A memorable experience that will give you an opportunity to see Rwanda’s most popular attractions while tracking the golden monkeys & Chimpanzees.
TOUR DESCRIPTION
This tour takes you to visit the National Museum of Butare and the genocide memorial centers in Murambi and Gisozi. Thereafter drive to Nyungwe forest to see primates that live in the forest. The Golden monkeys live in the bamboo vegetation at the base of the volcanoes. The Chimp tracking experience & golden monkey tracking are amazing experiences and will be on different days.
At the Volcanoes national park you will also enjoy an awesome gorilla tracking activity. A pair of trackers will be sent out early morning to go find out the location of your specific gorilla family who will then communicate to your guide. Rwanda has about 10 habituated gorilla families and each family is assigned a group of 8 tourists.
At Karisoke, you will hike for a full day to the Dian fossey grave site, a place where an American zoologist who gave her life to study about gorillas was buried. You will hike through the forests going up the slopes and this requires some relative degree of fitness and patience.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Kigali International Airport
- Butare national museum
- Murambi genocide memorial
- Nyungwe forest park
- Volcanoes National Park (Parc De Volcanoes)
- Karisoke Research center
- Dian Fossey tomb
- Kigali genocide memorial center
TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrive in Rwanda at Kigali airport
Your guide / tourist driver will be waiting for you at the airport to welcome you to Rwanda. Later transfer you to Kigali city and check in to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation at Mille Collines Hotel
Meal plan Dinner
Day 2: Kigali – Nyungwe Forest
Breakfast at leisure before heading to the Nyungwe Forest on an easy 260 Kms transit. Attractions along the way include the National Museum of Butare and the Genocide Memorial of Murambi. After lunch in Butare, then check into your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation at Gisakura Guest house
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Nyungwe Forest, Golden Monkeys
An early start in this equatorial forest teeming with wildlife yields colonies of the Black and White Colubus and the habituated colonies of Golden Monkeys. After the morning forest safari, we return to the lodge for lunch and have the evening at leisure before dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation at Gisakura Guest House.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking Nyungwe
A very early morning start for the Rwanda Chimps tour. Your guide will lead you into the forest for an informative primate walk in search of chimpanzees. You come across a troop of habituated Chimps and other primate species that live in the forest as well. We return for lunch then take a leisurely four hour drive through some magnificent scenery on the way to your hotel.
Accommodation at Bethaine Guest House
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5: Nyungwe forest – Parc de Volcanoes
Today you start the journey by driving up the Volcanoes headed for Kinigi on winding roads. Have lunch in Gisenyi before driving through some beautiful scenic points before heading up into the Volcanoes national park.
Accommodation at the Mountain Gorilla’s Nest Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6: Parc de Volcanoes, Gorilla trekking
Early morning, have breakfast before driving to the Park headquarters for registration. The gorilla trekking starts here after a briefing by the Ranger Guides. Later, strenuous trekking takes another couple of hours before a gorilla group is finally encountered. The Gorillas will be viewed for approximately one hour before heading back to the Hotel for lunch. In the evening, you will be free to explore the nearby villages on foot or by a safari vehicle.
Accommodation at the Mountain Gorillas Nest Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7: Dian Fossey Grave Hike
This morning, the guides will be ready to start early for the full day visit to the Karisoke Research Centre established by the famous Dr. Dian Fossey. The Movie “Gorillas in the Mist” was shot here on Location and Graves of Dian Fossey together with her once beloved Mountain Gorillas like Digit can be visited here. Hiking to grave site starts at 7:00 am, and porters are available to help you carry some of your luggage if heavy. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to get to the site and it involves moving through forests and hiking up the slopes, therefore requires some level of fitness & patience.
Accommodation at the Mountain gorilla’s Nest Lodge.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8: Parc De Volcanoes – Kigali
Your guide will pick you up from your lodge, depending on your departure time and head to Kigali city. You will have a Kigali city tour including the Genocide Memorial center. The most important Genocide Memorials are those of Kigali (Gisozi) where the history of the genocide is explained such an emotional moment for most visitors. Later transfer to the Airport for your flight.
Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch
End of tour
INCLUDED
- Transport in a 4WD vehicle with pop-up roof.
- All fuel for the tour
- English speaking Ugandan driver/guide.
- Accommodation and Meals on Full Board (Breakfast Lunch and Dinner)
- Park-entrance fees for all National parks
- All activities described in the itinerary
- 1 Gorilla permit per person.
- 1 chimp permit per person
- Drinking water.
NOT INCLUDED
- International air fares
- Entry visa Uganda
- Meals that are not part of your accommodation.
- A porter for during the gorilla tracking’s (someone who carries your daypack).
- Personal (medical/travel) insurance
- Tips and gratuities to rangers, driver/guide, porter, hotel staff, etc.
- All expenses of personal nature (e.g. drinks, laundry, optional activities, souvenirs etc.)