Rwanda Primate Encounter Safari

On your arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly met by your assigned English Speaking safari guide to meet and greet and then drive to your booked hotel in Kigali city to check in, freshen up and then spend rest of the time at your own leisure until it is time to have dinner and an overnight.

Wake up at your convenience to have a delicious breakfast paired with Rwanda’s finest specialty coffee. Enjoy fresh pastries or a traditional Rwandan breakfast while learning about the country’s growing coffee culture. Thereafter breakfast, have yourself ready to be picked up by your assigned safari guide to embark on your full day of exploring Kigali city where you will visit key cultural, historical, and scenic highlights, allowing you to explore the city’s history, art, and modernity. Start your tour with a simple morning hiking safari to Mount Kigali, one of the highest points in the city, for panoramic views of Kigali’s rolling hills and sprawling neighborhoods. This is a great spot for photos and to see how the city blends into the surrounding countryside.
After hiking Mount Kigali, visit to Kigali Genocide Memorial Ground, where more than 250,000 Rwandan victims of the 1994 Genocide were laid to rest in a mass grave. Nearly one million Rwandans, predominantly Tutsis, were brutally murdered by Hutu extremists. The memorial center not only honors the lives lost but also educates visitors about the events leading up to, during, and after the genocide, fostering a message of peace, reconciliation, and hope for the future. As you enter the memorial center, the atmosphere is one of quiet reverence. The tour typically begins with a visit to the gardens surrounding the memorial center, where simple, solemn stones mark mass graves. Here, visitors are encouraged to pay their respects to the victims, often leaving flowers or messages of condolence and reflection. Inside the memorial center, the exhibits provide a comprehensive and harrowing account of the genocide. Through a series of photographs, videos, personal testimonies, and artifacts, you will be taken on a chronological journey that explores the historical context, the horrific events of the genocide, and the aftermath.

After the genocide museum tour, have a delicious lunch and then proceed your tour with a visit to the Inema Arts Center, one of Kigali’s premier galleries and cultural hubs. This contemporary art space features works from some of Rwanda’s leading artists, displaying vibrant paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces. You can also engage with the artists in residence and learn about Rwanda’s growing art scene.
From Inema Arts Center, visit Kimironko Market, Kigali’s largest and busiest market. Wander through the stalls selling everything from fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices to colorful textiles, handmade crafts, and traditional Rwandan baskets. It’s a great place to pick up souvenirs, interact with local vendors, and experience everyday Rwandan life.
Later in the evening, visit the lively Nyamirambo neighborhood, one of Kigali’s most vibrant and culturally diverse districts. Take a walking tour guided by the Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC), an organization that empowers local women through community-driven projects. You will explore the streets, learn about daily life, and see street art, mosques, and local shops and later end your day with a scenic drive through the modern parts of Kigali. Return to your hotel to refresh, have dinner and overnight.

Today also, wake up at your best time to have all your travel bags ready to be loaded into your safari vehicle, have breakfast and then checkout of your hotel to set off for your scenic drive southwards to Nyungwe National Park, with stop at the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza for history, culture, and tradition converge about Rwanda. In olden times, Nyanza was the heart of Rwanda and according to oral tradition, it was the site of battles and power struggles. The Ethnographic Museum at the palace is one of the six museums that make up the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda. The palace was built in 1987 with the help of the Belgian government as a gift from Belgium’s King, and it is now one of Africa’s finest ethnographic collections. Its seven galleries display historical, ethnographic, artistic, and archaeological artifacts accompanied by visual aids, giving visitors a rich insight into the culture of Rwandans. After exploring the Royal Palace and Ethnographic Museum, visit the Ethnographic Museum (Butare National Museum) one of the best ethnographic museums in East Africa. The museum offers a comprehensive collection of artifacts, displays, and exhibits that highlight Rwanda’s cultural, historical, and archaeological heritage. You will gain an in-depth understanding of traditional Rwandan life, from farming techniques and hunting methods to clothing, music, and craftsmanship. After a visit to Butare National Museum, have lunch and later embark on a beautiful 2.5-hour scenic drive towards Nyungwe National Park (approximately 130 km). As you approach the park, you will pass through lush, rolling hills, tea plantations, and dense forest areas, offering stunning views of Rwanda’s natural beauty. Your guide may stop for photos along the way, especially near the expansive tea estates. Upon arrival, check into Nyungwe Top Hill View Lodge, a charming eco-lodge perched on a hill with panoramic views of Nyungwe Forest. Enjoy a refreshing welcome drink as you settle into your comfortable cottage. The lodge’s elevated position offers spectacular views of the surrounding forests and tea plantations, making it the perfect place to unwind after a day of exploration. Have dinner and overnight.

After your hearty breakfast, leave the lodge and drive to Nyungwe National Park, one of Africa’s oldest and most well-preserved montane rainforests. Spanning over 1,000 square kilometers, this park is a biodiversity hotspot, renowned for its dense canopy, rich wildlife, and stunning landscapes. As one of Rwanda’s premier conservation areas, Nyungwe offers a unique combination of natural beauty, adventure, and cultural experiences, making it a must-visit destination for nature lovers and eco-tourists. The park is particularly famous for its primate population and it hosts 13 different primate species, making about 20-25% of all the primates of Africa such as chimpanzees, Grey-cheeked mangabeys, Angolan Colobus monkeys, Olive baboon, Crowned monkey, Red-tailed monkey, owl-faced and many others. On your arrival at the park, drive straight to the park information office to meet other guests for the pre-walk briefings and later start the walk. The Nyungwe Canopy Walk is a unique experience that will allow you to explore the forest from a different perspective. This 160-meter-long suspension bridge, located 50 meters above the forest floor, offers breathtaking views of the rainforest canopy and the distant mountains. As you walk across the bridge, expect to enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest, and with opportunities to spot birds, butterflies, and monkeys in the treetops. This walk is part of the Igishigishigi trail the high suspension bridge with views over the valley and surrounding forests. The canopy walk is about 2 hours walk, these include a 30-minute walk to the bridge, 1 hour on the bridge and a walk back. The forest canopy walk experience is an ideal opportunity to enjoy the canopy views of the forest and you may have a chance to spot several wildlife species like some primate and birdlife. Thereafter the canopy walk safari, have some refreshments, return to your lodge to have lunch, refresh and then spend the evening at your own leisure until it is time to have dinner and an overnight.
Note: On this day, you may decide to do both canopy walk experience and chimpanzee trekking experience. Nyunwge is home to 13 different species of primate making about 20- 25% of all the primates of Africa such as Grey-cheeked mangabeys, Angolan Colobus monkeys, Olive baboon, Velvet monkeys, Crowned monkey, Red-tailed monkey, owl-faced and many others in chimpanzees our closest relatives sharing 98.8% human DNA. On your arrival at the park, drive to the park information office to meet other guests for the pre-tracking briefings for the guidelines to follow during chimpanzee tracking, get allocated to a chimpanzee family to track and then set off for a forest walk to search for the chimpanzees. Once you meet them, you will have a maximum of one hour to stay with them, taking as many photos as you would want and asking questions. During chimpanzee tracking, you may encounter other primates and many bird species. Your guide will be able to give you much information about everything that you will encounter that will make your walk so adventurous. After chimpanzee tracking, return to the starting point to meet your safari guide, and later drive back to your lodge to have lunch, refresh and spend the evening at leisure until it is time to have dinner and an overnight.

Today, wake up at your convenience to have your travel bags ready to check out of your room, enjoy a hearty breakfast and then depart from Nyungwe National Park to Volcanoes national park with a stopover at the Gisakura Tea Estate, which is about a 15-20 minute drive from the park. While at the Gisakura Tea Estate, you will take a walk through the lush tea plantations, with stunning views of the surrounding hills, experience a tea-tasting session and learn about Rwanda’s tea industry. Do not miss the interactive and visual presentation revealing the process of growing and processing African tealeaves. No demonstration would be complete without a taste, so you will have the chance to sample some beautiful black tea grown in the local area of Gisakura. After the tea experience, proceed with your journey to Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Rift Valley lakes surrounded by magnificent mountains and has deep emerald green waters covering a surface area of 2,700 km2. Lake Kivu is Rwanda’s largest lake and the sixth largest in Africa. On arrival, check in at your booked hotel, have lunch, refresh and then spend the evening at your own leisure while enjoying the atmosphere at your hotel until it is time to have dinner and an overnight.

Today, wake at your convenient time, be served breakfast, get on a boat and cruise from Gisenyi to Nyamirundi island where you will have an experience of a delightful journey into the heart of Rwandan coffee culture, set against the backdrop of the stunning Lake Kivu. This experience will offer you a unique opportunity to have the entire knowledge of the coffee-making process, from bean to cup, while surrounded by the natural beauty of one of Africa’s most picturesque regions. The coffee experience begins with a guided tour of the plantation, where you can learn about the cultivation process from local farmers who have perfected their craft over generations. The tour offers insights into the planting, nurturing, and harvesting of coffee cherries, as well as the traditional methods used to ensure the highest quality beans. The island’s farmers are passionate about their work, and their enthusiasm is infectious as they share stories and techniques passed down through the years. One of the most engaging parts of the Nyamirundi Island Coffee Experience is the hands-on opportunity to participate in the coffee-making process. You will pick ripe coffee cherries and prepare them for processing. You’ll witness the traditional methods of drying, roasting, and grinding the beans, gaining a deeper appreciation for the labor and care that goes into every cup of coffee. The culmination of the tasting experience. As you sit back and relax on the island, you’ll be treated to a freshly brewed cup of coffee made from the very beans you helped prepare. In addition to the coffee experience, the Island provides a peaceful escape, where you can explore the island’s natural beauty, enjoy a picnic by the lakeside, or simply unwind in the tranquil environment. The experience is not just about coffee; it’s about connecting with the local community, understanding their way of life, and appreciating the hard work that goes into one of the world’s most beloved beverages. After the coffee experience, get on the boat and sail back to the mainland to have lunch and drive to Volcanoes national park, one of the only four national parks in the world that inhabits the mountain gorillas. The park covers an area of about 160 km² of rainforest and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes found in the Virunga Mountains, namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo where it derived its name. The park is part of the Virunga Conservation Area, which includes Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park in DR Congo and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda. On arrival at Volcanoes national park before checking at your booked lodge, visit the Iby’ Iwacu cultural village commonly known as “Gorilla guardians’ village” for a cultural walk. The Gorilla Guardian cultural village is well known for combining all of Rwanda’s known cultural traditions, people and history into one place for display and a personal experience. This will get you to see what life was like in a typical African society setting such as the lifestyle, houses, traditional dances, dressing code, food, and herbs and how the ancient kingdoms were generally organized. In addition, you will have an opportunity to learn African ancient hunting skills, try weaving baskets/mats, carpentry that provides a unique experience and it is a great place for relaxation and purchasing some locally handmade craft souvenirs to keep your memories. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight

Today, wake up very early in the morning to have your backpack ready. Dress up in the recommended style for the best mountain gorilla trekking experience. long trousers, possibly khaki or jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, water-proof hiking shoes, a water-proof jacket, a round hut, and heavy-duty gloves. This is due to the unpredictable weather conditions in the forest, it can rain at any particular time of the day, and then, for protection, Later, you will be served breakfast, get boxes of your packed lunch, and meet your safari guide to drive to the park information centre for the pre-gorilla trekking briefing, where you will be informed about the dos and don’ts during gorilla trekking, what the expectations are during gorilla trekking, how to behave while in the presence of the gorillas, and many other things. You will be joined in groups of eight people per group and then be assigned a particular gorilla family for tracking, with two gun-baring rangers (for your security) and a tracker/guide with a machete to lead your way during the forest walk while searching for the magical mountain gorillas. After the pre-gorilla trekking experience, your group of eight trekkers will continue into the dense forest, following various forest trails in search of the allocated mountain gorilla family. The time taken while searching for the mountain gorillas is not known, but it can be anywhere between 45 minutes and 6 hours, depending on the location and the movements of your allocated gorilla family on that day. Therefore, you need to be mentally and physically fit and prepared for multiple hours of forest walking over uneven and steep terrain. So, it is better to ask to be assigned near a gorilla family. if you are not fit to manage multiple hours in the forest. If you consider yourself fit, choosing a challenging family will be more fun and enjoyable because you will have the opportunity to encounter several wildlife species that live in this forest, and the longer you stay in the jungle, the more you will enjoy it and have opportunities to see many things.
During the forest walk in search of the mountain gorillas, you may encounter other wildlife species since Volcanoes National Park hosts numerous species, including chimpanzees, African elephants, l’Hoest’s monkey, and many others, plus birds, and your forest guide will keep on giving you information regarding everything that you will encounter that will make you enjoy your forest time. Once you meet your assigned mountain gorilla family, you will have one full hour to interact with the magical mountain gorillas. You will be required to keep a low tone, and you will be free to take as many photos as you want as well as ask as many questions as you want to your guides regarding the gorillas. Get ready to encounter Mr. Silverback, who is the head and determines the movements of the entire family. Mothers nurse the young ones, and the juveniles entertain the family, which makes a stay with them so amazing. It is advisable to avoid looking directly into the eyes of the gorillas. In the event of a chance encounter with the gorillas, it is always important to stay calm and quiet and let them pass because running away or making any kind of noise may disrupt the gorillas, causing them to behave wildly despite being habituated. The chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Rwanda stand at 99% on any particular day. After an hour with the magical mountain gorilla, return to the starting point and meet your safari guide to have some refreshments, and then drive back to your lodge to have lunch, and then spend the rest of your time at leisure while reflecting on your great moments during the mountain gorilla trekking experience until it is time to have dinner and an overnight

Wake up very early in the morning to have breakfast and transfer to the park information offices for the pre-trekking briefings for the guidelines to follow during golden monkey tracking, and then start the forest hike to search for the beautiful golden monkeys. Golden monkeys are species of the Old-World monkey only found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, including four national parks: Mgahinga gorilla national park, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes national park, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga national park and Kahuzi-Biéga, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Compared with other monkey species, the golden monkeys are gorgeous in appearance, they have brightly colored fur with long golden hair mixed with orange. The overall estimate currently stands between 2000 and 4000 individuals, and since they are only found in the Virungas conservation area, they have been classified as endangered species. After your trek, you will return to the lodge to have lunch, check out of your lodge, and then begin the drive back to Kigali International Airport, which takes about 2-3 hours depending on traffic conditions. On arrival at Kigali city, before driving back to the airport to prepare for the return flight, you will have some free time in Kigali city while enjoying some live entertainment until it is 9pm to have dinner and later at midnight transfer to the airport to prepare for the return flight. This will conclude your 8-day Rwanda primate encounter safari, taking with you unforgettable memories of Rwanda’s incredible wildlife and landscapes.