7 Days Rwanda Wildlife Gorillas and Chimpanzee Trek Safari
This 7 days Rwanda wildlife gorillas and chimpanzee trek safari takes you on a memorable experience as you explore the top three national parks in Rwanda. This 7 days Rwanda primate and wildlife safari highlights key tourist interests including gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park and game drives in Akagera National Park. Book with us this tour and get to experience Rwanda at its best!
Highlights for 7 Days Rwanda Wildlife Gorillas and Chimpanzee Trek Safari
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Volcanoes National park
Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 3: Stop over at Lake Kivu and transfer to Nyungwe national park
Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon canopy walk
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera national park
Day 6: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat cruise
Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary for 7 Days Rwanda Wildlife Gorillas and Chimpanzee Trek Safari
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Volcanoes National park
On this day, upon arrival at Kigali Airport or depending on your location in Kigali city, you will meet our company representative/ guide who will transfer you to home of the endangered mountain gorillas, Volcanoes National Park. This is a 2-3 hours’ driver from Kigali city to Musanze province. Connect to your lodge in Ruhengeri for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience
After early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing about the endangered mountain gorillas from the park warden. Along with your trekking gear, drinking water and packed lunch, the driver will drop you off at the starting point to trek the gorillas together with the ranger guides.
This activity may take between 1-8 hours searching for the gorillas depending on their movement. However, meeting them is so rewarding and you will spend maximally 1 hour with them as you take time studying them and taking pictures and videos. After spending your time with the fascinating mountain gorillas, return to the base and meet your driver to connect to your lodge for lunch and refresh.
After lunch and time is available, take a cultural walk to Iby’iwacu Cultural Village-a Non-Profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood based projects. It’s a rewarding place where you will be guided around the place as you enjoy the Kinyarwanda traditions including the Intore dance, traditional ceremonies and a guided community walk. Retreat and return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 3: Stop over at Lake Kivu and transfer to Nyungwe national park
After early morning breakfast at the lodge, visit Lake Kivu and enjoy the morning breeze at the shores, this is an hour drive to Rubavu. Spend just an hour there then return on the road to proceed on your 4-5 hours’ drive to Nyungwe national park with lunch en route. Nyungwe forest is the oldest and largest rain forest in East Africa. Arrive in the park in the late afternoon and connect to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon canopy walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos. You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.
After lunch, you will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk-a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before night fall, you will return to the lodge for dinner same as previous night.
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera national park
After early morning breakfast at your lodge, embark on your journey to the eastern province of Rwanda to visit Akagera national park bordering Tanzania, the journey is about 5-6 hours’ drive from Nyungwe national park via Kigali with stopovers at Nyanza king’s palace and Rwanda national museum. On arrival at the park, enjoy en route game drive to introduce you to the beautiful scenery as you spot animals on your way to the lodge, check in the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat cruise
After a morning breakfast, you will embark on a morning game drive around the park for a rewarding wildlife views. Expect to encounter the Big five including the Lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cape buffaloes and the recently introduced Rhinos along with other animals including; giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, hyenas and different antelope species. Expect to also see over 500 species of birds. The game drive may last for about 3-4 hours. Return to lodge for lunch and relax as you wait for the next activity.
In the afternoon, the driver will pick up for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema-the second largest lake in Rwanda after Lake Kivu. The boat trip exposes you to plenty of wildlife on the lake shores which come to cool off and drink water including hippos, buffaloes, huge crocodiles and birds such as malachite kingfisher and fish eagle. After the amazing cruise, return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above.
Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali
Have breakfast the take a brief game drive while spotting the missed animals in the previous game drive. Later connect to transfer back to Kigali, about 2-3 hours passing through the scenic landscape of Rwanda. If time is available before your return flight, visit places you missed out visiting in Kigali city, have lunch then proceed to the Kigali international airport catch your flight.
End of the 7 Days Rwanda Wildlife Gorillas and Chimpanzee Trek Safari.
