8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari Chimpanzee Trekking & Cultural Tour – Overview

8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari, Chimpanzee Trekking & Cultural Tour in Rwanda. This 8 Days Rwanda Gorilla tour features Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee tracking, Rwanda Cultural tours & visits to Rwanda Genocide museums.

The 8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari Chimpanzee Trekking & Cultural Tour is an extended safari that features a range of destinations various parts of Rwanda.

The safari features wild game viewing in Akagera National Park including Lions, elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, antelopes and aquatics like Nile crocodiles and Hippos, Cultural and heritage encounters in Butare in the south of Rwanda where you visit the Nyanza palace, Ethnographic Museum and Rwesero Art Museum, chimpanzee trekking, tea estate visit and canopy walk in Nyungwe and eventually gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park not forgetting genocide memorial in Kigali.

8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari Chimpanzee Trekking & Cultural Tour – Highlights

Day 1: Arrive in Rwanda (Kigali International Airport) and transfer to the Hotel for overnight

Day 2: Visit the Gisozi genocide memorial and transfer to Akagera National Park

Day 3: Do a morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema

Day 4: Transfer to Butare. Visit the National Institute for Rwandan Museums – the Ethnographic Museum and the Nyanza Palace

Day 5: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park and visit the tea plantations

Day 6: Do Chimpanzee trekking and Nyungwe canopy walk

Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park. Whole day drive

Day 8: Do gorilla trekking and transfer back to Kigali

8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari Chimpanzee Trekking & Cultural Tour – Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Rwanda (Kigali International Airport) And Transfer to The Hotel For Overnight

Arrive in Rwanda after your flight from the respective country of origin where you will land at Kigali International Airport the main gateway to Rwanda.

You will find the company representative who will accord you a courtesy welcome and then transfer you to the respective lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel (Upmarket / Luxury), Hotel Chez Lando (Midrange / Standard) or Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel (Budget / Basic)

Day 2: Visit The Gisozi Genocide Memorial And Transfer to Akagera National Park

After breakfast, embark on the visit to Gisozi genocide memorial to pay tribute to the counts of Rwandese that lost their lives in the 1994 bloody genocide.

The site has a detailed interpretation of what transpired during that time. Retreat from the activity for lunch after which you embark on the transfer to Akagera National Park 135km about 3 hours’ drive arriving in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Camp (Upmarket / Luxury), Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange / Standard) or Dereva Hotel (Budget / Basic)

Day 3 : Do A Morning Game Drive And Afternoon Boat Cruise On Lake Ihema

Embark on a thrilling game drive along the rolling Savannah plains of Akagera National Park along with its papyrus swamps that fringe the series of lakes and the rolling hills that are filled by counts of wildlife.

The game drive offers you the possibilities of viewing elephants, Buffaloes, Masaai Giraffe, Topis, Roan Antelopes, Lions, leopards, waterbucks among other wildlife.

You retreat from the 3 – 4 hour activity and return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.

In the afternoon, you embark on the boat cruise on Lake Ihema which is the second largest lake in Rwanda.

The cruise is a thrilling on the calm waters of this lake with possible views of Nile Crocodiles and Hippos and papyrus dwelling birds. Retreat from the activity in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Ruzizi Tented Camp (Upmarket / Luxury), Akagera Game Lodge (Midrange / Standard) or Dereva Hotel (Budget / Basic)

Day 4: Transfer to Butare. Visit The National Institute for Rwandan Museums – The Ethnographic Museum And The Nyanza Palace

After breakfast, embark on the transfer to Butare in the south of Rwanda dubbed the cultural city. On arrival, you tour the National Institute of Rwandan Museums with a range of 100,000 artifacts and impressive presentation making it one of the finest museums in East Africa.

You also pay a visit to the palace of the ancient Kings of Rwanda namely King Musinga and his successor King Rudahigwa at Nyanza.

The site has a remarkable architectural hut and the remarkable Inyambo cows. The locals treat you to remarkable traditional performances especially their interesting Intore dance.

The parade of the traditional Inyambo cows s also reparable. Retire for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Barthos Hotel (Upmarket/Luxury), Hotel Faucon (Midrange/Standard) or Shalom Guest House (Budget/Basic).

Day 5: Visit The Rwesero Art Museum, Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park, And Visit The Tea Plantations

After a relaxed breakfast, visit the Rwesero Art Museum which was built by King Rudahigwa but unfortunately passed away without occupying it.

It houses a wide range of art paintings and other impressive hand works. Proceed on the drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park arriving in time or lunch.

Check in, have lunch and relax a little. In the afternoon, you embark on the visit to the Gisakura Tea Estates to encounter the tea growing process and it’s harvesting, you can participate in the experience to generate remarkable memories. Retire for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Upmarket / Luxury), Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel (Midrange / Standard) or Gisakura Guesthouse (Budget / Basic)

Day 6: Do Chimpanzee Trekking and Nyungwe Canopy Walk

Gather at the Nyugwe forest headquarters for the chimpanzee trekking experience. You attend to briefing by the park rangers at 8am after which you head to the forest in search the man’s closest relative – the chimpanzees.

The trek exposes you to impressive scenic landscapes of the largest mountain forest in East Africa marked with verdant flora including beautiful orchids.

The park also supports other 12 primate species apart from Chimpanzees which might be encountered too during the hike including the Black and White Colobus Monkeys.

The eventual encounter with the chimps as they munch fruit, the young chimps rolling themselves on tree branches and playing with their mothers, the male chimpanzees doing the patrolling along with scary pant hooting calls and viewing them eye to eye lures you to the world of the unknown that you have never dreamed of.

You come to accept the reality that indeed man and chimps share a common ancestor. The chimpanzee trekking activity tends to last 2 – 5 hours inclusive of one hour direct encounter with the chimps.

Retreat from the activity and transfer to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, you embark on the adventurous Nyungwe canopy walk which is noted as the first of its kind in East Africa and the third on the African continent.

The 90m long and 40m high walkway with the views of the deep forested saddles, the lush canopy filled with primates, birds and butterflies make the activity worth undertaking while on Rwanda safari. Retreat for the two hour adventure and return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Upmarket / Luxury), Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel (Midrange / Standard) or Gisakura Guesthouse (Budget / Basic)

Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park. Whole-day Drive

After breakfast, embark on the transfer to Volcanoes National Park in the north west of Rwanda 338km about 8 hours’ drive.

It is a whole day drive passing through the Congo Nile divide and along Lake Kivu with magical scenery. The resort towns of Kibuye and Gisenyi are also rewarding to encounter.

Arrive in Volcanoes National Park in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Mount Gorilla View Lodge (Upmarket / Luxury), Hotel La Palme (Midrange / Standard) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget / Basic)

Day 8 : Do Gorilla Trekking And Transfer Back to Kigali

You wake up early in the morning at your lodge for breakfast and embark on the transfer to Volcanoes National Park Park headquarters Kinigi.

At the headquarters as you wait for the briefing time, you are treated for a warm cup of coffee served courtesy of Rwanda Development Board while being entertained by the Kinyarwanda dance troupes before the park rangers set to allocate the respective gorilla families and then briefing in your respective gorilla groups at 8am.

After briefing you drive to the respective gorilla family trail heads to head to the jungle in search of the critically endangered apes.

The hike through the volcanic slopes marked with steep slopes and dense vegetation beautiful in nature present amazing scenic views.

The eventual encounter with the mountain gorillas as they forage to feed their huge tummies, attending to the frightening welcome of the silverback, watching the baby gorillas as they roll themselves on tree branches, play with other and respective mothers among other aspects will lure you into an unforgettable amazement.

The one hour is availed to you to experience what you have heard, read and thought of for long and the remarkable pictures will form a lasting memorabilia for this lifetime experience that is so far the best in Africa.

The gorilla trekking activity tends to last 2 – 8 hours depending on how long the gorillas have moved. You retreat from the activity and embark on the transfer to Kigali 116km about 3 hours’ drive passing through impressive countryside hills of Rwanda that have marked its naming as the land of a thousand hills.

End of The 8 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari Chimpanzee Trekking & Cultural Tour.