7 Days Rwanda Gorillas and Chimpanzee Safari
This 7 days Rwanda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari takes you on an African Safari to the iconic Volcanoes National Park, known for its incredible gorilla trekking adventures and Nyungwe Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking.
This Rwanda primate journey also takes you on a visit to the beautiful Lake Kivu and Kigali City—the cleanest city in Africa.
Highlights of 7 Days Rwanda: Gorillas and Chimps
- Day 1: Kigali
- Day 2 – Kigali/Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Day 3 – Explore Nyungwe Forest National Park – Chimpanzee Trek
Chimpanzee - Day 4 – Nyungwe Forest National Park/Lake Kivu
- Day 5 – Lake Kivu/Volcanoes National park
- Day 6 – Volcanoes National Park – Gorilla Trek
- Day 7 – Kigali
Detailed itinerary of 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Chimp
Day 1: Kigali
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by a driver-guide and be transferred to your hotel in Kigali.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel / Mille Collines Hotel
Day 2 – Kigali/Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, you will embark on a journey south to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Along the way you will have a visit to the historical towns of Nyanza and Butare. Have a visit to the Nyanza King’s Palace and the Huye Ethnographic Museum.
After lunch, continue to the park, arriving in the evening, check in, have dinner and overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Nyungwe House / Emeraude Kivu Resort / Nyungwe Top Hill
Day 3 – Explore Nyungwe Forest National Park – Chimpanzee Trek
Enjoy an early breakfast and head to the park for a chimpanzee trekking experience. Join other visitors at the park headquarters for a briefing about chimpanzee trekking dos and don’ts. With your armed ranger guides, head into the forest searching for chimpanzees.
The trek through the forest looking for chimpanzees takes approximately 2 to 4 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees and where they spent their previous night. During the trek, you will also see several primates, including black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons and several bird species. Once you locate the chimpanzee troop, you will have one hour of being in their presence, watching them as they live their life in the forest as their dynamics. Return to the lodge for lunch, and in the afternoon enjoy a canopy walk.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Nyungwe House / Emeraude Kivu Resort / Nyungwe Top Hill
Day 4 – Nyungwe Forest National Park – Lake Kivu
After breakfast, check out and drive to Lake Kivu with lunch en route. spend the afternoon on the shores of the beautiful lake with a number of optional activities included, such as canoeing.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena / Lake Kivu Gorilla Hotel
Day 5 – Lake Kivu/Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, depart for Volcanoes National Park with a scenic drive through the thousands of hills of Rwanda’s countryside. Arrive in the park in time for lunch at your lodge after check-in, and spend the evening at rest. Have dinner and an overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Bisate Lodge / Virunga Lodge / Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge / Bishops house / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Day 6 – Volcanoes National Park – Gorilla Trek
After breakfast, head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing about gorilla trekking. In groups of 8 people you will be allocated one of the habituated gorilla families to trek and head into the misty forests looking for gorillas. The trek takes approximately 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of gorillas and where they spent their previous night.
On locating these gentle apes, you will spend one hour in their presence watching them play, feed and groom each other. Watch baby gorillas play and female gorillas breastfeed.
Later, trek back to the park headquarters to pick up your gorilla trekking certificates and return to the lodge for an evening of rest, dinner and an overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Bisate Lodge / Virunga Lodge / Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge / Bishops house / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Day 7 – Kigali
After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and drive back to Kigali City, where you will be dropped off at the airport to catch your flight back home or to your next destination.
End of 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Chimp
Inclusions
- All accommodation as stated in the itinerary
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Drinking water on all days
Exclusions
- All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- International flights (from/to home)
- Tips (tipping guideline: US$20.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Services not mentioned in the program
- Travel insurance and medical repatriation
- Items of a personal nature
