A bespoke gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda offers a personalized experience, allowing you to tailor the itinerary to your interests and preferences. This can include choosing specific parks like Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking and Nyungwe National Forest for chimpanzee trekking.
You can also adjust the duration of your trip and add activities like canopy walks or cultural experiences. Some operators specialize in creating luxury or budget-friendly options for ensuring an unforgettable adventure.
Your safari begins in Kigali, Rwanda’s clean, safe and vibrant capital city. Upon arrival, you will be personally welcomed with VIP assistance at the airport and transferred to your luxury boutique hotel. Have a private meet and greet at Kigali International Airport with your driver/guide.
Later, transfer to your hotel with a brief city orientation. In the evening, you can have a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a poignant but essential site that provides historical context and showcases Rwanda’s journey of resilience. Or you can have an optional visit to local markets, art galleries or coffee shops. Spend your night and dinner at the Retreat by Heaven, a five-star eco-luxury hotel with spa, saltwater pool and gourmet cuisine.
The following day, you will embark on your journey to Volcanoes National Park. After breakfast, begin your private journey northwest through Rwanda’s lush hills to the Volcanoes National Park in Musanze District, a home to the rare mountain gorillas. Your private scenic drive may approximately take about 2.5 hours while using road transport. You can optionally use helicopter flight to save time.
You can have stopover at Twin Lakes (Burera & Ruhondo) for stunning photography. Arrive at your luxury lodge and settle in for lunch and some bit of relaxation.
In the afternoon, have a relaxed orientation allowing you to acclimatize and prepare for the upcoming gorilla trekking experience. Local guides will share insights about the park’s unique ecosystem and the critical conservation work protecting these magnificent creatures.
Lunch, dinner and overnight stay at Bisate Lodge which is set in an eroded volcanic cone, offering panoramic views, forest conservation ethos and ultra-private forest villas
This following day, you will trek through the dense rainforest of the Virunga Mountains to meet a family of mountain gorillas, an awe-inspiring and emotional wildlife encounter. Have breakfast and head to the park headquarters for the early morning briefing about what is done while trekking gorillas.
Trek with experienced guides and porters to find one of the 12 habituated gorilla families. Spend one full hour with the gorillas once located and observe them eat, play and interact with fellows. Return to lodge for hot lunch. You can spend your afternoon at leisure as you rest, massage or go for a guided forest walk to spot more primates.
This morning, go for a golden monkey trekking experience. The trek starts with a briefing at the park headquarters. Have an easier trek through bamboo forests. Encounter with these playful and photogenic primates upon seeing them for 1 hour.
In the afternoon after having lunch, visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village where you will meet and interact with the former poachers turned conservationists, learn traditional music, dance, and local customs. Return to Bisate Lodge for dinner and sleepovers.
Today, have a scenic drive transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Travel south along the breathtaking shores of Lake Kivu toward the ancient rain forests of Nyungwe Forest National Park, a biodiversity hotspot known for chimpanzees and canopy walks. The scenic drive will have a picnic lunch with photo stops.
Alternatively, you can have a private charter flight from Musanze to Nyungwe airstrip.
Arrival at your luxury lodge, nestled in a working tea plantation beside the forest
In the afternoon, you can have a tea experience. Experiencing tea culture in Nyungwe National Park offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural immersion. The Gisakura Tea Plantation, nestled on the western edge of Nyungwe Forest, provides an authentic insight into Rwanda’s tea industry. You can alternatively spend your afternoon at relaxation at the spa treatment.
Lunch, dinner and overnight stay at One&Only Nyungwe House, a five-star wilderness retreat with forest-view suites and infinity pool
Today, rise early for a thrilling adventure in search of wild chimpanzees, Rwanda’s most vocal and energetic primates, followed by a walk in the treetops for breathtaking views. Start the adventure with a briefing at the park headquarters with the expert rangers about the rules and guidelines followed while trekking chimpanzees.
Trek into the forest and spend 1 hour observing chimpanzees as they feed, call and leap through the canopy. Return to lodge for late breakfast or lunch.
Afternoon Canopy Walk: 90-minute walk on suspension bridges 50m above the forest floor – ideal for bird watching and scenic views. Evening fire pit storytelling or stargazing session.
Today, your unforgettable primate safari ends. Reflect on your journey as you return to Kigali for your international flight back home or to the next destination.
Start your day with a leisurely breakfast and nature walk or tea factory tour. Later, have a private drive back to Kigali. Have optional lunch stop at Hotel des Mille Collines (featured in Hotel Rwanda). Drop-off at Kigali International Airport for your evening departure.
