7 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Chimp By Sopa Trails Africa

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by our representative, outside the airport arrivals section and transferred to your hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive south for a visit of the historical towns of Nyanza and Butare. Visit the Nyanza Kings Palace and the Huye ethnographic museum. Lunch en route. Proceed to your lodge.

04h30: Start early for early morning forest nature walk in the park tracking Chimpanzees in the forest. This is the time to watch the forest’s birdlife too. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy the canopy walk. (Cost offered separately) Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the lodge. Drive to Lake Kivu. Lunch en route. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure on the shores of the lake or optional activities available (cost not included).

Breakfast at the lodge. Depart on a scenic drive towards Volcanoes National Park. Arrive at Ruhengeri, the base for Gorilla trekking at the Parc National des Volcans. Ruhengeri is the base for Gorilla trekking at the Parc National des Volcans. The town is located only 25km from Uganda boarder and is relatively a small city of about 70,000 people. The constant flow of humanity is quite remarkable. The Town has great views of the surrounding volcanoes. People are very friendly here and although a former Belgian colony (and thus French-speaking), many people speak English here. It is an approximately 2.5hrs drive from Kigali to the Volcanoes National park. Lunch at your lodge. Afternoon, visit the magical twin lakes Burera and Ruhondo.

Early breakfast at the lodge. 0620 hrs: Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park HQs for your first day of trekking. 0700 hrs: Briefing by your trackers then drive to the trailhead for the start of your amazing Gorilla Tracking adventure. Porters may be hired for the trek to carry your backpack and gear. The cost is ten USD per person/per day. We advise that you utilize this service. Your trek starts in the cultivated foothills of the Virunga’s offering stirring views in all directions. When it enters the national park, trekkers will be immersed in the mysterious intimacy of the rainforest, alive with the colorful bird calls, chattering golden monkeys, littered with fresh spoor of the mountains’ elusive buffalo and elephant. Through gaps in the canopy, the magnificent peaks are glimpsed, among the highest in Africa yet easily accessible, beckon an ascent. Weaving through overhanging vines, moss-covered hagenia trees and giant lobelias that thrive in the tropical climate, our experienced trackers, who have spent their entire lives in or close to this forest, soon bring us up close with one of the Gorilla Families. Upon sighting the gorillas, you will stay with them for a magical hour as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting; raising their young. Coming face to face with a giant silverback must truly be one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth! After the trek, rejoin your driver Guide for a transfer to your lodge for lunch. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Breakfast at the lodge. Drive back to Kigali Enjoy a City Tour of Kigali (cost of city tour included) The history of Rwanda dates back centuries, Kigali has been a part of it for 100 years. Founded in 1907 as a German settlement, Kigali did not become the capital until Rwanda’s independence in 1962 when it replaced the colonial seat of power in Butare. Visit the old Kigali and the craft centers then visit the genocide memorial site. Learn about Rwanda’s history from pre-colonial times to the 1994 genocide; learn about other genocides in the world and how this country has dealt with that past. Tour more and see the new developments in Rwanda; the recovery has been incredible, a testament to humankind’s resilience. Transfer to the airport for your outbound flight. Flights after 1300Hrs recommended (cost of flight not included)