Activities

Detailed 4 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour

Day 1: Kigali – Parc Nationale Des Volcanoes

Our Rwanda safari rep will meet you in the morning. This will be at the Airport or your hotel in Kigali. You will be briefed on this 4-day Rwanda gorilla tour. This will be followed by departure from Kigali. You are heading to Parc Nationale des Volcanes. 

Your arrival will be in time for lunch in Volcanoes. Afternoon will be spent at leisure in Volcanoes. You have an option of visiting the local villages or a nature walk. Your dinner and overnight will be at Le’ Bambou Gorilla Safari Lodge.

About Volcanoes National Park

The Volcanoes Park is part of a contiguous 433km² Trans frontier conservation unit. This also includes the Virunga National Park and Mgahinga National Park. The latter two protects the DRC and Ugandan sectors of the Virunga. 

Vocanoes National Park altitude ranges from 2400km to 4507.  It has a chain of steep, all free-standing mountains. They are linked by fertile saddles which were formed by solidified lava flows. This is one of the most stirring and memorable sights in East Africa.

Parc De Volcano’s Biodiversity

The park reopened to tourism in June 1993, but it was evacuated in April 1994 because of the genocide. Later in 1995, it once again reopened to tourism, only to close again a few months later. Gorilla tracking was finally resumed on a permanent basis in July 1999. Since then the number of tourists visiting the Virungas had increased. 

Day 2:  Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

Your Rwanda gorilla tour day will start early. This will be with an early breakfast. After getting your picnic lunch boxes you will proceed to the head office. This is in time for the briefing at 0800 hrs. 

You will meet your armed ranger and guide. If you need porters, you can get one or two to help you. This is at a cost of course. It is time to tackle the day’s activity. You will venture into the forest trails in search of the apes. Your trek follows the path of the mountain gorillas assigned to you.  

The trek can be quite tough due to terrain and time taken. You can take approximately 2-8 hours to undertake the trekking. Return to your lodge in time for dinner and overnight. This will be at Le’ Bambou Gorilla Safari Lodge.

Day 3: Kigali - Nyungwe Forest National Park

Today your Rwanda gorilla tour starts with an early breakfast. You should be out of Volcanoes by 0800hrs. You will be driving to Nyungwe Forest National Park. 

The drive is long as it goes through Kigali. Here you will stop for an early lunch before proceeding. The drive takes you through Nyanza and Butare. You will arrive in Nyungwe in the evening. If time allows you may plan an evening walk in the nearby tea plantations. Your dinner and overnight will be at Top Hill View Lodge.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe forest national park is Rwanda’s leading chimpanzee tracking safari destination. It is alos popular for primates and birding tours in Rwanda. Nyungwe forest Rwanda is the source of Africa’s great rivers. Rain that falls on the east side feeds the Nile and on the west runs to the Congo. The Congo-Nile Divide is a mountain range that runs north to south through Rwanda.

Nyungwe receives more than 2000mm a year of rain. Recently, Nyungwe opened a canopy walk, the only one of its kind in East Africa. It is a wonderful vantage point to view the incredible biodiversity of this rare forest.

Nyungwe Forest is a high-altitude, mountainous rain forest in southern Rwanda. This conservation area was established in 2005.  This forest, the largest mountain rainforest in east Africa. 

Nyungwe hosts 13 species of primates including the Angola colobus. These primates are found in groups of 300-400 animals that is an attribute unique to Nyungwe. 

It also hosts a large population of chimps and two other threatened species of monkeys. They are the owl faced monkey and reported but unverified sightings of the golden monkey.

Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking - Kigali

The day on Rwanda gorilla tour will start much earlier. This will be with a breakfast before 0430hrs. You will head to the park office. This is where you will be briefed on chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda. 

In smaller groups you will enter the Nyungwe Rain forest in search of man’s close relative. It is important to note that we share about 98% genetic makeup. You should be on the lookout for other primate species. They include Colobus monkeys, l’hoest among other primates.  

There are also forest birds to watch out for. After sighting your chimp group, you will head to the lodge for lunch and check out. Enjoy your drive back to Kigali. You may have a stop in Nyanza to visit the King’s palace. You will be dropped off at your hotel in Kigali or the airport.

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4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour Costs

The 4 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour cost includes

• Accommodation with meals as per program
• Bottled water
• Customized safari-vehicle
• An English speaking guide
• 1 X Rwanda gorilla permit
• 1 x Rwanda Chimpanzee permit
• Government taxes
• Lots of fun and African sunshine

The 4 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour cost does not include

• Items of personal use
• All drinks, beverages and alcohol other than what is served at breakfast
• Deviation from the Itinerary
• Visa
• Tips and porterage
• Insurance

What you carry for your 4 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour:

• Sun glasses
• Camera gear
• Heavy and light clothes
• Sturdy hiking boots