Explore wildlife and gorillas in Rwanda in the 5 days Rwanda budget safari through visiting the two national parks; Volcanoes and Nyungwe national parks.
Trek the rare mountain gorillas and chimpanzees which are both man’s close cousins, undertake the only canopy walk in East Africa, hike and visit the Dian Fossey graveyard and if time allows visit the town of Kigali where you will learn more about the Rwanda people and culture. The safari is exciting, short and less tiresome, bringing you close to wildlife and local people.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up from Kigali airport to transfer to Volcanoes National park
On the arrival, transfer to volcanoes national park a journey that can take 2 hours’ drive. The road trip rewards you with exciting features such as the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Volcanoes national park is one of the national parks located in Virunga ranges that harbour the rare mountain gorillas that can be trekked only in this region in the whole world.
Other features found in this park are the rare golden monkeys, black-fronted duiker, spotted hyenas, bush bucks, over 300 birds species including common moorhen, long-crested eagle, grey throated tit, paradise flycatcher, red-faced woodland warbler, archer’s ground robin, Rwenzori Batis, Rwenzori double collared sunbird among others. Upon arrival, you will check in the accommodation room and have dinner.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Dian Fossey hiking
Start with breakfast at around 7:00 am and the drive to the park headquarters will follow as you head for briefing where you will receive information about trekking rules, allocated to a group of eight people to trek the gorillas, gorilla families in the park, what to wear and minimum distance to maintain.
An armed park ranger will guide trekkers into the forest to start the search of these great apes and on locating them, you will be allowed with an hour in their presence. After a trek, you will head back to the office of the park where you will be awarded with a certificate of gorilla trekking.
After lunch, hike to Dian Fossey graveyard where a scientist researcher, Dian Fossey was buried. She saved most of the mountain gorillas from poachers, and was also the first person to introduce gorilla habituation in Rwanda but she was later murdered by the poachers in 1985. She is remembered for the love she offered to save these great apes and her research centre still exists. Enjoy the primates and birds as you take a hike, after head back to the lodge for your dinner.
Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe NP
Transfer to Nyungwe national park after breakfast, famous for its primates and among others include chimpanzees mostly referred to as our cousins, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Rwenzori monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys, olive baboons, Mona monkeys and many other plus birds which are over 310 species like red-faced woodland warbler, collared apalis, Ruwenzori batis, regal sunbird and many others. Among other mammals in the park include jackals, mongooses, duikers, spotted hyenas, elephants and leopards. Check in the accommodation on arrival and you will be served with dinner.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe forest
Chimpanzee trekking starts immediately after breakfast at the hotel and briefing at the ranger station by the park warden or ranger guide. Enter the jungle to start a search with the help of park ranger guides fully armed to protect you if there is any attack. You can spend between 2-4 hours trekking depending on where you find the chimpanzees. After trekking you will head to the lodge to get a break and wait for lunch.
Head for a canopy walk – the only one in east Africa where you will be able to spot primates like Owl-faced Monkey, Mona Monkey, Blue Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, Vervet Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Black and White Colobus, Eastern Needle-Clawed Galago, Greater Bush baby, Dwarf Galago, and Olive Baboon and birds like red-faced woodland warbler, collared apalis, Ruwenzori batis, regal sunbird among others.
Day 5: Transfer to Kigali city and a drop off at the airport/hotel
The day starts with a morning breakfast that will be followed with a checkout from the lodge/hotel room and a transfer to Kigali city. If time allows, you will take a short city tour where you will visit the Rwanda genocide memorial centre, presidential palace museum, or local craft / food markets. After lunch, you will be dropped at the airport to fly back home.
