This 5 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee Trek, Karisimbi hike, and gorilla trekking safari gives you the opportunity to explore two of Rwanda’s top primate national parks. During this safari, you will journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking and then drive to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking and to hike Mount Karisimbi.
You will be met by our company representative from Explore Rwanda Tours. You will take a brief city tour as you set off for a longer safari to Nyungwe Forest, taking the southern route. You will make a stopover at the traditional king’s palace at Nyanza and later at the National Museum at Butare for lunch, if time allows.
Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge in Nyungwe.
Begin your Rwanda safari day with an early morning breakfast to warm up your body from the cold of the night and boost your body into chimpanzee-tracking mood. The safari guide will escort you to the ranger guides’ office by 7.45 am to formalize the forest procedures. You will then be led into the forest on the dot of 8.00am for an exciting chimpanzee tracking expedition that averagely takes 4 hours.
Once sighted, you will spend an hour with them, watch them interacting with each other, take photos, and share lots of wilderness information with the ranger guides, then transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Early in the morning, after breakfast and a briefing from the park officials, set off for the gorilla trekking. This gorilla trekking experience is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The rangers will lead you deep into the forest in search of the Gorillas.
You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures whose company you will cherish for 1 hour. The activity in Rwanda can take 3-5 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. In the afternoon, you may go for an optional village tour for a cultural experience with a resident local guide. Return for dinner and overnight stay as above
Wake early, have breakfast, and drive to the park headquarters for a briefing about the activity as early as 7 am. You will then be allocated the ranger guides, and you will head for the hike. Karisimbi volcano is the highest of the 8 mountain peaks of the Virunga Conservation Region.
The hike to the summit offers spectacular and magnificent views of different volcanoes, including Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira volcanoes. The hike is strenuous and challenging, so you need to be physically fit to do this hike. This is a 6-hour hike with great views, different bird species, and primates. On reaching an altitude of about 3700m, you will stop at the first camping site where you will spend the night.
After an early morning cup of coffee, embark on an hour’s hike to the summit. At this level, the hike is very steep, going through trials of thick jungles surrounded by stunning scenery. Upon reaching the summit, enjoy amazing views of the surrounding areas, like Mount Muhabura. After enjoying your time at the summit descent to the starting point where you will meet your driver readily waiting to receive you and connect for late lunch.
Depart for Kigali, arriving in the afternoon. Explore Kigali city if, on the first day, you have not visited, visiting the Kigali genocide, craft shops, markets, and the Kigali Art Gallery. And later connect to the airport to find your scheduled flight back home.
End of the 5 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee Trek, Karisimbi Hike and Gorilla Safari.
