Rwanda Primate Safari: Gorillas and Chimpanzees Tour

Experience Rwanda’s iconic primates on an unforgettable four-day adventure. Spend a day with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and another with the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park.

If encountering these two captivating primates is on your bucket list, this itinerary offers the perfect opportunity to see both in a short span.

Duration: 5 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

KIGALI - NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK

Kigali Province - DAY ONE - KIGALI - NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK
You’ll depart from Kigali after breakfast for the long but beautiful drive south to Nyungwe National Park. Along the way you’ll come to understand why they call Rwanda ‘The Land of 1000 Hills’.

The trip will be broken up with a number of stops, including a visit to the Butare National Museum. You’ll also pay a visit to Nyanza, where you can visit the former palace of the last Rwandan king as well as the local Arts Museum.

After lunch, you’ll proceed to Nyungwe, passing through the forest along the way. You’ll have the chance to see playful primates playing by the road as you travel.

You’ll arrive at your Nyungwe accommodation in time for dinner and a good night’s rest.

CHIMPANZEE TREKKING - LAKE KIVU

Nyungwe Forest National Park - DAY TWO - CHIMPANZEE TREKKING - LAKE KIVU
You’ll rise early for breakfast and take a packed lunch with you as you go off in search of Rwanda’s enigmatic and endangered chimpanzee population. With only four hundred chimpanzees in the country, there’s no guarantee you’ll see chimps during your day’s hike, but your guide will do all he can to get you a glimpse of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.

Once your chimpanzee trekking is complete, you’ll make the trip to the lakeside town of Korongi to overnight with a view of Rwanda’s largest lake.

LAKE KIVU - VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Volcanoes National Park - You’ll set off for Volcanoes National Park after breakfast, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a more scenic drive on earth.

Arriving in the city of Musanze in time for lunch, you’ll then pay a visit to the nearby Iby Iwacu Cultural Village to learn more about Rwandan traditional food, dance, and history.

GORILLA TREKKING - KIGALI

Volcanoes National Park - After an early breakfast at your hotel, you’ll proceed directly to the Volcanoes National Park’s headquarters to meet your guides. After completing the briefing, you’ll embark on the once in a lifetime experience of tracking the enigmatic mountain gorillas.

There is no guarantee how long or difficult your tracking experience will be as it depends on where the family of gorillas is and on weather conditions, It can take anywhere from two up to six hours of trekking through the mountain forest at relatively high altitudes. Fitness is definitely recommended for those wishing to undertake the excursion.

One of the most memorable experiences you’re likely to ever have, you’ll be allowed an hour of close contact with the gorillas once you’ve found them. You’ll be privileged enough to come within mere metres of a family of these rare and beautiful animals, observing their family dynamics and getting to learn a bit about each gorilla’s distinct personality in serene silence.

GOLDEN MONKEY TREKKING - KIGALI

Volcanoes National Park - We’ll spend the day tracking another of the Volcanoes National Park’s primate inhabitants, the beautiful golden monkeys which can only be found in the Volcanoes Conservation Area.

You’ll trek through sun-dappled glades and dense stands of bamboo in search of these playful monkeys, who are well accustomed to visitors. This means you’ll be able to view the golden monkeys playing, feeding, and leaping from tree to tree as if you weren’t there. While your time with the monkeys is limited to an hour, this is ample time to see the inquisitive creatures in their natural habitat.

After a hot lunch at your lodge, you’ll then return to Kigali for your onward travel.

What's Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Museum admission fee
  • Golden Monkey & Chimpanzee admission fees
  • Accommodation as per the itinerary
  • Full time English speaking guide and his allowances
  • Exclusive use of Private 4WD Car
What's Not Included
  • Gorilla permits (1500 per person).
Additional Information
  • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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Bdjshh
Dec 20, 2020
Exceeded our wildest expectations - We planned our own itinerary , so what was Most important for us was the guide. We interviewed quite a few former customers of different guides, and finally settled on Augustine. He got glowing recommendations from people who had been with him, and even so, he managed to exceed our expectations. He is immensely knowledgeable- not a single question we came up with, that he didn't know how to answer. He is totally honest and punctual. Whatever you agree on - is carried out to the letter. He is a great and careful driver. He is extremely friendly polite and nice. But the really impressive part is his concern for his clients wellbeing and pleasure. He takes enormous pains, with great interpersonal sensitivity, to see that you get maximum pleasure and experiences from your trip. We have been to numerous out of the way places, where we needed local guides/drivers, and have had some really good ones, but Augustine is in a league of his own.
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