6 days best of rwanda budget safari

TOUR DESCRIPTION

This budget-friendly Rwanda safari is the perfect way to experience the country’s incredible primates and stunning scenery without breaking the bank.

You will visit the chimps of Nyungwe, enjoy the scenery and culture of Lake Kivu, and meet face-to-face with the gorillas and golden monkeys of the Volcanoes National Park.

This trip shows you all the magical places and experiences that visitors enjoy in Rwanda.

Take a look at the detailed itinerary to get a better feel of how such a safari would work for you. Keep in mind that all our safaris are customizable and our team of experts will gladly help you personalize any safari to your specific needs.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Drive to Nyungwe Forest

Our guide will pick you up from your hotel or place of residence and drive you to Nyungwe Forest National Park.

The drive from Kigali to Nyungwe will take approximately 5 hours. Along the way, you will visit the Royal Palace Museum and the Ethnographic Museum, both of which will give you a deeper understanding of the history and traditional ways of the people of Rwanda.

You will reach Nyungwe early enough to spend the rest of the afternoon at your leisure.

Accommodation: Emeraulde Kivu

Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner

Day 2: Hiking in Nyungwe National Park

After your early breakfast, you will be driven to the park offices for a briefing before starting your chimpanzee tracking adventure. With a guided ranger, you will hike through the thick forest in search of chimpanzees and the other 12 species of primates.

Throughout your hike, you will see many species of monkeys- sometimes in massive troops as well as hundreds of bird species. After finding the chimpanzees, you will spend 1 hour with them after which you will leave them and go back to the starting point. 

After the hike, you will return to the lodge for lunch and some relaxation before going back to the park for the canopy walk. This is a suspended metallic bridge that is 70 meters above the ground and spans a distance of 160 meters.

The canopy walk provides great opportunities to see the forest from above and really appreciate the work of nature. On a lucky day, you will be able to spot some primates that are high up in the canopies.

You will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Emeraulde Kivu

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Drive to Gisenyi Lake Kivu

After your breakfast, you will take a leisurely drive from Nyungwe to Gisenyi on the shores of Lake Kivu. You will go through the beautiful countryside and changing views of Lake Kivu. The drive takes around 4 hours but the interesting surrounding will make it seem shorter.

You will reach your lodge with enough time to relax and spend some more time at leisure, enjoying the fresh breeze.

Accommodation: Paradise Kivu.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Day 4: Drive from Lake Kivu to Volcanoes National Park

After your breakfast, you will have time to explore the lake by boat. You will visit the various islands and spot many birds that live here.

After the boat ride you will return for lunch and then drive to Musanze which is just outside of Volcanoes National Park. The drive will take around 3 hours and you will reach early enough to enjoy the evening at leisure.

Accommodation: Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Today is the big day! Prepare yourself for an encounter with the gentle giants; the endangered mountain gorillas. After your morning breakfast, you will go to the headquarters of the park where the park rangers will brief you about the gorilla trekking experience.

You will go into the forest in groups of no more than 8 in search of mountain gorillas. En route, your guide will point out previous signs of gorilla activity such as dung, nests, and chewed bamboo shoots.

Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes, and bamboo. Upon finding the gorillas, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour with them after which you will be led back to the starting point.

After the gorilla trekking, if time allows, you will have lunch and then go for an excursion to explore the beautiful twin lakes in the region (Lake Bulera & Ruhondo).

Accommodation: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge 

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Day 6: Drive to Kigali

After your morning breakfast, you will again go to the park offices where you will start your golden monkey trek. A visit to the golden monkeys is a very different experience from going to see gorillas, the monkeys react and interact differently; they will keep on playing hide-and-seek much to the delight of the visitors.

There are two habituated golden monkey troops that are available for visiting. The largest troop has about 80-100 monkeys. 

In a group of not more than eight people, you will trek for the monkeys and spend an hour with them once you find them. You might have to follow them around because they love jumping from tree to tree.

In the afternoon, you will be driven back to Kigali for your flight back home.

Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch