This 10 Days Rwanda gorilla safari focuses on primate experiences in Rwanda at a relaxed pace. It includes breathtaking encounters like gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking and golden monkey tracking. In addition to primates, the tour also explores experiences such as canopy walk, cultural tours, bird watching & nature walks, a city tour and Dian Fossey hike. This 10 Days Rwanda gorilla safari can still be customised according to the visitor’s safari interests, budget and travel time.
Trip Highlights
- Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes national park
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe national park
- Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes national park
- Canopy walk in Nyungwe national park
- Colobus monkey tracking in Nyungwe national park
- Birdwatching in Nyungwe (optional)
- Nature walk in Nyungwe (optional)
- Community visit in Nyungwe
- Dian Fossey Hike
- Cultural experience
- Visiting Twin Lakes
- Kigali City Tour
Trip Summary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali & city tour
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking & canopy walk
Day 4: Colobus monkey tracking & Waterfall hike
Day 5: Birdwatching & nature walk
Day 6: Community visit & transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 7: Gorilla trekking & cultural experience
Day 8: Golden monkey tracking & Twin lakes visit
Day 9: Dian Fossey Hike
Day 10: Relaxation & departure
Detailed itinerary – 10 Days Rwanda gorilla safari
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and city tour
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport (KGL), you will be met by your safari driver guide for a transfer to your booked hotel in Kigali. After relaxation, embark on Kigali city tour and visit key sites around the city. These include the poignant Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre where you pay respects to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and learn more about the country’s history. Other places to visit include Kimironko market and Inema Arts Centre. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Kigali.
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
After a relaxed breakfast in Kigali, you may opt for more Kigali city tour experience and check out more places around the city. Begin a scenic drive southwest to Nyungwe national park, home to 13 primate species. Enjoy stunning views of Rwanda’s countryside including the rolling hills, plantations and local communities along the way. Check into your lodge near Nyungwe national park for dinner and overnight as you prepare for the chimpanzee tracking encounter in the morning.
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk
After early breakfast, head to the park headquarters of Nyungwe national park for a briefing on chimpanzee tracking guidelines. You will be led by experienced guidelines into the forest to look for a community of habituated chimpanzees. Once you find them, spend one hour on their presence observing how the highly intelligent primates interact with their natural habitat.
Observe how they feed, play, mate as you capture the captivating moments on your camera. At the end of the encounter, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, go for the breathtaking canopy walk, a suspended bridge offering stunning aerial views of the forest canopy, wildlife and the surrounding areas. Dinner and overnight at your lodge in Nyungwe.
Day 4: Colobus monkey trek and waterfall hike
After breakfast, enter the Nyungwe jungle again for another thrilling primate experience, colobus monkey trekking. Meet large groups of black-and-white colobus monkeys and watch them display their playful character as they jump from tree-to-tree. You are also likely to encounter more primate species such as the L’Hoest’s monkey and the blue monkey.
After lunch, embark on an adventurous hike to one of the waterfalls in the park. Enjoy a hike with stunning views of birds, primates, and vegetation along the trail before reaching the picturesque waterfalls and their beautiful surroundings. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 5: Birdwatching and nature walk in Nyungwe
Today will be dedicated to exploring nyungwe’s incredible birdlife and diverse hiking trails on a guided birdwatching walk. Nyungwe is home to over 270 bird species including Albertine Rift endemics. Some of the amazing species bird species you are likely to encounter in Nyungwe include the Rwenzori Turaco, Grauer’s Warbler, Rush Warbler, Red-throated Alethe, Black-and-white casqued Hornbill, Rwenzori Batis, among others. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 6: Community visit and transfer to Volcanoes national park
After breakfast, go for a rewarding community tour and engage in different experiences such as visiting a tea plantations or a local village. Engage in activities like tea picking, and craft making. Begin a scenic drive to Volcanoes national park, Rwanda’s home to the endangered mountain gorillas. Check into your lodge near the park for dinner and overnight as you get ready for the gorilla tracking encounter in the morning.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking and cultural experience
After early breakfast, drive to Kinigi, the headquarters of Volcanoes national park for a briefing on gorilla trekking guidelines. You will also be divided into small groups and assigned a gorilla group to track (8 visitors per gorilla group). Head into the jungle in the company of experienced guides to look for your assigned gorilla group.
This trek may take anywhere between 1-6 hours depending on the location and movement of gorillas. Once you meet them, spend the magical hour observing how these magnificent primates live in their natural habitat. Capture key moments on your camera as they feed, play and rest for your future memories.
Return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon go for a thrilling cultural experience at the Gorilla Guardian Village (formerly Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village). Enjoy Rwanda’s traditional dance and songs performed by the Intore dancers as well as learning about the country’s history and traditions. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 8: Golden monkey trekking and Twin Lakes visit
After early breakfast, head back to Volcanoes national park for another primate experience, golden monkey trekking. The trek to see golden monkeys is shorter and less strenuous than gorilla trekking. Meet these beautiful and playful primates in the bamboo forests of the park and observe how they excitingly interact in their natural habitat for a full hour.
Return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo for scenic views and perhaps a boat trip. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 9: Dian Fossey hike
After breakfast, embark on a tenacious Dian Fossey hike to Karisoke Research Centre, the former home of Fossey where her tomb is also situated. This hike offers an insight into the life of Dian Fossey a conservation champion who dedicated her life to protecting mountain gorillas in the Virunaga Mountains. You will also learn about the history of gorilla conservation and the current state of these endangered primates. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10: Relaxation and departure
Enjoy a relaxed morning around Volcanoes national park on this final day of your 10 Days Rwanda gorilla safari. Depending on your flight schedule, you can opt for a short nature walk around the area or visit a local market for souvenir shopping. Transfer to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight.
Important considerations for the 10 Days Rwanda gorilla safari
Gorilla permits and chimpanzee permits should be booked and secured at least 6 months in advance through a credible tour operator. Rwanda’s gorilla permit cost $1,500 per person while a chimpanzee permit cost $250 per person. A golden monkey permit is sold at $100
The best season for gorilla tracking and other wildlife safaris in Rwanda is the dry period between June to September and December to February. This is because the trails are drier and easier to trek while gorillas also tend to move freely in the forest hence easy to find. However, gorilla trekking tours and other wildlife safaris in Rwanda take place throughout the year.
Your tour operator will also cater for your transport, accommodation and guiding services. Ensure to communicate to your operator in case you have any health concerns that may require special attention.
Some of the most important gear to pack for a gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda include sturdy hiking boots, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, gardening gloves, and a camera with extra batteries. Gorilla trekking can be physically demanding and therefore you need a reasonable level of fitness to hike through dense montane rainforests. The minimum age allowed for gorilla tracking in Rwanda is 15 years.