8 Days best of Rwanda Gorilla trekking safari covering the best tourist places in Rwanda including genocide memorial tour, mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking and wildlife viewing in Akagera national park.
Trip Highlights
- City Tour to Gisozi Genocide memorial sites, Local markets, Craft shops
- Gorilla Trekking
- Visit to Lake Ruhondo & Burera
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe NP Rwanda or Kibale NP Uganda
- Canopy walk
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Pick Up for City Tour – Volcanoes NP
Have breakfast and be ready for pick up by our company tour guide from you hotel in Kigali for a tour of Kigali city. Kigali is a beautiful and modern city, ranked to be among Africa’s top cleanest cities. For city tour you will visit the Gisozi genocide site, craft shops and local markets. Have lunch and later hit the road driving north of the country to Volcanoes national park in Musanze province. Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury), Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge / La Palme (Mid-range), Muhabura Hotel (Basic)
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes NP – Visit Lakes Burera & Ruhondo
Today you will wake up early for a quick cup of coffee and with your guide drive to the park head offices. Assemble for briefing by 7:30 about the do’s and don’t when you meet gorillas. This is a standard precaution to protect the health of the mountain gorillas and the visitors. You will also be divided in groups of 8 people depending on your level of fitness.
After the Briefing and assigning a gorilla group to trek, you will drive to the head trail of your gorilla group where the trek will begin. At this point you will descend into the forest with a lead from an experienced local guide who will be in position to answer all your question as you trek in search for your gorilla family. This trek can last from 30 minutes to 6 hours hiking through bamboo trees. The length of your trek depends on how far into the forest your gorilla group has moved. You Once you meet the gorillas, only one hour is allowed with the gentle species so as not to exhaust them. In this one hour, you are allowed to take pictures, video recording but don’t forget to take time and take in this magical moment!
Once the hour is done, descend back to the head trail where you entered the forest from.
In The afternoon have an optional tour of the Lake Burera and Ruhondo located within the vicinity of Volcanoes national park.Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge(Luxury)/La palme Hotel(Deluxe)/Muhabura Hotel(Budget)
Day 3: Golden monkey tracking / Dain Fossey Tomb site hike – Ibyiwacu Cultural tour
After an early breakfast, assemble at the park head quarters for briefing just like mountain gorilla tracking, golden monkey tracking has a briefing. You will have to hike the volcanoes before catching a glimpse of these playful monkeys. In the afternoon head out of a cultural experience to the Ibyiwacu cultural village.
Day 4: Transfer to Gisenyi Town where Lake Kivu is situated
After an early breakfast, and get ready to transfer to Lake Kivu situated in Gisenyi province. Lake Kivu is the biggest fresh water lake in Rwanda with quite a number of breathtaking views and relaxing. You will have a boat ride on lake Kivu on arrival and in the afternoon relax on the shores of Lake Kivu. Dinner and overnight stay at L. Kivu Serena Hotel (Luxury) / Malahide Hotel (Mid range) Stipp Hotel (Budget)
Day 5: Visit to the Nyamirundi Island
Have your breakfast and headset to visit Nyamirundi island, well known for coffee growing around Gisanyi. You will have the chance to learn about the coffee making precess. The island has beautiful views of terraced rolling hills. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe National park
Have breakfast at your hotel and be ready for a drive to Nyungwe forest national park. Enroute stop at the Gikongoro Genocide Memorial site of Murambi province. Here you will learn first hand information on the events of the 1992 genocide of Rwanda. You will have your lunch in Butare, Rwanda’s second biggest city. Continue with your journey to Nyungwe national park.Dinner and Overnight stay at Nyungwe Forst Lodge ( Luxury), Nyungwe Top View Hotel (Mid-range), Gisakura Guest House (Basic)
Day 7: Chimpanzee Tracking – Canopy Walk / Colubus Monkey Tracking
Have an early breakfast, and headout to the Nyungwe forest park head offices where the briefing about chimps tracking takes place. After which you will enter the forest to search for the Chimpanzees. Expect to see a number of other primates like the Angolan colobus, white and black colobus monkeys among others. The park hosts 13 species of primates and these include: chimpanzees, Rwenzori colobus, L’Hoest Monkey, silver monkey, owl faced monkey, red tailed monkey, vervet monkey and olive baboon and so many others.
The park is also popular for sheltering the largest troop of black and white colobus monkeys. Return to your hotel for lunch and in the afternoon headout for a canopy walk adventure or colobus monkey tracking. Return in the evening for dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Luxury) or Gisakura Guest House (Budget)
Day 8: Transfer back to Kigali
After breakfast, you will transfer back to Kigali. Upon arrival, you will have Lunch and later be transferred to the Airport for your flight back home.
End of Safari
