5 Days Lowland Gorilla Trek & Chimpanzee Safari.
5 Days Congo Safari with lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, which is close to Bukavu in Eastern DR Congo. On the other hand, chimpanzees live in Nyungwe Forest National park in Rwanda and this is closer to Cyangugu border. Therefore, it is easier combining the two trips in a five days tour starting and ending in Kigali as below;
Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
In the morning at before 8am, you will be picked from your hotel in Kigali by your guide/driver and set off a scenic journey to Nyungwe Forest Naional park with en route stop over at Nyanza palace, Butare Museum for cultural tour. You will reach Nyungwe Forest in the evening for dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge/Nyungwe Top View Lodge/Gisakura Guest House.
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon Canopy walk.
Early morning at 5am, you will set off to the park headquarters for briefing about the dos and don’ts with the chimpanzees. You will then drive to Kyamudongo forest for chimpanzee tracking where you will encounter other primates. After spending one hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, go for forest canopy walk, which will reward you with scenic view of the entire Nyungwe Forest offering eye level contact with the birds as well as viewing waterfalls from atop. Time allowing, you will visit the tea factory in the evening. Dinner and overnight at(Day 1).
Day 3: Colobus Monkey tracking/Nature walk and transfer to Bukavu.
In the morning after breakfast, you will either go for colobus monkey tracking in Nyungwe Forest or go for nature walk to the waterfalls, which will reward you with lots of bird species and butterflies en route. Return to the lodge for lunch and then set off to Bukavu crossing via Cyangugu border, reaching Bukavu early in the evening. Dinner and overnight at Panorama Hotel/Orchids Hotel/Horizon Hotel.
Day 4: Lowland gorilla tracking and Primates visit.
Early morning, you will set off to Kahuzi Biega national park reaching early for briefing at the park headquarters above the dos and don’ts with the gorillas. You will then set off to the forest for gorilla tracking which will take 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. On return from the gorilla tracking, you will go for primates walk to Lwiro sanctuary. Lwiro sanctuary is a rehabilitation centre established in 2002 to provide care for the orphaned primates and ensure their survival in the world. There are over 50 chimpanzees and 70 monkeys in this research centre. The visit to this centre will help in feeding the primates in the research centre. You will then return to Bukavu for overnight at your hotel(Day 3)
Day 5: Transfer back to Kigali and departure.
Early morning, you will cross back to Rwanda and set off back to Kigali, time allowing, visit Murambi genocide memorial en route. You will reach Kigali in the evening and transfer to the airport to check in for your departure flight if on schedule.
End of Tour.