Countries: Rwanda and DR Congo
Destinations: Kigali, Nyungwe National Park, Lake Kivu and Kahuzi Biega National Park.
Itinerary at Glance
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park for canopy walk
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to DRC – Rubavu
Day 4: Gorilla Habituation at Kahuzi Biega National Park
Day 5: Transfer to Kigali with scenic boat cruise on Lake Kivu
Day 6: Departure
Join us on a 6 Days Kahuzi Biega Gorilla Habituation and Nyungwe Chimpanzee Trek experience, to explore Nyungwe National Park, for chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk experience before crossing to DRC for gorilla habituation experience at Kahuzi Biega National Park, which allows you 4 hours, with the gorillas. You will later return to Kigali, with an en route scenic boat ride on Lake Kivu. Optional Kigali city tour, depending on your flight time. This trip starts and ends in Kigali – Rwanda.
Trip Highlight.
- Gorilla habituation experience at Kahuzi Biega National Park
- Chimpanzee trekking experience at Nyungwe National Park
- Canopy walk at Nyungwe National Park
- Boat ride on Lake Kivu
- King Palace Museum
- Kigali city tour
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport
Day Itinerary
Upon arrival at Kigali Airport, our company’s safari driver will be waiting to welcome you and provide a short briefing before transferring you to your accommodation in Kigali (approximately 20-30 minutes depending on traffic conditions). You will have the opportunity to rest and prepare for your safari adventure the following day. Our driver will ensure that you are comfortable and ready for an exciting and unforgettable experience exploring the beautiful landscapes and wildlife of Rwanda.
Rwanda’s capital and biggest city stretches across undulating lush hills surrounded by towering mountains, the largest of which is Mount Kigali, rising 1850 meters above sea level. Kigali is the country’s financial, commercial and cultural hub, served by an international airport and featuring a wide range of accommodation options, restaurants and points of interest, including the Kigali Genocide Memorial Ground, an atmospheric market and numerous craft shops. With its interesting architecture, busy streets, meandering boulevards, and green hillsides, Kigali is said to be one of the most attractive cities in Africa and is definitely worth a visit. The city is well organized and known for its neatness and hospital people.
Overnight stay at: Hotel des Mille Collines
Meal Plan: Bed and breakfast
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park. Travel time +6 hours
Day Itinerary
Early morning enjoy your buffer breakfast and checkout of the hotel and drive heading to the western province, on your way visit the Royal Palace Museum in Southern Province, this will give you a great history of traditional ways of living among Rwandans and their past way of leadership of Kingship with an en route lunch. You will reach in the afternoon at Nyungwe National Park and, you should be in the green trees of Nyungwe National Park – home to one of the oldest rainforests on the continent. With 374.5 square miles to explore you won’t be able to do it all today, but the easy stroll out to the Canopy Walkway from the Uwinka reception center offers a chance to marvel at the views from 230 feet above the rainforest floor. Listen for the sounds of 13 species of primates and more than 300 types of birds. Sleep tonight knowing you’ll meet some of the noisemakers in the days ahead. Experience the rainforest from a dazzling new perspective on the famous Canopy Walkway.
Overnight stay at: Emeraude Kivu Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Nyungwe Chimpanzee trekking experience and transfer to Congo
Day Itinerary
Today’s agenda includes chimpanzee trekking deep in the Nyungwe forest and canopy walk.
After your early morning breakfast, you will drive to the park reception for the early morning briefing before heading to the forest in search of the chimpanzee. During the briefing, grouping of the trekker’s is done, and you will be put into a group of 8 members per group, depending on the number of trekkers, you may be less. Make your way to Cyamudongo in the dark with a local park ranger who knows the forest’s deepest secrets. Follow him to the home of the chimps. Watch the animals wake, stretch, and start their day in the forest. Snap your photos while you can. Once they’re on the move, catching up to them among the tall trees and thick brush is a feat of athletic prowess. This once in a lifetime experience deserves your full attention: Remember the feeling of the mud beneath your hiking boots, the pitch of the primate calls echoing through the trees and the moment you locked eyes with a chimp in one of the few places in the world where you still can.
These cousins to humans can be found and tracked in Nyungwe National Park. A beautiful guided hike through the forest will lead you to these fascinating creatures where you can watch them play and interact up close. Chimpanzee tracking can be done year-round in Nyungwe, rain or shine, and while it is never guaranteed that you will see them, sightings are very common and guides are skillful in tracking them. The experience differs from gorilla tracking as the chimps move through the canopy, so the sightings are a bit more sporadic and exciting, but worthwhile nonetheless. Observe them playing, wild and free, hooting and dashing through the trees. You will later return back and head for lunch. After lunch, DRC visa and you cross over to DR Congo through Rubavo border to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Kahuzi Biega National Park
Located in the southeastern part of DR Congo, 30 km away from Bukavu, which is a border post between Rwanda and DR Congo, Kahuzi – Biega National Park is the only national park in DR Congo where visitors have the opportunity to track the famous eastern lowland gorillas in their natural habitat. The park was established in 1970, with the main aim to conserve the lowland Eastern gorillas, which are the major attraction of the park. The park has two fully habituated gorillas that are the major source of attraction. The park covers an area of 6000 km 2 and protects a mountain forest in eastern DRC, which is the most densely populated region of the country. The park is named after the two spectacular extinct volcanoes which dominate its high altitude sector, Mont Kahuzi (3,308m) and Mont Biega (2,790m). Kahuzi Biega National Park is a Safe destination that is managed by Wildlife Conservation Society. The eastern lowland gorilla—also known as Grauer’s gorilla—is the largest of the four gorilla subspecies. It is distinguished from other gorillas by its stocky body, large hands and short muzzle. Despite its size, eastern lowland gorillas subsist mainly on fruit and other herbaceous materials, just like other gorilla subspecies.
Overnight stay at: Nediva Hotel Rubavu
Meal Plan: lunch & dinner
Day 4: Gorilla Habituation Experience at Kahuzi Biega National Park
Day Itinerary
After a delightful breakfast in the morning, you will head for your first briefing at the park headquarters’, where you will as well get the registration, and pick up your assigned ranger guides and drive off to the park habituation trekking starting point. You will later head off with your ranger guide, and a team of researchers who will share with you a lot of information about Kahuzi Biega National Park and how the gorilla habituation exercise is done. You will have a maximum of 4 hours with the gorillas, watch mothers wean their babies as the gentle giant, look around in protection. You will later return to your booked accommodation for refreshment, later have lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Note: You can opt to transfer to Rwanda and stay in Karongi, around Lake Kivu
Overnight stay at: Nediva Hotel Rubavu
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 5: Transfer to Kigali. Travel time +6hrs
Day Itinerary
Today after taking your early morning breakfast, you will meet with your driver guide, share a short briefing as usual, and transfer over to Rwanda through Bukavu border, to Karongi, where you take a scenic boat ride on Lake Kivu, to explore the beautiful lake, patched with a number of bird species, beautiful stunning islands, filled with fruit bats. You will return and hit the road to Kigali with an en route lunch, arriving in the afternoon. If time permits, visit the local markets and craft shops, before transferring you, to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight stay at: Hotel des Mille Collines
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6: Departure
Day Itinerary
Today, our tour comes to an end, and depending on your flight time, we may have more to see before we fly out.
After getting done with your relaxed morning breakfast, depending on your flight time, if morning flight, drop off to the airport, and if flight is in the evening, you will decide to do, Kigali city tour, visit Kigali genocide memorial ground or drive to the south, to visit Nyamata and Ntarama, genocide memorial ground or you can decide to head to the local markets, and art and craft markets for shopping and later have lunch before, you will be transferred to the airport to catch up with your onward flight. End of service!
Meal Plan: Breakfast & lunch.
This safari package includes.
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- Gorilla habituation permit per person
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Canopy walk permit
- Boat ride on Lake Kivu
- King Palace Museums visit
- En-route lunches
- Kigali city tour
- Services of English speaking driver/guide
- Bottles of mineral water
- Fun and other excursions as mentioned in the itinerary.
The package excludes expenses of personal nature like:
- Visa Fees & flights
- Optional activities
- Tips & gratuities
- Laundry
- Alcoholic drinks
- International vaccinations
- Health test requirements
- Porter fees while trekking
- Personal travel Insurance
- Personal shopping bills
- Phone call bills
- Extras while at the hotel
- Items of personal nature
Please contact us for a free detailed quote on the option of your choice. We can tailor a request that suits your interests, and budget, as well as we can change or upgrade the lodge options. Write to us with more details about your safari.