7 Days Rwanda Chimps, Golden Monkeys and Gorillas

About this safari

In one week you meet three primates: chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest, golden monkeys on the Virunga slopes and mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. Between treks you stop at Lake Kivu, Rwanda's largest lake at 2,700 square kilometres.

This is not a rushed trip. A gorilla trek alone can mean five hours of walking at up to 4,000 metres. The day-by-day notes below show what each day involves.

Nyungwe covers 1,019 square kilometres and has 13 primate species, including chimpanzees and L'Hoest's monkeys, as well as 322 bird species and 75 mammal species. Lake Kivu gives you time to recover after two primate treks, with an optional boat ride and a visit to hot springs.

Day by day

Day 1: Arrive in Kigali

A guide meets you at Kigali International Airport and drives you to your hotel. Before the treks begin, you get a briefing on what lies ahead and the trekking rules. Bed and breakfast.

Day 2: Kigali city tour, transfer to Nyungwe

The morning tour covers the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Nyamata Church and local markets.

After lunch we drive south towards Nyungwe. On the way we stop in Huye, formerly Butare, to visit the Ethnographic Museum of Rwanda. You reach your lodge in the evening. Full board.

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

The briefing is at 5:30am and the trek starts at 6:00am, from either the Uwinka trailhead or the Cyamudongo sector. The walk can last from one hour to several, depending on where the troop moved overnight. Once you find the chimpanzees, you have one hour with them.

In the afternoon you walk the canopy, a suspended bridge 40 metres above the forest floor. Full board.

Day 4: Transfer to Gisenyi, Lake Kivu

We drive at an easy pace to the lake. In the afternoon you take a boat trip and visit the hot springs. Full board.

Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park, golden monkey tracking

We transfer in the morning, and in the afternoon you track golden monkeys. Two habituated groups live in the park, one on the slopes of Karisimbi and one on Mount Sabinyo. These monkeys move less than gorillas, so the walk is usually shorter and easier to predict.

The rest of the day is free. Full board.

Day 6: Gorilla trekking and community walk

Be at Kinigi park headquarters by 7:00am for the briefing. Rangers then assign you a gorilla family and you start to climb. Hikes run from 30 minutes to 5 hours, at 2,500 to 4,000 metres, and you spend one hour with the gorillas once you reach them.

Bring lunch and water, and hire a porter if you can. It lightens your load, and the money goes straight to the local community.

In the evening you visit Ibwachu Cultural Village, run by former poachers who now work in conservation and tourism. Full board.

Day 7: Transfer to Kigali, departure

We drive back to Kigali in the morning. After breakfast and lunch you take your departure flight.

Where you stay

These are the lodges we usually use on this route. If one is full, we book a similar place of the same standard.

• Kigali: Scheba Hotel or Chez Lando Hotel (budget); Heaven Boutique Hotel, Mille Collines Hotel or Lemigo Hotel (midrange); Kigali Serena or The Retreat (luxury). Bed and breakfast.
• Nyungwe: Gisakura Guest House (budget); Nyungwe Top View Hotel (midrange); One & Only Nyungwe House (luxury). Full board.
• Lake Kivu: Palm Beach Resort (budget); Paradise Kivu Resort (midrange); Kivu Serena Hotel (luxury). Full board.
• Volcanoes: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge or Davinci Lodge (budget); Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Five Volcanoes Lodge or Ingagi Park View Lodge (midrange); Bisate Lodge, One & Only Gorilla Nest, Bishop's House, Virunga Lodge or Sabinyo Lodge (luxury). Full board.