6 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee & Wildlife Safari
6 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee & Wildlife Safari: Rwanda is incredibly interesting to visit in its incredible scenic hilly landscapes making her famous as “Land of a thousand hills” rich in biodiversity. With this 6 Days trip, you will both the highland and lowland areas of the Rwanda – Nyungwe forest national park and Akagera national park. Nyungwe forest national park is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda along to the route that leads to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo and also bordering Lake Kivu. Nyungwe forest is home to the endangered chimpanzees and 12 other species of primates. Trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest is one of the most scenic experiences under the montane rainforest and walking on a canopy above the forest is an added beautiful experience. The Black and white Colobus monkeys in Nyungwe forest are also known as Ruwenzori Colobus monkeys and are the biggest troop of the Monkeys in the park. Their number is estimated to range from 350-400 individuals and they are also the biggest troop of the monkeys in the African countries. Akagera national park which is located in the eastern part of Rwanda in the savannah areas good for wildlife experience especially to see the big five game. Enjoy remarkable game drives for animals such as Buffaloes, Antelopes, Elephants, Giraffes, Leopards, Hyenas, lions, rhinos to mention a few. Other excursions include visiting Lake Kivu bordering Congo and a city tour in Kigali city.
Safari Highlights of the 6 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee & Wildlife Safari
- Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
- Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Isumo trail
- Day 3: Colobus Monkeys and Canopy
- Day 4: Transfer to Akagera national park
- Day 5: Game drive and boat cruise
- Day 6: Another game drive and Return to Kigali – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
Upon arrival at Kigali international airport with your morning confirmed booked flight or Depending on your location in Kigali, you will be met by your safari driver who will be your guide throughout the trip, meet and greet, pack your luggage in the safari vehicle and Nyungwe forest national park which is a 6-7 hours’ drive from Kigali. Drive through the rolling hills and great views of Virunga Mountains. Upon arrival in Nyungwe forest, connect to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at your booked at One and Only Nyungwe House for luxury option/Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel for mid-range option/Gisakura Visitors Centre for budget option
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Isumo trail
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest with your backpack. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3-5 hours depending on their location. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos. Connect to visit Nyungwe’s biggest waterfalls on Isumo trail. This is one of the most refreshing experience with sights of different birds and some primates. The walk is approximately 4 hours walking up and down the Nyungwe forest. Thereafter, return to your hotel for relaxation and good memories. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 3: Colobus Monkeys and Canopy walk
After breakfast, follow the same procedure as of chimpanzee tracking, receive a briefing then enter the forest to search for the colobus monkey. These primates are quite different to spot as they keep jumping from tree to tree however, the park rangers will do their best to help you get the best view of the primates. This will take 2-5 hours and on finding them, you will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence.
Connect for a canopy walk. You will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk-a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees; you will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving below you. Dinner and overnight stay at provided lodge as above
Day 4: Transfer to Akagera national park
After breakfast, set off to Akagera national park located in the eastern part of Rwanda with en-route visit of Rwanda national museum in Butare and Nyanza Kinga’s palace in Huye with en-route lunch. This area is different from the other hilly areas of Rwanda given this savannah vegetation cover and relatively flat area. It’s a 6-7 hours’ drive from Nyungwe to Kigali and another 2 hours’ drive from Kigali to Akagera national park from Kigali. Arrive at the park late morning, proceed to check-in your lodge, have lunch and enjoy an evening game drive. Before nightfall, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Ruzizi tented camp for luxury option/Akagera game lodge for mid-range option/Dereva hotel for budget option
Day 5: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat cruise.
After morning breakfast, you will embark on your morning game drive around the park for a rewarding wildlife views. Expect to encounter the Big five including the Lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cape buffaloes and the recently introduced Rhinos along with other animals including; giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, hyenas and different antelope species. Expect to also see over 500 species of birds. The game drive may last for about 3-4 hours. Return to lodge for lunch and relax as you wait for the next activity.
In the afternoon, the driver will pick up for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema-the second largest lake in Rwanda after Lake Kivu. The boat trip exposes you to plenty of wildlife on the lake shores which come to cool off and drink water including hippos, buffaloes, huge crocodiles and birds such as malachite kingfisher and fish eagle. After the amazing boat trip, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay
Day 6: Another game drive – Return to Kigali – Departure
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and connect for a yet another game drive for any missed animals. Thereafter, transfer back to Kigali. Upon arrival in Kigali, have lunch and proceed to Kigali International airport for your onward flight back home.
End of safari
