7 Days Primates & Gorilla Tour Rwanda

Primates & Gorilla Tour – 7 Days

Overview | Highlights | Detailed Itinerary | Includes | Request Quote

Overview

This 7-day Primates & Gorilla Tour will enable you to trek Mountain Gorillas in their haven in the Volcanoes National Park and to enjoy the scenic beauty of the volcanic landscapes characteristic of this part of the country; take you to Nyungwe National Park to trek the delightful chimpanzees and other primates; take you to Akagera National Park for game drives and boat cruise, and to visit the genocide memorial sites in Kigali.

Safari Highlights

• The thrill of trekking Mountain Gorillas in the challenging forest terrain and the humbling experience of coming face to face with them as they feed, play, rest, and bond with their young.
• Viewing the mesmerizing and awesome features of the volcanic landscapes.
• A thrilling encounter with the delightful chimpanzees and watching them as they make awesome acrobatic maneuvers in the tree branches.
• Listening to the horrific tales of the genocide that claimed more than 1,000,000 lives in Rwanda in the 1990s.

Activity Schedule.

Day 1: Arrival in Rwanda, City tour of Kigali and transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Genocide Memorials / Kings Palace.
Day 4: Trekking Chimpanzees and other primates.
Day 5: Tour of Kigali Memorial sites.
Day 6: Transfer to Akagera National Park, Boat cruise & Evening game drive.
Day 7: Game drives in Akagera & transfer to Kigali.

Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Rwanda and transfer to Volcanoes National Park

You will be met at Kanombe Airport by your Primates & Gorilla Tour guide/driver who will transfer you to Volcanoes National Park. For those arriving early in the day, an excursion can be arranged for you to visit the Gisozi genocide memorial in the city to pay tribute to the thousands of Rwandese that lost their lives in the 1994 genocide.

You can also visit the Presidential Palace Museum which was the place of residence for the Rwandan president at the time of genocide, Juvenal Habyarimana.

You will later drive to Ruhengeri town just outside the Volcanoes National Park and check in at the hotel/lodge of your booking. Dinner and overnight will at this hotel/lodge.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park & Visit to magnificent Lakes

On this Primates & Gorilla Tour day, you will track one of the habituated Gorilla groups. You will begin with a briefing on the rules of Gorilla trekking after which you will set off with your guide to find the Gorillas. Your guide will point out signs of previous Gorilla activity, including dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots.

The time taken to trek the Gorillas can take as little as half an hour to as much as 5 hours! Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes and bamboo before you eventually find the Gorillas.

Once the Gorillas have been located, you will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them.  You will return to your lodge for lunch and some rest after which you will visit the magnificent lakes of Burera and Ruhondo whose deep blue waters are surrounded by high hills from which flow waters that create waterfalls that decorate volcanoes in a spectacular way.

You will choose to have a canoe ride, do a village visit, and go fishing using traditional methods or simply sit back and take-in the breathtaking scenery of the area.

You will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Genocide Memorials / Kings Palace

You will have breakfast and travel to Nyungwe Forest National Park. En-route you will visit the Butare Museum, Murambi Memorial and Nyanza Palace to learn about the history of the Rwanda and its people, listen to the horrendous tales of the genocide in which more than one million people were brutally killed and pay tribute to the victims.

You will check in at the lodge of your booking near the Park for some rest before going out for a tour of the adjacent Tea factory to see how the locally grown tea is processed to become one of the finest products Rwanda has for export.

You will later return to your lodge for Dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Trekking Chimpanzees and other primates

You will have an early breakfast and report to the Park Headquarters for a briefing on Chimpanzee tracking rules before setting out with guides to find the Chimpanzees.

The trekking of Chimpanzees is for 2 hours. You will return to the lodge for lunch and some rest and go out to trek other primates such as Golden monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, Angola colobus, Silver monkey, Hamlyn’s Monkey, Dent’s Mona Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, and Olive Baboon among others.

You will also see various types of birds in the verdant flora of this ancient forest.

You will there after return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Transfer to Kigali and city excursion

Kigali City Skyline

You will an early Primates & Gorilla Tour breakfast and set off for the City of Rwanda where you will be taken on excursion to see more of the memorial sites, visit the Muslim community, the colourful craft markets, the Nyamata historical Museum and the monuments that depict the history of Rwanda’s epic history. Dinner and overnight will be at the Hotel of your booking.

Day 6: Transfer to Akagera National Park, Boat cruise & Evening game drive

You will have an early breakfast and travel with your guide to Akagera National Park. The drive to this place is approximately 2½ hours. En-route you will visit Rusumo waterfall and Imigongo, the place of traditional handcraft makers.

You will have lunch at your Lodge and in the afternoon go for a game drive in the Akagera National Park and a boat ride on Ihema Lake to see crocodiles, hippos and various species of rare birds around the Nyirabiyoro Island.

Dinner and overnight will be at your lodge.

Day 7: Game drives in Akagera & transfer to Kigali

After an early breakfast, you will embark on a morning game drive. In a circuit you will visit different lakes where you will see buffaloes and elephants drinking from the water ponds and various species of birds including the Egyptian goose and Fish eager. You will have a picnic lunch in the park then continue with the hills game drive where you will see; impalas, zebras, bush bucks, water bucks, topis, oribis, baboons, giraffes, cape elands and more.

En route you will go through the beautiful rolling hills to the northern exit of the park from where you will transfer to Kigali for dinner and overnight or to the Airport for your departure flight.

Requirements for this Safari

• A Visa for Rwanda which you can get at the airport
• Gorilla trekking permit paid for in advance
• Travel & Health insurance arranged by you in your home country before you travel.
• Yellow fever vaccination (certificate for proof)
• Physical fitness

The Safari package includes:

• Accommodation as per the itinerary
• 4WD safari vehicle
• Bottled drinking water
• Gorilla trekking permit
• Chimpanzee trekking permit
• Canopy walk fee
• Services of an English speaking driver/guide.
• Return airport transfers.

The Safari package excludes expenses of a personal nature such as:

• Other drinks apart from bottled water
• Laundry
• Tips to local guides
• Telephone expenses
• Porter fees while trekking Gorillas
• Personal insurance
• Cigarettes