6-Day Rwanda Safari with Gorilla, Golden Monkey and Chimp Trekking

Pick up: Our professional driver-guide will pick you up after breakfast, and you will depart early from Kigali at around 6:00 AM.

Transfer: Enjoy a scenic 2.5- to 3-hour drive east to the Southern Gate of Akagera National Park.

Game drive: After the park formalities, you will begin a half-day game drive through savannah and woodland landscapes, keeping an eye out for elephants, giraffes, zebras, and various antelopes.

Lunch: Arrive at the camp for an en-route lunch. Enjoy some relaxation time and the breathtaking views of the savannah near the poolside.

Boat cruise: After lunch, depart for an afternoon boat cruise at 3:00 PM on Lake Ihema, which is very rewarding for seeing numerous hippos, huge Nile crocodiles, and many birds.

Dinner and overnight: Later, enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.

Accommodation: You will stay one night at Salt of Akagera.

Breakfast: After an early breakfast, set out with your packed lunch.

Game drives: Kick-start your day with a drive toward the northern gate for full-day game drives.

Wildlife: Expect to encounter predators feasting on their fresh prey and spot the fortunate animals that managed to survive the night.

Wildlife: This region is one of the best for spotting members of the Big Five, including hippos, elephants, and buffaloes, as well as giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, and different antelope species such as the Roan Antelope, or horse antelope, the largest of them, and the Topi, or Lyre antelope, one of the fastest.

Safari: Continue your safari as you head toward the northern exit.

Wildlife: The afternoon sun often brings animals down to the watering holes.

Tracking: Your driver-guide will use expert tracking skills to seek out rhinos and hidden prides of lions in the Kilala Plains.

Exit: Conclude your game drive and exit the park through the Northern Gate.

Transfer: Later, relax in the comfort of the Land Cruiser as your driver takes the smoothly paved main road to Musanze. Arrive in Musanze in the evening.

Overnight: Stay overnight at Isange Paradise Resort.

Transfer: Early in the morning, you will be picked up and driven for about 15 minutes to the Kinigi office for the gorilla trekking briefing, where you will meet your guides for the day.

Gorilla trekking: After completing the park formalities, you will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience of trekking mountain gorillas.

Gorilla viewing: Once you spot them, you are allowed to spend one hour watching your closest long-lost cousins.

Experience: Trekking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga is a magical experience.

Duration/effort: The trek may be strenuous, lasting up to six hours or longer at a relatively high altitude.

What to bring: It is important to bring good hiking boots, long trousers, and gloves for protection against stinging nettles.

Gorilla viewing: You will spend one hour with the gorillas, but it is an hour you will never forget.

Overnight: Stay overnight at Isange Paradise Resort.

Golden Monkey tracking: This day is set aside for Golden Monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park.

Drive: The drive takes about 20 minutes from the hotel to the headquarters for the briefing.

Drive: After the briefing, you will drive for another 25 minutes to reach the trek starting point.

Experience: Enter dense stands of bamboo interspersed with open glades as you make your way deep into golden monkey territory.

Guides: Guides lead visitors to the habitat of habituated golden monkeys - monkeys that have become accustomed to human presence.

Viewing time: Though viewing is kept to a maximum of one hour, travelers can enjoy an up-close look at the golden monkeys in their natural habitat.

Lunch: After the Golden Monkey tracking, you will have an en-route lunch in Musanze.

Transfer: Later, transfer to Nyungwe National Park via the Kivu Belt Road, which offers an unforgettable journey through some of Rwanda's most breathtaking landscapes.

Check in: Arrive just in time to check in at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel.

Breakfast: You will have an early breakfast before heading deep into the ancient, mist-shrouded rainforest for a thrilling chimpanzee trekking adventure.

Chimpanzee trekking: Guided by expert park trackers, you will navigate the lush, primordial jungle trails.

Chimpanzee viewing: Once found, you will spend a captivating hour observing these highly intelligent primates.

Lunch: Following this unforgettable wildlife encounter, you will return to Uwinka Café and Restaurant to relax and enjoy a hot, hearty lunch while soaking in the sweeping panoramic views of the forest.

Colobus monkey tracking: In the afternoon, the adventure continues as you head to the Uwinka Visitor Center for colobus monkey tracking on a guided walk through the forest trails to locate large troops of Angolan colobus monkeys.

Transfer: Later, depart Nyungwe and embark on a scenic drive winding eastward along the Southern Province highway toward the historic city of Butare (Huye).

Accommodation: Stay at Boni Consili Hotel.

Pick up: Our professional driver-guide will pick you up after breakfast, and you will depart from Huye.

Transfer: Enjoy a scenic 3-hour drive north through the Southern Province countryside toward Kigali, passing local coffee washing stations and rolling terraced hills along the highway.

Lunch: Have an en-route lunch.

Visit: Upon reaching Kigali, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which commemorates the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Note: The remains of over 250,000 people are interred there.

Note: There is a visitor center for students and others wishing to understand the events leading up to the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.

Transfer: After the visit to the memorial, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kigali or dropped off at Kigali International Airport.