This 6 days Rwanda chimpanzees and wildlife safari will take you to Akagera the only savannah park in Rwanda where you will see many animals like elephants, zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes, leopards, bushbucks, hippos, Nile crocodiles among others. You will go for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema the largest lake in Akagera and second-largest in Rwanda. You will also take a visit to Nyungwe forest national park the only place with chimpanzees and canopy walk in Rwanda.

6 Days Rwanda chimpanzees and wildlife safari highlights

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to hotel

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

Day 4: Transfer to Akagera national park

Day 5: Morning game drive and Afternoon boat cruise

Day 6: Departure to Kigali

Detailed itinerary 

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to hotel

Depending on the time of arrival, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and later drive you to your hotel in Kigali for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Dinner

Accommodation: Kigali Marriott hotel – luxury, Heaven boutique hotel – mid-range, Yambi guesthouse – budget

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

After morning breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you for a transfer to Nyungwe forest national park. Nyungwe forest national park is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda and it’s the only park harboring primates like chimpanzees, olive baboons, golden monkeys among others. On your way to Nyungwe, you will have a stopover at the king’s palace where you will watch the long-horned cattle which play an important role during ceremonies in honor of the king. You will also take a visit to the museum in Nyanza where you will see different collections of Africa’s traditional materials. After the tour, you will have an en-route lunch and continue with the journey to Nyungwe forest national park and upon arrival, you will check into your lodge, relax, get dinner, and have an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe house – luxury, Nyungwe top – view lodge – mid-range, Gisakura guest house – budget

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

After early morning breakfast, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer you to the park headquarters for a briefing about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek, a park guide to lead you into the forest in search of these primates. Finding chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on their location because sometimes they move deep in the forest in search of food. Once you meet face to face with chimpanzees, you will be given a maximum of one hour to stay with them in their natural habitats as get to learn about their lifestyles, behaviors, see them do daily activities such as breastfeeding, hunting, take photos, and record videos. After an hour with chimpanzees, you will get back to the starting point and meet your driver for a transfer back to the lodge for lunch.

After enjoying your lunch, you will go for the canopy walk which is the best in east Africa opened in 2010. The canopy walk starts with a briefing at the Uwinka Visitors’ Center after which start on the journey through the huge tall trees 50 meters above the forest. During the canopy walk, you will have beautiful views of the forest, birds, see some primates like monkeys, tree species among others. After the canopy walk, you will trek back to the starting point, meet your driver-guide and drive back to the lodge for dinner, relaxation, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe house – luxury, Nyungwe top – view lodge – mid-range, Gisakura guest house – budget

Day 4: Transfer to Akagera national park

After enjoying your breakfast on the 4th day of 6 days chimpanzee and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver-guide who will transfer you to Akagera national park. The journey is long taking you about 7 hours therefore you will have a stopover for lunch and proceed the journey with great views of the landscape, terraced farmlands, rolling hills, smiling people, and many others. Upon arrival in Akagera national park, you will proceed and check-in at your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Magashi camp – luxury, Ruzizi tented camp – mid range, Mutumba campsite – budget

Day 5: Morning game drive and Afternoon boat cruise

After morning breakfast, the driver guide will pick you and take you for a game drive in the park. During the game drive, expect to see animals such as oribi, topi, cape elands, waterbucks, roam antelopes, zebras, elephants, buffaloes, wild dogs, warthogs, duikers, bushbucks, impalas, sitatungas, bohor reedbuck, klipspringer, and if you are lucky you will see predators like lions and leopards. You will also see primates like vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, bush babies, olive baboons, birds such as hornbills, lesser kestrel, hadada ibis, grey-backed fiscal, cattle egret, long-crested eagle, pied cow among others, enjoy beautiful views of the landscape, flora, sunrise, different lakes as you take pictures and record videos. After the game drive, you will get back to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon your driver-guide will drive you to Lake Ihema for an amazing boat cruise. The lake is the biggest in Akagera national park. The boat cruise will start at 3:30 pm and will take you 2 to 3 hours. During the boat cruise, you will enjoy the cool breeze of the lake, take pictures with beautiful views of the surrounding area, watch the large concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the waters. You will also see animals like elephants, warthogs, buffaloes, waterbucks, and much more on the lake shores, water birds like prehistoric shoebill stork, African wattled plover, papyrus gonolek, cormorants, pied and malachite kingfisher, African fish eagle, bee-eaters, egrets, open billed stork among others. After the boat cruise, you will meet your safari driver and drive back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Magashi camp – luxury, Ruzizi tented camp – mid range, Mutumba campsite – budget

Day 6: Departure to Kigali

After your morning breakfast on the last day of your safari, you will meet up with your guide to transfer you to Kigali for a city tour. During the Kigali city tour, you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial center, art galleries, Kimironko market. After the city tour, you will go for lunch at any of the restaurants and later be dropped off at Kigali international airport to end your 6 days Rwanda chimpanzees and wildlife safari

This tour can be extended to Volcanoes national park for mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking and other amazing tourist activities with in the park

Meal plan

Breakfast

Lunch

Tour includes

Chimpanzee trekking permit

Canopy walk

Kigali city tour

Boat cruise

Park entrance fee

Service of an English-speaking guide

Accommodation

Meals

Transport

Drinking water

Tour excludes

Insurance

Air flight tickets

Tips

Personal expenses

Optional activities