Rwanda: Gorillas, Chimpanzees, & Game Drives Safari

Arrive Kigali

Upon arrival to Kigali today you will be met by your private guide and driven from Far Horizons to your exclusive hotel in the city. The only five-star luxury boutique hotel in Kigali, The Retreat comprises 11 eco-friendly rooms which effortlessly blend locally crafted sustainable materials with modern conveniences including air conditioning and flat screen TVs.

Kigali - Akagera National Park

After breakfast this morning, you are met by your private guide for a city tour of Kigali including a visit to its moving genocide memorial. After lunch, depart with your guide to Akagera National Park. The drive should take between 2.5 - 3 hours. This low-lying park is nestled in the east of the country on the border with Tanzania. The habitat of undulating plains covered in dense woodland and grassland, leading to swamps, lakes and papyrus forests to the far east contrasts heavily with the mountainous landscapes for which Rwanda is typically known. In the afternoon, spend some time at leisure or enjoy activities on offer from your camp.

Overnight: Ruzizi Tented Lodge (B, L, D)

Akagera National Park

Spend today exploring Akagera National Park via the activities available at your camp, from day and night drives, boating, guided nature walks, birding, fishing and more.
The lakes and savannah of Akagera National Park has a rapidly increasing wildlife population. Reduced somewhat from its former size, the park still boasts 900 square kilometres of scenic savannah and lakes, and visitors can enjoy the plains game on game drives or by boat.

The park takes its name from the Kagera river that runs along its eastern boundary into a series of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Ihema. Over 30% of the park is made up of lakes and papyrus swamps that together form one of the largest protected wetlands in Africa. The plains are home to a variety of animals such as buffalo, elephants, impala, giraffe, zebra and many antelope. Around the lakes you may see hippos wallowing or crocodiles on the river banks. The area is also great for birdlife with raptors and water-birds in the wetlands, which can be viewed on specific boat trips along the rivers. Amongst the water birds you may see are crowned cranes, storks, fish eagles, herons, cormorants, and egrets.

Overnight: Ruzizi Tented Lodge (B, L, D)

Akagera National Park - Volcanoes National Park

This morning after breakfast, you will be met and transferred back to Kigali. Here you will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before a further drive onward to Volcanoes National Park (a drive of approximately 2.5 hours). On arrival, check in and enjoy some time to relax, have a hot shower or massage and reflect on the two days of gorilla tracking ahead of you.

Overnight: Gorilla's Nest (B, L, D)

Private Gorilla Trek and Gorilla Doctors

Today will be spent tracking the world-famous mountain gorillas, on an exclusive and private basis. The gorillas we are allowed to track belong to either one of ten habituated family groups. 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 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 whom 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.

In the afternoon, you will visit the gorilla doctor’s headquarters where you will learn the incredible conservation work, they do

Overnight: Gorilla's Nest (B, L, D)

Final Gorilla Trek in Volcanoes National Park

Your final day of gorilla tracking! An early start to make your way to the park headquarters where you are assigned a ranger and a gorilla group. Tracking the gorillas can take anything from 4-8 hours in lush green, steep, muddy, terrain! It is, however, the experience of a lifetime... coming across these amiable primates in their natural surroundings is quite awe-inspiring as you watch them go about their daily lives, playing, grooming and eating!

In the afternoon, if time and weather permit, visit the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo or the local markets is Musanze town.

Overnight: Gorilla's Nest (B, L, D)

Volcanoes National Park - Nyungwe Forest National Park

After breakfast (time permitting), you will be met by your guide and transferred to Volcanoes National Park for your golden Monkey Hike. Afterwards, you will be taken to Musanze airstrip where you will take your helicopter scenic ride. The flight lasts approximately 45 minutes, and it will take you through the beautiful Rwandan countryside. (The maximun weight including luggage is 350kg). Upon arrival to Nyungwe you will be transferred to your lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will head out to the forest to explore its numerous trails and to visit the famous waterfalls and swamps. 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 montane 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.

Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk

Today you will leave the lodge very early and journey around 90 minutes 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.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy a canopy walk in the National Park. 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.

Nyungwe Forest Waterfall Hike

Today you will have a relaxed start of the day. After breakfast, you will head out to the forest to explore its numerous trails and to visit the famous waterfalls and swamps. In the afternoon, you can relax at your beautiful lodge or go back into the forest for more activities.

Nyungwe Forest - Kigali

Check-out is in the morning. After breakfast you will be driven back to Kigali (approx. 6-hour drive) stopping for a visit to the National Museum in Huye and the Royal Palace at Nyanza, once the capital of Rwanda. The palace has since been converted into a fascinating Art Museum. Continue to Butare for lunch and a short visit to the National Museum. Upon arrival, you will be transferred back to Kigali’s international airport for your flight back home.