Main Info
This Rwanda safari will take you to Nyungwe Forest National Park for chimps trekking experience as well as Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking. You will also do golden monkey tracking in the Volcanoes National Park. Start with a drive direct to Nyungwe Forest National Park (5 – 6hrs), en-route visit to Nyanza King’s palace, en-route lunch in Butare town; visit Rwanda National Museum in Huye as well as Murambi genocide memorial museum. Dinner and overnight stay at One & Only Nyungwe House for the luxury travelers and then for the mid-range travelers take an overnight stay at Nyungwe Hill Top Hotel and Marina Bay Lake Kivu Hotel among others.
You will enter Nyungwe forest to search for wild chimpanzees (Habituated). On this Rwanda tour, expect an encounter with other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, golden monkeys, and many forest bird species. Retire for lunch and either go for colobus monkey tracking or take the adventurous canopy walk.
This long stretch of montane rain-forest is the largest in Africa at the moment and a great conservation sight attracting researchers and scientists who are interested in primate research. The forest is part of the wider Nyungwe National Park which now includes the Cyamudongo forest. Nyungwe forest is a key water catchment area in the country producing rains that feed rivers like the Nile in Uganda and others in Congo.
Nyungwe Forest is a great bird sanctuary with over 310 species. Birders will be able to spot paradise flycatchers, Chapin’s flycatcher, purple-breasted sunbirds, Rockefellers’ sunbird, red-collared mountain babblers and Ruwenzori turacos among many others.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest can take between 2 to 6 hours or longer. After following/chasing the chimps for a while, they may settle down and allow you to observe them more closely or take photos. While with the chimps you will notice that they behave just like we humans. You will watch them groom each other, mate, breastfeed, play and start fights. Some members of the group are quiet while others are more vocal. Like humans, they have their group dynamics and internal politics.
On a fresh new day, transfer to the home to mountain gorillas in Ruhengeri. We can use our 4×4 safari vehicle or use a boat on Lake Kivu (Extra payment). If you travel by boat, our vehicle can meet you at Gisenyi, and then we continue with our journey to Volcanoes National Park. Overnight stay at Singita Kwitonda Lodge, One & Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Lodge, Lebambou Gorilla Lodge and Mountain Gorilla View Lodge.
Set out in search of magical encounters with the ten families of mountain gorilla that makes the Virunga Mountains their home. Explore this scenic landscape, where Dian Fossey carried out her ground-breaking gorilla research, traversing slopes covered with rainforest and bamboo.
Home to no less than five volcanoes, you will delve deep into the park’s dense, misty forests, accompanied by an expert ranger. It typically takes between two and five hours to locate your allocated gorilla family and you will then have the opportunity to spend some time quietly observing these charismatic creatures.
An early breakfast followed by transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the gorilla tracking. The trek takes 2-7 hours depending on the movement of gorillas. Sight and stay with these gentle giants are 1hour for observation and photographing. Relax at your lodge/hotel in the evening. Or we can take a community walk or cultural entertainment in nearby communities.
After the amazing gorilla trek, go for the Golden Monkeys; stunning primates with their bright orange fur contrasting the green rain forests of the Virunga Mountains and Gishwati Forest providing a stunning experience to wildlife lovers. Spot these unique Golden Monkeys with your guides that are a treat for the eyes.