7 Days Rwanda Primate and Wildlife Safari

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and Transfer to Akagera National Park

Your 7 day Rwanda safari begins with arrival at Kigali International Airport, where you will be welcomed by your Verdant Safaris guide and introduced to your safari programme. After a short briefing, you will begin your journey towards Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda. The drive takes you through beautiful countryside characterised by rolling hills, cultivated farmland and rural communities. Upon reaching the park, you will enter the savannah landscapes and may begin spotting wildlife along the way. Depending on your arrival time, you can enjoy an afternoon or evening game drive, searching for animals such as zebra, giraffe, impala, buffalo and elephants. Akagera is Rwanda’s principal savannah wildlife destination and is home to a wide variety of mammals and bird species.

Accommodation options: Akagera Game Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Camp, Magashi Camp

Meals: (Lunch, Dinner)

Day 2: Akagera National Park Game Drive and Lake Ihema Boat Safari

You will wake up early for a rewarding morning game drive across Akagera National Park. The early hours provide excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing as many animals are active before the heat of the day becomes intense. With your experienced safari guide, you will explore different sections of the park while looking for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes and, with some luck, lions, leopards and rhinoceros. Akagera combines open plains, woodland, lakes, wetlands and low mountains, creating a diverse environment for wildlife. After lunch and some relaxation, you will enjoy a boat safari on Lake Ihema, where you can look for hippos, crocodiles and water birds along the shoreline. The experience provides a different perspective of Akagera and is particularly rewarding for photography and bird watching.

Accommodation options: Akagera Game Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Camp, Magashi Camp

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3: Akagera National Park to Kigali and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, you will leave Akagera and travel towards Kigali before continuing north-west towards Volcanoes National Park. The journey takes you through Rwanda’s spectacular countryside, with terraced hills, plantations, villages and scenic mountain views along the way. You may stop in Kigali for lunch and, depending on your schedule, enjoy a short city experience before continuing towards Musanze. As you approach Volcanoes National Park, the landscape changes dramatically, with the impressive Virunga volcanoes rising above the surrounding countryside. Volcanoes National Park protects a remarkable montane ecosystem consisting of bamboo forest, evergreen forest, grassland, swamp and heath, and is famous for its mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Upon arrival, you will check into your lodge and have the evening to relax and prepare for your primate experiences.

Accommodation options: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Virunga Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Today is one of the major highlights of your Rwanda primate safari as you embark on a mountain gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes National Park. After an early breakfast, you will proceed to the park headquarters for briefing before beginning your trek into the forest. The duration and difficulty of the trek can vary depending on where your assigned gorilla family is located, so you should be prepared for several hours of walking over uneven and sometimes steep terrain. Once you locate the gorillas, you will have a carefully managed encounter with these remarkable animals as they feed, rest, move through the forest and interact with one another. Gorilla trekking is conducted with trained guides and trackers, and encounters are managed to support responsible wildlife tourism. After the trek, you will return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation, with the remainder of the afternoon available to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

Accommodation options: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Virunga Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5: Golden Monkey Tracking and Transfer to Nyungwe National Park

After breakfast, you will head back into the Volcanoes region for another exciting primate experience, golden monkey tracking. These distinctive primates are endemic to the Albertine Rift and can be found in the bamboo forests of Volcanoes National Park. You will trek through the forest accompanied by experienced guides and trackers, looking for groups of golden monkeys as they move through the vegetation. Their energetic movements and social behaviour make the experience different from gorilla trekking and provide excellent opportunities for nature photography. After completing the activity, you will return to your lodge for lunch before beginning the long scenic journey towards Nyungwe National Park in southern Rwanda. The drive takes you through some of Rwanda’s most picturesque landscapes, with rolling hills, tea plantations and rural settlements along the way. You will arrive at your Nyungwe accommodation later in the day and relax ahead of the following morning’s chimpanzee tracking experience.

Accommodation options: One&Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, Gisakura Guest House

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6: Chimpanzee Tracking and Nyungwe Canopy Walk

You will wake very early for your chimpanzee tracking experience in Nyungwe National Park. Tracking begins early because chimpanzees are active in the morning, and you will enter the ancient rainforest accompanied by experienced guides and trackers. Nyungwe is one of Africa’s oldest rainforests and supports an impressive variety of primates, including chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys and other species. As you walk through the forest, you will listen for chimpanzee calls and follow signs that help the trackers locate the communities. The terrain can be steep and muddy in places, making suitable walking shoes and comfortable outdoor clothing important. After the chimpanzee experience, you will have lunch and later enjoy the spectacular Nyungwe Canopy Walkway, suspended high above the forest floor and offering panoramic views across the rainforest. You will then return to your lodge for dinner and your final night in the forest.

Accommodation options: One&Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, Gisakura Guest House

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7: Nyungwe National Park to Kigali and Departure

After breakfast, you will begin your journey back to Kigali, bringing your Rwanda primate and wildlife safari to an end. The drive provides another opportunity to appreciate the country’s famous landscape of rolling hills, valleys, farms and rural communities. Depending on your flight schedule, you may stop for lunch and enjoy a brief cultural or sightseeing experience in Kigali before proceeding to Kigali International Airport. If time permits, you can also purchase locally made crafts, coffee or other souvenirs to remember your safari. Your Verdant Safaris guide will ensure that you reach the airport in good time for your departure flight. This marks the conclusion of your 7 Days Rwanda Primate and Wildlife Safari, filled with memorable wildlife encounters, rainforest experiences and spectacular Rwandan scenery.

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch)