7-Day Rwanda Gorillas, Wildlife & Chimp Trekking Safari

We will pick you up in Kigali and drive you to Volcanoes National Park. Depending on the departure time from Kigali, you may be able to enjoy a complimentary Kigali city tour before traveling to northern Rwanda, visiting the Kimihurura market and the Kigali Genocide Museum. After a 2-hour drive from Kigali to Ruhengeri/Musanze, we will visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Experience (also known as Gorilla Guardians Village) in Kinigi. 

Day 2 is the day for trekking into the wilderness to spot the rare local animals. You will head to the Volcanoes National Park gate immediately after breakfast to get a briefing about the gorilla trek. The national park guide will conduct the presentation that covers the basics of what to expect during the gorilla trek and instruct you on how to behave in order to ensure the safety of guests and the animals. You will then embark on your tracking adventure, making your way through the rainforest until you find a family of mountain gorillas. The gorilla trek can take from 3 to 6 hours on average, depending on how far the gorillas are inside the forest. It could last longer, so be prepared just in case! In the afternoon, you may visit the Ellen DeGeneres Centre to learn about the conservation efforts of Dian Fossey.

We will start the day with a golden monkey trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park. This primate is native to the high-altitude forests of the park. Once we have seen their playful interactions, we will head out of the park and transfer to Lake Kivu (Kibuye area). The transfer to Lake Kivu will take about 3hrs.

Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. The drive from Lake Kivu (Kibuye area) to Nyungwe Forest National Park is estimated to take about 3-4hrs. Join the Nyungwe Canopy walk in the afternoon in the Nyungwe forest. Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Forest.

After breakfast, we will drive to Nyungwe Forest to experience tracking the chimpanzees in their forest home. Nyungwe Forest is a haven for chimp trekking in Rwanda and visitors have more than a 50% chance of encountering the animals. If you are lucky, on the Nyungwe trek you might encounter different species of primates that call the area home. These include the Rwenzori colobus, blue monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, and red-tailed monkey. After the chimp trek, drive back to Kigali for dinner and overnight.

Transfer to Akagera National Park for Game drives and boat trips on Lake Ihema. Visit Rwanda’s only savannah safari park! This spectacular Akagera National Park is the best wildlife safari destination in Rwanda, proving why wildlife safaris in Rwanda are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Learn about and see various wildlife, including giraffes, buffalos, hippos, and many more. The plan for the day is to do an afternoon or evening boat trip. And if time permits, join a night game drive. Dinner and overnight at Akagera National Park.

Spend the day exploring Rwanda’s only savannah safari park! This spectacular Akagera National Park is the best wildlife safari destination in Rwanda, proving why wildlife safaris in Rwanda are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Learn about and see various wildlife, including giraffes, buffalos, hippos, and many more. This trip is the perfect addition to a gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda. While the game drive will take the full day exploring the southern and northern sections of the park, we will make sure to exit the park before the standard closing time of 6pm and also make sure to arrive in Kigali before it gets dark. We will then drop you off at Kigali International Airport or the hotel.