8-Day Rwanda Chimpanzee, Golden Monkey & Bwindi Gorilla Safari

Considering an arrival before noon at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our company representative and visit the Genocide memorial. This is a highlight for any Rwanda safari, as it is one of the best ways to have an insight into the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the reconciliation process that has greatly contributed to the country's rapid development. The tour will take you around the site's different exhibitions with photos, names and remains of the victims. From here, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kigali. After checking in, you will be assisted to settle in, have dinner and spend the rest of the time relaxing. Enjoy the beautiful views of the hilly Kigali city.

Start your day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel and check out. Your safari driver will assist with loading your luggage in the vehicle and drive to Nyamirambo Women's Centre, a nonprofit organization that has been supporting disadvantaged women to improve their livelihoods. It is one of the best places to buy neat, locally made souvenirs by the members of the organization. From here, you will set off to Nyungwe National Park. Enjoy an enroute lunch. You have the option of visiting the King's palace in Nyanza or the Ethnographic museum in Butare. Dinner and an overnight at the lodge.

After a restful night and a leisurely morning breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to Gisakura for the tea plantation experience, where you will participate in activities including tea harvesting. After watching how activities on the plantation are done, drive to the park for the canopy walk. It starts with a briefing, and then you will trek to the canopy walkway. The memorable walk is one of the most exhilarating adventures and offers great views of the forest canopy. You can choose to combine the canopy walk with the ziplining adventure at an additional cost. In the afternoon, you will return to the lodge, have lunch and prepare for the next day's adventure of chimp trekking.

This beautiful morning will start with a delicious breakfast at the lodge. Check out and drive to the park offices for a briefing. Meet the ranger guides who will lead you through the forest and go searching for the chimps. When you find the chimps, you will have an hour with them to watch how they live in the forest. From here, you will exit the forest, meet your driver, and set off to Volcanoes National Park, where you will arrive in the evening.

You will have an early-morning breakfast at the lodge and drive to the Volcanoes National Park offices. You will meet other trekkers and be briefed, then head to the starting point and trek into the bamboo section of the forest. This is where golden monkeys mostly roam. When you find them, you will have an hour with them and leave the forest. Return to the lodge for an early lunch and thereafter head to the Twin Lakes for the boat ride to one of the islands. As you participate in some games, you will enjoy the views of the Virunga volcanoes and other islands.

Pack your bags and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before checking out. Next will be a road transfer through the Cyanika border to Bwindi in the southwestern part of Uganda. On arrival, you will check in to the lodge, have lunch, and relax. In the evening, you will visit one of the local communities to meet the Batwa. You will learn about their former way of life as hunters and gatherers in Bwindi Forest, gain insight into their rich culture, and enjoy an entertaining performance of their traditional music and dance. Thereafter, you will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

You will receive a morning call early in the morning to get ready for the day's activity. Ensure that all your essentials are packed in your backpack, head to the restaurant for breakfast, and thereafter set off to the park offices. When you get there, you will join other trekkers for a briefing, after which you will go to the starting points of the allocated gorilla families and start the trek. The trekking experience can last for 3-6 hours or more, including the one hour spent with the gorillas. The exciting moment of the face-to-face encounter with the gorillas is a lifetime memory. From here, you will trek back out of the forest, pick up your trekking certificates and drive to the lodge. The rest of the afternoon will be spent relaxing, and the evening will be spent packing your bags. Optional activity - evening nature walk.

After breakfast, ensure to have packed all your property in your bags and check out. Take another drive through the hilly southwestern Uganda and northern Rwanda as you enjoy the varying scenery. On arrival in Kigali, you can first do some shopping and proceed to the airport, where your driver will assist you with your luggage as you check in for departure.