How To Plan A Gorilla & Chimps Combo in Rwanda

A gorilla & chimps combo safari in Rwanda is the best way to explore the country’s best gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking attractions. The combo safari visits Rwanda’s most popular wildlife reserves, Volcanoes National Park, where the endangered mountain gorillas find refuge, and Nyungwe National Park, one of the top primate destinations in Africa. 

The safari begins from Kigali and either heads northwest to Volcanoes or southwest to Nyungwe, spending at least a night or two in either destination. The main planning obstacle for this trip is acquiring the permits for both activities. Apart from helping you navigate the local logistics, we have written this how-to plan a gorilla & chimps combo guide to help you quickly organize your Rwanda trip.

Places you’ll visit

Rwanda’s gorilla and chimps combo safari will take you to two attractions through Kigali, your main entry point. Down in the extreme southwest of Rwanda, in Nyungwe Forest National Park, you’ll trek chimpanzees, and the Virunga volcanoes in the northwest is Volcanoes National Park, where you’ll trek the mountain gorillas.

Traveling to Rwanda, you jet in through Kigali, where you’ll probably spend a night before heading into the remote countryside the following day. Kigali has some captivating cultural attractions that can keep you occupied for at least a day and introduce you to what you should expect on your combo safari. You can take a walk through meticulously cleaned streets and see Rwanda’s cultural styles, taste street cuisine and chat with a few. Or visit the acclaimed genocide museums where the 90s atrocities are displayed for the world to learn.

From Kigali, the Rwanda gorilla & chimps combo safari will most likely drive 220 km southwest to Nyungwe National Park for the chimpanzee trekking adventure. The journey is a 6-hour drive on a newly surfaced road, but you can take a 40-minute flight from Kigali Internation Airport. Rwandair offers daily scheduled flights between Kigali and Nyungwe.

Nyungwe Forest is Rwanda’s jewel covering over 1000 sq km of dense Afromontane forest, bamboo forests, wetlands, and grasslands. One of its main features is a large amount of water it pours into two of the world’s largest rivers, the Congo and the Nile, and 70% of Rwanda’s freshwater source. Nyungwe is also a regional biodiversity hotspot, supporting 1,068 recorded plant species, 322 bird species, 75 known mammal species, and over a dozen primate species. Although nature hikes in Nyungwe, especially the canopy walk, will be much rewarding, chimpanzee trekking to see the habituated chimps in their natural habitat is the highlight of any visit to Nyungwe. Nyungwe is also a birder’s paradise with around 300 recorded species, nearly 30 endemic to the Albertine Rift region.

You can spend a night or two in Nyungwe and then transfer north to Volcanoes National Park, about 250 kilometers. A picturesque 5-hour drive via Lake Kivu shoreline.

Volcanoes National Park, straddled in the far northwest of Rwanda, is where you’ll do the unforgettable gorilla trekking adventure. The park protects the steep slopes of the Virunga Mountains on the Rwanda side and the precious mountain gorillas. Its vegetation is a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, lush bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp, and heath.

Tracking endangered mountain gorillas through Volcanoes’ thick forest jungle, teeming with over  200 species of colorful endemic birds and golden monkeys jumping in its forest canopy, is only one of the truly unique experiences in Rwanda.

You’ll spend at least a night or two in Volcanoes National Park before you drive southeast back to Kigali for your flight out of the country.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest

Nyungwe National Park is one of the best places to see chimpanzees up close in their natural setting and a great destination for primate safaris. Daily chimpanzee trekking excursions head out every morning, and the experience varies significantly.

Your gorilla & chimps combo safari in Rwanda planner will secure a chimp permit before your trip (a few weeks earlier), which will allow you a guided excursion into the thick forest. Chimpanzee trekking is more engaging than the gorilla trekking experience. The playfulness and human-like characteristics of our forest-dwelling cousins will keep you on your feet during the one hour that you’re allowed to stay with them. 

A chimpanzee permit in Nyungwe costs USD 90 per person, and anyone above 15 years can get it directly from Rwanda Development Board or through a licensed local operator like Encounter Africa Safaris.

You can add chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe to your gorilla & chimps combo safari in Rwanda any time of the year. However, trekking can be more arduous during the rainy seasons of April–May and November. The best time for the adventure is during the drier months, between December and February and June to mid-September.

The age limit of above 15-year olds is strictly enforced with no flexibility. Small groups of around eight people can track a habituated chimpanzee group and be allowed to stay with the chimps for only one hour. The starting point for the treks is somewhat far from the briefing point, so you’ll need a 4×4 car to transport you to the starting point.

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes

There are bout 12 habituated gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park, and less than 80 gorilla permits are available per day. Very many travelers hope to get that chance to spend a moment with Rwanda’s gorillas. Therefore, you’ll have to purchase your permit months earlier than your trekking date.

Plan to spend a night at the base of Volcanoes National Park so that you be at the trailhead in time for the early morning briefing. From the trailhead, you’ll head into the thick jungle in small groups of 6 with two armed rangers, guided by a local expert tracker. 

The time you spend tracking the mountain gorilla group is relative; it could take 1 – 4 hours to find the gorillas. However, once you find them, you’ll be restricted to spending an hour with the mountain gorillas watching them at close range forage, playing their social drama, and showcasing their primitive antiques. Sightings are highly successful: almost everyone gets to see the giant creatures.

The terrain is steep, uneven, and sometimes slippery, especially during the rainy seasons. The gorillas could be anywhere in the forest; there’s no used trail to reach the gorillas, and you’ll be hacking your way through the woods to reach the gorillas. Plan your combo safari for some physically demanding treks through Volcanoes National Park.

Typical Itinerary

A typical gorilla & chimps safari combo in Rwanda would take at least six days, starting from Kigali and to Nyungwe and ending in Volcanoes National Park.

Depending on your flight time to Kigali, you may spend overnight in Kigali and head out to the countryside the following day. Considering Rwanda’s current travel restrictions require travelers to wait a couple of hours in a hotel near the airport for their COVID-19 test results, plan to spend a night in Kigali. Otherwise, with an early flight into Kigali, you can take a 6-hour drive to Nyungwe or a 2-hour drive to Volcanoes and spend your first night in a forest lodge.

Whichever park you start with, both activities begin in the early mornings and could take more than half the day in the rainforest. Therefore you may want to spend another night near the park before proceeding to the next destination.

You’ll need a 4×4 vehicle to transfer you from your accommodation near the park to the trailheads in Nyungwe and Volcanoes National Park. There’s also a bit of distance from the briefing point to the trekking start point, which will require a car transfer.

Best time to go

The best time to plan for a gorilla & chimp combo safari in Rwanda is during the drier seasons of June to September. During the dry seasons, there’s minimal expectation of rain which could disrupt your gorilla trekking experience when you have the best chance at spotting the country’s undoubted highlight: the mountain gorilla.

The rainy seasons of March to May and November are the best times for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe. During this time, the chimps are easier to find because of the wide availability of forest fruits. And there are fewer travelers during the wet seasons.

Rwanda has tropical temperatures. The days are warm, and the nights are cool, especially at altitudes in Volcanoes.

Organizing your gorilla & chimps safari combo in Rwanda

Planning a gorilla & chimps safari in Rwanda is challenging for any first-timer because of the time difference, logistics culture, and language. Booking the trekking permits is the most difficult in planning the safari; the permits are restricted to a limited number of tourists per day. That’s why you need a local consultant to help you prepare.

Encounter Africa Safaris is your closest tour operator to help you purchase your permits, book lodges, and organize your transport. We’ll manage your entire journey so that you have all the time to enjoy your experiences. Send us an email at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com.