9 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour – Overview

The 9 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour is a Rwanda safari tour featuring a Chimps trek in Nyungwe forest, Wildlife safari in Akagera, community visits, scenic views and boat cruises.

This 9 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour features a range of African safari aspects but excludes Mountain gorilla trekking.

The 9 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour features the main destinations of Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Lake Kivu and Volcanoes National Park.

The activities include; Gisozi genocide tour, wild game viewing in Akagera national park, boat cruise on Lake Ihema, cultural tours in Nyanza and Butare, Chimpanzee trekking, Colobus Monkey trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest national park, adventure Musaze caves walk and Mount Bisoke hike not forgetting golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes national park. These combine to generate remarkable Africa Safari memories.

9 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour – Highlights

Day 1: Tour the Gisozi genocide memorial & drive to Akagera National Park

Day 2: Undertake a morning game drive in Akagera NP & afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema

Day 3: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Tour the Royal Palace in Nyanza and the National Institute of Rwandan Museums in Butare

Day 4: Undertake a morning Chimpanzee Trekking & Nyungwe Canopy Walk in the afternoon

Day 5: Morning colobus Monkey tracking and afternoon community tour

Day 6: Drive to Lake Kivu (Gisenyi). Sightseeing along the Congo Nile divide trail

Day 7: Undertake a boat cruise on Lake Kivu and drive to Volcanoes National Park

Day 8: Do golden monkey tracking and Musaze caves walk

Day 9: Hike Bisoke Volcano and drive to Kigali

9 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour – Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Tour The Gisozi Genocide Memorial & Drive to Akagera National Park

Following breakfast at your place of stay in Kigali (own arrangement), you team up with the driver guide to transfer to Gisozi for the genocide memorial tour.

The site features a collection of the section of the 1994 genocide bodies along with extensive literature about this horrific event.

You are able to learn more into the causes and effects of the ethnic genocide where 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus lost their lives.

From this encounter, you embark on the drive to Akagera National Park 135km about 2 ½ hours’ drive for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Upmarket / luxury: Ruzizi Tented Camp
Midrange / Standard: Akagera Game Lodge
Budget / Basic: Dereva Hotel
Wild Camping

Day 2: Undertake A Morning Game Drive in Akagera NP & Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema

You set off for the game viewing experience in the extensive Savannah landscapes of Akagera National Park to gain possibilities of exploring a myriad of wild game including the towering Maasai giraffe, the beautiful Burchell’s Zebra, the African lion, African Elephant, the elusive African leopard, Buffalo, reedbuck, eland, waterbuck, roan antelope, Impala among others.

The rolling landscapes of Akagera such as Mutumba hills, flat plains to the Tanzanian border and the lake system also offer beautiful sight seeing opportunities while on the game drive.

Retreat from the 3 – 4 hour drive and return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. You connect to Lake Ihema in the afternoon for a recreational boat experience.

The boat trip offers uninterrupted sights of Rwanda’s second largest lake along with other adjoining lakes, the fringing swamp and the dwelling species including the Hippos, Nile crocodiles and the birds like shoebill stork and papyrus gonolek. Retire for dinner and overnight

Accommodation

Upmarket / Luxury: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
Midrange / Standard: Akagera Game Lodge
Budget / Basic: Dereva Hotel
Wild Camping

Day 3: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Tour The Royal Palace in Nyanza And The National Institute of Rwandan Museums in Butare

You transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park after breakfast driving 135km about 2 ½ hours to Kigali and then proceed for 268km about 6 hours drive to Nyungwe National Park enjoying the beautiful scenic sights en route.

A stop will be made en route to explore the Royal Palace commonly known as Rukaari in Nyanza marked by a very beautiful traditional hut a replica of the King Musinga’s hut.

The site is a home to two Kings of Rwanda namely; King Musinga and King Rudahigwa. The beautiful Inyambo cows can entertain you with a parade and a traditional intore dance may not be missed.

Proceed on the drive to Butare for lunch after which you tour the Ethnographic Museum with a range of 100,000 artifacts detailing the history and culture of Rwanda.

From the museum tour, you proceed to Nyungwe Forest National Park for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation

Up market / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse
Wild Camping

Day 4: Undertake a Morning Chimpanzee Trekking & Nyungwe Canopy Walk in The Afternoon

Connect to Kyamudongo Forest departing the lodge at 5:30am to catch up with the Chimpanzee trekking at 8am.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is an extensive montane forest which is the largest in Central Africa and noted to have survived the last ice age.

The forest is a home to 13 primate species, the 310 bird species, 75 species of mammals, 1068 plant species including mahogany species and beautiful orchids.

The Chimpanzee trekking tend to last 2 – 5 hours with the actual viewing limited to one (1) hour as you enjoy them patrol, feed, play, make their pant hooting calls among other behavioral features that will make your stay with them memorable.

Settle for lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon, you take up an adventure walk along the famous Nyungwe canopy walkway which is still the best in the region and the third on the continent of Africa.

The 90m long and 50m high walkway offers panoramic view of the forest and is an adventure of its kind as you walk on the canopy of the towering trees of Nyungwe – the largest montane forest in the region. The activity takes 2 hours after which you retreat back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation

Upmarket / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse
Wild Camping

Day 5: Morning Colobus Monkey Tracking And Afternoon Community Tour

Set off for Black and white colobus monkey tracking after breakfast. You gather at the park headquarters for briefing after which you embark on the forest trek in search of Black and white colobus monkeys.

Nyugwe forest is noted to have the largest grouping of these species in the whole of Africa with over 400 individuals.

It is thus very magical to come across this congregation dressed in their black and white suites while the young ones are completely dressed in white attire as they have not yet attained black coloring.

The trek tends to last 2 – 5 hours with one (1) hour of actual viewing. Settle for lunch at the lodge and relax.

In the evening, you embark on the tour to the surrounding community exploring their way of life and attending to their impressive dance performances before retreating for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation

Upmarket / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel
Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse
Wild Camping

Day 6: Drive to Lake Kivu (Gisenyi). Sightseeing Along The Congo Nile Divide Trail

Set off to Lake Kivu – Gisenyi driving along the Congo – Nile divide trail with the scenic views of the rolling hills, lush vegetation, and Lake Kivu itself.

The journey is 294km about 7 hours’ drive. Settle for lunch en route and arrive at Gisenyi in the afternoon for relaxation on the sandy beaches, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Up market / Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Midrange / Standard: Hotel Gorillas Lake Kivu
Budget / Basic: Paladise Malahide

Day 7: Undertake a Boat Cruise on Lake Kivu And Drive to Volcanoes National Park

Undertake a thrilling boat ride on Rwanda’s largest lake exploring its beautiful landscape including the scenic Islands beyond.

The boat captain offers a themed interpretation of the landscape and the lake’s history. Retreat from the encounter, settle for lunch, and embark on the drive to Volcanoes National Park 110km about 2 hours drive. Evening at leisure

Accommodation

Up market / Luxury: Mount Gorilla View Hotel
Midrange / Standard: Hotel La Palme
Budget / Basic: Muhabura Hotel

Day 8: Do Golden Monkey Tracking And Musaze Caves Walk

After an early breakfast at the lodge, you gather at Kinigi park headquarters for golden monkey tracking commencing at 7am.

After the briefing, you drive to the trailhead from which you will embark on the golden monkey tracking encounter.

Golden Monkeys are other ape species listed as endangered on the IUCN red list and known to thrive in the Virunga massif on world scale.

This activity lasts about 4 hours to return and the golden monkeys thrive on the slopes of Mount Sabyinyo with their golden patches that make them beautiful to view.

Retreat from the activity and settle for lunch at the lodge. After lunch, you embark on the tour to the historical Musaze Caves that were formed over 65 million years ago by the lava basalt layers from Bisoke and Sabyinyo Volcano.

The 2km caves feature 31 entrances most of which have been as a result of roof collapses. The walk through this terrifying natural feature is guided and protected by armed army men and lasts about 2 hours maximum after which you proceed on the drive to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 9: Hike Bisoke Volcano And Drive to Kigali

You undertake the hike to Mount Bisoke which is among the 8 Volcanoes that form the Virunga massif. Mount Bisoke rises to 3700m above sea level featuring lush vegetation and Lake Ngezi crater.

The activity starts at 7am from Kinigi ranger station and lasts approximately 7 hours return. From this adventure exploration, you embark on the drive to Kigali 116km about 2 ½ hours.

End of The 9 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour.