5 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Chimps Safari: offers you a chance to trek mountain gorillas living in Volcanoes National Park as well as track Chimpanzees living in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Volcanoes National Park is a national park found in northwestern Rwanda. It covers 160 km² of rain forest and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. The park later became the base for the American naturalist Dian Fossey to carry out her research into the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Visoke. From then on she spent most of her time in the park and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. Nyungwe Forest National Park is found in the South Western part of Rwanda. It is bordered by the Rwanda-Burundi border in the South, Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of Congo lie on the west side of the park. It covers an area about 1020 sq.km and has an elevation of 1600-2950m above sea level.
Activities
- Visit the Butare museum
- Visit the Murambi genocide memorial site
- Visit Nyanza king’s palace
- Chimpanzee Tracking
- Gorilla trekking
Tour Highlights
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking Adventure
Day 5: Return to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe
Today morning right after your breakfast, our tour guide representative from Ssemambo Tours & Travel will meet you at your hotel, brief you about this safari and then drive southwestwards to Nyungwe National Park. You will make a number of stopovers along the way at Nyanza king’s palace, Butare museum as well as the Murambi genocide memorial site. On arrival you will check into your accommodation where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation Options:
- Nyungwe House
- Nyungwe Top View Lodge
- Gisakura Guest House
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking
In the morning you will have a very early breakfast and then head to the park headquarters where the park warden will brief you about the dos and don’ts of chimpanzee trekking. Led by armed park ranger guides you will set out into the forest and start on the search for these playful chimps. While in the forest you will encounter a number of other primate species like the vervet monkeys, black & white colobus monkeys as well as the baboons. Later in the evening you will return to your accommodation to freshen up, have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation Options:
- Nyungwe House
- Nyungwe Top View Lodge
- Gisakura Guest House
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Today you will drive across the beautiful terrain and transfer the renowned Volcanoes National Park, a home of the endangered mountain gorillas; right after your breakfast. On arrival the guide will take you to your accommodation where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation options:
- Mountain Gorillas view Hotel
- 5 Volcanoes Lodge
- Da Vinci Lodge
- Gorilla Solution Lodge
- Le bamboo Lodge
- Muhabura Hotel
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking Adventure
Very early today morning you will have a quick cup of breakfast and then head to the park headquarter where you will be briefed by the park warden before you start on this adventurous trekking in the forest as you look for mountain gorillas. This activity takes between 2 to 7 hours depending on where the gorilla are. When you find the gorillas you will be allowed one hour in their midst during which you will record videos and even take photographs, however, please remember to keep your camera’s flash light off while at it. Later you will return for dinner and spend the night back at your accommodation.
Accommodation options:
- Mountain Gorillas view Hotel
- 5 Volcanoes Lodge
- Da Vinci Lodge
- Gorilla Solution Lodge
- Le bamboo Lodge
- Muhabura Hotel
Day 5: Return to Kigali
This being the final day of our safari, you will have breakfast at the lodge, checkout and transfer back to Kigali. Basing on the time of your departure flight you will have a city tour within the capital Kigali before being transferred to the airport.
END OF SAFARI TOUR
Included
- All Park entry fees
- chimpanzee tracking fees
- Gorilla trekking fees
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation including fuel
- All activities (included in the itinerary)
- All accommodation (included in the itinerary)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Round trip/Airport transfer
- Bottled drinking water
Excluded
- International flights
- Personal items
- Meals
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
PERMITS
Chimpanzee permit costs 90 dollars for the non-resident, 60 dollars for the resident, 500 Rwanda Francs for Foreign citizens and 10 dollars for the East African Citizen and any person visiting Nyungwe National Park is as well required to pay park entrance fee of 40 dollars per person per day both the residents and non-residents whereas a Gorilla permit in Rwanda goes for $1500 per person.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The above parks can be visited throughout the year and all the activities can be enjoyed any time of the year.
In Nyungwe National Park
Monkey trekking
Nyungwe is the best place where you can spot over 300 monkey species that are residents in the Park. Primates that thrive in the area include; Ruwenzori colobus, L’Hoest’s monkey, black and white colobus monkeys, Silver monkey, Golden monkey, blue monkeys, Hamlyn’s monkey, Red-tailed monkey, Dent’s Mona monkey, Vervet monkey, Grey-cheeked mangapeys among others. Enjoy your monkey adventure as you watch monkeys jumping from one branch of tree to another as they entertain you with their lively nature.
Forest canopy walk
Canopy walk also known as tree top walks provides pedestrian access to the forest canopy. The walkway is a bridge-like in nature between trees in the canopy of Nyungwe forest National Park mostly linked up with platforms inside and around trees. The canopy walk is 200metres above the forest with a height of 40metres and it’s only in Nyungwe forest National Park where this activity is done in the whole of East Africa. During the activity tourists can get an opportunity to originally access the upper regions of forest while viewing and encountering other primates like monkeys moving from branch of tree to the other, and bird species among others. The canopy walk has trail but each derives its name according to the tree species in the area. The walk lasts for majorly two hours but there is age restriction, tourists below six years are not allowed to be part of the activity for safety purposes.
Hiking
Hiking is a vigorous walk in the footpath of Nyungwe Forest National Park. The park has over 13 trails which will help you explore the forest, waterfalls, rivers and springs in Nyungwe Forest National Park. The hike lasts for about 1-8 hours but it requires a traveler to be physically fit. The hiking trails include; Bigugu-enables you to view the hills of DRC and Lake Kivu, Isumo, Karamba-best for birding, Ngabwe, Kamiranzovu, Igishigishigi, among others but Bigugu and Igishigishigi are most popular trails used by tourists. During the hike tourists are able to spot different bird species, butterflies, primates, tree species, and other wildlife.
In Volcanoes National Park
Village Experience/cultural encounter
During the village encounter, visitors are entertained with the traditional dances from Ibyiwacu cultural village organized by Rwanda Development Board Office. You can as well be part of other activities like being crowned a king (male) or a queen (female) of the day following African tradition and lifestyle. Travelers can as well buy crafts from African craft makers.
Caving
Hiking to Musanze cave is an interesting and adventurous activity. The cave is situated in Musanze district inside the park in the northern part of Rwanda. In 2013, the Rwanda Development Board opened up the cave to the public. The cave is 2km long with stairs that help you trek inside the cave and it’s big enough to accommodate a number of people. Walk through the cave and appreciate the geographical nature of Volcanoes National Park.
