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Overview of Rwanda Primate Circuit
Seven days across Rwanda's three great parks: Big Five savannah at Akagera, mountain gorillas in the Virungas, and chimpanzees with a canopy walkway in Nyungwe.
- Length
- 7 days
- Countries
- Rwanda
- Pace
- Steady
- From
- USD 4,250
Best for primates and big five on one loop. Prices are per person sharing a twin or double room and are confirmed on enquiry.
Highlights
- Gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park
- Chimpanzee tracking at dawn in Nyungwe Forest
- Canopy walkway over the Nyungwe treetops
- Akagera game drives and a boat on Lake Ihema
- Kigali round trip, no domestic flights
Where this one goes
5 stops over 7 days, in travel order.
Day 1
Kigali (KGL)
Land and drive east
Days 1 to 3
Akagera National Park
Big Five game drives and a boat on Lake Ihema
Days 3 to 5
Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trek from Musanze
Days 5 to 7
Nyungwe Forest
Chimpanzees and the canopy walkway
Day 7
Kigali (KGL)
Depart
When to travel
The windows below are for the countries this journey crosses. Tell us the month you are thinking of and we will say what it means for this route.
- Jun to SepBest
- Long dry season. Firm trails and the easiest trekking of the year.
- Dec to FebStrong
- Short dry window with thinner crowds than the June peak.
- Mar to MayGreen
- Long rains. Hard going underfoot, lowest rates, forest at its most alive.
- Oct to NovMixed
- Short rains arrive in the afternoon. Mornings usually trek fine.
What you are likely to see
Listed because this route goes where these animals are, and on which day. None of it is a promise of a sighting, and anyone who gives you a percentage is guessing.
Lion
Akagera National Park, days 1 to 3
Black rhino
Akagera National Park, days 1 to 3
Elephant
Akagera National Park, days 1 to 3
Giraffe, zebra and buffalo
Akagera National Park, days 1 to 3
Hippo and crocodile
Lake Ihema boat trip, day 2
Mountain gorilla
Volcanoes National Park, day 4
Chimpanzee
Nyungwe Forest, day 6
Colobus monkey
Nyungwe Forest, day 6
Nyungwe holds thirteen primate species
Day by day
Day 1
Land in Kigali, drive to Akagera
Meet at KGL and drive east for about 2.5 hours to Akagera National Park. Check in at the lodge, then take a first game drive on the savannah loops near Lake Ihema.
OvernightAkagera National Park. Lodge, full board.
Day 2
A full day in Akagera
Dawn game drive for lion, giraffe, zebra and buffalo, then a boat trip on Lake Ihema in the afternoon for hippo and crocodile. Akagera also holds elephant and black rhino, and your guide picks loops from that morning's ranger reports.
OvernightAkagera National Park. Lodge, full board.
Day 3
Akagera to Musanze
A short last drive at first light, then about 5 hours by road through Kigali, with lunch in the city. You reach Musanze mid-afternoon with time to rest before the trek.
OvernightMusanze, for Volcanoes National Park. Lodge, full board.
Day 4
Gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park
Briefing at Kinigi at 7:00, then a trek to your assigned family and 60 minutes in their company, in a group of no more than 8. The afternoon is free for the Twin Lakes at Burera and Ruhondo, or for rest.
OvernightMusanze, for Volcanoes National Park. Lodge, full board.
Day 5
Musanze to Nyungwe
The longest drive of the trip, about 7 hours via Kigali and Huye. We stop at the royal palace in Nyanza to see the long-horned Inyambo cattle, then climb into the tea estates at the forest edge.
OvernightNyungwe Forest. Lodge, full board.
Day 6
Chimpanzees and the canopy walkway
Up at 4:30 for a 5:00 start to track chimpanzees in Nyungwe, usually 2 to 4 hours on foot. After lunch, walk the canopy walkway at Uwinka and watch for colobus troops, one of 13 primate species in the forest.
OvernightNyungwe Forest. Lodge, full board.
Day 7
Return to Kigali
Leave Nyungwe at 8:00 and drive about 5 hours to Kigali with a lunch stop, in time for evening flights. We set the schedule around your departure time.
Primates and Big Five on one loop, over 7 days at a steady pace.
Where you stay
6 nights, in travel order. Prices are per person sharing a twin or double room.
| Nights | Where | Type | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Akagera National Park | Lodge | Full board |
| 2 | Musanze, for Volcanoes National Park | Lodge | Full board |
| 2 | Nyungwe Forest | Lodge | Full board |
Photographs from Rwanda Primate Circuit
Included
- Rwanda gorilla permit (USD 1,500), chimpanzee tracking permit and canopy walkway fee
- Park fees for Akagera, Volcanoes and Nyungwe
- Boat trip on Lake Ihema
- Private 4x4 with pop-top roof and driver-guide, Kigali round trip
- Six nights in lodges, sharing a twin or double room
- Full board at the lodges, breakfast at city stops
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Airport transfers at Kigali (KGL)
Not included
- International flights
- Visas
- Travel insurance, including medical evacuation cover
- Tips for guides, rangers and lodge staff
- Drinks other than bottled water
- Golden monkey trek (permit USD 100)
- A second gorilla trek (permit USD 1,500)
Questions
- Which permits are included?
- The USD 1,500 Rwanda gorilla permit, the chimpanzee tracking permit for Nyungwe and the canopy walkway fee, plus park fees for Akagera, Volcanoes and Nyungwe. The golden monkey trek is the one primate add-on that is not included, at a USD 100 permit.
- How much driving does this route involve?
- It is a Kigali round trip with no domestic flights. The longest day is Musanze to Nyungwe at about seven hours via Kigali and Huye, with a stop at the royal palace in Nyanza. Akagera to Musanze is about five hours and Nyungwe back to Kigali about five.
- Can I see the Big Five in Rwanda?
- Akagera holds the full Big Five, with lion and rhino returned to the park. The two nights here include a dawn game drive and a boat trip on Lake Ihema for hippo and crocodile, and your guide picks the loops from that morning's ranger reports.
- How does the chimpanzee tracking compare with the gorilla trek?
- It is the easier day of the two, rated easy to moderate against moderate to hard. Nyungwe is quieter and steeper than Kibale in Uganda, and the same day includes the canopy walkway strung sixty metres above the forest.
- Is seven days enough for all of this?
- Yes, because Rwanda is driveable end to end. Four of the seven days are spent inside the three parks and the rest is road, with one long leg: Musanze to Nyungwe is about seven hours via Kigali and Huye, broken by the stop at Nyanza.
Enquire about this journey
Tell us your dates and who is coming. We confirm the route, what is still open for those dates and the price per person.
Other journeys
Plan Rwanda Primate Circuit around your dates.
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From USD 4,250 per person sharing a twin or double room. The lead-in price is confirmed on enquiry.