8-Day / 7 Nights Nyungwe & Volcanoes National Park Tour By Helicopter
Explore Tours
Included/Excluded
- Meet and greet on arrival
- Airport and inter-hotel transfers from day 1 to the last day
- Accommodation at hotels/lodges & meals mentioned in the program
- Audiovisual for Kigali Genocide memorial
- Visit a local market (no charges),(Exclusive use of a safari land cruiser 4x4 with WIFI where receptive and pop-up roof)
- Service of a professional, experienced English/French speaking driver guide
- Bottled mineral water in the vehicle during the tour
- 1 Gorilla permit per person (this includes briefing at RDB offices, guide, and trek – US$ 1500.-)
- 1 canopy walk permit per person (this includes briefing at RDB offices, guide, and trek – US$ 60.-)
- 1 chimp trek permit per person (this includes briefing at RDB offices, guide, trek – US$ 90.-)
- Colobus monkey permit
- All activities, visits, and extra meals mentioned in the itinerary
- Emergency Medical Evacuation Services
- Our assistance
- International and domestic airline tickets unless where indicated,
- Optional ethnographic museum visit (US$ 25 - PP),
- Entry visa fees,
- Optional extras whilst in Kigali,
- Drinks throughout the trip,
- Tips and gratuities,
- Personal expenses such as telephone calls, mini bar, porter-age, travel insurance, etc
Tour Amenities
Tour Plan
Meet & greet assistance, you will be warmly welcomed by Golden Rwanda Safaris representative outside the customs and immigration hall, Safari briefing then the introduction to your driver guide. Transfer to
The Retreat by Heaven for check-in.
Transfer to Musanze Breakfast at the hotel, check out, and
settlement of extras, you will embark on a city tour including visits to Gisozi Memorial Center, Inema Arts and Kimironko Local Market. After you’ll have lunch at a selected restaurant – own arrangements. Transfer to Kigali International Airport for your scenic helicopter transfer to Musanze Airstrip. Our driver guide will transfer you to Singita Kwitonda Lodge, the lodge staff will welcome you and assist you in check-in. This evening is at leisure. Driver guide. Transfer to The Retreat by Heaven for check-in.
Gorilla trekking after an early breakfast at the lodge, proceed to the park headquarters in time for 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.
Golden Monkey Trek & Cultural Experience After an early breakfast at the lodge, proceed to the park headquarters in time for Golden Trek briefing at 07h00. The Tracking usually takes about 4 hrs. Once you come to the habituated families, you will spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life. 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 and often spend their time 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, natures boot camp, nature walks etc.
Walkway Rise very early, breakfast at the resort and transferred to the park offices for briefing before your guided trek. You will enter into the forest when it’s dark, but you will be able to see primate species such as Colobus Monkeys, Forest Birds; later, you will be able to see the Chimpanzees when its 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 is a total length of the walkway is 160m. The walkway is embedded in a guided tour along Igishigishigi Trail. Taking this tour, a specialized Park Guide will not only show you the forest canopy but also explain why it is an integral part of the tropical rainforest ecosystem.
After Breakfast, you will head into the forest with your guides for yet a memorable experience. The waterfall trail that 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 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. 11h00: check out and settlement of 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 some craft centers for viewing and purchasing souvenirs i.e Kaplaki, Gahaya links, House of Tayo etc. later proceed to Kigali International Airport assisted bid farewell and proceed to check in for your outbound flight.