On gorillas, chimpanzees and other primates safari adventure – 7 days Track gorillas and chimpanzees in the wild on a safari in Rwanda. This is an excellent safari adventure option for any primate safari enthusiast around the world.
This exciting, weeklong adventure safari gives you the opportunity to track chimpanzees with an experienced and knowledgeable park ranger, as well as L'hoest's, Mona, blue and vervet monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Afterwards you move on to the famous Volcanoes National Park to track the most endearing of all the primates, the endangered mountain gorillas. Staying in luxurious accommodation, this safari is a true dream for any primate enthusiast, giving you the chance to see these special creatures in their natural habitat.
One More Reason To Book This Safari Experience
- Visit the chimpanzees of Nyungwe Forest National Park and get to spend some time observing these gentle animals.
- Visit one of the largest mountain forest in East and Central Africa and one the few remaining Tropical Rain Forests in Africa the Nyungwe Forest.
- Observe the beauty of The Nyungwe Forest from above on a canopy walk on a suspended bridge deep in the forest.
- To enjoy the beauty of the Nyungwe forest on forest walks that includes waterfalls, swamps, streams and hidden caves.
- For the good bird watching opportunities available in the Nyungwe forest that is listed as an 'Important Bird Area' by BirdLife International.
- Experience Rwanda's hilly countryside that has made the country to be referred to as the land of a thousand hills on a drive to the famous Volcanoes National Park / Parc National des Volcans.
- Climb up deep into the Virunga Mountains to track the endangered mountain gorillas and get rewarded by spending an hour with these magnificent creatures a truly memorable experience.
The Detailed Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Other Primates Safari Adventure – 7 Days Luxury Safari Adventure Holiday Vacation Expedition Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Kigali City
Upon your arrival into Kigali International Airport (KGL) from Nairobi, you are met and transferred to the nearby comforts of a local hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Kigali Serena
Day 2 Kigali City – Nyungwe Forest National Park
This morning, you are met and transferred back to Kigali International Airport (KGL) where you will catch your short internal flight to Kamembe From here; you are met and transferred straight to Nyungwe Forest National Park, where you will start your first activity in the forest.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is a high altitude, mountainous rainforest home to a number of primates, including a troop of habituated chimpanzees. Nyungwe is the largest mountain forest in East or Central Africa and one of the most ancient dating back to before the last ice age; covering 1,000km2 across the majestic hills of southern Rwanda. Upon arrival, you will spot wildlife from the unique canopy walkway (20min walk from the visitor centre). With 3 sections to the canopy walkway, 45mtrs, 90mtrs and 25mtrs in length at its highest point it climbs to 50mtrs above the ground. Other trails and forest walks connect with the path to the canopy walkway. Finally, you make your way to your lodge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Day 3: Nyungwe Forest National Park
This morning, you leave the lodge very early and journey approx. 1½hrs passing tea plantations and villages to Cyamudongo Forest where you will track its resident population of Chimpanzees with an experienced park ranger. There also exist L’hoest’s, mona, blue, and vervet monkeys as well as olive baboons. Cyamudongo Forest is a small remnant of forest, 6km2 in size, once connected to Nyungwe Forest. This beautiful forest has a good network of trails which pass pristine streams and hidden caves. Cyamudongo Forest is also listed as an ‘Important Bird Area’ by BirdLife International, such bird species include pennant-winged nightjar, great blue turaco, Ruwenzori and Ross' turacos, white-starred robin, forest buzzard, Ruwenzori double-collared sunbird, cinnamon-breasted bee-eater, olive thrush, black and white casqued hornbill, and striated (green-backed) heron.
This afternoon, you are scheduled to enjoy a forest/nature walk in Nyungwe enjoying its scenic waterfall and swamp. Nyungwe Forest has more than 240 different species of trees; over 140 species of orchids and a myriad of other flowing plants including giant lobelia. The park also has over 275 species of birds with 24 endemic to the Central African Highlands (Albertine Rift endemics).
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Day 4: Nyungwe Forest National Park – Kigali City – Volcanoes National Park / Parc National des Volcans
This morning, you enjoy a blue monkey trek in Nyungwe Forest. Nyungwe is most alluring for its primates: 13 species in all, including chimpanzee, blue monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey’s and one of the (if not the) largest troops of diligently acrobatic and habituated black and white Angolan (or Ruwenzori) colobus monkeys, at approx. 400 individuals.
After lunch at the lodge, you are transferred the 1hr back to the Kamembe Airstrip where you catch your internal flight back to Kigali international Airport (KGL). Upon your arrival, you are met by your private professional English speaking driver/guide and private 4x4 safari vehicle and are transferred north to Ruhengeri and the Volcanoes National Park. This 2hr drive undulates over Rwanda’s extremely hilly and picturesque countryside.
Upon nearing the end of your journey, you will (weather permitting) begin to catch glimpses of the Virungas - a chain of 5 impossibly steep and lofty volcanoes straddling the western branch of the Rift Valley from east to west. Each mountain possesses its own unique character and silhouette, but together they form one of the most isolated and visually dramatic ecosystems in the world. A 'true island in the sky', the Volcanoes National Park is home to some of the world’s few remaining Mountain Gorilla, which were first studied here in 1959 by George Schaller, and through the 1960's by Dian Fossey and her colleagues.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Virunga Mountain Lodge or Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
Days 5 - 6: Volcanoes National Park / Parc National des Volcans
The next two days activities may be amongst the most exciting and challenging you have undertaken. The Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda are part of a worldwide population of just 790 individuals. The gorillas we are allowed to track belong to either one of ten habituated family groups. For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild.
An early breakfast and you're off to the park headquarters at Kinigi to register and be allocated your gorilla family for today. Once this is done, you set out by vehicle to the start of on your gorilla safari...
The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany you on your gorilla tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas' habits and information from the previous day to locate the group's whereabouts. Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before one returns to camp. Once the gorillas are located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world's truly memorable experiences - a look into one of these magnificent creatures' eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. It also brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that your presence here contributes to ensuring their continued survival. The hour is often over all too quickly, and you slowly make your way back to your lodge to recount the day's adventures.
On the first afternoon, time and weather permitting, there may be an opportunity to visit with the local communities or take a drive out to the scenic Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo. On the second afternoon, you transfer back to Kigali.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Virunga Mountain Lodge or Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
Day 7: Kigali City – Depart
Today, you enjoy the comforts of your dayroom and the hotel facilities (N.B. the Maisha Spa for massage & treatments have NOT been included in the cost of your safari, but can be arranged & paid for locally on the day). Finally, after lunch at the hotel, you are met at the Kigali Serena Hotel, and transferred back to Kigali International Airport (KGL) in order to meet your onward international flight – (B/L)
Prices
Please treat the prices shown as a price estimate. Your final price might go up or down following seasonal prices in the different lodges, camps and resorts. All prices indicated are per person, based on 2 persons sharing a room, and on estimated high season rates.
Rate Includes:
- All transfers
- Vehicle and guide
- One gorilla tracking permit
- Full board accommodation
