For primate lovers, Rwanda is hard to beat: our closest living relatives — chimpanzees and mountain gorillas — live within a day's drive of each other. This safari tracks chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park, takes in its famous canopy walk, follows the shore of Lake Kivu north, and finishes with Rwanda gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
Price: $4,250 per person
Based on two people sharing a room and vehicle, with mid-range lodges. Groups of three or more pay less per person; solo travellers and lodge upgrades are quoted on request.
- Gorilla trekking permit ($1,500), booked in your name
- Chimpanzee tracking permit and the Nyungwe canopy walk
- 4 nights in mid-range lodges with all meals
- Private 4x4 with English-speaking driver-guide for all 5 days
- Pickup and drop-off in Kigali or at the airport, drinking water throughout
Travelling November to May? Save $450 per person
This itinerary includes two nights in Akagera and/or Nyungwe, so it qualifies for RDB's 30% low-season gorilla permit discount ($1,050 instead of $1,500). Travel between November and May and we apply it to your quote. How the discount works.
Route at a glance
| Day | Where | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kigali → Nyungwe (~5–6 hrs) | King's Palace at Nyanza on the way | Nyungwe |
| 2 | Nyungwe National Park | Chimpanzee tracking, canopy walk | Nyungwe |
| 3 | Nyungwe → Lake Kivu → Kinigi (~7 hrs) | Scenic lakeshore road | Near Volcanoes NP |
| 4 | Volcanoes National Park | Gorilla trek | Near Volcanoes NP |
| 5 | Kinigi → Kigali (~2.5 hrs) | Drop-off at hotel or airport | — |
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Kigali to Nyungwe via the King's Palace
Morning pickup and the drive south. Stop at Nyanza to visit the King's Palace Museum, a reconstruction of a traditional royal residence with its long-horned Inyambo cattle. Continue past Huye into the hills of Nyungwe, arriving at your lodge on the forest edge in the late afternoon.
Day 2
Chimpanzee tracking and the canopy walk
A very early start to join the rangers and trackers, who follow the chimpanzee community from their night nests. When you find them — often feeding high in fig trees, calling and drumming — you spend up to an hour watching them. After lunch, head to Uwinka for the canopy walk, a suspension walkway above a forested ravine with sweeping views over the rainforest.
Day 3
Along Lake Kivu to the volcanoes
A long but beautiful drive north along the shores of Lake Kivu, through tea estates and terraced hills, with stops for views and lunch at Karongi or Rubavu. Continue to Musanze and check in near Kinigi for your gorilla trek.
Day 4
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
The 7:00 AM briefing at Kinigi, family assignment, and the trek to spend one hour with a mountain gorilla family. Comparing gorillas with the chimps you saw two days earlier — calm and grounded versus fast and noisy — is one of the joys of this trip.
Day 5
Return to Kigali
Drive back to Kigali for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.
About Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe protects one of the largest and oldest montane rainforests in Africa, spread over steep ridges in Rwanda's south-west. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023. The forest is home to 13 primate species — including chimpanzees, large troops of Angola colobus and L'Hoest's monkeys — hundreds of bird species including many Albertine Rift endemics, and an extraordinary variety of orchids and trees.
Included and not included
Included
- $1,500 gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee tracking permit
- Nyungwe canopy walk
- King's Palace Museum entry
- 4 nights mid-range lodges, all meals
- Private 4x4 and driver-guide, fuel
- Airport or hotel transfers, water
Not included
- International flights and visa
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guides, rangers and porters
- Drinks other than water
- Optional activities
Who this safari suits
Primate enthusiasts, photographers and anyone who has seen a savannah safari before and wants something different. The chimp tracking is the more physically demanding of the two treks, so read our fitness guide. Want the Big Five too? The 10-day complete Rwanda safari includes everything.
Gorillas & chimpanzees questions
Can you see chimpanzees and gorillas in one Rwanda trip?
Yes. Chimpanzees live in Nyungwe National Park in the south-west and mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in the north-west. Five days is enough to track both, with the scenic Lake Kivu road in between.
What does the 5-day gorillas and chimpanzees safari cost?
$4,250 per person based on two people sharing, including the $1,500 gorilla permit, the chimpanzee tracking permit, the Nyungwe canopy walk, four nights in mid-range lodges with all meals, and a private 4x4 with driver-guide.
Are chimpanzee sightings guaranteed in Nyungwe?
No. Chimpanzees move fast through tall forest, so sightings are likely but not guaranteed, and views can be high in the trees. Gorilla sightings, by contrast, are almost certain.
How hard is chimpanzee tracking?
It can be steep and fast-paced, and starts very early — often before dawn — because trackers follow the chimps from their nests. Good walking shoes and moderate fitness are needed.
What is the Nyungwe canopy walk?
A suspension walkway strung between tall trees above a forested ravine, giving a bird's-eye view of the rainforest canopy. It is reached by a guided walk from the Uwinka visitor area.
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