4 Days Rwanda Primates Tour – Lake Kivu
This 4-day Rwanda Primates Tour is a short safari tour package, crafted with unique activities. Some key activities include gorilla trekking, relaxing by beautiful Lake Kivu, visiting Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, exploring the Twin Lakes, and tracking golden monkeys.
Most of the activities are done within Volcanoes National Park—home to a large number of the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, which inhabit bamboo forests and volcanoes. The park consists of swamps, heath, grassland, and five volcanoes found in the park: Gahinga, Muhabura, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, and Bisoke. Take a tour to Kigali city. The Trip starts and ends in Kigali.
Safari Highlight:
Day 1: City Tour in Kigali and Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park – Visit the Twin Lakes
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking—Tour the Iby’wacu cultural Village
Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking / Transfer to Lake Kivu in Gisenyi – Swimming, Canoeing
Day 4: Activities in Lake Kivu—Transfer Back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: City Tour in Kigali and Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park – Visit the Twin Lakes
You will be picked up from the Airport or hotel to start the safari by our safari driver-guide, who will brief you about the safari. Then after, you will drive for a city tour but depending on time. During the Kigali city tour, you will also visit the Gisozi genocide war memorial site and get to learn about the history behind it.
You should also visit the former presidential palace, local craft shops, and the main market in the city before going for lunch. Have lunch in Kigali.
After lunch, start a 2-hour journey to Volcanoes National Park. The driving journey rewards with beautiful scenery of tea plantations and rolling hills. You will know why Rwanda is often referred to as “The Land of a thousand hills’’. Arrive at the park, check into the lodge, and rest as you prepare for gorilla tracking. You may opt to visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Dinner and an overnight stay at Davinci Gorilla Lodge – Middle
All meals included
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking—Tour the Iby’wacu cultural Village
Enjoy an early morning breakfast at the lodge, and be driven to the park offices by 7:00am to attend a briefing about gorilla trekking rules and expectations. After the briefing, you will be assigned to one of the 11 habituated gorilla groups. The rangers will lead you deep into the bamboo forests and mountain slopes in search of the great mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking experience can be challenging but is worth an encounter.
Once you find the gorilla family, you will be allowed an hour to observe the primates. After a great one-hour encounter with gentle giants, hike back to the starting point, where our driver will be waiting for you to connect you at the lodge to enjoy a hot lunch, shower and relax.
Later, you will go to visit the Gorilla Guardians Village in Musanze -formerly known as the Iby’iwacu Cultural village. Iby’iwacu cultural village offers a great experience about the Kinyarwanda and Batwa culture. Expect to be entertained by cultural dancers after taking a tour of the facility. Dinner and an overnight stay as above.
Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking / Transfer to Lake Kivu in Gisenyi – Swimming, Canoeing
Enjoy an early morning breakfast at the lodge. Thereafter, you will go for a short briefing at the park center for a golden monkey tracking briefing. Golden monkeys are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Golden monkeys are very cute and playful species with golden coats. Tracking them doesn’t take much longer when compared to gorillas, and you should expect to return to the lodge at midday. Check out of the lodge and get ready to leave Volcanoes National Park for Lake Kivu in Gisenyi.
Lake Kivu is unique and contains hidden methane gas beneath its surface but is currently not dangerous to swimmers. To many tourists like visiting the lake because of its natural beauty and thrilling activities
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Arriving here, you will check in to your hotel room and have lunch overlooking the lake. After lunch, embark for swimming, relaxation by the Lakeside, canoeing or visiting the different Island /fishing villages. Return to the hotel for a delicious dinner, followed by an overnight stay at Paradise Marahide – Mid range.
Day 4: Activities in Lake Kivu—Transfer Back to Kigali
On your last day, wake up and enjoy breakfast and go to the Lake to do the missed-out activity from the previous day. After enjoying all the activities, the driver will start the journey back to Kigali. Upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you at the airport for departure or at your hotel in Kigali. End of the tour.
Inclusions:
Gorilla trekking permit
Golden Tracking permits
Boat ride in Lake Kivu
Visiting the Twin Lakes
Cultural encounter
Drinking water throughout the trip
Pickup and drop-off in Kigali
Ground Transportation 4×4 WD safari vehicle
Exclusions:
International flights
Visas
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
