Volcanoes, Kivu & Nyungwe, Rwanda · 6 days · from US$4,950 pp

6-day Rwanda gorillas, Nyungwe chimpanzees and Lake Kivu

the length of a country, in six days

Duration: 6 days, 5 nights
Starts & ends: Kigali International Airport
Parks: Volcanoes and Nyungwe Forest
Permits: Gorilla US$1,500 and chimpanzee US$150, included
Also: Nyungwe canopy walkway
Travel: Private 4x4

Rwanda is the size of Wales, which means you can cross it in a day and still stop for lunch. This itinerary uses that: gorillas on the volcanoes in the north, then the Lake Kivu shore road south to Nyungwe, one of Africa's oldest montane rainforests.

Nyungwe holds around 500 chimpanzees, thirteen primate species and a canopy walkway suspended seventy metres above a ravine. Very few gorilla travellers see it, and most who do rate it second only to the trek.

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Day by day

The 6 days

Day 1
Kigali to Musanze
The two-hour drive north, with the Virungas ahead of you. Afternoon at the Dian Fossey Fund campus in Kinigi.
Day 2
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Briefing at Kinigi at 07:00 and your trek. Afternoon free.
Day 3
South along Lake Kivu
The lakeshore road to Rubavu and on to Karongi — one of the great drives in East Africa. Afternoon on the water.
Day 4
Kivu to Nyungwe
Through tea plantations to the edge of the forest. Afternoon on a waterfall trail or watching L'Hoest's monkeys along the road.
Day 5
Chimpanzee tracking and the canopy walk
An early start for chimpanzees in the Cyamudongo or Uwinka sector, then the suspended canopy walkway in the afternoon.
Day 6
Nyungwe to Kigali
Five hours back to the capital, with time for the Genocide Memorial before an evening flight.

US$4,950per person sharing, from US$4,950 per person sharing in mid-range lodges. US$9,400 and up staying at Bisate and One&Only Nyungwe House.

What's included

Rwanda gorilla permit (US$1,500)
Nyungwe chimpanzee permit (US$150) and canopy walk
All park fees
Private 4x4 and driver-guide for six days
Five nights' accommodation, full board
Kigali transfers, water and taxes

Not included

International flights
Rwanda visa (US$50)
Travel insurance
Porters and tips
Drinks and personal items

Who it suits. Travellers who want to see a whole country rather than one park, without changing airports.

Questions about this trip

How does Nyungwe compare to Kibale for chimpanzees?

Kibale has higher densities and a better success rate. Nyungwe has thirteen primate species, a canopy walkway and far fewer visitors. If you are already in Rwanda, Nyungwe is well worth the drive.

Could I swap Nyungwe for Akagera?

Yes. Akagera is savannah with all of the Big Five since rhino were reintroduced, and it is only two and a half hours east of Kigali, which shortens the trip. We build both.

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