This 7 Days Rwanda Primates Tour you on a thrilling Rwanda Safari visiting the most popular destinations in this beautiful country, get ready to have an encounter with chimpanzee, golden monkeys and mountain gorillas. If you are fun of primates, this 7 days Rwanda safari will leave you amazed.
This tour starts with a tour of Kigali City before heading to Nyungwe Forest for chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk, then transfer to Lake Kivu for boat cruise safari then to the Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey trekking and gorilla trekking.
While at the Volcanoes National Park, you will also take part in Rwanda gorilla trekking tour, visiting the twin lakes or Burera and Ruhondo and the Gorillas Guardians Villages.
Itinerary of 7 Days Rwanda Primate Tour
Day 1: Airport or hotel Pick up – Transfer to Nyungwe forest
Our company guide will pick you up very early in the morning from your hotel or airport to start the long journey to Nyunhwe Forest in the south western part of Rwanda. Before beginning your journey, you will have briefing about the safari and embark on a journey of about 5 hours. You will enjoy beautiful views of the Rwandan countryside and understand why the country is referred to as “A land of a thousand hills”.
Once you reach the forest, you will head straight to the lodge for check, refreshment and relaxation.
Dinner and Overnight: Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Luxury), Nyungwe Top View Hotel (Mid-range) and the Gisakura Guest House (Budget).
Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking at Nyungwe forest – Going for a Canopy walk
Wake up early and have breakfast at your lodge before heading for the briefing on chimpanzee tracking at Nyungwe Forest headquarters, the guides will take you through the rules and regulations to follow while in the forest. Then head into the forest looking for the chimpanzees, once you locate them you will spend one hour in their presence taking pictures and enjoy watching them go on with their life in the forest.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park also offers an opportunity to spot 12 other species of primates, butterflies and birds. You may even follow the route with waterfalls and beautiful rocky escarpments, return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will go for a canopy walk which is one of the top attractions in Nyungwe Forest National Park. the canopy walk allows you get an aerial view of the park and watch more of the monkeys and birds but from a different angle. After the amazing canopy walk, you will return back to your lodge.
Accommodation and dinner will be at Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Luxury), Nyungwe Top View Hotel (Mid-range) and the Gisakura Guest House (Budget).
Day 3: Transfer to Lake Kivu – Go for an afternoon boat ride
On the 3rd day of your 7 Days Rwanda Primates Tour, wake up at your own leisure, take breakfast and checkout of the hotel and start the journey to Lake Kivu.
Lake Kivu is the largest fresh water lake in Rwanda extending all the way to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the lake is a world famous for the boiling Methane gas that comes out from underneath. On arrival at your hotel, you will have lunch overlooking the Lake.
In the afternoon, you will be taken for a boat ride to visit some of the islands. Once you are done with the boat ride, you will go back to the hotel and prepare to go swimming in the lake, if you are not fun of swimming you can simply relax by the lake and admire the beautiful scenery and local people going about their lives.
Dinner and accommodation will be at Lake Kivu Serena hotel (Luxury), Paradise Marahide (Mid-range) and Palm Resort Gardens (Budget).
Day 4: Tour of Lake Kivu and fishing villages – Transfer to Volcanoes national park
You will wake up at your own time, have breakfast and prepare to go for a tour to different sites around the Lake Kivu including the fishing villages. For bird watchers, this is the perfect time to spot several resident and migratory species of birds. You will also spot several primates that live in forest on the islands and lake shores, you will also have chance encounters with the locals as they go about their daily activities.
After exploring the lake in detail, you will set off for the Volcanoes National Parks in Musanze, check in at your lodge and spend the rest of the day resting as you prepare for gorilla trekking the next day.
Dinner and accommodation at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury), Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range) and The Garden Place Hotel (Budget).
Day 5: Mountain gorilla trekking – Visiting the Gorilla Guardians Village.
Wake up early to breakfast and head to the Kinigi Park headquarters for the briefing at 07:00 am, the head guide and rangers will let you know what you need to bring along during the trek and how to act around the gorillas.
You will be allocated a gorilla family and offered a chance to hire a porter of you have any heavy language, trek into the deep jungle looking for mountain gorillas. The trek takes approximately 2 hours to 5 hours or more depending on the movement of the gorillas and where they spent their previous night.
You will be allowed to spend one hour with the gorillas family makes it worthwhile, you will also observe many other forest creatures and plants as you find your way to the gorilla family. After one hour, you will head back to your lodge for lunch.
After a short rest, you will go for a visit to the Iby’iwacu cultural village located near the volcanoes national park. Now known as the Gorilla Guardians Village, the centre started as a place where former poachers could sell art and crafts to tourists. The centre has now grown to become the leading place to learn about the culture of the people of Rwanda, while in the village. You will be entertained by cultural dances and get to learn more about the local Kinyarwanda culture, expect to be involved in the performances while also getting a chance to buy souvenirs.
Dinner and accommodation at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury), Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range) and The Garden Place Hotel (Budget).
Day 6: Golden Monkey Tracking – Visiting the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
Wake up early and have your breakfast and head to Volcanoes National Park offices for briefing on a golden monkey trekking. After the briefing, you should hire a guide to help with your backpack or any other heavy equipment so that you can comfortably track the golden monkeys.
The park guide will lead you into the forest were you will finally spot the monkeys on top of the trees and on the ground feeding.
Golden monkeys are rare and endangered species of primates and you will spend time with taking pictures and watching them play on tree branches. Head back to the lodge for lunch and in the evening, you will go for a visit to the beautiful twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.
Dinner and accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury), Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range) and The Garden Place Hotel (Budget).
Day 7: Transfer back Kigali – Tour of Kigali, the genocide memorial Centre and other sites
Wake up at your own leisure and prepare for the journey back to Kigali, while in Kigali City you will have a chance to visit the city market, the former presidential palace, artisan shops and the Gisozi genocide memorial site.
After the tour and lunch, you will be dropped off either at the hotel or at Kigali International Airport for your flight back home.
End of 7 Rwanda Primates Tour.
