Overview
This 7-day itinerary is built around Rwanda's two headline primate experiences: mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, and chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest — a genuinely complete primate-focused trip in one of the most accessible countries in the region to do it.
Gorilla trekking involves a hike through dense forest to reach a habituated gorilla family, followed by a closely regulated hour observing them at close range. Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe offers a different, equally rewarding encounter, through some of East Africa's oldest remaining montane rainforest.
Because gorilla permits are limited and should be booked well ahead of travel, this itinerary is best planned with as much lead time as possible.
See our gorilla tracking guide for permit costs and logistics, or contact us to check availability for your dates.
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (6 days)
This is the first day of this trip and since you are jetting in around 7:30 pm, you will be met and we welcomed by our driver-guide. Then you will be driven to Hotel Okapi for dinner and overnight. Meals on H/B
On this day you will wake up in the morning and have a relaxed breakfast. Then you will head for a city tour to various places of interest in the city like the Genocide memorial, parliament, Science university, and then to the local markets. You will break off for lunch and some refreshments. Then you will head for a 2 hours drive to the volcanoes national park where you will reach in the evening and check-in for dinner and overnight mountain gorilla view lodge. Meals on F/B
On this day you will wake up very early in the morning and have your breakfast. Then you will head to the park headquarters for a briefing about the dos and don'ts when in the company of these primates and allocation of gorilla family to trek. Then you will head to the forest for the actual gorilla trekking experience. This trek takes between 2-6 hours looking for these primates depending on their movement. After coming across them, you will be accorded one hour to interact and take pictures of them. Then you will head back to your hotel after being filled with this experience for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
On this, you will wake up very early in the morning and have your breakfast. You will jump onto your safari jeep and drive for 7-9 hours in the southern part of the country with an en-route luncheon. You will reach late in the evening and check-in for dinner and overnight at Nyungwe hilltop view hotel. Meals on F/B
You will wake up early enough and have your breakfast. Then you will drive for 1hour to Kyamudongo forest which is the actual chimpanzee tracking spot. You will get into the forest and start the actual chimpanzee tracking experience. You will then return to your hotel for lunch and some refreshments. In the afternoon you will go for a nature walk that will take you till late evening where you will go back to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
This is the last day of this trip and you will have an early breakfast and then start on your drive back to Kigali with an en-route luncheon where you will reach late in the evening and since your flight is on this date you will be dropped at the airport and this will mark the end of this trip.
Rates Per Person
See "Accommodation & Meals" on the Overview tab for the general comfort levels available — send us your dates and group size for an exact quote.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Kilimanjaro International Airport and ends in Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport and Mwanza Airport are the most common arrival points, depending on your route.
Transfer Information
Airport pickup and all transfers between destinations are included and arranged by our team.
Accommodation Before/After
Need a night in Mwanza or Arusha before or after this trip? We can arrange that on request.