7 Days Rwanda Congo Primates Tour
This 7 days Rwanda Congo primates tour is an amazing safari that will take you to Volcanoes National Park, where you will take part in gorilla trekking, which is one of the popular activities carried out that gives you an opportunity to spend time with the habituated mountain gorillas.
From Volcanoes National Park, you will connect to Nyungwe National Park for chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk and then transfer to Congo for the Nyiragongo volcano hike, which is one of the eight Virunga volcanoes that stands at an elevation of 3470 meters above sea level.
Highlights of the 7 Days of Rwanda Congo Primates Tour
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 2: Gorilla trekking
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day 5: Transfer to Gisenyi Lake Kivu
Day 6: Climb Nyiragongo volcano
Day 7: Descend from the volcano and depart.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1 of the 7-day Rwanda-Congo primates tour
Arrival and transfer to Volcanoes National Park: depending on the time of arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by our driver guide and then transferred to Kigali for a city tour. During the city tour you will visit craft centers where they make handmade items and the Genocide Memorial Center, where you will learn more about the brutal killing of the people during the Rwanda genocide between the Hutus and Tutsi in 1994.
After the city tour you will go for lunch in one of the restaurants and then start the journey to Volcanoes National Park in the northwestern part of Rwanda. On the way you will have great views of the rolling hills, beautiful scenery, landscapes, smiling people, farmlands among others and upon arrival you will check into the lodge and have dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
For gorilla trekking, after an early breakfast carry a packed lunch and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer you to Kinigi Park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is done in groups of 8 individuals, where each group is allocated a gorilla family to trek each day and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the jungle. Gorilla trekking takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
During trekking you will have great views of the colorful bird species, primates, animals, and plants among others and once the gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the gorillas in their natural environment.
During the one hour with the mountain gorillas, you will be able to learn more about their behaviors and lifestyle and watch them feed, breastfeed, take photos, and record videos, among other things, which gives you lifetime experiences.
After the one-hour encounter with the mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer back to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
After breakfast check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Nyungwe National Park. On your way you will have a stopover at Lake Kivu, where you will take beautiful pictures of the lake, landscape, and bird species, among others.
After that beautiful moment on the shores of Lake Kivu, you will proceed with the journey to Nyungwe National Park with an en-route lunch. The journey takes about a 4- to 5-hour drive, and upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Chimpanzee trekking: After an early breakfast, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for the briefing about the rules and guidelines of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing you will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the jungle.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park starts at 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours or even longer depending on the location of the chimpanzees because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat, which gives you an opportunity to know more about their habits and behaviors and enjoy the moment as you watch them feed, play, hunt, rest, breastfeed, take photos, and record videos to show people back home, among others. After the incredible moment with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters, meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Canopy walk: after lunch you will go for a canopy walk on a bridge that is 90meters long above the forest. The canopy walk was opened in 2010, and Nyungwe National Park is the only forest in East Africa offering this amazing and breathtaking activity. The canopy walk starts at Uwinka Visitor’s Center, which is also the park headquarters and goes through a steep and deep valley filled with thick forest.
The canopy walk takes about 2 hours and offers you spectacular views of different bird species, butterflies, primates like blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys, and tree species, among others, which gives you unforgettable experiences. After the canopy walk you will trek back to the starting point, where you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Gisenyi
Have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Gisenyi, Lake Kivu, which is the largest freshwater lake in Rwanda.
Upon arrival you will relax and enjoy spectacular views of the beautiful scenery, sunset, steep terraced hills, and different bird species like malachite kingfishers and majestic crowned cranes, and view fishermen who will be fishing in dugout canoes. In the evening you will transfer to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Hiking Nyiragongo Volcano
On the Nyiragongo volcano hike, Have an early breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to cross to the Democratic Republic of Congo, passing via the Goma Grande Barrier border.
From Goma you will connect to the trailhead at the Kibat patrol post for a briefing about the safety precautions, guidelines, expectations, stopping points and what to carry during the Nyiragongo hike. After the briefing you will be grouped together with the cooks and start hiking Mount Nyiragongo, which takes about 4-6 hours to reach the summit depending on your hiking speed.
During hiking you will pass through high altitudes, lava rocks, and slippery stones; have stopovers; and enjoy views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, bird species, mammals, and plant and tree species, among others. When you reach on top of the volcano, you will have incredible views of the boiling lava lake.
The cooks will help you to prepare hot coffee and dinner, and you will spend an overnight in a cabin, which is comprised of 2 single beds, mattresses, and pillows, as you smell the boiling and bubbling lava.
Day 7: Descend from Nyiragongo Volcano and depart to Kigali
Descend from Nyiragongo Volcano; After an ultimate breakfast meet-up with your guides, start descending from the peak of the mountain, which takes about 3 hours to reach the Kibat patrol post.
You will have spectacular views of Virunga National Park, Rwenzori Mountains, Lake Kivu, and other volcanic mountains among others as you descend and upon arrival at the trailhead, you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer to Gisenyi via the Goma Grande Barrier border for lunch.
After lunch you will continue the journey to Kigali and your driver guide will drop you off at any place of convenience or drop you off at Kigali International Airport for your next flight.
End of 7 days in Rwanda Congo primates tour
The tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Kigali city tour
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Canopy walk
- Nyiragongo hiking permit
- An English-speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
The tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, alcoholic drinks, juice, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
