5-Day Rwanda Gorilla, Chimp & Wildlife Safari

Upon arrival in Kigali, you will meet our driver-guide who will brief you about the safari. Thereafter, you'll visit the Kigali Genocide Centre at 9:00 am. Later, you will drive to Akagera National Park, which is located about 3 hours east of Kigali. The Akagera River, which runs along the park’s eastern border and feeds into a maze of reservoirs, the largest of which is Lake Ihema. On arrival at the park entry gate, you will register. Then, you'll proceed on a game drive that shall give you enchanting views of elephants, lions, buffalo, zebras, antelopes, among others.

Early risers such as the leopard, hyena, and striped Jackal can be seen on the morning game drive. You'll join your guide and ranger on a half-day game drive to see topi, zebras, and bushbucks, among other wildlife. After the trip, you’ll go back to the lodge for lunch.

You'll take a boat ride on L. Ihema, the park’s largest pool. The cruise will get you up close to marine animals in the area, such as hippos, crocodiles, and several birdlife (525 species registered in the park), such as African Fish Eagles, African Jacanas, and Kingfishers.

After the mid-morning boat trip, you will embark on the journey to Volcanoes National Park.

You'll have an early breakfast at the cabin. Then, you'll move to the park headquarters, where a park ranger will brief you about how to conduct gorilla monitoring. Hiking with nettles on the slick and muddy Volcanoes slopes is difficult.

The eye-to-eye contact with mountain gorillas, on the other hand, erases many of the hike’s difficulties and offers you lifetime memories. You would be able to spend a magical hour with these gentle giants to observe and capture them as they feed, mate, groom, and roam around the bamboo forest.

You'll retreat from gorilla trekking and visit the panoramic twin volcanic lakes of Burera and Ruhondo in the mid-morning.

After lunch, you will drive to Lake Kivu and check in at the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Early in the morning, you will drive to the Uwinka Visitors Center for the briefing about the dos and don'ts for chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park.

Thereafter, you will embark on the trek for 2-4 hours in search of the awesome chimps. Upon seeing them, you will have one exciting hour interacting with the chimps as they feed, groom, play, mate, and scamper from one tree top to another as you capture pictures of a life-changing experience.

Later, you will visit the picturesque waterfalls in Nyungwe. The waterfall trail in Nyungwe will take you off-road to have an eye view of the park's most magnificent attractions. Hiking along the waterfalls trail will allow you to connect with yourself to nature as you listen to the unique sounds of nature with exhilarating views of the river crossing via the forest floor and verdant foliage, streams, and sightings of monkeys and colorful bird species.

In the morning, you will gather at the Uwinka visitors center for a short briefing about the Canopy walk. The Canopy walk is an adrenaline-pumping activity that will arouse a sense of discovery of nature in the great Nyungwe forest. The suspended bridge is 70m above the forest and 160 m long, walk way that takes about 2 hours. The aerial bridge offers breathtaking views of the forest, tree tops covered by mist, and scenic views of arboreal primates such as blue monkeys, Ruwenzori colobus monkeys, as well as listen to the sweet melody sounds of colorful bird species like blue turaco.

Later, you'll transfer to Kigali, where the driver guide will drop you off at the hotel or airport. This will bring your 5-day safari to a close.