Discover Rwanda’s primates with this 7-day Rwanda primates safari. This safari highlights a Rwanda gorilla tracking experience, chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey trekking, colobus monkey trekking, and visits to the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera, plus wildlife viewing in Akagera National Park.
If you want an in-depth experience with primates and a touch of wildlife, this safari is definitely for you.
This 7-day Rwanda safari is featured among our Rwanda group safaris.
For those traveling in groups, we are a Rwanda tour company that offers great discounts to group travelers.
You can choose between a budget safari experience, mid-range, or luxury tour experience depending on your preference.
Please check out the detailed itinerary of this 7-day Rwanda primates safari below.
7-Day Rwanda Primates Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
- Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk
- Day 3: Transfer to Ruhengeri
- Day 4: Gorilla Trekking & Tour Twin Lakes
- Day 5: Golden Monkey Tracking and Transfer to Kigali
- Day 6: Transfer to Akagera National Park
- Day 7: Game Drives and Return to Kigali
Detailed 7-Day Rwanda Primates Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Upon your arrival, our company representative will be waiting for you at the airport.
You will be picked up, briefed about this 7-day Rwanda primates safari, and transferred directly to Nyungwe Forest National Park, about 6 hours away by road, where we should arrive in the late afternoon or evening depending on your time of arrival.
An early arrival allows for stops at Butare Museum and Nyanza Palace for your first taste of Rwanda’s history.
We recommend arriving at Kigali International Airport no later than 9:30 AM (EAT) or the day before to allow enough time at these sites.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk
On the second day of your 7-day Rwanda primates safari, you will get the opportunity to see Rwanda’s chimpanzees in the forests of Nyungwe.
We will start with an early morning breakfast and proceed to Nyungwe Forest headquarters for a briefing on chimpanzee tracking before making our way into the forest for the activity.
Along the way, you may spot other primates, such as monkeys.
For birdwatchers, Nyungwe is a goldmine! Many bird species can be observed as you continue your quest to find chimpanzees.
After a memorable time with the chimps, we will return to our lodge for lunch, then head out for a canopy walk experience in the same forest.
The canopy walk offers an aerial view of Nyungwe Forest and is an excellent opportunity to see more bird species.
Day 3: Transfer to Ruhengeri
After breakfast on the third day, we will embark on a journey to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri, arriving in the late afternoon or evening.
If we arrive early enough, we will enjoy a brief community tour before heading to our accommodation for dinner and overnight as we prepare for the gorilla trekking experience the following day.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking & Tour Twin Lakes
On the fourth day, after an early breakfast, we will head to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing that starts at 7:30 AM.
This briefing will last about an hour before we begin our trek into the misty jungles of Volcanoes National Park to see Rwanda’s gorillas.
Gorilla tracking can take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours, depending on the gorillas’ movements. You should carry packed lunch and refreshments, as there are no shops along the trails.
Once you encounter the gorillas, you will spend a full hour with them, taking photos, bonding, and observing their behavior.
Afterward, we will return to our lodge for lunch and relaxation before an afternoon visit to the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, accompanied by other community activities.
We will then return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Golden Monkey Tracking and Transfer to Kigali
After breakfast on the fifth day, we will head back into the jungles of Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey tracking, which will take up most of the morning.
We will return to the lodge for lunch, then drive to Kigali and transfer to Akagera National Park, arriving late in the evening for dinner and overnight in preparation for wildlife viewing the next day.
Day 6: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After a hearty breakfast, we will set off for our final destination—Akagera National Park, located east of Kigali. This is the last destination of the 7-day Rwanda primates safari.
We will leave as early as 7:00 AM to have enough time to relax and prepare for an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema.
We will arrive at noon for lunch and later enjoy a boat ride, where we will see a variety of aquatic animals such as hippos, crocodiles, and water birds like the papyrus gonolek, African fish eagle, and the shoebill stork.
Akagera offers the best Rwanda wildlife safari experiences and is home to the Big Five game animals.
Day 7: Game Drives and Return to Kigali
On the last day of the 7-day Rwanda primates safari, after breakfast, you will embark on an early morning game drive that offers magnificent views of Rwanda’s wildlife.
You will have the chance to see the Big Five (elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, and buffaloes) along with other wildlife like impalas, hippos, oribis, black-tailed mongooses, zebras, cape elands, antelopes, giraffes, and primates such as olive baboons and vervet monkeys.
After the game drive, we will return to the lodge for lunch, then set off for the journey back to Kigali in the late afternoon.
You will be dropped off at your preferred location or transferred to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight.
End of 7-Day Rwanda Safari.
