7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari

7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari-Ultimate Rwanda Primates Tour

This 7 days Rwanda gorilla safari offers the best of primate experience with a touch of luxury in Rwanda. It includes gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking at Volcanoes national park as well as chimpanzee tracking and a canopy walk in Nyungwe national park with private transfers and all inclusive accommodation at world class luxury lodges. The 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari begins and ends in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali City.

Day to Day:

7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari

Tour Highlights:

Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Your Luxury Hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Kigali city tour and drive to Volcanoes national park
Day 3: Gorilla trekking
Day 4: Golden monkey trekking
Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to your luxury hotel in Kigali

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your guide who will drive you to the luxury hotel in Kigali for check in.

Accommodation Options: Kigali Serena Hotel / The Retreat by Heaven / Kigali Marriott Hotel

Meal Plan: All Inclusive

Day 2: Kigali city tour and drive to Volcanoes national park

After having breakfast at the hotel in Kigali, you will explore the city and visit places like the Kimironko market, the Kigali genocide memorial center, Inema arts center and after the tour, you will have lunch at a local restaurant to try out the Rwandese cuisine and you will proceed to Volcanoes national park where you will check in at the lodge and relax for the rest of the evening and prepare to have dinner and spend the night.

Accommodation Options: One&Only Gorilla’s Nest / Bisate Lodge / Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge / Farm House

Meal Plan: All Inclusive

Day 3: Gorilla trekking

You will have an early breakfast at the lodge and your guide will transfer you to the Kinigi park headquarters for a briefing on the gorillas of Volcanoes national park. You will be assigned ranger guides and groups for the trek. You will search for a specific gorilla family in Volcanoes national park and explore the forested sloped of the park in search of the gorillas.

You will spend 1 hour with the gorillas on finding them and enjoy taking photos and videos and you will return to the lodge after the gorilla trek to have dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation Options: One&Only Gorilla’s Nest / Bisate Lodge / Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge / Farm House

Meal Plan: All Inclusive

Day 4: Golden monkey trekking

After having breakfast at the lodge, you will go to the Kinigi park headquarters to be briefed on the golden monkey trekking experience. You will also be assigned ranger guides and a group to search for the golden monkeys of Volcanoes national park. During the trek, you will see other primates in the forest including black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys as well as different bird species. You will spend 1 hour with the golden monkeys and return to the briefing point.

You will have an optional cultural tour after the golden monkey trek in Volcanoes national park and visit the Iby’iwacu village to experience the Rwandese culture, enjoy traditional dance performances and so much more. After this experience, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation Options: One&Only Gorilla’s Nest / Bisate Lodge / Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge / Farm House

Meal Plan: All Inclusive

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

You will have breakfast at the lodge in Volcanoes national park as you prepare for the transfer to Nyungwe forest national park on this day as you enjoy views of the hills of Rwanda and your guide will drive you to the lodge where you will have dinner and spend the night.

Accommodation Option: One&Only Nyungwe House

Meal Plan: All Inclusive

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

Your breakfast will be served early ahead of the chimpanzee trek in Nyungwe forest national park. You will have a briefing at the park headquarters and assigned ranger guides to move with you during the search for the chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest. You will explore the forest and encounter other primates as well as different bird species and after spending time with the chimpanzees, you will return to the briefing point.

After the chimpanzee trek, you will also engage in a canopy walk experience in Nyungwe forest and enjoy walking along a suspended bridge and enjoy views of the rainforest and the national park. After this experience, you will return to the lodge for your dinner and overnight stay.

Option: One&Only Nyungwe House

Meal Plan: All Inclusive

Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali

After breakfast at the lodge in Nyungwe national park, your guide will drive you to Kigali with a stop in Butare and you will also visit the Rwanda national museum. Your lunch will be enroute to Kigali where your guide will drop you off at the Kigali international airport or your hotel in Kigali which will bring the tour to an end.

Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch

Tour Includes:

Exclusive Safari transport in custom made Safari 4 by 4 wheel drive Land Cruiser with air conditioner.
Services of English-speaking driver guides.
Pick-up and drop-off.
Gorilla Trekking Permits and park entry fees
Bottled water
All Meals included
Six nights accommodation at luxurious lodges
All Activities listed in the itinerary

Tour Excludes:

International and Visa entry charges to Uganda.
Personal expenses and gratuities.
Additional optional activities.

Best Time To Travel:

The best time to visit Rwanda for this 7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari which includes gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, and chimpanzee tracking is during the dry seasons, which occur from mid-December to early February and from June to mid-September. These months offer the best trekking conditions, with less mud and easier hiking trails, particularly in the mountainous areas of Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park. Wildlife is also easier to spot during this time as animals tend to be more active and visible.

How To Get There:

Kigali International Airport to Kigali City (Day 1)

Distance: ~10 km
Drive Time: 15–20 minutes

Upon arrival, your guide will transfer you to your luxury hotel in Kigali for check-in.

Kigali to Volcanoes National Park (Day 2)

Distance: ~110 km
Drive Time: 2.5 to 3 hours

After the city tour and lunch in Kigali, you’ll drive northwest through scenic countryside to Volcanoes National Park.

Volcanoes National Park to Nyungwe Forest National Park (Day 5)

Distance: ~250 km
Drive Time: 6 to 7 hours

This full-day scenic drive takes you southwest across Rwanda’s rolling hills to Nyungwe Forest.

Nyungwe Forest to Kigali via Butare (Day 7)

Distance: ~230 km
Drive Time: 5 to 6 hours

On the return journey to Kigali, you’ll stop at Butare (Huye) to visit the Rwanda National Museum, then continue to Kigali for your departure or hotel drop-off.

About Volcanoes National Park

Home to the endangered Primates including mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys, Volcanoes national park is the most popular tourist destination in Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park is located in the northwest of Rwanda along the borders with Uganda and DR Congo and it is one of the 3 national parks that make up the Virunga Mountains alongside Virunga national park in Congo and Mghainga gorilla national park in Uganda. Volcanoes National Park is home to over 370 mountain gorillas which are visited every day by trekkers in their corresponding habituated groups.

The Gorilla Habituated groups at Volcanoes National park include Sabyinyo, Susa, Karisimbi, Umubano, Amahoro, Kwitonda, Hirwa, Bwenge, Agashya and Ugyenda. Each gorilla family is visited once par day by a group of 8 trekkers who are permitted to spend an hour in their presence. In addition to mountain gorillas visitors can also see the endangered golden monkeys which are visited on a separate trip. Other wildlife species in Volcanoes national park include black-fronted duiker, Africa buffalo, forest elephant as well as 178 bird species.

The park is also home to 5 of the 8 Volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains including Sabyinyo, Karisimbi, Bisoke, Gahinga and Muhabura and the tomb of American primatologist Dian Fossey who started the work of protecting gorillas in the park in the mid 1960s. The tomb is also regularly visited by trekkers who come to pay tribute to the incredible conservation work she undertook amidst strong resistance from the poachers and other wild animals.

About Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe national park is located in the southwest of Rwanda and is popular for being home to the chimpanzees which can be seen in its ancient tropical rainforest. Activities to do in Nyungwe national park:

Chimpanzee tracking: Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest national park is one of the most popular activities in to do at the destination. Visitors below the age of 16 years are not permitted to engage in primate experiences in the national park.
Canopy Walk: Another activity to do when visiting Nyungwe National Park is the canopy walk which offers visitors a view of the forest canopy and they also enjoy an exciting guided walk along the suspended bridge through the park which is about 70 meters off the ground and 160 kilometers long.
Bird watching: There are various bird species found in Nyungwe national park which makes it a must visit destination for tourists to engage in bird watching in Rwanda.
Hiking: Nyungwe National Park offers an extensive network of hiking trails for visitors can explore the forest on guided nature walks or embark on longer treks that lead to scenic viewpoints, waterfalls, and other natural attractions.
Guided nature walks: Guided nature walks through the Nyungwe forest are also part of the experience during a tour around the national park.
Tea plantation tours: Tours around Nyungwe national park can also involve visiting the neighboring tea plantations to learn more about how the farming practices in Rwanda and about the tea planting, cultivation, processing and packaging.

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