8-Day Rwanda Primates and Wildlife Safari

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Meet at the airport and drive to Volcanoes National Park

Pick up from Kigali airport and depart for Musanze in the north of Rwanda. The journey from Kigali to Musanze/Volcanoes National Park is about 2.5 hours of driving, and it is a scenic trip as you will enjoy the dramatic landscape of lush rolling hills – you will see why Rwanda is called the land of a thousand hills.
In the evening do a cultural tour to the Gorilla Guardians Village to see the presentations of several Rwandan cultural and traditional practices including a traditional dance performance.

Main Destination:

Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Best Time To Visit June to August (It is drier and hiking is easier)

High Season June to September (Permits are scarce)

Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Wildlife in Volcanoes NP

GorillaCommon

ChimpanzeeNone

ElephantRare

BuffaloRare

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

Show more

GiraffeNone

LionNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas)

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Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park

After early breakfast, you will transfer to the park office in Kinigi by 7 am. Meet the park guides for the allocation of the gorilla groups. There are 12 habituated gorilla groups available for the tracking adventure and no more than 8 people can be allocated for each gorilla group. The park guides shall brief you about the gorilla trekking etiquette and thereafter you shall drive to the park boundary where you start trekking into the jungle to find the gorillas. The time taken to find the gorillas is 3 hours but can take more depending on how the gorillas move while feeding. You will hike along a relatively steep forested mountain which can be challenging if not fit. Some porters will be found at the park boundary for hire at $20 to carry your backpack and may provide a push or pull if you meet a challenged spot. When you find the gorillas you will be allowed only 1 hour to watch them and follow them, after which you shall climb back.

Main Destination:

Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Golden monkey tracking and transfer to Lake Kivu (Karongi area)

Pick up from your hotel and then drive to Volcanoes National Park's headquarters for registration and briefing. We will then transfer to the starting point of your guided walk which begins around 8:30 am. The tracking usually takes between 45 minutes to 4 hours, once you come to the habituated families, you will spend the allowed one hour with the golden monkeys as they go about their daily life. There are two habituated groups of golden monkeys, one group comprises around 80 to 100 members and has its home at the foot of Mount Sabyinyo. Golden monkeys characterized by their bright golden bodies, cheeks, and tails, these playful primates are a pleasure to watch.
After the golden monkey trek, we will drive to Lake Kivu (Karongi area) for a restful evening. The drive from Volcanoes National Park to Lake Kivu is estimated to take 3-4 hours.

Main Destination:

Lake Kivu

Accommodation:

Cormoran Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located at Lake Kivu

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Transfer to Nyungwe National park

After a relaxing night at Lake Kivu, we will drive to Nyungwe National Park. The drive from Karongi to Nyungwe takes about for about 3 hours. Check-in and in the afternoon drive to Uwinka visitor center, check-in with the national park authority and start the canopy walk experience.

Main Destination:

Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)

Best Time To Visit June to September (Dry weather, best chimp trekking)

High Season June to September (Popular gorilla trekking time in Volcanoes NP)

Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Wildlife in Nyungwe NP

ChimpanzeeCommon

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

Show more

ElephantNone

GiraffeNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon canopy walk

The opportunity to see chimpanzees in the wild is one of the memorable of all safari activities. Getting close to these creatures that share so much of our DNA is once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the excitement of walking through the forest and knowing that they are close will stay with you forever.
The Chimp trekking will start in the early morning and will take between 3 & 4 hours.

Main Destination:

Nyungwe National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Visit Butare Ethnographic Museum and Nyanza King's Palace

We check out and drive to Butare and visit the National Ethnographic Museum which is a very rich exhibition of the ancient Rwandan lifestyle covering agriculture, hunting, animal husbandry, weaving, pottery, woodwork, and architecture.
We shall also visit the King's palace. Nyanza is the ancient royal city of the Kingdom of Rwanda which hosts the traditional King's palace and the "Inyambo" cows with the big horns. This is an opportunity to understand the formation of the Kingdom of Rwanda and its expansion from the 15th century until the colonial era under Germany and Belgium.
Later we shall proceed to Kigali for overnight.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

Eagle View Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in Kigali

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Transfer to Akagera National Park

On this day, we will transfer from Kigali and drive eastward to Akagera National Park to prepare for the afternoon or evening boat trip on Lake Ihema.
Lake Ihema supports healthy populations of hippos, crocodiles, and various aquatic birds, from the majestic African fish eagle to the tiny iridescent malachite kingfisher. Expect to see all this and much more on an hour-long boat trip to the lake.

Main Destination:

Akagera National Park

Best Time To Visit June to September and mid-December to mid-February (It is drier and wildlife is easier to spot)

High Season June to September (The park is busiest at weekends)

Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Wildlife in Akagera NP

GiraffeCommon

BuffaloAbundant

ZebraAbundant

HippoAbundant

White RhinoOccasional

LionOccasional

Show more

ElephantOccasional

Black RhinoRare

LeopardRare

HyenaRare

CheetahNone

WildebeestNone

Wild DogNone

Accommodation:

Akagera Rhino Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Akagera NP

+5 Photos

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Full-day game drive (safari) and transfer to Kigali

Spend the day exploring Rwanda’s only savannah safari park! This spectacular Akagera National Park is the best wildlife safari destination in Rwanda, proving why wildlife safaris in Rwanda are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Learn about and see various wildlife, including giraffes, buffalos, hippos, and many more. This trip is the perfect addition to a gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda. While the game drive will take the full day exploring the southern and northern sections of the park, we will make sure to exit the park before the standard closing time of 6 pm and also make sure to arrive in Kigali before it gets dark. We will then drop you off at the hotel in Kigali/airport.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.