It is very possible to visit both Nyungwe forest and Volcanoes National Park, why not take our customized One & Only Resorts – Rwanda safari itinerary staying in One & Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge and Nyungwe House and enjoy the gorilla, golden monkey and chimps trek after a canopy walk or chimp trek in Nyungwe!
The drive from Nyungwe forest to Volcanoes national park takes approximately 4 to 5 hours, covering a distance of about 270 kilometres via Ruhengeri – Gisenyi Road.
A combined 05 Day Rwanda Safari Holidays from Nyungwe Forest National Park to Volcanoes National Park is one that is very exciting and filled with lots of adventure and fun. The roads are tarmacked good quality until the final section.
Use 4×4 vehicles for your all-inclusive packages that are very comfortable for your road trip to Volcanoes national park. For entry into the park, you will need to have secured permits for any of the activities of your choice or paid park entrance fees to Volcanoes National Park.
You will need to spend at least on the night in Volcanoes national Park for the gorilla trek activity, meaning you arrive a day earlier from Nyungwe forest.
The mountain gorillas are the famous attraction in volcanoes national park with gorilla trekking happening every day throughout the year. The gorilla trekking safari is an activity that involves visiting the habituated endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environment, as you view the way they feed, move, rest, and live in harmony.
Volcanoes National Park has 12 habituated gorilla families for trekking every day, only 8 visitors per gorilla family are allowed to trek every day.
The chances of seeing the mountain gorillas are 99% as you are guided by trackers, guides and park rangers. Gorilla trekking starts every day in Kinigi at 7:00 am with a briefing on guidelines to follow while on the trek, even though the gorillas have 99% DNA as humans, they still remain wild and you are advised to follow the dos and don’ts from the guides. The gorilla trek can take 30 minutes to more hours depending on the movement and location of the gorillas in the forest.
For one to be allowed to do gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, one must have a Rwanda gorilla permit for a particular date secured from the Rwanda development board. The gorilla permit costs US$1500 for all nationals and you are allowed one hour of viewing the gorillas and taking photography.
The golden monkey experience is amazing to add after your Nyungwe forest adventure. Golden Monkey tracking refers to visiting the rare and very beautiful golden monkeys in their natural environment.
Volcanoes National Park has two habituated golden monkey communities for trekking every day, these communities have about 80 members each and the number of visitors is not limited.
The golden monkey trekking permit costs US$100 for all nationals and can be obtained from Rwanda development board to allow you visit the endangered golden monkeys.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda Nyungwe National Park. Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is only done in Nyungwe Forest National Park, chimpanzee trekking refers to visiting the chimps in their natural environment in the forest, chimps that are already used to people or habituated.
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest National Park starts in the morning and the activity is conducted in groups of a maximum of eight (8) people just as it is with gorilla trekking.
The Nyungwe forest national park receives a very large number of tourists annually who come to meet face to face and spend time with the chimpanzee’s man’s closest living relative observing them as they play, feed and move.
Chimpanzee trekking is a lifetime experience that you will enjoy in Africa’s oldest forest in Nyungwe National Park, the Park has the highest population of chimpanzees in Rwanda, it has about 400 individuals and other chimps are found in Gishwati Mukura National Park.
Two chimpanzee communities have been habituated in Nyungwe National Park for chimpanzee trekking. Most of them live in Nyungwe forest which is about 60 individuals while the rest are found in Cyamudongo Forest which is about 30 individuals. Chimpanzees are known as the closest cousins to human beings are very interesting to look at. The Chimpanzee trekking permit costs $150 per person per trek and the park entry to this park based on the number of days of your visit.
While on this trip, staying in a good, clean, comfortable, and beautiful lodge/camp is ideal for an incredible safari. There are many lodges and hotels in volcanoes national park ranging from budget to luxury namely: One & Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House, One & Only Nyungwe House, Bisate Lodge, Wilderness Sabyinyo.
Then with mid-range lodges include the Five Volcanoes Boutique Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Tiloreza Eco Gorilla Lodge, Lebambou Gorilla Lodge, Davinci Gorilla Lodge and then budget Hotel Muhabura among others.
The hotel rooms can sell out quickly especially during the high season, your accommodation choice needs to be booked in advance for your visit to Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park.
