4 DAYS NYUNGWE AND KIBUYE PRIMATES AND WILDLIFE SAFARI IN RWANDA

The overview

This safari takes you to Nyungwe and Kibuye. Nyungwe is home to habituated chimps and 12 other Primates species, including a 400-strong troop of habituated Ruwenzori Black & White Colobus, as well as a birder’s paradise with over 300 species, including 16 endemics, and 75 distinct animal species.

Finish with Kibuye, where you’ll tour islands, explore new routes, and trek to the birds’ nest. You will see cultural sites, go fishing with the locals, and relax on the lakeshore. The tour begins and ends in Kigali, and the safari lasts four days.

The highlights

  • A scenic ride across Rwanda’s lovely countryside
  • Chimpanzee trekking
  • Boat cruise, fishing and relaxation at Lake Kivu
  • Canopy walk
  • Exploration of Huye ethnographic museum
  • Visit of Gisakura Tea Estate

Day by day Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer from Kigali to Nyungwe national park via Huye Ethnographic Museum

After breakfast, our driver guide will pick you up from your Kigali hotel and take you to the Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda’s southwest. The travel from Kigali to Nyungwe is approximately 225 km long and takes 5 to 6 hours. You will visit the Huye ethnographic museum. The ethnographic museum, which is also Rwanda’s national museum, displays historical and cultural aspects of Rwanda over time.

It provides resources and information to help you learn about Rwanda’s rich history and cultural heritage. Following the museum visit, you will have lunch before heading on to Nyungwe Forest. The road to Nyungwe from Huye is often winding, affording stunning views of the famous “thousand hills.”

You head to the Gisakura Tea Estate in the evening, where you’ll learn about the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and packing of tea. You will even get to taste the delicious finished result.

After head back to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk

After an early breakfast, proceed to the park’s headquarters in Uwinka, where the head ranger will brief you and divide you into trekking groups of eight people each. In Nyungwe Forest National Park, chimpanzee trekking begins early. After receiving a briefing, set out on a 2- to 6-hour hike into the woods to locate these primates. About eighty chimps that have become habituated reside in Nyungwe Park.

While tracking chimpanzees in the bush, you can come across other primate species such as the golden monkey, red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey, and other monkey species. You will be able to observe how the chimps feed and interact with one another for an hour in their natural environment after you locate them. You head back to the lodge to recuperate.

In the afternoon, go along a route that leads to the Canopy go, a 50-meter-long swing bridge supported by massive trees. You will be able to enjoy a spectacular view of the forest from above while watching wildlife move about below you. Return to your hotel for the night after dinner.

All meals are included in the meal plan

Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk

After an early breakfast, proceed to the park’s headquarters in Uwinka, where the head ranger will brief you and divide you into trekking groups of eight people each. In Nyungwe Forest National Park, chimpanzee trekking begins early. After receiving a briefing, set out on a 2- to 6-hour hike into the woods to locate these primates. About eighty chimps that have become habituated reside in Nyungwe Park.

While tracking chimpanzees in the bush, you can come across other primate species such as the golden monkey, red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey, and other monkey species. You will be able to observe how the chimps feed and interact with one another for an hour in their natural environment after you locate them. You head back to the lodge to recuperate.

In the afternoon, go along a route that leads to the Canopy go, a 50-meter-long swing bridge supported by massive trees. You will be able to enjoy a spectacular view of the forest from above while watching wildlife move about below you. Return to your hotel for the night after dinner.

All meals are included in the meal plan

Day 4: Transfer back to Kigali for departure

After a leisurely breakfast, you will embark on a 5-hour trip back to Kigali, where you will have the option to do some last-minute souvenir shopping. Later, depending on your travel schedule, you will be transferred to the airport for your departing flight or to the hotel, bringing this safari to a close.

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Inclusions of this 4 days nyungwe and kibuye primates and wildlife safari in Rwanda

  • Chimpanzee trekking permit
  • Activities mentioned in the itinerary
  • Accommodation provided
  • An English or French speaking professional driver/guide
  • Transportation
  • Taxes/VAT
  • Roundtrip airport transfer
  • Meals as specified in the day-by-day section and drinking water

Exclusions

  • International flights
  • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
  • Tips to guides and porters
  • Personal items like souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees,
  • Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
  • Medical insurance