Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Rwanda: Gorillas, Golden Monkeys, Nyungwe Chimpanzees and Akagera
8 days from Kigali: a day in Akagera, the genocide memorial, a gorilla trek and golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park, a night on Lake Kivu and two in Nyungwe.
8 days · Round trip from Kigali · up to 12 guests
On the trail in Volcanoes National Park Photo: Nina R from Africa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volcanoes_National_Park_(31378300887).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Kigali
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 5 h on day 2
- Activity level
Active
Three primate treks at altitude: the gorilla trek takes 1 to 6 hours on steep, muddy forest slopes between about 2,500 and 3,000 m, the golden monkey trek 1 to 3 hours on gentler bamboo slopes, and chimpanzee tracking 2 to 5 hours on forest trails. A porter carries your bag on the gorilla trek. The other days are easy walking or time in the vehicle, and you can sit out the canopy walkway or the golden monkeys.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,375 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September and December to February
Highlights
Why this trip
- An hour with a mountain gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park, with your permit included
- Golden monkeys in the bamboo the next morning, on gentler slopes
- Chimpanzees at dawn in Nyungwe's rainforest, then the canopy walkway in the afternoon
- A full day in Akagera: a game drive in the cool of the morning and a boat on Lake Ihema
- The Kigali Genocide Memorial at opening, then a coffee and crafts walk in Nyamirambo
- A night on Lake Kivu, with a morning boat among its islands
- A short flight from Kamembe back to Kigali instead of a long last drive
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 5 h, on day 2.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,375 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 5 h, on day 2.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Kigali
Kigali International Airport to your hotel in Kigali
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Kigali
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Kigali International Airport (KGL), about 12 km and twenty minutes from the centre, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall. Kigali spreads over a series of green ridges at about 1,500 m, so the air is mild and evenings are cool. The rest of the day is yours: rest after the flight, or walk out to a café for your first cup of Rwandan coffee.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the week ahead: how the permits work, what to wear on the treks, and why tomorrow starts before dawn. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, a good first taste of grilled tilapia, brochettes and plantain. Plan to land by about 4 pm to make the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed at breakfast.
Included
- Pick-up at Kigali International Airport (KGL)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
A day in Akagera
Kigali to Akagera National Park and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kigali
- Drive about 5 h
Morning
We leave Kigali at about 5:30 am with a packed breakfast and drive east for about two and a half hours to the south gate of Akagera, Rwanda's only savanna park, along the Tanzanian border. The early start puts us on the game tracks while it is still cool and the animals are moving. Rebuilt by African Parks and the Rwanda Development Board, it has had lions again since 2015 and black rhinos since 2017. In the morning we drive the southern lakes and plains in our own pop-up roof 4x4s (two for larger groups) with a park guide, looking for giraffes, zebras, buffalo, elephants, topi and baboons.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the park, near the water, and then we go out by boat on Lake Ihema, close to hippos, crocodiles and fish eagles.
Evening
We start back mid-afternoon and reach Kigali by early evening. That makes about five hours on the road, over our four-hour cap, because Akagera has no night on this plan. The game drive, lunch and the boat trip break it into two drives of about two and a half hours; the easy option is a free day in Kigali.
Included
- Akagera National Park entry
- Morning game drive with a park guide in our pop-up roof vehicles
- Lunch in the park
- Boat trip on Lake Ihema
Easier option: Stay in Kigali for a free day to recover from the flight; tell us when you book.
Free time: Evening free in Kigali
Activity: A long day, mostly seated: about 5 hours on the road in two halves, with the game drive and boat in between. Bring a hat, sunscreen and binoculars.
The memorial, Nyamirambo, then north to the volcanoes
Kigali to Kinigi, at the edge of Volcanoes National Park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kinigi
- Drive about 2.5 h
We are at the Kigali Genocide Memorial when it opens at 8 am, while it is quiet. It stands over the graves of more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, and its exhibits explain how it happened and how the country has rebuilt. Take the time you need; your guide stays with the group.
Afternoon
Late morning we walk through Nyamirambo, Kigali's oldest neighbourhood, with a local guide: tailors and craft workshops, a coffee roaster where you taste the beans grown on the hills you will see this week, and lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we drive about two and a half hours north on a good road through terraced hills to Kinigi, at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, where we stay two nights.
Evening
You reach the lodge by late afternoon, with time to settle in before dinner.
Included
- Kigali Genocide Memorial at opening, with your guide
- Coffee and crafts walk in Nyamirambo with a local guide (stops confirmed with your final itinerary)
- Lunch in Nyamirambo
- Drive to Kinigi
Free time: Early evening free at the lodge
Activity: The memorial is hard going; some guests prefer a quiet half hour in its gardens afterwards, and there is time for that.
Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
Kinigi to the park headquarters and the trailhead, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kinigi
- Drive about 1 h
We leave the lodge at about 6:15 am for the 7 am briefing at the park headquarters in Kinigi, where rangers assign each party of up to eight visitors to a gorilla family; if there are more than eight of us, the group splits across two families. The trek starts at the edge of the farmland and climbs into bamboo and forest on the slopes of the volcanoes.
Evening
Trackers go ahead to find where the family nested last night, so the walk can take one hour or six, depending on where they have moved. A porter carries your bag and helps on the steep parts, and the rangers set the pace. When you reach the family you spend one hour with them at a few metres, watching the silverback, mothers and young feed, groom and play. Lunch is packed for the trail. The afternoon is free at the lodge: rest, or go out for one of the options below. Dinner is at the lodge.
Included
- Mountain gorilla trek with park rangers and trackers, one permit per guest
- A porter for each guest
- Packed lunch on the trek
Optional experiences
- Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Kinigi (price confirmed at booking)
- Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, Kinigi (price confirmed at booking)
Easier option: Ask the rangers at the briefing for a family that is usually closer to the park edge; it is not guaranteed, but they try to match fitness to family.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: The trek runs between about 2,500 and 3,000 m on steep, often muddy slopes with nettles. Wear boots, long trousers tucked into socks and gloves.
Golden monkeys, then down to Lake Kivu
Kinigi to Rubavu, then along the Kivu Belt road to Karongi
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Karongi
- Drive about 4.5 h
Back at the Kinigi headquarters for 7 am, this time for the golden monkeys, an endangered monkey found in the Virunga bamboo forests of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. The trek is gentler than yesterday's: usually one to three hours on the lower slopes, where a habituated troop feeds and leaps through the bamboo. You get an hour with them, and the light through the bamboo stems makes for good photographs.
Afternoon
We are back on the road by late morning and drive about an hour and a half down to Rubavu for lunch on the lakeshore. Lake Kivu sits at about 1,460 m on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and from Rubavu the Kivu Belt road follows its shore south, through banana groves and coffee hills, for about three hours to Karongi: only about 105 km, but a winding road that is slow going. That makes about four and a half hours of driving, slightly over our four-hour cap, because there is no shorter road to the lake's southern half; the lakeside lunch in Rubavu splits it in two.
Evening
Evening on the lake, with dinner at the hotel.
Included
- Golden monkey trek in Volcanoes National Park with park rangers
- Lunch on the lakeshore in Rubavu
- Drive along the Kivu Belt road to Karongi
Easier option: Skip the golden monkeys and have a slow breakfast at the lodge before we drive.
Free time: Evening free on the lake
Activity: The golden monkey trek is shorter and less steep than the gorilla trek, but still muddy underfoot.
Lake Kivu by boat, then to Nyungwe
Karongi along Lake Kivu to Rusizi, then east to Nyungwe
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Nyungwe
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
A slow morning on the water. At about 8 am we take a boat out among the islands off Karongi, while the lake is calm and the fishermen are coming in; the trip takes about two hours, with a stop to walk on one of the islands.
Afternoon
Back on shore we head south on the Kivu Belt road, with the lake on the right most of the way, and stop for lunch near Rusizi at the southern end of the lake. From there the road climbs east into the hills and the tea estates on the western edge of Nyungwe National Park, a mountain rainforest listed by UNESCO in 2023 and home to 13 primate species. We reach the lodge in the middle of the afternoon, about four hours of driving in all. The rest of the day is free: walk out through the tea, or sit on the terrace and listen to the forest.
Included
- Morning boat trip among the islands of Lake Kivu
- Lunch near Rusizi
- Drive to Nyungwe National Park
Free time: Late afternoon free
Chimpanzees at dawn and the canopy walkway
Nyungwe: chimpanzee tracking, then Uwinka and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Nyungwe
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
This is the one very early start: we meet the rangers at about 5 to 5:30 am, because the chimpanzees leave their nests at first light and are easiest to follow before they spread out to feed. Tracking takes two to five hours on forest trails, sometimes steep, and when the trackers find them you spend up to an hour watching and listening as they call through the canopy. Chimpanzees move fast and are seen most days, but not every day; the rangers say so at the briefing. We are back for a late breakfast and a rest.
Afternoon
In the afternoon we drive about an hour along the road through the forest to Uwinka for the canopy walkway, a suspension bridge hung high over a forested valley, where you look straight across into the treetops and often see monkeys and turacos.
Evening
Back at the lodge by late afternoon, with the evening free.
Included
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park with park rangers
- Canopy walkway at Uwinka
- Late breakfast and lunch at the lodge
Easier option: Skip the canopy walkway and rest at the lodge, or walk the gentle trails through the tea estate.
More active option: Stay on at Uwinka for a longer ranger-led forest trail after the walkway.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Chimpanzee tracking can be steep and slippery, and the walkway is high: fine for most people, but sit it out if heights trouble you.
Fly back to Kigali and home
Nyungwe to Kamembe airport, then a flight to Kigali International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
An early start: we leave the lodge at about 6 to 6:30 am with breakfast, and drive about an hour west to Kamembe airport, near Rusizi, for the scheduled domestic flight to Kigali. It departs in the morning, at about 8 am at the time of writing (we confirm the time with your booking), and takes about 40 minutes over the hills you have spent the week crossing. Flying saves the five to six hours it takes to drive back. The route runs only on certain days of the week, so our departure dates are set so that day 8 falls on a flight day. Your main bag flies with you within the airline's limit, and your guide travels with the group. We land at Kigali International Airport in the mid-morning.
Afternoon
If you have time before your flight home, your guide can arrange a stop in the city for lunch or a last coffee.
Evening
Book an international flight leaving after about 2 pm; if you would rather stay on, ask us about an extra night in Kigali.
Included
- Transfer to Kamembe airport
- Scheduled domestic flight from Kamembe to Kigali
- Drop-off at Kigali International Airport (KGL)
Activity: Book an international flight leaving after about 2 pm. The Kamembe flight leaves at about 8 am and runs only on certain days, which our dates are set around.
- Kigali2 nights
- Kinigi2 nights
- Karongi1 night
- Nyungwe2 nights
- Kigaliend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June to September and December to February are the drier months, with firmer trails and clearer views of the volcanoes. Gorillas and chimpanzees are seen year-round, but Nyungwe is rainforest and can rain any day, and the March to May rains make the gorilla trails slippery.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want gorillas, golden monkeys and chimpanzees in one trip, with every permit sorted
- Those who want Akagera's savanna as well as the forests, in eight days
- Walkers happy with steep, muddy trails at altitude for a few hours
- Travellers who want two nights at each primate base rather than one
Not for you if you want
- Anyone under 15 (the gorilla trek minimum)
- Travellers who cannot walk several hours on steep, uneven ground
- Those who want a classic Big Five safari with several game drives; for that, add Akagera nights or look at our Kenya trip
- Travellers who dislike very early starts: the Akagera, gorilla and chimpanzee days begin before 6:30 am
Minimum age: 15
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Kigali2 nights
- Kinigi2 nights
- Karongi1 night
- Nyungwe2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 2 in central Kigali, 2 at a lodge at Kinigi on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, 1 at a lakeside hotel in Karongi on Lake Kivu, 2 at a lodge on the western edge of Nyungwe National Park
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Kigali International Airport (KGL)
- Our own pop-up roof 4x4 vehicles with drivers for the whole trip, sized to the group (two vehicles for larger groups), also used for the Akagera game drive
- Scheduled domestic flight from Kamembe to Kigali on day 8
- Boat trip on Lake Ihema, Akagera
- Boat trip on Lake Kivu, Karongi
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- Park rangers and trackers on the gorilla, golden monkey and chimpanzee treks, a park guide in Akagera and a local guide in Nyamirambo
- A porter for each guest on the gorilla trek
Activities
- Akagera National Park entry, morning game drive and Lake Ihema boat
- Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kigali
- Coffee and crafts walk in Nyamirambo, Kigali
- Mountain gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park, one permit per guest (USD 1,500 at the time of writing)
- Golden monkey trek in Volcanoes National Park
- Lake Kivu boat trip among the islands, Karongi
- Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park
- Canopy walkway at Uwinka, Nyungwe National Park
- National park entry fees for every day in the plan
Meals
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners
- Welcome dinner in Kigali
- Packed breakfast for Akagera and packed lunch on the gorilla trek
- Full board at Kinigi, Karongi and Nyungwe
- Drinking water in the vehicle
Not included
- International flights to and from Kigali
- Visa
- Travel insurance
- Dinner in Kigali on day 2 and lunch on day 8
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver, rangers and porters
- Optional visits: the Dian Fossey campus and the Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village
- A second gorilla trek
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,375 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in hotels and lodges, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicles and drivers, the Kamembe to Kigali flight, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the plan: one gorilla permit, the golden monkey trek, chimpanzee tracking, the canopy walkway, Akagera with its game drive and boat, a Lake Kivu boat and the memorial.
Is the gorilla permit included?
Yes. One mountain gorilla permit per guest is included, at USD 1,500 for foreign visitors at the time of writing, along with the golden monkey permit (about USD 100) and chimpanzee permit (about USD 150). We buy them in your name from your passport details when you book. Gorilla permits are generally not refundable once bought; our booking terms explain what that means.
How fit do I need to be for gorilla trekking?
Reasonably fit. The gorilla trek can take one to six hours on steep, muddy slopes at about 2,500 to 3,000 m, and chimpanzee tracking two to five hours. A porter carries your bag on the gorilla trek, and the rangers set a steady pace. If you walk a few hours on hills at home, you will manage.
How big is the group?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests. On the gorilla trek the group splits across two gorilla families, because each family takes at most eight visitors a day, and on the chimpanzee and golden monkey treks we go out in small parties with the rangers.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group from the welcome briefing to the last flight. In the parks, Rwanda Development Board rangers and trackers lead the treks, a park guide joins us in Akagera, and a local guide leads the Nyamirambo walk. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay more?
Only if you want a room to yourself, which is from CAD 1,375 more. Solo travellers pay the same trip price as everyone else, the permits cost the same, and you are seated, guided and looked after exactly like any other guest.
When is the best time to go?
June to September and December to February, the drier months, when trails are firmer and the volcanoes are clearer. Gorillas and chimpanzees are seen all year, so private trips run in the wetter months too, but Nyungwe can rain any day and boots get muddy.
Do I need a visa for Rwanda?
US and Canadian passport holders can usually get a visa on arrival at Kigali or apply online before you fly. Rules change, so we send the current ones with your booking. See a travel clinic early about malaria tablets and whether you need a yellow fever certificate.
How long are the drives?
Most are under four hours. Akagera is about five hours in two halves, and Kinigi to Lake Kivu is about four and a half hours, slightly over our cap, with lunch in Rubavu. We fly from Kamembe to Kigali instead of driving five to six hours; that flight runs only on certain weekdays, so our dates are set around it.
How is this different from your Rwanda and Uganda gorilla trip?
This trip stays in Rwanda and includes the gorilla permit, golden monkeys, Nyungwe's chimpanzees and Akagera. The Rwanda and Uganda trip crosses to Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Park for a second gorilla chance and the Kazinga Channel, with the Rwanda permit billed at cost.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We check permits and hotels and confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken until we confirm, and then we ask for passport details so we can buy your permits in your name.
Can I travel privately or on my own dates?
Yes. The private version is your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle, from CAD 14,545 per person. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section and we can quote the permits, hotels and drivers for your own dates.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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