8 Days Uganda Rwanda Primates Safari is one of the best primates’ safari experiences in Africa. This safari takes you to Rwanda “The land of a thousand hills” and Uganda “The Pearl of Africa”. In Rwanda, you will take a visit to volcanoes national park and Nyungwe forest national park with a bit of relaxation at lake Kivu. It will also take you to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park which happens to be a park with more than half of the total remaining mountain gorillas in the whole world. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is a home of 20 habituated gorilla families while volcanoes national park Rwanda has 10 habituated gorilla families. Nyungwe forest national park on the other hand is home to chimpanzees and other 12 species of primates.

8 Days Uganda Rwanda Primates Safari highlights

Day 1: Pick up from Kigali

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park – canopy walk

Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and Isumo trail

Day 4: Colobus monkeys – transfer to lake Kivu

Day 5: Transfer to volcanoes national park – Community tour

Day 6: Golden monkey tracking – cross to Uganda

Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Day 8: Kigali and departure

Detailed itinerary 

Day 1: Pick up from Kigali to start 8 Days Uganda Rwanda Primates Safari

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, our driver-guide will be ready to pick you up and transfer you to your booked hotel in Kigali. You will go have lunch relax and wait for dinner as well as an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

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

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park – canopy walk

After delicious morning breakfast, you will start your journey to Nyungwe forest national park located in the southwestern part of Rwanda about a 6 – 7 hours’ drive from the city. You will a stopover for lunch and then proceed to the park. Upon reaching the park you will head to your booked lodge for relaxation as you wait for the afternoon canopy walk session. In the afternoon, your driver-guide will drive you to Uwinka Visitors Centre for a briefing about the canopy walk. You will start your walking trail from there that will take you to the canopy walk which is 50 meters above the ground. During the canopy walk, you will be able to have an aerial view of the park, forest, primates, and birds moving below you. after the canopy walk, you will get back to starting point to meet your driver guide who will drive you back to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and an overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Only & Only Nyungwe hotel – luxury, Nyungwe Top View Lodge – mid-range, Gisakura Guest House – budget

Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and Isumo trail

After morning breakfast, you will be driven to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking. After briefing, you will be grouped into 8 and given a ranger guide to lead you into the jungle in search of these primates. Trekking chimpanzees is much easier than gorilla trekking because chimpanzees jump from one tree to another, playing and laughing. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest usually takes 30 minutes to 5 hours to find these primates depending on their location. On allocating them, you will be given a maximum of 1 hour while observing them, taking pictures, and recording videos. You will have your packed lunch and connect to visit Nyungwe’s biggest waterfall using Isumo trail. The walk is about 4 hours walking up and down the Nyungwe forest. After all this, you will return to your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Only & Only Nyungwe hotel – luxury, Nyungwe Top View Lodge – mid-range, Gisakura Guest House – budget

Day 4: Colobus monkeys – transfer to lake Kivu

After the morning breakfast, you will go through the same procedures as those of chimpanzee trekking. You are then led by the guide into the forest to search for colobus monkeys. These monkeys are quite difficult to spot as they keep jumping from one tree to another however the ranger guides do their best to help you get the best view of the primates. Finding these monkeys takes you about 2 to 5 hours and after allocating them you are given an hour to be with them. After colobus monkey trekking, you will return to your lodge for lunch as you prepare to be transferred to Kibuye with stunning views of Virunga mountains and lake Kivu. You will check-in at your booked lodge near the shores of Lake Kivu, relax as you wait for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Lake Kivu, Serena – luxury, Inzonzi Lodge – mid-range, Paradise Malahide – budget

Day 5: Transfer to volcanoes national park – Community tour

After your breakfast, your driver will be ready to pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Lake Kivu for a morning boat cruise. A boat cruise at lake Kivu takes you 2 hours where you get to see water animals and water birds while enjoying the cool breeze. You will get back to your lodge for lunch and thereafter start on your journey to Musanze town which is a 2 hours’ drive. Upon reaching Musanze, you will have a visit to Iby’Iwacu cultural village where you will meet local people and ex poachers who aim at improving their lives. The village is a rewarding place with Kinyarwanda traditional dances such as Intore dance, traditional ceremonies, and a guided community tour. After all this, you will start on your journey to your booked hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Virunga Lodge – luxury, Da Vinci Lodge – mid-range, Hotel Muhabura – budget

Day 6: Golden monkey tracking – cross to Uganda

After early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters by our drive guide for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during golden monkey trekking. After the briefing, you will connect to the starting point and head into the forest to search for the rare golden monkeys. Golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park can take you 1 to 5 hours and when you meet them you are given one hour to be around them watch them do their day-to-day activities, take photos, and record videos to go and share with family. During golden monkey trekking, you will see other primates such as red tiled monkeys, vervet monkeys and if you are lucky you might see gorillas though you are not allowed to take the pictures.

After golden monkey tracking, you will get back to your hotel for lunch, check out and transfer back to Uganda via the Cyanika border. It takes 2 hours to get to Kisoro town from Musanze. You will then proceed to your booked lodge in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge – luxury, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge – mid-range, Rushaga Gorilla Camp – budget

Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Wake early in the morning to take your breakfast as you wait for your driver guide to transfer you to the park headquarters for briefing about gorilla trekking at 7:00 am, there After you will be given a particular gorilla family to trek and you will also be grouped into a maximum of 8 people per group. With a help of a ranger guide, you’ll then head out to the forest in search of these giant apes. Trekking time for mountain gorillas in Bwindi is unpredictable but it can take you 2 to several hours depending on their location and movement. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park takes you through steep rocks climbing up and down making the activity tiresome but in an adventurous way. When you meet these humble giant primates, you will be given a maximum of an hour to observe them as you watch them go about their daily activities, take photos, and record videos for memories. After gorilla trekking, you will return to the park headquarters for your gorilla trekking certificate then return to your booked lodge to have lunch and relax. Dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Chameleon hill lodge – luxury, Ichumbi gorilla lodge – mid-range, Rushaga gorilla camp – budget

Day 8: Kigali and departure

After early morning breakfast, you will check out of your lodge and our driver will be ready to transfer you back to Kigali via Katuna border. After reaching Kigali city, you will go for lunch. Depending on your time of the flight, you may do a Kigali city tour where you will visit one of the genocide memorials in the city, markets, art galleries as well as shopping malls before you connect to Kigali international airport for your flight back home to end your 8 Days Uganda Rwanda primates safari.

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Tour includes

Transportation

Service of an English-speaking guide

Gorilla trekking permit

Chimpanzee trekking permit

Colobus monkey trekking permit

Canopy walk

Kigali city tour

Accommodation

Meals

Drinking water

Tour excludes

International flights

Visas

Personal expenses

Insurance

Optional activities not included in the itinerary