5 Days Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe & Golden Monkey Safari

One of the safari highlights of a safari to Nyungwe forest national park is an encounter with the chimpanzees in the Cyamudongo area, there are an estimated 400 hundred chimpanzee individuals roaming this small ecosystem, alongside chimpanzee trekking you will also encounter other wildlife like monkeys and incredible birdlife in the forest.

Our 5 Days Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe & golden monkey safari will take you to two of Rwanda’s classic rain forest destinations of Nyungwe and Volcanoes national park which is home to the endangered Mountain gorillas and the rear golden monkeys.

Safari highlights

• Visiting Nyanza kings palace and Ethnographic museum
• 1 hour with the chimpanzees
• Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
• Golden monkey trekking experience
• Kigali city tour

Detailed safari itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Nyungwe forest national park

After early morning breakfast, you will depart Kigali for Nyungwe forest national park, this scenic drive will take you through the dramatic landscape en route you will stop in Nyanza and visit the King’s palace and later continue to Huye to visit the ethnographic museum and enjoy lunch After you will continue to Nyungwe forest, this is one of the diverse forest covers in Rwanda, the scenic drive through the forest will take you about an hour where you will see monkeys and beautiful birds and upon arrival at your lodge in Gisakura, you will check-in for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking experience in Nyungwe forest

Set an amidst tea farms, the Cyamudongo eco-system is a classic destination for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, you will start the day quite early with morning breakfast at 4 am by 4:30 you will drive to the park headquarters in Gisakura to meet your ranger guide to departing to Cyamudongo which is a 2-hour drive from Gisakura, upon arrival, you meet with the rangers and have a short briefing and then start your walk on foot into the forest, upon locating the chimps you will spend 1 hour with the chimpanzees and later return to the lodge for relaxation.

Day 3: Tropical waterfall walk in the morning and transfer to Lake Kivu for a boat cruise

After lazily morning breakfast you will meet the guides at the park headquarters for a small briefing about the waterfall walk, after you will depart for the 3-4 hours adventures forest walk on the walk you may encounter monkeys, birds, antelopes before enjoying the tropical waterfalls and after you will return to the lodge for refreshment and later drive to Kibuye on the shores of Lake Kivu for a boat cruise and overnight.

Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

After lazily morning breakfast you will depart for Volcanoes national park, this drive will take you through the rolling hills, tea farms, phenomenal views of Lake Kivu and Gishwati Mukura national park upon arrival in Kinigi you will check in to your lodge for overnight and relaxation.

Day 5: Golden monkey in the morning and transfer to Kigali

After morning breakfast you will depart for Kinigi park headquarters for a briefing about the golden monkey trekking, you will then drive to the trailhead to start your trek into the forest, upon locating the golden monkeys you will spend 1 hour with the golden monkeys and later return to the lodge for refreshment and later depart for Kigali for your own ward flight or you will be transferred to your booked lodge for overnight.

Trip includes

• Accommodation
• 4X4 safari jeep
• Guide
• Fuel
• en route meals
• Chimpanzee and golden monkey permits
• Lake Kivu boat cruise
• Entrance fees for king’s palace and ethnographic Museum

Trip excludes

• International flights
• Rwanda tourist Visa
• Travel insurance
• pre and post-safari accommodation
• Tips for guides and hotels
• personal expenses like Alcoholic drinks and shopping

When to book safari package

We recommend booking this trip 3 months in advance to allow us to secure chimpanzee and golden monkey permits.

Best time for Primate trekking in Rwanda

The best time for primate tracking in Rwanda is in the dry season from June to September and from December to February when there is less rainfall.