6 Days Rwanda Gorilla & Chimpanzee (Volcanoes & Nyungwe National Parks)
6 Days Rwanda Gorilla & Chimpanzee Safari tour provides trekking with mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and tracking chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest, frequently enhanced by a canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park and opportunities to observe golden monkeys and other primate species.
The 6 Day Rwanda Gorilla & Chimpanzee Safari itinerary generally includes arrival in Kigali, transfer to Nyungwe for chimpanzee trekking and a forest walk, followed by transit to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla and golden monkey trekking, concluding with departure from Kigali.
A luxurious 6-Day Rwanda Gorilla Safari Itinerary is the best rated Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Tour. The 6 Days Rwanda Primates Safari Tour goes to Volcanoes National Park to see gorillas and Nyungwe Forest National Park to see chimpanzees.
The 6 Day Rwanda Primate Safari program includes activities such as a Kigali city tour, chimpanzee tracking, a canopy walk, gorilla trekking, and golden monkey trekking in two national parks. The tour package is offered year-round and is available for individuals, couples, or groups. Nyungwe Forest hosts approximately 400 chimpanzees and more than 13 kinds of primates. Chimpanzees possess around 98.7% genetic similarity to humans and exhibit numerous remarkable human-like behaviors, which can be observed for a maximum duration of one hour.
These chimpanzees are habituated and easily trackable, identifiable by their resounding screams, loud hoots, and the forceful striking of tree bark and buttresses. The Nyungwe Forest National Park canopy walk is a suspended bridge measuring 160 meters in length and 70 meters above the forest floor, traversing the verdant montane rainforest. This remarkable activity provides a breathtaking perspective of the ancient forest canopy, together with bird and other wildlife.
Volcanoes National Park is the main park in the country that hosts mountain gorillas, providing a unique experience for global travelers who can spend up to one hour in the company of these gentle giants. Golden monkeys are endemic to the Virunga mountain, which includes Volcanoes National Park. You will encounter these magnificent primates within the park prior to the final stage of your excursion.
Highlights of the 6-Day Rwanda Primate Safari
Day #1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport followed by a city tour.
Day #2: Transit from Kigali to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Day #3: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Day #4: Transition from Nyungwe Forest National Park to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.
Day #6: Golden monkey trekking followed by travel to Kigali city or Kigali International Airport
A Detailed 6-Day Itinerary for a Rwanda Primate Safari
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport followed by a city tour.
Your Rwandan safari guide will greet you upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport and welcome you to six-day safari through the land of a thousand hills. The guide will display a sign bearing your names for convenient identification. Following the meeting and greeting, you will be transported to Kigali city for lunch and a city tour. Recommended sites to explore encompass the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, various markets, and more excursions of your preference. Subsequent to the city excursion, you will be transported to an accommodation establishment in Kigali. This is the location for dining, relaxation, and overnight accommodation.
Meal Plan: Dinner
Accommodation Alternatives: Luxury: Serena Hotel Kigali; Mid-range: Hotel Chez Lando
Day 2: Transit from Kigali to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Following breakfast in Kigali, a tour guide will drive you to Nyungwe Forest National Park. The most expedient way from Kigali International Airport to the park requires approximately 4 hours and 36 minutes of driving time. Upon arrival in the evening, you register at your lodge or hotel, unwind, dine, and retire for the night.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Options of Accommodation: Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge / One & Only Nyungwe Forest House; Mid-range: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park
In the early morning, you will have breakfast before being transported to the park headquarters to commence a chimpanzee trekking tour. You walk for a while until you discover the location where the chimpanzees spent the previous night. Chimpanzees exhibit rapid locomotion between trees, accompanied by sounds; their agility and playfulness influence the quantity of photographs captured and the duration of observation. Upon completing the hike, you return to the starting point where you meet the driver-guide for a journey to the hotel for lunch and relaxation.
In the evening, you engage in a canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest for around 2 hours. Subsequently, you return to the hotel for rest and dinner. You spend the night at previous night’s lodging.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Diner
Day 4: Transition from Nyungwe Forest National Park to Volcanoes National Park.
This morning, you will enjoy breakfast at your convenience before transferring to Volcanoes National Park. The travel distance between the two parks is around 5 to 6 hours, contingent upon the chosen route. Upon arrival in the afternoon, you register at a reserved hotel or lodge, where you unwind, dine, and overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Diner
Accommodation: Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.
After breakfast, your driver-guide will collect you from the lodge for transportation to the park headquarters. Upon arrival at the Kinigi park headquarters, you will first receive a training on the protocols and prohibitions of gorilla trekking in Rwanda from the park warden. At 8:30 am, the park ranger guide will escort you to the beginning location for the gorilla trek. A total of 8 tourists, each possessing a trekking permit for Rwanda priced at USD 1500, are assigned to one gorilla family. Every eight individuals require around two to six hours to trek through the bamboo forest in the rainforest, accompanied by armed ranger guides.
Nevertheless, merely 1 hour (60 minutes) is allocated to the observation of the mountain gorillas. The duration of the journey is variable, contingent upon the movements of the gorilla group; nevertheless, the population in Rwanda is recognized for traversing shorter distances, so facilitating the trekking experience. After one hour with a gorilla family, you return to the park headquarters to meet the tour guide for transportation back to a place to stay
Dinner and accommodation in the previous day’s hotel.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 6: Golden monkey hiking followed by travel to Kigali city or Kigali International Airport.
In the morning, you will embark on Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park, where they coexist with the mountain gorillas. Golden monkeys possess distinctive traits and can be readily recognized by their coloration. Arrive at the park headquarters at 7:00 am for a briefing prior to the trip.
In Rwanda, there are two troops of golden monkeys, with the largest group located on Mount Sabinyo, including approximately 80 to 100 monkeys, making it the most frequented area in the park. Following the trek, you will be transported back to your hotel for lunch before being driven to Kigali International Airport for your departing flight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
End of the 6-Day Rwanda Primate Expedition | Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Golden Monkeys
Components
English-speaking driver-guide
Entry fees and taxes, inclusive of the Gorilla permit
4×4 Safari Vehicle
Meals
Water onboard
Four nights of lodging
Exclusions
Any acquisitions of a personal nature
Any modifications to the schedule
International air travel and visa requirements