3 Days Chimpanzee and Nature Hikes in Gishwati-Mukura National Park

Overview.

Gishwati-Mukura National Park is situated in the North Western part of Rwanda. It is about 150 kilometres away from Kigali, the capital of the country. This park was established in 2019 and covers a total land area of 34 square kilometres. The park is occupied by two forests Gishwati and Mukura, connected by a corridor.

While on this 3 days chimpanzee and nature hikes in Gishwati-Mukura National Park, you will be able to see a number of primates. They comprise chimpanzees, monkeys; birds, tree species in the forests and the waterfalls.

Summary.

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Gishwati-Mukura National Park and a plantation tour.
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking in the morning and a cultural experience.
Day 3: Hike to the top of the waterfalls and travel back to Kigali.

Detailed itinerary.

Day one: Travel to Gishwati-Mukura and Tea Plantation tour in Pfunda estate.

The three days trip starts with meeting our professional tour guide who will brief you on the tour and then drive you to the park using our private tourist vehicles from Kigali to Gishwati-Mukura National Park about 4 hours’ drive. When you reach the park, you will check in the mandatory Forest of Hope Guest House where lunch will be served.

After having lunch at the lodge in Gishwati-Mukura National Park, you will be driven by our driver guide to Pfunda tea Estate. At the tea Estate you will have a harvesting experience of the tea leaves using the traditional methods. The tea estate tour experience will take about 3 hours and will be driven back to the lodge where dinner will be served before going to bed.

Day two: Chimpanzee tracking and Cultural experience.

Morning breakfast is served at the Forest of Hope Guest House. Then, our tour guide will meet you and brief you on the activities of the day. You will be driven to the visitor centre at 7:00AM. This is where you will be oriented by the ranger guides about the chimpanzee tracking experience. Knowledge got also includes the conduct during the trek. Also, you will be required to pack snacks.

After the briefing you will start the walk into the forest at 8:00AM. This takes 3 to 4-hours due to the small numbers of chimpanzees in Gishwati forest. You will locate the chimpanzees, and then given an hour of observing them in their natural habitats. Along the chimpanzee tracking trails, you will be able to view a number of birds species. Plenty of other forest mammals like monkeys, and tree species are found in the forest.

After seeing the chimpanzees, the driver guide will take you back to the guest house. Lunch will be served at 2:00PM. After lunch, you will relax for one hour and then go for a local community tour. It is in the nearby villages where you will see the traditional music and dance performances. Traditional healers, the crafts makers, bee keepers and Rwandan cultural heritage is full on display. Other must-see activities include the local brewing process. The community tour will take about 3 hours. After you will be driven back to the guesthouse in the evening where dinner will be served.

Day three: Water falls hiking and Departure to Kigali.

Wake up and find breakfast in the morning served at Forest of Hope Guest House. You will be driven by our tour guide to Gishwati forest where you will hike to Marambi waterfalls. This is along a trail covering a distance of about 4 miles. The hiking experience takes 3 to 4 hours and you will be able to see a number of tree specie. Also in the forest along the hiking trail, see a number of bird species. So many forest mammals like the colobus, blue monkeys and others can be spotted.

After the hiking to the falls experience, you will be driven back to Forest of Hope Guest House. Get some refreshment, have lunch and then travel back to Kigali International Airport. Arrive and board your flight back home. This will mark the end of your 3 days chimpanzee and nature hikes in Gishwati-Mukura National Park.

End of trip.

Soledad Gomez

Fun Safari. Loved it. Godwin was an amazing guide! He was informative, funny and took us around well. He was able to find so many animals and the weather was amazing. He allowed us to take time at each spot when we saw an animal we were looking forward to seeing. All our lodges were carefully chosen by Coleb and we all loved them. We booked the 6 days safari and highly recommend it to everyone visiting Uganda. We had a wonderful time!. 10/10 recommended!!

Maria Torondel

We rated this experience top of everything, because it truly was outstanding in every way! From our pickup which was punctual, quick and comfortable to our Safari in Murchison falls, Kibale and Bwindi NP, Standard safaris delivered to the dot. Our guide was a very Kind, punctual and extremely knowledgeable person who could tell us many facts about each and every animal we encountered. Due to his insights we were able to spot 4 of the Big Five, the Rhinos, buffaloes, lions and Elephants multiple times, as well as Hippos, Crocodiles, Giraffes and many more. Thanks to his calm and patience we were even able to watch an elephant fight right in front of us without any safety concerns. It was truly a very memorable day with a lot of fun and also good food.This is truly an experience for everyone, from solo travellers to big groups! Great tour company with a great guide!!!!!!!

Alexis F

This was an amazing experience organised by Standard Safaris through Coleb. During the tour itself, we got a chance to see so many animals and we learned a lot of interesting facts from our tour guide Godwin. He was funny and made sure we all got a chance to speak and see the full beauty of Uganda. We had an excellent time and a good tour for the whole family.

Elena Hoya

It was my first time in Uganda and honestly it was an amazing tour. Our pick up and drop off were comfortable. Our guide throughout the safari was excellent at his job. He was attentive with everyone and was very knowledgeable about all the cultures and landscapes of the country. During planning, Coleb did his best in tailoring our itinerary to fit our travel needs. I'm so glad we booked this tour. It was one of a kind.

E A

My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From gorilla trekking to game drives, every moment was magical and the wildlife encounters were simply breathtaking. Our guide Godwin was knowledgeable and attentive, and every detail of the trip was perfectly organized. Uganda’s beauty exceeded all our expectations, and the team took wonderful care of us throughout. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa, we’ll cherish these memories forever. Highly recommended

KLAU conde

I LOVE MY SAFARI WE DID GORILLA TREKING AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BIG FIVES, Everything was phenomenal the drivers the lodges my favorite one was Acacia Lodge, where you open the door of your lodge and you have the Elephants and hippos there . we also went to the Ecuatorian line very cool

Elisa Peralta

We spent a WONDERFUL time in Rwanda, thanks to Standard Safaris and especially thanks to our amazing driver George. If you plan to go on safari in Rwanda with Standard Safaris, ask him as your driver guide. He will share all his knowledge and experience about animals, nature, people, food etc… He drives very safely and is friendly. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals ( especially the big 5😃 in Akagera NP) and Know so much more about Rwanda. We were travelling with our 2 children (7 and 11 years old), and they were delighted. We feel very lucky and we are grateful for this wonderful safari in East Africa.

Susana Lara Valenciano

We booked a 9-Days safari in Uganda with Standard Safaris, all-inclusive with a driver guide, all tour activities, permits and lodges. Honestly, we were very happy to have George as our guide. He drove us safely around the country and explained many things along the way. Thanks to him, we were able to spot many animals in the national parks, and we always stayed on track with our itinerary. The jeep was new and well maintained, however, the seats in the back were quite high with small windows, which made it difficult to look outside. But nevertheless, we still had a 10/10 safari experience in Uganda. We look forward to returning for another safari next year and telling our friends about Standard Safaris.

Pablo Sanchez Rubio

My wife and I had a gorilla safari of a lifetime in Uganda late last month. Our driver/guide Denis was incredible. He gave us so much information about Uganda and was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, cultures, people, politics, the geography, etc. By the end of the week we considered him a friend and we will recommend him and Standard Safaris to anyone looking to go to East Africa. Thank you so much guys!

Salome Ochando

If there were 10 stars I would give them. From my first "Hello" with Coleb to our last set of selfies on the equator with Denis, this tour company out-did themselves!! Absolutely professional and helpful from beginning to end. We're already booking another trip for next year! They had organised everything- gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, all national park entrance fees, lodgings, every meal included. It was so easy I didn't even know where we were going until we were there! Pure relaxation. We had a few extra free days at the end so Coleb suggested adding on Mabamba Wetland and this was a wonderful experience with the shoebill and all these beautiful birds. Denis is the best tour guide I've ever met. 100% knowledgeable and professional and accommodating and..a new friend😊.. Thank you Standard Safaris!!

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