Today we drive south to Nyungwe Forest, stopping first at Nyanza for an informative visit to the Royal Palace. Nyanza was once the capital of Rwanda from 1958 to 1962, and the palace was built for King Mutara III Rudahigwa. The King sadly passed away before he had the chance to reside in it, and it has since been converted into an Art Museum.

After our palace visit, we continue to the town of Butare for lunch and a short visit to the National Museum of Rwanda, before completing our scenic drive to Nyungwe Forest, and our five star safari lodge, located on the edge of this vast forest and a verdant tea plantation.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the largest, most primal and biodiverse forests in all of Africa. This rich mosaic of habitats ranges from bamboo groves, open marshes, tracts of giant lobelia and dense jungle vegetation. It is the primary water catchment area for the region, and Nyungwe contains the famous Congo-Nile Divide. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge & Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

This morning we will depart the lodge early to go chimp trekking in nearby Cyamudongo Forest. This small forest was historically connected to Nyungwe, and is rich in bird species typical of the Albertine Rift Valley system. It also has a resident habituated chimpanzee group, and with the compact size of this forest, sightings are usually better here than for those trekking chimps in Nyungwe Forest itself.

We return to the lodge and later on visit the nearby tea plantation to learn all about the process of producing world class tea – a speciality in Rwanda. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge & Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4 is spent hiking forest trails in Nyungwe Forest. The national park hosts a rich floral diversity, and is home to a staggering number of Albertine Rift endemic bird species, as well as 13 different types of primate. This includes chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkeys, golden monkeys, as well as the largest troops of black and white colobus found anywhere on the continent – a habituated group of up to 400 individual members are resident in the forest.

This morning, we will enjoy a hike to Nyungwe’s most famous attraction – East Africa’s only canopy walk – a suspended walkway that hangs above the treetops for a bird’s eye view of forest life. After lunch, we can return to the forest for a guided hike along one of the many trails, to enjoy birding, butterflies, waterfalls and forest scenery. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge & Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

This morning, we will transfer by road back to Kigali. After lunch at a city restaurant we drive north to Volcanoes National Park. Straddling Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, the Virunga Volcanoes are one of the most stirring sights in East Africa.

This rugged chain of eight peaks rises as high as 4,500 metres in places, and five of these mountains are protected in Rwanda. The slopes of each mountain are covered with thick rainforest, which gives way to montane grassland and alpine moorland higher up. Overnight at Five Volcanoes Hotel & Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today, we enjoy the highlight of our trip, tracking the gentle giants of Africa, the mountain gorillas. Experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of who have been involved in habituating the gorillas themselves.

The time taken to track the gorillas varies, and once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a look into one of these magnificent creature’s eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. Overnight at Five Volcanoes Hotel & Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning we will meet at the park headquarters to be briefed on today’s primate activity – golden monkey tracking in the bamboo forests of the Virungas.

This little-known primate offers a chance to track an equally fascinating endangered species. You will set off on your trek to find them, accompanied by experienced rangers, in a small group of no more than eight people. The monkeys have been habituated to the presence of the rangers and guests, and once we locate them, you will spend up to an hour observing their charming antics, as they leap from branch to branch.

We will drive back to Kigali and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch