7 Days in Rwanda: A Country of A Thousand hills
Tour overview
The 7 days Rwanda primates adventure starts and ends in Kigali. This amazing adventure will take you to two of Rwanda’s primate destinations that is Volcanoes national park and Nyungwe forest national park. The trip will take you to Nyungwe forest national park for chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk. The trip will continue to Volcanoes national park and while there, you will have fun meeting the mountain gorillas that share 99% DNA with the humans. During the gorilla trek, you will have a great time meeting the gentle giants. While on this tour, you will meet the Ibwiwachu community that will entertain you with dances and poetry.
Detailed itinerary: 7 Days in Rwanda
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to the hotel
Upon arrival at the airport, a professional Tour guide from Rwanda Gorilla trek will meet you upon your arrival at the airport and take you to the hotel for relaxation.
Accommodation: Governor’s residence (Midrange)/ Gloria hotel (Budget)
Meal plan: Bed & breakfast
Day 2: Kigali city tour and transfer to Nyungwe forest
Kigali city tour and transfer to Nyungwe forest After breakfast, you will visit the fire house which is the area where the plane that was carrying president Habyarima was brought down, that late sparked the famous 1994 Rwanda genocide. You will then visit the Belgium museum and learn more about Rwanda’s culture. After the city tour, we will drive south in our comfortable 4×4 safari Jeep through rolling Rwandan hills for a visit to the Royal Palace at Nyanza. Our drive continues to the university town of Butare, where we can visit the National Museum, known as one of the best museums in East and Central Africa. We will take lunch in Butare and then proceed to Nyungwe Forest. Dinner and overnight at a lodge near the park. Accommodation: Nyungwe top view hotel (Midrange)/ Chimpanzee lodge Nyungwe (Budget) Meal plan: Full board Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk The morning will start after breakfast with chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest. You may spot other primates such as the Lhotse’s monkey and the grey-cheeked Mangabey. The birds in this tropical forest are also spectacular! It is quite the experience to enjoy the chimpanzees in their natural environment. You will have an opportunity to relax over lunch, and then start a canopy walk in the afternoon. The canopy walk is a guided tour starting from the Uwinka Visitors center in Nyungwe Forest with a 30 minutes’ walk via the Igishigishi Trail. The trail begins with a steep
slope, but the views atop the canopy make it worth it! On a clear day, you can see Lake Kivu.
Accommodation: Nyungwe top view hotel (Midrange)/ Chimpanzee lodge Nyungwe (Budget) Meal plan: Full board
Day 4: Drive to Ruhengeri
Drive to RuhengeriAfter breakfast, we will drive north and drive northwards through the Rwandan farm heartland to the city of Ruhengeri. Ruhengeri is the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, home to nearly 500 Mountain Gorillas. Dinner and overnight stay near the park.
Accommodation: Five volcanoes (Midrange)/ Da vinci lodge (Budget) Meal plan: Full board
Day 5: Dian Fossey – Ibwiwachu cultural village
Dian Fossey – Ibwiwachu cultural village The day starts early with a 7:00 briefing at the National Pak headquarters for the Dian Fossey trail. This is a 7km round trip hike to the Karisoke Research Centre, where Dian, an American anthropologist, spent years researching and conserving the gorillas. Sadly, Dian was murdered for her pioneering work in protecting the Gorillas, and today her legacy lives on in the preservation of these majestic animals. Her story is told in the 1988 movie Gorillas in the Mist, featuring Sigourney. After a relaxing lunch, we shall visit the Ibwiwachu cultural village, they perform cultural activities like singing, dance etc. Dinner and overnight stay near Volcanoes National Park.
Accommodation: Five volcanoes (Midrange)/ Da vinci lodge (Budget) Meal plan: Full board
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking & Twin Lakes
Gorilla Trekking & Twin Lakes visit In the morning, you will an early enjoy breakfast at the lodge, and pack for a day in the park: water, jacket, camera, and a packed lunch. We start at the park headquarters at 7:00 am to check-in and learn about the park and different gorilla families. After a briefing together with your trekking guide, it is a brief drive to the forest trail to begin the trek. It may be 2–8-hour trek roundtrip, depending on the location of the Gorilla families. While hiking to the gorillas you will enjoy beautiful sights and sounds of the rain forest. After enjoying a majestic one-hour stay with the gorillas, you hike back out of the park and the driver will meet you. After lunch, you will have the option to visit the Twin Lakes Ruhondo and Burera. This is another opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery and animals of Rwanda.
Accommodation: Five volcanoes (Midrange)/ Da vinci lodge (Budget) Meal plan: Full board
Day 7: Golden Monkey trekking
Golden Monkey trekking and transfer back to Kigali Today will be another early morning with breakfast at the lodge at a briefing at park headquarters at 7:00 am. Your park guide will share with you interesting facts about the monkeys and their habitat. Golden Monkey trekking may take 1-4 hours depending on the troop’s location in the forest. After, Lunch, the guide will drive you back to Kigali for your flight back home.
Includes
• Accommodation as specified above • Meals as specified above • Transportation • Knowledgeable English-speaking Guide • Gorilla permits • Twin Lake Visit • Chimpanzee Tracking Permit • Golden monkey permit • City tour • Drinking water • All transfers • All activities mentioned above
Excludes • International flights • Rwanda Visa • All meals and drinks not specified • Tips and gratuities • Items of a personal nature