Rwanda Primates Safaris Adventure – 6 nights – 7 days

Detailed Itinerary

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT KIGALI

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport and after passing through immigration, you will be welcomed by our safari driver, who will brief you shortly and transfer you to the booked accommodation.

Meals: Dinner

DAY 2: TRANSFER TO VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Today you will be picked up at your lodge after breakfast, head for a Kigali city tour, visit the Kigali genocide memorial, and have lunch before being transferred to Musanze near Volcanoes National Park, where you will have dinner and overnight.

• 0830: Pick up from your hotel in Kigali
• 0845: Drive and visit the Genocide Memorial Centre
• 1030: Transfer to Volcanoes. Travel time 2.5hrs.
• 1300: Arrival at your lodge around the volcanoes NP
• 1330: Lunch for the day and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing.
• 1500: The rest of the afternoon is for relaxation around the lodge.
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel around Volcanoes NP

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

DAY 3: GORILLA TREKKING ADVENTURE

Early morning cup of coffee, then prepare for the gorilla trekking briefing from the park headquarters, and thereafter, you will be briefed before you enter the jungle with your packed lunch to search for the shy mountain gorillas and enjoy their lifestyle in their real home. After meeting the gorillas, you can sit around these great apes for a whole hour watching their social life as you take pictures.

Note: On a gorilla safari, a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as walking shoes, packed food, mineral water, insect repellent, sunscreen, and a hut.

The gorilla tracking experience takes half a day or a whole day, depending on the movements of these primates. After this gorilla tracking experience, you will return to your lodge for lunch. After lunch, visit the cultural village to experience the local ways of living for Rwandans.

• 0600: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 0630: Transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing.
• 0800: Start the gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
• 1200: Estimated time of returning from the jungle.
• 1230: Transfer back to the Lodge.
• 1300: Lunch at the Lodge.
• 1500: Visit Iby’ Iwacu cultural village. 
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

DAY 4: GOLDEN MONKEY TREK, TRANSFER TO LAKE KIVU

After having your early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the park for a briefing and later head for the golden monkey trekking. The same procedure for gorilla trekking applies to the golden monkey. You will still have an hour with the golden monkeys. You will later return, head for lunch, and transfer to Gisenyi, where you will spend your afternoon at leisure.

• 0600: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 0630: Transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing.
• 0800: Start the Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
• 1200: Estimated time of returning from the jungle.
• 1230: Transfer back to the Lodge and lunch
• 1430: Transfer to Lake Kivu
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

DAY 5: TRANSFER TO NYUNGWE

After your early morning breakfast, head for a boat ride on Lake Kivu, including visiting numerous islands. Later, you will be transferred to Nyungwe, which is roughly 2 hours away, with a great countryside experience looking at the local community and traditional buildings en route. We shall arrive in the afternoon, have lunch, and spend the afternoon at leisure.

• 0700: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 0830: Transfer to Karongi on Lake Kivu
• 1100: Start the Boat trip on the Lake
• 1200: Estimated time of returning from the boat excursion
• 1230: Transfer to the Moriah Hill Hotel for lunch.
• 1430: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

DAY 6: CHIMPANZEE TREKKING AND CANOPY WALK

Today, after your early morning cap of African coffee, you will leave your hotel to experience the natural forest of Nyungwe, well known for having 13 species of primates, and be transferred to the park for a briefing and chimpanzee trekking. You will be entitled to one hour to find the chimpanzees. After doing the chimpanzee trek, head for lunch. In the afternoon, you will head for a canopy walk experience, where you will explore the Park Forest on a 70 m, suspended metallic bridge. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• 0500: Begin the day with a packed morning breakfast.
• 0510: Transfer to the starting point for trekking with the chimpanzee
• 06:00: Start the trek for chimpanzee trekking
• 12:00: Estimated time of returning from the jungle.
• 12:30: Transfer back to the Lodge and lunch
• 14:00: Transfer back to Nyungwe NP for canopy walk experience
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

DAY 7: TRANSFER TO KIGALI

Meet your guide after your breakfast at the lodge and transfer back to Kigali, with an en route visit to the King Palace museum, where you will have a great experience learning about the Rwandan culture. You will enjoy an en route lunch and reach Kigali in the afternoon, for dinner and an overnight stay.

• 09:00: Begin the day with a packed morning breakfast.
• 09:00: Transfer to Nyanza for the visit to the King’s Palace museums
• 13:00: Lunch at one of the local restaurants in Huye
• 14:00: Visit the King’s Palace Museum
• 15:00: Transfer to Kigali
• 1800: Later arrive in Kigali and transfer to the airport for your flight

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch