8-Day / 7 Nights Nyungwe & Volcanoes National Park Tour By Helicopter

Transfer to Musanze Breakfast at the hotel, check out, and
settlement of extras, you will embark on a city tour, including visits to the Gisozi Memorial Center, Inema Arts, and Kimironko Local Market. After, you’ll have lunch at a selected restaurant – make your arrangements. Transfer to Kigali International Airport for your scenic helicopter transfer to Musanze Airstrip. Our driver guide will transfer you to Singita Kwitonda Lodge/One & Only and Bisate Lodge; the lodge staff will welcome you and assist you in check-in. Evening is at leisure at the lodge.

After an early breakfast at the Lodge, Gorilla Trekking, proceed to the park headquarters in time for the Gorilla Trek briefing. You will then be transferred to the start point of your guided walk, which begins at 08h00. Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range and is the home of the rare mountain gorilla and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp, and health, but the high point will be spending an hour with the remarkably peaceful gorillas despite their size and appearance as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting, and raising their young. Then, I will go back to the Lodge for lunch and evening at leisure.

Golden Monkey Trek & Cultural Experience After an early breakfast at the lodge, proceed to the park headquarters for the Golden Trek briefing at 07h00. The Tracking usually takes about four hrs. Once you come to the habituated families, you will spend only one hour with them as they go about their daily lives. Trekking to see the Golden Monkeys is another highlight of Volcanoes National Park. The Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus Mitis Kandti) is a local subspecies of the widespread Sykes Monkey, also known as the “Blue Monkey” and is endemic to the high-altitude forests. The monkeys are playful and inquisitive, often leaping from bamboo branches or frolicking on the forest floor. There are two habituated groups of Golden Monkey, one group comprises around 80 - 100 members and has its home at the foot of Mt Sabyinyo. After this memorable experience, return to the lodge for your lunch. This afternoon you will have a guided walk in one of the local villages to experience how daily activities are carried out like cultivating, basket weaving, local bee keeping, curving, butter churning etc.

Breakfast at the resort and relax. Then transfer to the airstrip for your scenic helicopter flight to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Land at the One & Only Nyungwe House helipad. You will be met by the resort staff and guided to the reception. Assisted with check-in, followed by a sumptuous hot lunch. Afternoon, you have complementary brochure activities at the lodge, i.e., spear throwing, cycling, nature boot camp, nature walks, etc.

Walkway Rise very early, has breakfast at the resort and transfer to the park offices for a briefing before your guided trek. You will enter the forest when it's dark, but you will be able to see primate species such as Colobus Monkeys and Forest Birds; later, you will see the Chimpanzees when it's already daytime. After the chimpanzee trekking, you will be embarking on the Canopy Walkway. The Canopy walkway consists of three bridges and three towers, and the total length of the walkway is 160m. The walkway is embedded in a guided tour along the Igishigishigi Trail. Taking this tour, a specialized Park Guide will show you the forest canopy and explain why it is an integral part of the tropical rainforest ecosystem.

After Breakfast, you will head into the forest with your guides for a memorable experience. The waterfall trail starts by the lodge and descends into the forest proper, following flat contour paths through a succession of tree-fern-covered ravines and crossing several streams before a sharp descent to the base of the pretty but small waterfall. It takes four hours to cover as a round trip, depending on how often you stop. After lunch, you will have a guided tour of the Gisakura Tea plantation and factory. Tea is Rwanda’s largest export, and you can see it in the landscape. Tea leaves cover the mountains and give a dark green contrast to the blue skies, dirt roads, and sunshine.

A relaxed breakfast at the lodge, you will relax. 11:00 AM: check out and settle any extras. You will be transferred to the resort helipad for your flight back to Kigali. Our driver guide will be waiting for you. Transfer to a selected restaurant for your lunch. After lunch, you will visit craft centers to view and purchase souvenirs, i.e., Kaplaki, Gahaya Links, House of Tayo, etc. Later, proceed to Kigali International Airport, assist, bid farewell, and check in for your outbound flight.