Gorillas and Chimpanzees

Depart Johannesburg on your scheduled flight to Kigali, where on arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis at Hotel des Mille Collines

After breakfast you will depart for Butare the second largest city of Rwanda and is regarded as the intellectual city of Rwanda. It hosts the National Museum, several academic (University) and research institutions.

On your way to Butare you will visit Nyanza (currently Nyabisindu) the former Mwami's palace (King's palace) and the seat of the feudal monarchy. The palace has been reconstructed to its 19th century state and shows a traditional dome that can be compared with the Kabaka's palace of Buganda.

You will visit the National Museum which is one the well set-up if not the finest ethnographic museum of East Africa. It's a good source of information on the cultural history of Rwanda and the region.

After the visit of the museum you will have a spectacular performance of the national ballet with the Intore-dancers. The performance is regarded by many as one of the highlights of your safari. Lunch is foreseen in Butare and in the afternoon we will drive to Nynungwe Forest NP. Your driver-guide will stop at the Uwinka offices to have the last update on the presence of the semi-habituated groups of chimps and colobus monkeys. This will help you to prepare your activities of the next day.

Overnight on a full board basis at Nyungwe Forest Lodge

Nyungwe Forest NP is a paradise for hikers. The terrain is rugged and steep, and you will be at relatively high elevation. Wear good hiking shoes and bring warm clothing!

Your driver-guide will accommodate you according to the activities of your choice!

Your day will start with an early breakfast and a briefing at Uwinka tourist information center. Depending on your personal interests you will have a choice of different opportunities to explore the largest high altitude rainforest of East Africa! Of a particular interest are the large social groups of Angolan Colobus (Colobus angolensis), which may be over 300 individuals. These are the largest troops of this species known in the world! Nyungwe forest counts 25% of the African Primates!

One of these groups is semi-habituated and we recommend to start your exploration with a guided primate walk in search of the Angolan Colobus monkeys (black and white Colobus)! Rangers will tell you approximately where the group is located and the hiking times may vary as the group is traveling continuously looking for food. Be prepared to have a more strenuous hiking!

Alternatively when if the chimps are nearby we recommend to have a chimp tracking experience in Nyungwe! There has been a remarkable improvement in their habituation with better success in seeing them!

In the afternoon when there is time left you can continue your exploration. There are different beautiful trails available and the superb waterfall trail of Gisakura is probably the most rewarding. The hiking time is 2 up to 3 hours and is a very enjoyable hike accessible to everybody! If you missed the Angolan Colobus you can have another try near to the tea factory where another troop is hosted.

Nyungwe Forest is the only place in Africa where troops of 300 black-and-white colobus monkeys (Angolan Colobus) can be seen jumping in the trees! A spectacular sight!

Overnight on a full board basis at Nyungwe Forest Lodge

After breakfast you will be transferred to Volcanoes NP. You will stop in (Huy) Butare fort some shopping and have lunch in Kigali before heading to Kinigi. Arrival in the late afternoon.

Overnight on a full board basis at Virunga Lodge

After breakfast, you will depart for the Headquarters of the Park where your driver-guide will accomplish the necessary formalities for you. You will meet your ranger guide(s) for a briefing about the greatest animal experience ever! - Gorilla Trekking!

Overnight on a full board basis at Virunga Lodge

This morning you will depart back to Kigali. En route to the airport, and time depending, you will do a short city tour with a visit to the genocide memorial.

Round trip coach air on South African Airways from Johannesburg (JNB) to Kigali; Accommodation as per the itinerary; Meals as per the itinerary; 1x Gorilla Trekking permit