This 6 Days Rwanda Primate Safari is tailored to give you a chance to participate in the two of the most incredible primate encounters in the world, that is gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking. In Rwanda, gorilla trekking is done in Volcanoes National Park, the best place in the world to see the endangered mountain gorillas. Here you will venture into the misty forests of the park and spend one in the presence of the gorillas watching them groom each other and live their life in the forests.
Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is done in the beautiful Nyungwe Forest National Park, here you will trek through the forest and have a chance to spend one hour with a habituated chimpanzee family.
Safari Highlights
- Kigali City Tour
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Canopy Walk
- Colobus monkey tracking
- Gorilla tracking
- Golden monkey tracking
- Gorilla Guardians village
- Optional – Dian Fossey grave Or Visit to the Caves
Itinerary for 6 Days Rwanda Primates Safari
Day 1: Arrival for Rwanda Primates Safari
On arrival at Kigali International Airport or after breakfast at your hotel in Kigali City, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide and head out for a Kigali City. Some of the sites to visit include Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kandt Museum and the Craft Market.
If your arrival is in the morning or early afternoon, you will start on city tour before transferring you to your hotel and if arrival is late afternoon. Then you will be directly transferred to your hotel.
Drive time – 20 minutes
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, embark on a journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park while enjoying the various scenery. Nyungwe Forest is located in Southern Rwanda en-route to Burundi and some parts of the Congo, the tour to Nyungwe Forest will start early morning after your breakfast with our first stopover in Nyanza before proceed to Huye to tour the ethnographic museum. In Nyanza district there is an opportunity to visit the Kings Palace Museum which is an alternative to the ethnographic museum.
You can discuss with your driver guide on which of the museums to stop at depending on your interests, they both share Rwanda’s cultural history but the ethnographic museum has more items and wide coverage. Arrive in the park in the evening, proceed to your lodge for overnight.
Drive time – 5 hours Or Helicopter (Robinson/ Augusta) – 45 minutes/ 35 minutes
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Rwanda Chimpanzee trekking & Canopy walk
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park headquarters for briefing about chimpanzee trekking, the forest as well as its inhabitants. You will either be at the Uwinka Trail Head or the Cyamudongo Trail Head, the ranger guide will share chimpanzee trekking tips for you while in the forest.
Nyungwe Forest is rich with botanical diversity and home to 13 species of primates including Ruwenzori colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, silver monkey, grey cheeked mangabeys, about 300 bird species with a number of Albertine rift endemics and several butterfly species. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest takes approximately 30 – 6 hours or more depending on the movement of chimpanzees, when you find the chimpanzees you are allowed to spend one hour of watching them groom each other, play from one tree to another and pick their fruits. Trek back to the park headquarters, meet your guide and return to your lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, take the canopy walk trail from the Uwinka Trail head. Enjoy the views of the forest for this walk.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Colobus Monkey Trekking and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, return to Nyungwe Forest for Colobus Monkey Tracking, just like chimpanzee trekking you will have a briefing from the guide and head into the forest. You are allowed one hour of watching the Colobus Monkeys as they feed, play and groom each other.
After this amazing experience, leave for Volcanoes National Park in the Virunga Region. Along the way you will enjoy the scenery dominated by the rolling hills and Lake Kivu, arrive at your lodge that evening. Check in, have dinner and overnight.
Drive time – 6 hours Or Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Wake up early for breakfast, head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for briefing about gorilla trekking. A senior ranger guide will take you through rules and regulations to follow while in the forest and presence of the gorillas.
In group of 8 people, you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek and head into the forests looking for mountain gorillas. The trek takes approximately 2 – 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas and when you locate them, you are allowed to spend one hour interacting with them, watching them groom each other and take as many photos as possible.
Return to the park headquarters, meet your guide and return your lodge for an evening of resting.
Alternatively, you can visit the Gorilla Guardians Village (Iby’Iwacu Village) where you will learn about the Rwandan Culture and engage in some of the activities.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Golden Monkey Tracking and End of 6 day Rwanda Primates Safari
Wake and have breakfast at leisure, meet your guide and head back to the park for golden monkey trekking. After the briefing from the ranger guide, drive to the starting point and leave for the trek. Just like gorillas, you are allowed one hour in the presence of the golden monkeys. These primates are more active than gorillas but will give you an incredibly fulfilling experience.
After lunch and freshening up, you will leave for Kigali for your departure flight or drop off at your hotel.
Drive time – 2 hours 30 minutes Or Helicopter (Robinson) – 35 minutes
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch