The Tour Overview
This package comprises tracking chimpanzees in the Nyungwe Forest National Park and also trekking both the mountain gorillas and the lowland gorillas of the Volcanoes National Park and the Kahuzi Biega National Park respectively. It also has the Nyiragongo Hiking in the Virunga National Park package and the boat ride on Lake Kivu as well.
Day 1: Travel to the Nyungwe Forest National Park
Travel early in the morning to the Nyungwe National Park which is in Rwanda the only destination where tourists can track chimpanzees. The journey will last about 6 to 7 hours since you will stopover a couple of times, for example when going to have lunch and or when visiting the genocide memorials that are en route the journey. Arrive in the evening and check into your hotel; have lunch and get some rest too.
Accommodation: The Nyungwe Hilltop Lodge, the Gisakura Guesthouse and or the Nyungwe Forest Lodge.
Day 2: Track Chimpanzees
Take a morning meal and after, depart on an hour’s journey to the park headquarters at their briefing point where you will be taken through the guidelines of the park. Trekking takes about 2 to 4 hours while time allocated to spend with these chimps is only an hour. Return to your lodge for lunch before driving to Bukavu town after crossing from Rusizi. Have your overnight stay and dinner at any of the hotels you may opt for.
Accommodation: The Far Horizon, the Orchid Safari Lodge and or the Panorama Hotel.
Day 3: Lowland Gorilla Tracking
Take a short drive that will possibly last an hour and 30 minutes on your way to the Kahuzi Biega National Park headquarters where the briefing will take place. Enjoy some cultural entertainment before beginning your 2 to 5 hour search for the gorillas whose movement determines the time you’ll spend tracking. Take photographs and watch them feed and play for an hour after you have found them before returning to your lodge.
Day 4: Travel to Goma
After enjoying your early breakfast, take a ride by boat to Goma from Bukavu where another guide who is to transfer you to the Virunga National Park from the Goma Landing site will be waiting. These boat rides are however entirely dependent on their schedule and the client’s budget for the tour. Have dinner on arrival and after get some sleep too.
Accommodation: The Mikeno Lodge and or the Lake Lac Hotel.
Day 5: Hike the Mountain Nyiragongo Volcano
Have breakfast and then transfer to Kibati, the starting point for Nyiragongo’s hike where your climbing activity that will last about 6 hours will begin from. When at the top, watch the lava inside the crater of the Nyiragongo Volcano. Enjoy your dinner at the top of the volcano and then get some rest.
Accommodation: The Nyiragongo Tented Cabins
Day 6: Descend and Travel to Gisenyi
Delight in the day’s early breakfast as you prepare to descend all the way to the starting point. Round about mid-morning, you are driven to the city of Goma after which you will crossover to the Rwandan side of the border and traveling to Lake Kivu where you will spend time relaxing on the beach. Have dinner at your lodge then head to rest.
Accommodation: The Discover Youth Hostel and or the Lake Kivu Waterfront Beach Hotel
Day 7: Lake Kivu Boat cruise
Enjoy taking your early morning breakfast then heading to the local fishing villages and communities surrounding the lake for a visit. Have a pleasant time on the 3 hour boat ride with an exciting option of fishing with modern equipment. Head back to your lodge for lunch and later transfer to the Volcanoes National Park passing through the Nile Trails of Congo before arriving at Musanze late in the evening. You can opt to visit the twin lakes in the Volcanoes National Park before going back to your lodge.
Accommodation: The Villa Da Gorilla, the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge and or the Hotel Muhabura.
Day 8: Mountain Gorilla Tracking and Departure
Get up early for breakfast and then spend close to 30 minutes driving to the Volcanoes National Park in time for briefing on the expectations when tracking. Journey into the forest for 2 to 6 hours searching for these primates and after you have had an unforgettable experience with them, return to the hotel for a satisfying lunch. Travel to the Kigali International Airport to catch your flight back home.
Inclusions
- Chimp Trekking Permit
- Eastern Lowland Gorilla Permit
- Nyiragongo Hiking Permit
- Lake Kivu Boat Cruise
- Meals and Drinks
- Transportation
- Guide/Driver
Exclusions
- Rwanda Flights
- Porter Fees
- Personal Needs