6 Days Rwanda Primate Safari
6 Days Rwanda Primate Safari
6 Days Rwanda Primate Safari: This is a 6 days Rwanda safari that will give you the chance to have face-to-face encounters with mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Volcanoes national park; as well as track habituated chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest national park.
Summary for 6 Days Rwanda Primate Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking & Iby’ iwacu Community Tour.
Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk.
Day 6 : Transfer Back to Kigali & Departure.
Detailed Itinerary for 6 Days Rwanda Primate Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Pickup from Kigali & City Tour: Welcome to Rwanda! On day 1 of your 9 days Rwanda Gorillas & Chimps, your guide will pick you up from Kigali international Airport upon your arrival. You will then embark on a short tour of Kigali city where you will visit some key tourist sites such as; Kigali Genocide Memorial, Caplaki Craft Village, the Presidential Palace, Camp Kigali, Nyamirambo Women’s Center, and Kimironko market to mention but a few. You will have lunch in Kigali and later proceed with your transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Transfer to Volcanoes: Your transfer to Volcanoes National Park will take about 2⅟₂ hours of driving. The national park is located in the northeastern part of Rwanda in Ruhengeri district. The park is the only safe haven for the endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Upon your arrival in the park, check into your lodge for dinner and accommodation.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking & Iby’ iwacu Community Tour.
Gorilla Trekking: Today marks the highlight of your 8 days Rwanda Safari! Have breakfast early in the morning from your lodge. It is also recommended that you ask the chef to prepare for you packed lunch which you will take with you to the pack. Transfer to the park headquarters in Kinigi where your gorilla trekking experience will begin. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park starts at 8am after a briefing from the head ranger at the park. You are therefore advised to arrive at the park by 7am in the morning. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes lasts between two to eight hours with an hour to spend with the gorillas once you have located a gorilla group. You will be given time to rest and have your lunch in case you packed some. Later return back to the park headquarters for your gorilla trekking certificate and reconnect with your guide.
Iby’iwacu Community Tour: After your amazing gorilla trekking experience, transfer to the Iby’iwacu community village for a community cultural tour. The Iby’iwacu village community is located just a few kilometers outside the national park. The community members are reformed poachers who have been integrated into the conservation projects in the national park. Get to mingle with the locals, watch cultural dance performances and even listen to interesting folk tales from the elders of the community.
Later drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Golden Money Trekking.
Golden Monkey Trekking: Wake up early in the morning and have breakfast at your lodge. Make sure that you pack your lunch box with you before heading out. Your guide will pick you from your lodge and drive you to the park headquarters in Kinigi, where you will start your golden monkey trekking tour. Golden monkeys are the only monkey species that live close to gorillas. They inhabit the same areas as mountain gorillas do. Upon your arrival in the park, you will be required to sign into the visitors’ registrar. This will be followed by a briefing from the head guide at the park. Actual golden monkey trekking will commence at 8am after you have been put in a trekking group not exceeding 8 members. The trek lasts from 2 hours to a full day depending on the location of the gorilla family and the trekking speed. Once you find the family, only one hour is given you in presence of the gorillas interacting and taking photographs. During trekking, keep your eyes open for possibilities of viewing several monkeys, birds and other several species in the bamboo forest.
Later drive back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Transfer to Nyungwe: Have breakfast at your lodge and check out and proceed with your transfer to Nyungwe National Park. You will have a stopover at the Royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a short tour of the palace, have lunch and continue with your drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Upon your arrival in Nyungwe National Park, Check into your lodge/hotel and have lunch. You spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at your hotel/lodge.
Visit Gisakura Tea Estate: Later in the evening, you will head out to Gisakura Tea estate. Here, you will be taken through the process of tea growing, harvesting, processing and packaging. You will even get to taste the delicious taste of the final product.
Return back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy Walk.
Chimpanzee Trekking: Have an early breakfast and then head to the Park’s headquarters in Uwinka where you will be briefed by the park’s head ranger and placed in trekking groups of 8 members per group. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park begins at exactly 8am, so endeavor to keep time and make sure you are at the Uwinka center by 7am.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to approximately 80 habituated chimpanzees. While tracking chimps in the forest, you might as well spot other primate species such as; the black and white colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey, golden monkey and other monkey species. You will have your packed lunch after your chimp trekking activity or return to your lodge for lunch.
Canopy Walk: After lunch, proceed to Uwinka visitor center at the park which will be your starting point for the canopy walk. The Nyungwe Forest Canopy Walk is the most exciting and adventurous activity in Nyungwe National Park. This activity is not for the faint of hearts as it involves walking along the canopy walkway, which stretches 160 meters long and extends 70 meters above the forest ground. The Canopy walkway in Nyungwe national park gives visitors a chance to explore the national park from above, as visitors along the canopy walkway can get a panoramic view of the forest canopy. In addition to this, visitors also have an opportunity to see wildlife in the park such as; monkeys, chimpanzees, butterflies and different bird species.
Later drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer Back to Kigali & Departure.
Transfer Back to Kigali & Departure: After having your breakfast, you will meet up with your guide and drive back to Kigali where your guide/driver will drop you off at any hotel of your choice or directly at the airport in time to check-in and board your flight back home. End of Trip.
