel before travelling west to Bukavu, which is the DRC’s shared border. In the afternoon, after you have checked into your hotel, relax there with dinner.
Day 5: Gorilla Tracking in Kahuzi-Biega National Park
About 50 kilometres west of Bukavu is Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the final habitats for the endangered Eastern Lowland Gorilla. There are thought to be less than 300 of these amazing animals in the main woods of Kahuzi-Biega, which are dominated by two extinct volcanoes. We will be tracking a family of Grauer’s gorillas, the largest of the four gorilla species in the world and a lowland species native to the eastern Congo, in the park’s Tshivanga area this morning. Even the most cynical tourists consider up-close encounters with wild gorillas to be among their favourite travel experiences, and they will surely be remembered long after the sunburn has subsided.
Day 6: Visit Lwiro – Gorilla Tracking – Tour of Bukavu
Group A will travel out to the Lwiro region of the park for a nature walk, while Group B will do gorilla tracking when they return to Kahuzi-Biega NP this morning. We’ll go together later that day to learn more about this charming town’s colonial background. With several historic colonial buildings along the sea, the lakefront is very picturesque.
Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
We travel to Rubavu, which is located on the lake’s northern shore, by boat today. We get a fresh view of the surrounding verdant hills and the everyday activity that takes place on the water and along its shores when we travel through the crystal-clear waters of Africa’s sixth largest lake. We will also visit a coffee plantation and the Nkora washing station, the biggest of its kind in Rwanda, to learn more about the coffee production process “from crop to cup” and its significance to the local populace. We travel inland from Rubavu to Musanze, which serves as the entry point to Volcanoes National Park. Before supper this evening, we ought to have some time to explore the town.
Day 8: Mount Bisoke Hiking Experience.
Early this morning, we will report to Volcanoes National Park headquarters and after a short briefing head to the start point of the Mount Bisoke hike. The trail starts gently through farmland in the foothills, but soon starts to rise as you trek through thicker vegetation, narrow trails, and along some steep sections before reaching the summit at 3711m. Along the way, we will be rewarded with views of crater lakes and the surrounding lush hills. The volcano’s hills are the habitat of a number of wild animals including buffaloes, Golden monkeys and gorillas, and whilst sightings cannot be guaranteed, we do have a good chance to see some wildlife on the way. In total our hike this morning should take around 5-7 hours. After freshening up at the hotel, this afternoon we can visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art home for research, education and conservation programs.
Day 9: Return to Kigali – Departure.
Today you will transfer back to Kigali and to the airport to catch up with your homebound flight.
End of the 9 Days Best of Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari.
The 9 Days Best of Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari includes;
- 1 Gorilla Permit per person.
- 1 Chimpanzee Permit per person.
- Mount Bisoke Hiking.
- Transportation in a 4WD safari vehicle.
- Services of an English-speaking tour guide.
- Park Entrance Fees.
- Bottled water in the car.
- Accommodation and Meals as per itinerary.
- Government Taxes.
However, the tour cost excludes; Air Fare, Visa fees, personal shopping bills, travel insurance, tips to local guides, souvenirs, items of personal nature such as laundry, cigarettes and items not listed as included in the cost.