7 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trek & Big Five Safari

The 7 days’ gorillas, wildlife and chimps’ safari includes chimpanzee tracking, Gorilla trekking and other activities. This safari starts and ends in Kigali.

Transfer to Nyungwe forest via the south where you will visit the former king’s palace in Nyanza and the ethnographic museum. Trek chimpanzees, canopy walk and that will be after a wildlife encounter in the Akagera National park.

Detailed tour.

Day 1- Transfer to Akagera National park. Afternoon Lake Ihema Boat cruise.

Upon your arrival at Kamembe International Airport in Kigali, you will be met by our guide who will welcome you and transfer you to Akagera National park. Upon arrival you will do a boat cruise on Lake Ihema and after return to the lodge.

Later in the evening go out for an evening game drive and do a sun downer. After return to the lodge and have dinner.

Day 2- Morning game drive and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.

After an early morning breakfast, head out for a short game drive in the northern circuit and transfer later to Volcanoes national park and lunch will be enroute or packed lunch organized by the lodge.

Along the way, you will see beautiful panorama, great landscapes dotted with tea plantations, stunning valleys, bustling towns, peaceful homesteads, etc.

This drive may take approximately 3-4 hours until you get to the Musanze based Volcanoes National park. Have dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3- Gorilla Trekking.
Start with an early breakfast at your lodge, you will then head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing from the Rwanda Development Board wardens. After the briefing, you will then head for gorilla trekking in the park with the rest of the trackers. Your encounter with these apes will be a highlight of your Rwanda Safari and the experience you will get this day, will be memorable and your safari will be a once in a life time to remember.

Gorilla tracking can take 2 to 8 hours with in this jungle forest and it depends on the movement of the Gorillas on the previous and that particular day. After tracking, you will return to the lodge for relaxation.

Day 4- Visit the Dian Fossey grave and research center.

After an early breakfast, you will go to the park offices for briefing, then you can visit the Karisoke Research center which was established by conservationist and primatologist Diane Fossey who was well known as a woman who protected the Mountain Gorillas.

The Research center was established for habituation and deeper study of the Mountain Gorillas. Return to the lodge for lunch and relax. After visit the Iby’iwachu cultural Centre.

Day 5- To Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Transfer to Nyungwe forest, via Lake Kivu where you will have a stop for lunch and brief sight-seeing moments if time allows; enjoy the views of the Congo-Nile trail which ushers you into the virgin Nyungwe tropical forest.

Day 6- Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy walk.

Early morning, you will have breakfast and after report to the Park headquarters for a briefing on Chimpanzee tracking rules. You will then start the trek in the forest with the guides to find the chimpanzees. After the trek you will transfer to the lodge for lunch and after go for a canopy walk with in the forest.

Specifically, the canopy walk is good for birders so as to enable them spot a variety of bird species with in the forest. While enjoying the canopy walk, look out for birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, black and white casqued hornbill and also do not miss spots of large troops of colobus monkeys. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 7- Transfer to Kigali and departure.

After breakfast at the lodge, we will transfer you to Kigali city. Upon arrival in the city, you will take a short city tour and visit the genocide memorial sites and the traditional markets with in Kigali, craft shops and so on. Later you will be transferred to the Airport to take your flight back home.

End of tour.

Top Rwanda Gorilla Tours & Safari Packages

Known by many as the “Land of a Thousand Hills”, remarkable Rwanda is a beautiful country. A gorilla safari in Rwanda does not only come alone, but with a lot of other optional experiences including wildlife safaris in Akagera National Park, chimpanzee trekking tours in Nyungwe National Park and tours to Genocide Memorial Centers. See see some of our top gorilla tours in Rwanda and safari packages.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.Game drive security is assured.Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.