8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari

8 Days Gorilla & Chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda

The safari starts and ends in Kigali city of Rwanda. The tour includes a gorilla permit worth $ 1500 per person per day. You visit volcanoes national Park for gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking. Visit Lake Kivu and have a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. Have A Kigali City tour where you visit the genocide memorial site.

Tour highlights

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali Rwanda

Day 2: Have Kigali City tour

Day 3: Gorilla trekking

Day 4: Proceed for Golden Monkey tracking

Day 5: Transfer to Lake Kivu for more adventure.

Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking

Day 8: Departure back to Kigali

 

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali Rwanda

Upon your arrival at the airport, the tour guide welcomes you and drives you to the hotel where you will take to the Hotel for an overnight and dinner.

Overnight at Serena Hotel/Chez Lando Hostel/ Manor Hotel- Meal Plan- BB

Day 2: Have Kigali City tour

Have breakfast and then proceed for a city tour where you visit Kigali Memorial Genocide centre which show cases the history of Rwanda genocide on video shows, view art crafts as well as reading personal testimonies and exhibitions. The exhibition shows part of the wasted lives that refer to the genocide and the holocausts in Southern Africa, and many other parts of the world. Return to the lodge for lunch and then drive to Volcanoes national Park to trek the mountain gorillas.

Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury)/ Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Moderate)

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 3: Gorilla trekking

Have breakfast at the lodge and then proceed to the park head quarters for briefing about the dos and donts of gorilla trekking in Rwanda. By 8:30 am , hike into the forest in search for the allocated gorilla family with which you are to spend 1 hour and then get back to the starting point. The trekking time varies from 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the movement of these endangered species and where they spent the past night. This trek is tiresome but so impressive when you finally face the mountain gorillas.

After the trek, proceed back to the lodge for lunch and then visit the Iby’Iwacu cultural people to explore their life style. After, return to the lodge for an overnight and dinner.

Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury)/ Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Moderate)

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 4: Proceed for Golden Monkey tracking

Have breakfast and then drive to Gisenyi to track the golden Monkeys. Have lunch and after proceed for a community walk to be able to interact with the local people who might entertain you with cultural dances.  Get to observe themaking of the local brewing beer from yellow bananas.

Dinner and overnight at Paradise Malahide Hotel/ Serena Hotel

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5: Transfer to Lake Kivu for more adventure.

Have breakfast at the lodge and then drive to Lake Kivu for a boat ride around the virgin islands of Napoleon’s Hat Island and there you go up to peak of the hat to view the Angola bats in the blue skies. Have lunch in Butare which is the intellectual centre of Rwanda to be able to visit the national university and the institute of scientific Research and the museum.

Dinner and overnight at Lake Kivu serena Hotel ( Luxury)/Kivu Paradis Resort( Moderate)/ Paradis Malahide ( Budget)

Meal Plan: Full board

Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest national Park

This forest is among the largest safe guarded montane rain forests in Africa. It extends over an area of 970sq km and gives breathtaking scenery that overlooks the forest and Lake Kivu. The main attraction here is the guided safaris when tracking the black and white Angolan Colobus monkeys as well as chimpanzees. You find about 270 species of trees, 70 mammal species, 275 bird species and the butterflies. Upon your arrival, check in at the Lodge and then relax at the lodge for the evening.

Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Forest Game lodge (Luxury)/Nyungwe Hill top view hotel (moderate)/Gisakura Guest House (Budget)

Meal Plan: Full board

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking

Have breakfast and then proceed with the rangers to the forest to track the chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest. This forest is home to chimpanzees comparable to those in Uganda’s kibale national Park. The L’Hoest monkeys and the white Angolan Colobus Monkeys make primate tourism with in the forest corresponding to no other in Africa

After lunch, drive to Nyanza which is the historical seat of the long ago kings of Rwanda. Get to visit the village alders, intore dancers and the great legends of Rwanda. Get to enjoy the dances that will be organized.

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Ibis

Day 8: Departure back to Kampala

Have breakfast at the lodge and then drive back to Kigali city to catch your flight back home

END OF SAFARI

Tour inclusions

• Gorilla trekking permits
• Chimpanzee permit
• Accommodation as per the itinerary
• Professional Guide
• Transport
• Bottled water
• All the activities mentioned in the itinerary

 

Tour Exclusions

• international flights
• Accommodation
• Personal items
• Tips
• Activities not included in the itinerary

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