5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps

This tour 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps starts and ends in Kigali.

This 5-Day gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda will take you to Volcanoes and Nyungwe Forest National Parks that feature two of the main primate destinations in Africa.

The Volcanoes National Park, in the northwest part of Africa protects the Rwandan side of the Virunga Massif where the mountain gorillas thrive. The safari also includes a heritage tour to the Royal Palace at Nyanza and Ethnographic Museum at Butare.

Our guide/ driver will pick you up from your apartment at 8:30 am in Kigali and your day starts with a visit to the genocide memorial site on the 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps.

Afterward depart for a 2-hour drive to Musanze, the second largest town in Rwanda, with its stunning backdrop of five volcanic mountains – The Virungas.

On reaching Musanze, you will visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.

These Magnificent twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo and its Swamp Rugezi are the excellent photogenic, serene and scenic places for Bird watching activity. Moreover, Rugezi swamp is one of the most seven important birding areas IBAs) in Rwanda.

In the evening, you will visit the Dian Fossey museum and the Musanze local market.

Main destination: Volcanoes National Park

Lodge: Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge

Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast you will take off for the gorilla trekking safari on your second day of 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps.

You will drive to the headquarters for a briefing by park officials and then enter the jungle to search for the endangered mountain gorilla. Along the trek you will enjoy the sights of the Volcanic Mountains that stretch from Congo through Rwanda to Uganda.

The verdant green vegetation that shelter the slopes, the variety of birds and other wildlife combine to generate lasting safari memories. The gorilla trek tends to last from 2 to 8 hours, depending on the movement of the gorillas.

After an amazing hour among the apes you will head back to the lodge where you will have lunch, check-out and begin your journey to Gisenyi; arriving in the late afternoon.

You will check in to the Paradise Malahide Hotel, have dinner and enjoy your overnight stay.

Accommodation: Paradise Malahide Hotel

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast you will check-out and travel to the Nyungwe Forest National Park on your third day of 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps.

Driving along the Congo Nile divide you can view the magical sceneries of the water catchment area for these two prominent rivers arising from the heart of Africa.

The views of Lake Kivu and the resort towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu before arriving in Nyungwe make the drive very rewarding. You will arrive at the Emeraude Kivu Resort in the evening for relaxation, dinner and your overnight stay.

Accommodation: Emeraude Kivu Resort

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast you will travel to the park headquarters for a briefing and then head to the forest in search of the chimpanzee. The chimp trek tends to last 2 - 5 hours with a one hour direct encounter with the chimps on your fourth day of 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps.

After the trek you will head back to the lodge for some time to relax and to have lunch. After lunch you will go to the Uwinka Visitor Center to embark on an afternoon Nyungwe canopy walk.

The two hour walk on top of the forest canopy offers you impressive views of the forest and the wide variety of species that thrive there, including primates and birds. Later in the evening you will return to the lodge for dinner and your overnight stay.

Accommodation: Emeraude Kivu Resort

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast you will check out of the hotel and begin your journey back to Kigali. You will make a stop in Butare to visit the Ethnographic Museum; the largest Museum in Rwanda with over 100,000 artifacts that bring out the history and traditions of Rwanda in detail.

After this visit you will take part in a tour of the Nyanza Palace, the Royal home to the two Kings of Rwanda namely King Musinga and his successor King Rudahigwa. You may also the traditional Inyambo cows with their beautiful horns that can make a considerable parade.

After an interesting tour in Butare you will continue on to Kigali City arriving in the late afternoon where you will be dropped off at the airport for your night flight. This is where your safari will end of your 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps.

Travel time: 4 hours

Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch