Rainforest Chimps, Lake Kivu and Mountain Gorillas
This 7-day private safari takes an unhurried route through Rwanda’s primate country. After a first night in Kigali, you’ll drive southwest via the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza to Nyungwe National Park for a chimpanzee trek, a colobus monkey trek and a zipline ride over the rainforest. Next comes a night in Kibuye on Lake Kivu, with a boat trip to Napoleon Island.
The last days belong to Volcanoes National Park: a gorilla trek, the Gorilla Guardians Village and a golden monkey trek. Our 7-day wildlife and primates safari spends two days in Akagera instead; this tour swaps those game drives for the zipline, a lakeside night and golden monkeys, so it suits travelers who care most about primates.
Why You’ll Love This Safari
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Trip Details
Trip Details
Price
Price on request. Tell us your dates and group size, and we’ll send you a quote.
Meeting point
Kigali International Airport
Availability
Year-round, 7 days a week
Duration
7 days
Group size
Min. 1 person
Included
- Park fees (for non-residents)
- Gorilla permits (one per person, non-resident)
- Chimpanzee trekking permits (one per person, non-resident)
- Golden monkey permit for Volcanoes National Park (one per person, non-resident)
- Colobus monkey trek in Nyungwe National Park
- Zipline in Nyungwe National Park
- Boat trip on Lake Kivu to Napoleon Island
- Visits to the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza and the Gorilla Guardians Village
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodations (unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- Private safari vehicle: a 4×4 Land Cruiser, Toyota Prado or safari van, depending on group size
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water (Days 1 to 6)
Not included
- International flights (from/to home)
- Additional accommodations before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
- Porter fees
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Some meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
What to bring
- Waterproof jacket
- Rain pants (trails can be wet and slippery)
- Warm jacket (early mornings can be cold)
- Neutral-colored clothing (avoid bright colors)
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Long pants
- Good hiking shoes
- Gaiters (for mud and nettles)
- Hat
- Gloves
- Light backpack
- Sunscreen
- Snacks
- Face mask (worn near the primates)
- Binoculars
- Insect repellent
Participation requirements
Min. age of 15 years old required to participate in this tour. No fitness test is required, but the treks can be steep and muddy, and a reasonable level of fitness helps.
About your guide
Your safari will be led by an experienced local guide who will share facts about the wildlife, landscapes, and culture. Your guide is dedicated to ensuring your safari is safe, informative, and tailored to your interests.
What You’ll See & Do
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Your safari guide will be waiting for you at Kigali International Airport and will drive you to your hotel in the city. The rest of the day is free, so you can sleep off the flight, take a short walk nearby or simply settle in.
Later, your guide will brief you on the week ahead: the drive southwest to Nyungwe, the 5:00 AM start for the chimpanzee trek, what to wear in the forest and on the volcano slopes, and how the days fit together. It’s a good moment to ask about permits, luggage or the pace of the trip before you sit down to dinner at the hotel.
Meals Included: Dinner
Overnight: Kigali
Day 2: Kigali to Nyungwe via the King’s Palace Museum
After an early breakfast, you’ll leave Kigali and head southwest toward Nyungwe National Park. Your first stop is Nyanza, where the King’s Palace Museum gives you a grounding in Rwanda’s royal history and culture before the wildlife days begin.
From Nyanza, the road carries on through rolling hills and past tea plantations to the edge of the forest. You’ll check in at your lodge in time for lunch and have the afternoon to unwind and enjoy the forest setting. Dinner is served at the lodge, and an early night is a good idea, as tomorrow’s trek starts before dawn.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Nyungwe area
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trek and Colobus Monkeys
The chimpanzee trek starts at 5:00 AM. After a ranger briefing, you’ll follow experienced trackers into the rainforest. Chimps move fast and range widely, so the walk can be longer or shorter depending on conditions and where the community has gone. When you find them, wearing your face mask, you’ll watch them play, feed and call to each other in the trees.
After lunch and some downtime at the lodge, you’ll head out again in the afternoon to find Angolan black-and-white colobus monkeys. Nyungwe has one of the largest troops in Africa, and your guide will point out the forest’s plants and birds along the way.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Nyungwe area
Day 4: Nyungwe Zipline and Drive to Kibuye on Lake Kivu
After a hearty breakfast, you’ll head into the forest for the zipline, gliding high above the canopy with wide views over Nyungwe, one of the oldest and richest rainforests in Africa. You’ll be back at the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you’ll leave Nyungwe and drive to Kibuye, also known as Karongi, a small town on the shore of Lake Kivu. After checking in at your hotel, the rest of the day is free to sit by the water, take a short walk along the lake or simply rest after two busy forest days. Dinner is at the hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Kibuye (Lake Kivu)
Day 5: Napoleon Island Boat Trip and Drive to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, you’ll head out by boat across Lake Kivu to Napoleon Island, home to a large colony of fruit bats that hang in the island’s trees. With luck, you may also spot vervet monkeys. The calm morning on the water makes a restful change after the forest days.
You’ll return to the hotel for lunch, then set off north through the countryside to Volcanoes National Park. After checking in at your lodge near the park, you’ll have time to unpack, lay out your trekking clothes and talk through tomorrow’s gorilla trek with your guide over dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Volcanoes National Park area
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Guardians Village
This is gorilla day. After an early breakfast, your guide drives you to the park headquarters at Kinigi for the 7:00 AM briefing, where rangers explain the rules and assign your group to a habituated gorilla family. The trek follows forest trails on the volcano slopes and usually takes two to five hours, though it can be longer or shorter depending on conditions and where the family is. When you reach the gorillas, put on your face mask and enjoy a full hour in their company.
Back at the lodge, you’ll have lunch and a rest. In the afternoon, the Gorilla Guardians Village (formerly Iby’Iwacu) welcomes you with traditional music and dance and a look at Rwandan customs.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Volcanoes National Park area
Day 7: Golden Monkey Trek and Return to Kigali
Your last morning starts with an early breakfast and a guided golden monkey trek in the park’s bamboo forest. These rare monkeys, with their bright golden-orange coats, are lively and curious, and you’ll watch a troop feed and move through the bamboo.
Afterward, you’ll drive about two and a half hours back to Kigali through Rwanda’s hills. Along the way there is a chance to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the busy Kimironko Market before your guide drops you at your hotel or Kigali International Airport for your onward journey.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Frequently Asked Questions
Our 7-day Rwanda wildlife and primates safari spends two days on game drives in Akagera National Park. This tour has no Akagera. Instead, it adds an arrival night in Kigali, the Nyungwe zipline, a night in Kibuye on Lake Kivu and a golden monkey trek. Choose it if primates and scenery matter more to you than savanna wildlife. Our 10-day best of Rwanda safari covers both.
No fitness test is required, but the chimpanzee and gorilla treks can be steep and muddy, and a reasonable level of fitness helps. Rain can make trails slippery, so bring waterproof gear. Treks can be longer or shorter depending on conditions and where the animals are. The colobus and golden monkey treks are usually gentler. Porters can carry your bag; porter fees are not included.
We quote the price for your dates and group size. It includes one gorilla, one chimpanzee and one golden monkey permit per person, park fees for non-residents, the colobus trek, the zipline, the Lake Kivu boat trip, the museum and village visits, six nights’ accommodation, meals as listed, your driver/guide, a private safari vehicle and airport transfers. Tips, porter fees and visas are not included.
For how gorilla permits are priced and booked, see our gorilla trekking permit cost guide and our guide to the full cost of a gorilla trek.
It suits travelers who want chimpanzees, mountain gorillas and golden monkeys at a steady pace, with a lake day to rest in the middle. Everyone must be at least 15, the Rwanda Development Board’s minimum age for gorilla trekking. Please wear a face mask near the primates to protect them from coughs and flu. With only five days, our 5-day primates safari covers the same parks without the zipline or Kibuye night.
Book as early as you can, since gorilla permits are limited each day, and about six months ahead for July and August. A 50% deposit confirms your booking and lets us secure your permits. Because this is a private tour, we can add days, for example game drives in Akagera National Park or extra nights in Kigali.
Our guide to the best time for gorilla trekking compares the dry and rainy months.
