6 Days Rwanda Wildlife safari

1. Visiting Kigali city – Genocide memorial site, city market, presidential palace museum and souvenir shops.
2. Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe forest.
3. Gorilla Tracking at the volcanoes national park.
4. Golden Monkey Trekking.
5. Canopy Walk in Nyungwe forest.
6. Touring Lake Kivu.
7. Visiting the Iby’iwacu cultural village.

Day 1: Airport/Hotel Pick up – City Tour – Transfer to Nyungwe forest

Our company driver will pick you from the airport or your hotel and brief you on your overall tour. After the briefing, the driver will take you for the popular Kigali city tour where you will visit the presidential palace museum, one of the city markets, the genocide memorial center and one souvenir shop. You should also be able to drive around to see some of the prominent buildings and suburbs. Kigali is a small but very neat city and you will love the tour. After the city tour, you will start the long journey to Nyungwe National Park. Nyungwe forest in located in the south western part of the country and is famous for chimpanzee tracking, smaller primate viewing, nature walks, birding and taking a forest canopy walk. The journey to the park takes about 5 hours but you won’t get bored as the scenery and landmarks along the way is amazing.

Dinner and Overnight will be in Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Luxury), Gisakura Guest House (Basic) and Nyungwe Top View Hotel (Mid-range).

Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking – Canopy walk

You will wake up early, take breakfast and go for the briefing on chimpanzee tracking at the Nyungwe forest headquarters. The briefing is an overview about what to expect during chimpanzee trekking and is usually led by a senior park guide. Once you are done with the briefing, you will head to the forest along with the park Guide and Rangers. The guides and Rangers know the best places to find the chimpanzees. Nyungwe forest is also home to 12 other species of primates. Expect to encounter them while tracking the chimps. Unlike gorillas, chimps are very mobile primates. They also spend more time on top of trees because of their light weight. Once you find them expect a lot of drama and noise. Each individual chimp has a distinct personality and you will notice the mothers breastfeeding, juveniles playing, adults mating and grooming. We hope you take as many photos of the primates as possible.

After observing the chimps for one hour, you will head back to the lodge for lunch. Later in the afternoon, our driver will take you for a forest canopy walk were you will have a chance to spot different species of trees and birds. The forest canopy walk allows you to get an overall view of the forest and its creatures. The canopy walk takes about 2 hours and is the second most popular activity in Nyungwe forest after chimpanzee trekking.

Dinner and Overnight will be in Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Luxury), Gisakura Guest House (Basic) and Nyungwe Top View Hotel (Mid-range).

Day 3: Transfer to Lake Kivu – Go for an afternoon boat ride

You will wake up and take breakfast at your leisure as you get ready to set off for Lake Kivu. Lake Kivu is the largest lake in Rwanda and goes all the way up to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Once you arrive at your hotel, check in and have lunch. In the afternoon, you will go for a boat trip along the Lake which will take you hopping between the different islands. Afterwards, relax by the Lake shores or go swimming for the remaining part of the evening.

Dinner and overnight at Lake Kivu Serena hotel (Luxury), Palm Resort Gardens (Budget) and Paradise Marahide (Mid-range).

Day 4: Tour Lake Kivu and the fishing villages – Transfer to Volcanoes national park

You will wake at your own time to take breakfast and wait for the company Guide. The Guide will take you for a final tour around the lake Kivu where you will look out for the birds and primates. The final part will be visiting the fishing villages and chatting with the fishermen about their trade. Lake Kivu is a very beautiful and romantic place to be. The government of Rwanda has developed the Lake shores and islands with the intention of offering the best experiences for tourists. One of the great things about touring the lake is the opportunity to mingle with the local communities and get to know the kind of life they live. After completing all the activities in the lake, you will set off to the Volcanoes National park.

Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, The Garden Place Hotel (Budget) and Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range).

Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes national park – Tour the Iby’iwacu cultural village
Briefing for gorilla trekking starts very early and you should be at the park headquarters in Musanze by 7:00 am. The briefing for gorilla tracking is compulsory and an opportunity to register, learn about what gorilla trekking is all about and how to act once you are with the gorillas. It is also during the briefing that you will be assigned a gorilla group based on your age and overall fitness. Rwanda has10 habituated gorilla families available for tracking. If you are interested in a specific family, let your tour company know about it or inform the park officials at the time of briefing. Some gorilla families are located nearby while others live or move far into the forest. You need to be in good shape to go after those that move deeper in the forest or mountains. Once you find the gorilla family, take as many photos knowing that you will only have one hour with them. Follow instructions from your park guide and always remain calm even when a gorilla comes close to you out of curiosity.

After one hour observing the primates, you should head back to the starting point where our guide will be waiting for you. The Guide will take you back to the lodge for lunch and rest. The hotel staff should help you clean your boots and clothing. Later in the afternoon/evening, the Guide will take you to visit to the Gorilla Guardians Village. Formerly known as the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, the Centre showcases everything interesting about the culture of the Banyarwanda. You will be entertained by cultural performers and requested to participate.

Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, The Garden Place Hotel (Budget) and Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range).

Day 6: Golden Monkey trekking – Transfer back to Kigali

Wake up early and wait for the driver to take you to the park for another briefing about golden monkey trekking. You will meet over one hundred tourists at the park offices. Some would have come for gorilla trekking, visiting the tomb of Dian Fossey or hiking one of the Virunga volcanoes. Golden monkeys are an endangered subspecies of the blue monkey. They have golden coats which make them very cute. The monkeys thrive on bamboo shoots found on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes. There numbers have declined rapidly in the last two decades because of forest encroachment and other human related activities. Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda takes between 2 to 4 hours and you should be out of the forest by mid-day. You will head back to the starting point where you will find our company Guide waiting to take you back to Kigali. The journey to Kigali takes 3 hours through beautiful countryside with endless green plantations. The driver will take you to the airport for departure or to your hotel if you are still in Rwanda.

End of Tour

The 6 days Rwanda tour cost will include: –

1. A 4-wheel drive safari vehicle
2. A Private Driver/Guide
3. Fuel
4. Gorilla Permits
5. Chimpanzee Permits
6. Golden monkey permits
7. Daily drinking water and lunch
8. Full board accommodation for 5 nights
9. Pickup and drop-off at your hotel or the airport in Kigali
10. Visiting the Gorilla Guardians Village
11. Activities in Lake Kivu
12. Tour of Kigali city

The 6 days safari in Rwanda excludes flight, visas, personal expenses and insurance.

Wondering what to pack for gorilla trekking? Well you need to show up with suitable hiking boots, thick hand gloves, a light raincoat, light snack and drinking water. If you have a heavy camera or bag, porters are available for hire at the starting point of the hike. Apart from helping you carry extra luggage, porters can lend a hand and help you when the trek become more difficult. Porters hire their services for about $15. As a sign of appreciation for the tireless effort of the park rangers, guides and hotel staff, you might want to consider tipping them. Remember to be in good shape and mentally prepared to complete the activity.

Note: Please note that that this 6 days Rwanda wildlife safari doesn’t include meals and accommodation the day before and after the safari. We can help you arrange it too. There is no minimum age for golden monkey trekking but you need to be 15 years and above to observe gorillas in the wild. The minimum age for chimp tracking is 13 years. The Rwanda visa can be acquired online, on arrival at the airport or at border crossings. Do not forget to get a yellow fever shot before traveling to African countries.

Nyungwe Forest Lodge: Nyungwe Forest Lodge is one of the best two Luxury lodges close to the park. It is built in the middle of a tea plantation but with beautiful views of Nyungwe forest and the surrounding mountains. The lodge is close to the starting point of many of the park activities and particularly the forest canopy walks. Everything has been designed to ensure that the lodge blends well with the surrounding environment. Nyungwe Forest Lodge has 24 self-contained rooms which overlook the forest and tea plantations. The rooms are comfortable and stylish. Each has a different theme and furnished with beautiful African art. Other amenities in the lodge include a gym, business center, a spa, a bar, a restaurant and a central terrace. The infinity pool is of very high quality and overlooks the distant mountains and forest.

Mountain Gorilla View Lodge: This is one of the few affordable luxury lodges close to the Volcanoes National Park. The lodge sits on 4 acres of beautiful landscape at the foot of Mount Sabyinyo. The rooms are in form of stone and thatch cottages which are self-contained and very private. Each of the 30 private cottages has a verandah with beautiful views of the Virunga volcanoes. The furniture used is contemporary and works of art. After tracking the monkeys and gorillas, you can expect to find a cozy fire places in your room. Other amenities include a restaurant, a swimming pool and a small bar.

Paradise Malahide: This is arguably the best mid-range lodge close to Lake Kivu. It has 10 self-contained rooms overlooking the shores of lake Kivu and the islands. The lodge is locally owned and was opened in 2003. The lodge has that homely atmosphere about it having started as a resident to the current owners. The gardens are immaculate and everything is cared for well. The rooms consist of four apartment rooms and six individual bungalows. These rooms are linked by pathways that are beautifully lit during the night.  Each room has a mosquito net, a wardrobe, small table, bamboo chairs, beautifully colored curtains, a sink, modern toilet and warm shower. The central area of the hotel has a bar and a public lounge.