Rwanda Chimpanzee and Gorilla Safari

Welcome to Rwanda! On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation.

Depart Kigali with your driver-guide head to the Nyanza King’s Palace and the National Museum of Butare. This is where the Kingdom of Rwanda was ruled before the country’s colonization at the end of the 19th century. Continue on to Nyungwe House. The total drive time is about 7 hours today.

Nyungwe National Park is a vast montane forest and one of the oldest, dating to before the last Ice Age. Although the plant life here is amazingly diverse, Nyungwe is most well-known for its primates, including the chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s monkey, and huge troops of the Angola colobus. Nyungwe is home to nearly 300 bird species, the highlight of which is the stunning blue turaco. Spend two full days exploring Nyungwe, including walking on the Canopy Bridge, part of the Igishigishigi Trail.

Strike out this morning for Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s deepest Great Lakes. The drive time is about 4 hours through scenic forests and villages. The lake is perfectly situated against a backdrop of mountains and is the perfect halfway point to the gorilla trekking region of Volcanoes National Park. The afternoon is yours to explore the town or venture into the lake for a swim or kayak.

After watching dawn break over Lake Kivu, head off for the land of mountain gorillas: Volcanoes National Park! En route, visit the Iby’Iwachu Cultural Village, which offers guests a glimpse into the traditional culture, activities, and artifacts of the Rwandan way of life. Spend the next few nights Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, just 15 minutes away from the entrance to the National Park.

The Volcanoes Park of Rwanda is home to a small population of mountain gorillas. Some of the local gorilla families have been habituated to human presence over the past 20 years and it is possible to spend a short amount of time with them in their natural habitat.

This morning you’ll meet with your local guides, who will educate you about the family you’ll be visiting and the proper way to respectfully interact. It is critical that under no circumstances are the gorillas to be touched by humans or visited by anyone with a cold or illness. This is to protect these endangered animals from diseases. Your trek may take up to eight hours, but your guide will lead the way to where the trackers have located the animals. Often, your trek will take you over 7,500 feet of altitude without a trail, which means rough and slippery terrain. The hike will be physically demanding, but getting to see these magnificent creatures is very much worth every step. Be prepared for rain at all times, have your camera at the ready and try to savor the time you get to spend with these amazing animals.

Explore Volcanoes National Park this morning to find the rare golden monkeys. These beautiful primates are exceedingly rare and this is one of the only places in Africa where you can see them in the wild. After golden monkey trekking, you’ll head back to Kigali – about a two-hour drive.

Today begins with a tour of the vibrant city of Kigali. You will then visit the Genocide Memorial and Museum, where you’ll have private lecturer explain how the country has been able to rise from its dark history when, in 1994, 800,000 people were killed in just a few weeks. Transfer to the airport in time for your international departure.