With only about 5 days in Rwanda, you are wondering whether there are exciting ways to explore the beauty of this small remarkable country. Make use of your limited time in this country to explore the Kigali Genocide Memorial site, see local handicrafts and try haggling at the busy Kimironko market during the legendary Kigali, indulge in a cultural experience by visiting Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, embark on a tour of Volcanoes National Park with options of trekking endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, enjoy a chimp trek and Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park. For our most selling 5 days in Rwanda package, we recommend spending your time to;

On the first day, you arrive in Rwanda early, where a Company driver guide will be waiting to pick you up and drop you at the Hotel for meals (depending on the time of arrival). Explore the best of Rwanda’s Capital City (Kigali) and the spectacular countryside that surrounds it. Depending on the amount of time at your exposure, you try haggling at the Kimironko local market, take a tour of the Kigali Genocide Memorial Site, and craft market but these places are visited while paying attention to the time. This is because on this day you will proceed to Volcanoes National Park within the Northern Province while relishing views of the countryside and you will be there late in the evening for check-in.

Begin the second day with breakfast and preparation for the adventure of the day. This is followed by a registration and briefing process at the Kinigi Park Headquarters in anticipation of unforgettable experiences. Keep your backpack and other trekking gear on hand while exploring the jungles for mountain gorillas and in the afternoon you can opt to relax at the Lodge, visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village or take a boat ride along the Twin Lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo.

On the third day, you will return back to the verdant and incredibly beautiful jungle, this time to track the endangered and frisky golden monkeys, and the pre-tracking process (briefing and registration) is similar to the one done the previous day. The morning begins as early as 6:00 am with breakfast then continues for a briefing by 7:00 am and so far two habituated troops occupy the foothills of Mount Sabyinyo. In the afternoon you are transferred to Lake Kivu shores for unwinding while enjoying views of the calm Lake as well as surrounding rolling hills.

The next day you continue to Nyungwe Forest National Park, where chimpanzees a trekked in addition to the canopy walk. This journey comes with a scenic drive while relishing views of the jaw-dropping countryside with terraced hills and views of the iconic Lake Kivu. In the afternoon you will already be in Nyungwe Forest National Park for a hot meal, cold shower and later have another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to exploring the breathtaking canopy walk where numerous species of primates, birds, and unique species of trees will be seen.

On the last day be up early for breakfast and another briefing/registration within Uwinka Reception Center then undertake the trek for Chimpanzees deep in their natural habitat. Once found, participants are provided one hour of observation and photography before continuing back to the Lodge. The thick Afro-montane forest makes chimp treks challenging but the playful and human-like traits of these creatures make treks worthwhile. Next, we drive back to Kigali City via the beautiful Royal Palace at Nyanza and Ethnographic Museum in Butare, if time allows. Note that this is just one of the ways how to spend 5 days safari in Rwanda.

Remarkable Rwanda famous for the silverback mountain gorillas that have captured the world’s imagination since Dian Fossey came to study the mountain gorilla families in the 1970s. Most popular park of Rwanda is Volcanoes National Park, where you can track the gorillas, the golden monkeys or do different hikes in this dramatic, volcanic landscape. You can go for safari in Akagera National Park on the border with Tanzania.

But that’s not all this beautiful country has to offer. Rwanda is a largely undiscovered Eden, she promises unrivalled biodiversity, dramatic mountains and volcanoes, some of the oldest and most precious rain forests on earth, a glittering skein of lakes, rivers and waterfalls and three stunning national parks. As to wildlife, Rwanda boats of 13 species of primates (25% of Africa’s total), and a remarkable 670 species of birds, many of which are globally endangered.

At Primate Safaris, we can guide you through the best safari destinations in Rwanda on our Rwanda safaris. Our tours in Rwanda are packaged in a form of gorilla trekking safaris, mountain gorilla safari packages, tracking primates, and game safaris to Akagera National Park. We book gorilla trek safari permits for tourists wishing to take safaris in Rwanda. 

Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience

Mountain gorillas can only be found in the Virunga Massif and Bwindi Forest. The act of tourists visiting mountain gorillas is what is called gorilla trekking. In Rwanda, gorilla trekking can only be done in Volcanoes National Park. The park is located at least two hours of driving from Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, where the main international airport is also located.

The Volcanoes National Park has 12 mountain gorilla groups for gorilla trekking and tourists can visit only one gorilla group each day.

Mountain gorillas are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, for the last 14 years, no one has trekked the gorillas and failed to see them in Rwanda. Certainly, you won’t be the one with bad luck! On the trek, once you find the gorillas, you will be allowed an hour with the gorillas and you can only go not more than 6 meters from them.  As the gorilla tracking can sometimes take a full day, you will need to go with your packed lunch and lots of drinking water when trekking to the gorillas.

Gorilla trekking timings and conditions vary tremendously as the gorillas move continuously through the rain forest. It is good to be prepared and remember the weather can change with very little warning. The terrain is often steep and through areas where there are no marked paths.

Tips for the Best Gorilla Trekking Experience

Secure Gorilla Trekking permits early

Gorilla Trekking is the most popular foreign tourist activity for Rwanda. This means the competition is quite high for the few gorilla permits in Rwanda and it becomes hard to secure gorilla trekking permits a few days to your Rwanda gorilla tour (although it is often possible with luck more so in the green season months of October, November, April and May).  It is best to have your gorilla trek permit fully confirmed at least 4 months in advance. Permit is for US$1500.

Assess your fitness levels

There is a likelihood you could walk for 3-6 hours on a gorilla trek. Gorillas are located deep in Bwindi forest with thick undergrowth over several steep volcanic slopes. Gorilla groups keep roaming this forest looking for their favorite food. They are never stationed in the same place over days. Your gorilla trek will follow this same trend and it is quite unpredictable knowing how long or tough your gorilla trekking shall be. The longer trek is not necessarily a problem, just something to be prepared for.  A bit of moderate physical fitness is needed for gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

Guides & Porters for the gorilla trek

You will be guided through the forest on your gorilla tracking guide whom you will meet at the departure point in the morning of your trek. Your guide can help you book a porter (or two!) so that you can track without having to carry the few essential items listed below in a day pack which you should bring with you. The porters are from the local community and very used to the local conditions and can assist in pushing, pulling and supporting you during your trek to the gorillas. They are usually an additional fee, over and above your safari cost, and you should budget on approximately USD15-20 per porter per day as a fee with additional tipping being optional.

As the porters do not have tracking permits they will be stopped a short distance from the point you will be viewing the mountain Gorillas. Please remember to take whatever you may need from your bag to view the gorillas and rather leave valuables at the lodge/camp.

You will be allowed up to one hour for viewing of the gorillas from when they are sighted by your group. This is to ensure that the wild animals are not overexposed to human presence. Whilst in their presence you will also be required to keep minimum distances from them – generally between 5-7 metres and your guides will ensure this is enforced.

What to pack on gorilla trekking in Rwanda

• Plenty of water – 1-2 litres per person
• High energy snacks in addition to your packed lunch provided by the lodge/camp
• Spare film and batteries for videos and cameras
• Gloves (gardening type are good)
• Waterproof bag to protect photographic equipment
• A hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and band-aids might be useful
• A lightweight waterproof jacket/poncho
• Walking sticks are made available at the start of the trek for some of the steeper and more slippery tracks and may prove to be very handy.

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Age Limits

The age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years and the authorities are very strict on this.

Conclusion, Travellers on safaris in Rwanda can go gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National park because it brings out the greatest adventure.

There are several unique tourism activities to do in Rwanda; this country is long past its war torn days and now it’s one of safest countries visited in Africa. You will feel the real true African country with lots of unique attractions which have attracted many safari tours to Rwanda. This country is extremely small and there is one unique thing about this small country, this is gorilla trekking which is done in volcanoes National park and it has raised increased revenues for the country.

]There is the Kigali city which is in the heart of Rwanda, this gorgeous city with great weather can get you taste the history here through visiting the genocide memorials and here you will learn about the turbulent past of this country. You will also have a chance to visit the different local markets which are found in the city as well as the art facts and the craft shops which are found within the city. These have also attracted many safaris to Rwanda.

Thinking about Rwanda makes you come close to the mountain gorillas and these can be spotted in volcanoes National park which is found some few kilometers from Kigali city. You will enjoy a very unique experience taking an gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, take this advantage and experience the largest group of gorillas when you come for a safari. Gorilla trekking can also be carried out in Uganda and the Democratic Republic Congo.

Rwanda has also got three national parks and these include; Akagera National park, Nyungwe National park and Volcanoes National park, there are many animal species which can be spotted in these national parks and some of these include; the chimpanzees, bird species, elephants, lions, leopards, and the monkeys. Lake Kivu also makes a border between Rwanda and Congo and it’s a great region where the tourists are safe to visit and swim, you will also visit the safari cities like Kibuye and Gisenyi near DR Congo border.

The other attractions which are found in Rwanda include; city tours, cultures, bird species and many wild animal species. The Butare is a cultural hub for the country and was once the most important city before 1965. You will also visit the great national museum which will help you explore the great history of Rwanda.