7 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour and Wildlife Safari
7 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour and Wildlife Safari
This tour is a perfect package to explore Rwanda’s treasures, covering three national parks: Nyungwe Forest, Volcanoes, and Akagera National Park, providing a memorable wildlife experience with Gorilla Trek Africa. Highlights include chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking, canopy walks, wildlife viewing, a tour of Kigali city, and a visit to the Genocide Memorial.
Start your safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park, an untouched natural rainforest home to 13 primate species, constituting 25% of Africa’s total, including over 500 chimpanzees. Continue to the famous Volcanoes National Park for an exhilarating mountain gorilla trek. Move on to Akagera National Park, one of the most scenic savannah reserves in East Africa and home to the Big Five.
Conclude your 7-day Rwanda primate safari with a tour in Kigali and a visit to the Genocide Memorial, the final resting place for over 25,000 victims of the genocide against the Tutsi.
Tour highlights
- Day 1: Meet at the Airport and transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
- Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk
- Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park (PNV)
- Day 4: Gorilla Tracking in Volcanoes National Park (PNV)
- Day 5: Transfer to Akagera National Park
- Day 6: Game drive in Akagera
- Day 7: Drive to Kigali, visit the genocide memorial, and depart
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
In the morning, after breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kigali, and you’ll embark on a scenic drive to Nyungwe National Park. On the way, there will be a stopover at King’s Palace Nyanza, a traditional seat for the Rwandan king. Here, you’ll delve into the history of ancient Rwandan royals, their styles, and the authority of pre-colonial Rwanda kings. Get to meet the royal cows and their herders who sing for them. Additionally, you’ll witness the walls of the simple modern home of the country’s last king.
Continue the journey with another stop in Butare town to visit the Ethnographic Museum. Explore its seven galleries showcasing textiles, architecture, hunting weapons, and designs created by the people. After lunch, proceed to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the late afternoon. Nyungwe National Park is home to 13 primate species, including over 500 wild chimpanzees. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at Gisakura Guest House (budget), Emeraude Kivu Resort (deluxe/mid-luxury), or One and Only Nyungwe House (high-end).
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon Forest Canopy walk
After breakfast, you will head to the park head office for a briefing before venturing into the forest for an exciting chimpanzee tracking adventure. The trek typically takes 2-3 hours, guided by a ranger through the lush tropical surroundings. Once you catch up with the chimpanzees, you will have the opportunity to observe them and also search for other primates such as l’hoest, blue, mona, red-tailed, and owl-faced monkeys, as well as black and white colobus, olive baboons, bush babies, along with diverse bird species and unique plants.
Throughout the trek, your guide will provide insights into the behavior of these apes and share information about ongoing conservation efforts. Upon reaching the chimpanzees, you will be allowed to stay and interact with them for a maximum of 1 hour, capturing photos to your heart’s content. Later, you will return to your lodge for a well-deserved lunch.
Canopy walk
In the afternoon, you will transfer to the Uwinka Visitor Center for a forest canopy walk adventure in Nyungwe Forest. The canopy walkway provides breathtaking views across the forest, offering an eye-level perspective of monkeys and birds that may not be easily spotted from the ground. After the adventure, return to your lodge for a delightful dinner and a peaceful overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After enjoying a morning breakfast, you will proceed to transfer to Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi via Gisenyi in Ruhengeri. Along the way, you will pass through tea plantations, offering spectacular views of the neighboring communities and beautiful sceneries. The journey will take approximately 3-4 hours, and you are expected to reach your destination in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay will be arranged at your chosen lodging.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking and cultural visit
In the early morning, after breakfast, you will embark on a briefing at the park headquarters. At 8 am, a ranger will guide you into the jungle through the volcano forest searching for the mountain gorillas. Gorilla tracking may take 1 to 7 hours, as some gorilla families are elusive, and the tracking process can extend to a full day, especially in wet and muddy conditions. The activity is relatively tiresome and challenging.
In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit the Iby’iwachu cultural village. Here, you can engage with local people and discover their home and heritage treasures, including lifestyles, activities, artifacts, and ways of living. The Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village is dedicated to showcasing traditional ways of living, cultural practices, and dances to tourists.
Day 5: Transfer to Akageera national park
Depart for Akagera National Park with en-route lunch in Kigali. Drive east to Akagera National Park, passing through amazing countryside landscapes, including the areas of Rwamagana, where you may encounter the long-horned cattle known as Inyambo. The journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. Upon arrival, check into your accommodation for relaxation. Enjoy dinner and spend the night at Akagera Safari Lodge.
If interested, you can opt for a sunset boat cruise or a night game drive. Akagera National Park is the only savannah reserve in Rwanda, where you can observe large mammals such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, rhinos, and lions.
Day 6: Akagera National Park Game drive
Wake up early at 6:30 am for a cup of coffee and start a morning game drive in Akagera Savannah that lasts 3-4 hours. This time is excellent for spotting predators, and the unforgettable sight of the sun rising over the plains awaits you. Look out for elephants, zebras, black rhinos, giraffes, lions, leopards, warthogs, waterbucks, roan antelopes, elands, impalas, and Topis.
Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride along Lake Ihema, where you can see huge crocodiles and hippos. Spot buffaloes and elephants gather at the lakeshores to drink water. Keep an eye out for various birds; there are almost 500 bird species around the lake and the surrounding wetlands.
Finish your day with dinner and an overnight stay at Akagera Safari Lodge.
Day 7: Drive back to Kigali and visit the Kigali genocide memorial
After breakfast, begin your drive back to Kigali. Upon arrival, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, an incredible site built on the burial grounds of over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi tribe.
Learn about the events that led to the tragic 100 days. During this, nearly a million Rwandese were brutally attacked by their neighbors. The center is profoundly moving, challenging, educational, and ultimately inspiring. It’s a great place to understand the causes, tragedies, and the remarkable progress and reconciliation the nation has achieved.
If time allows, you can also take a city drive and explore local markets, art galleries, craft centers, and other fascinating places. From there, head to the airport for your flight.
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Golden Monkey trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise fee
- All the mentioned activities
- Services of a professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, and tips among others.
Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a Local tour operator based in Uganda with its head offices in Entebbe. Moreover, Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a business for Ugandan natives. We specialize in life-changing experiences, sustainable tours, and holidays for all East African countries. Also, we are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators and with registration from the Uganda Tourism Board. We have a good and long working relationship with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. We are making booking your gorilla permits and gorilla trekking safari easy. Safari Vacations and Travel Services is also high in Trip Advisor reviews.
