Join us on this unforgettable private journey
Africa has long held a fascination for us. Having spent several years working, tour guiding and living in Africa, we now want to share our best travel experiences in Africa with you. We have developed this tour using our intimate knowledge of Africa, and our network of contacts. Personally escorting your group, we will take you into the impenetrable jungles where these timeless landscapes echo to the calls of the Great Apes.
This remarkable trip will take us across some of the most beautiful and wild landscapes on the African continent. Travelling through Rwanda and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, we go in search of the largest and most endangered primates on earth.
We also get to know some of the people who are fighting to preserve the region’s natural wonders.
*** The itinerary and price displayed are indicative only and may be adjusted for your own private group desires. Please contact us to discover the possibilities.
Beginning in Kigali, we travel south into Rwanda’s misty rainforests in search of chimpanzees and other primates. Crossing the border into DR Congo, we head into Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Here, we join one of Africa’s leading gorilla experts and have a rare opportunity to visit the most highly endangered of all primates, the Eastern Lowland Gorillas. These gorillas are much less visited than their more famous cousins, the Mountain Gorillas, due to the difficulty of accessing the region. But with our local contacts, we have eased these difficulties where we organise obtaining visas and getting access to see these majestic creatures.
Photo credit – Pole Pole Foundation.
You will be among a select few in the world to have had the incredible experience of viewing these gorillas at such close quarters. And as a bonus, due to your visit, you will have the satisfaction of knowing the fee will go to the conservation of the gorillas as well as all the other animals that inhabit Kahuzi Biega. We will also visit a sanctuary caring for orphaned primates as well as some projects run by a local grassroots foundation protecting local wildlife and helping the local population to assist that protection.
We return to Kigali after enjoying one of Africa’s most spectacular cultural performances.
To organise a private group for this once-in-a-lifetime trip please fill out the contact form as soon as possible or email jeff@exceptionaljourneys.international
Possible Tour Dates: CONTACT US as early as possible to select an appropriate date for your group
Price
Indicative price twin share: from US$ 3,050 per person*
*Based on the inclusions and accommodation listed and 14 people travelling. Prices will vary depending on season, number of travellers, accommodation type, and inclusions selected
Proposed itinerary***:
This is an indicative itinerary only. The tour duration, itinerary, and inclusions may be adjusted according to your group’s wishes.
- Duration: 7 Days 6 nights
- Start: Kigali, Rwanda
- Finish: Kigali, Rwanda
- Maximum Group Size: 14 people
- Fitness Level: Medium – walking on rough tracks for up to 2 hours may be required
- Tour Escorts: Jeff and Kat
Inclusions:
- All Accommodation for 6 nights
- Transport: Rwanda – private bus and driver, DRC – private 4×4 and driver
- Meals: (As per daily itinerary) Breakfasts 6 – Lunches 0 – Dinners 1
- Visas: On this tour the cost of the visa to the Democratic Republic of Congo is included. The visa to Rwanda is not included but can be obtained at the border, on your arrival into Rwanda For information on visa and costs check https://www.migration.gov.rw/visa/visitors-visa. Ensure you check the visa section in Important Notes for more information.
- Activities and Entrances: Nyungwe National Park entry, guided canopy walk, guided chimpanzee trek, Kahuzi Biega NP entry and gorilla trek, local project visits, primate rehabilitation center visit, Rwanda Ethnographic Museum visit and Intore dance troupe.
What is not included:
- International flights to and from Kigali
- Meals not mentioned on the daily itinerary.
- Transfers from Kigali airport to starting hotel
- Transfer from finishing point hotel to Kigali airport
- Visa to Rwanda. Visas will always depend on nationality. The visa to Rwanda is not included but can be obtained at the border, on your arrival into Rwanda For information on visa and costs check https://www.migration.gov.rw/visa/visitors-visa. Ensure you check the visa section in Important notes for more information.
- Travel Insurance: travel insurance is mandatory.
- Optional activities
- Tips: Tips to gorilla trackers are standard practice. Other tips for drivers and local guides are optional but guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documents
- Beverages
- Any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs
ITINERARY
Day 1 Tour starts in Kigali, Rwanda
Welcome to Rwanda! After being met from your flight we will accompany you to your starting point accommodation. Depending on arrival times, you can choose to relax in the hotel, check out one of the many lovely cafes Kigali has to offer or a visit to local attractions can be arranged. A welcome drink and briefing for all group members can be held at our starting point hotel prior to dinner or before departing tomorrow morning depending on arrival times.
Overnight Accommodation: Hotel in Kigali
Meals Included: None, however a welcome drink is included.
Day 2 Kigali to Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
After breakfast we depart from the hotel by bus. Before leaving Kigali we may enjoy a short guided tour of this city to discover some of its colonial beginnings. We will also visit a memorial for the peacekeepers who lost their lives and the infamous Hotel Milles Collines (Hotel Rwanda). We then head to the rainforests of Nyungwe National Park in the southwest of the country. After lunch, we take a hike into and high above the rainforest, looking for any of the local monkeys and other animals living here. This guided walk includes a suspension walkway canopy experience which is unique to East Africa. The walkway is in 3 sections, 160 meters long and suspended up to 70 meters above the ground, taking you through the rainforest canopy and offering spectacular views.
Overnight Accommodation: Lodge accommodation outside of the Nyungwe National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 3 Chimpanzee Encounter, Nyungwe National Park to Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Early this morning we head out for a guided trek in Nyungwe Forest in the hope of spotting some chimpanzees. This involves a 4WD trip into the national park, from where we trek on foot to spot a group of these amazing primates. We may be lucky enough to spot chimps on the ground or jumping in the tree canopies above. While sightings cannot be guaranteed as the chimps can be quickly on the move, the sounds of the forest and any other wildlife we encounter will make a great first highlight of the tour. Return to the hotel for breakfast.
After breakfast we drive to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo at Bukavu. We leave our Rwandan driver at the border post and walk the short distance between border posts. On arrival at the DRC border post, gorilla expert and legendary conservationist John Kahekwa will meet us to assist with border formalities before continuing to our hotel. After lunch we have free time to either relax at the hotel or take a tour of the city and its historic places.
Overnight Accommodation: Hotel in Bukavu
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 4 Gorilla Encounter, Kahuzi Biega National Park – Bukavu
Today we embark on the highlight of our trip and one of the greatest wildlife experiences on the planet! An encounter with gorillas in the wild. Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 50 kilometres west of Bukavu. The forests of Kahuzi-Biega are one of the last refuges of the rare Eastern Lowland Gorilla, or Grauer’s gorilla, believed to number fewer than 300 individuals. Unrest in the DR Congo, coupled with illegal mining and hunting has decimated their numbers to the point of extinction. They are the largest of the world’s four gorilla species, the dominant males can weigh in at over 230 kg or 500 pounds.
Early this morning we drive about 1.5 hours to the starting point of our gorilla trek. Accompanied by John Kahekwa, we head into the jungle, following a team of local trackers who visit the gorilla families every single day, so they know the families and their movements well. Depending on our group numbers we may be split up into 2 groups of maximum 8 people. Each group would visit a different gorilla family. The trek can take up to 2 hours but may be shorter. We take our time as the trackers follow the sometimes imperceptible signs of movement made overnight by the gorillas. They may travel in groups of between 5 and 30 members and once we make a sighting we spend a maximum of 1 hour observing the gorillas. We may be in close proximity to the gorillas – often the gorillas can get within 3 meters of group members but closer interaction is discouraged and touching is not allowed due to the possibility of spreading human diseases such as Covid or the Flu. There is every chance that we will be close enough to take amazing photos that will do justice to our encounters.
For inspiration read about some of Jeff’s gorilla encounters here. This incredible travel experience will undoubtedly be remembered for the rest of our lives!
After the trek is completed we return to Bukavu for lunch. We will then visit several projects supported by John’s Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF), in and around Bukavu. These projects all work with local communities using education and community-led sustainable development practices to end their reliance on the rainforests the gorillas call home. John has been a finalist in the Earthshot prize in 2021 and has been honoured at the highest levels for his work leading POPOF in its conservation efforts. We’ll spend time at various project sites including a local school, a tree planting project and learn about the spirulina growing project which helps to provide invaluable nutrition supplements to the local communities.
Overnight Accommodation: Hotel in Bukavu
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 5 Potential second gorilla encounter, Kahuzi Biega National Park or Lwiro Conservation Area – Bukavu
Today is set aside for the unlikely event that a group of gorilla trekkers does not see the gorillas on day 4. If that is the case, those that did not see gorillas yesterday will have another chance to see them today at no extra cost.
OPTION: There is also the option for those that did see gorillas on day 4 may have another chance to view a different gorilla family if places are available. This would be at an extra cost for another visit permit and may also entail hiring a vehicle for the day.
For those not seeing gorillas today the following itinerary has been arranged:
This morning we will take a drive out to the Lwiro area of the Kahuzi Biega National Park to enjoy another walk in another part of the rainforest and try spotting more primates. Then we visit the Centre Intégral d’Education de Lwiro, an establishment aimed at educating locals and visitors alike on the natural and anthropological history of the area, before continuing on to the Centre de Réhabilitation des Primates de Lwiro. This primate sanctuary cares for rescued and orphaned gorillas, chimpanzees and other primates with the aim of reintroducing them into the wild. We have an opportunity to see habituated gorillas and chimpanzees at the Sanctuary, learn about its history and see their conservation efforts in action. We return to Bukavu in the afternoon.
For those wanting a more relaxing day there may be the option to take a boat tour of Lake Kivu. The shores around Bukavu on Lake Kivu are dotted with colonial era mansions, as well as many inhabited and uninhabited islands.
Overnight Accommodation: Hotel in Bukavu
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 6 Bukavu, DRC to Kigali, Rwanda
We return to the DR Congo – Rwanda border , and once border formalities are completed we make our way back to Kigali, but not without missing one of the cultural highlights in Africa, in Butare. On the way we visit the National Museum, regarded as one of the finest ethnographic museums in Africa. After the museum visit we will also see a powerful and spectacular performance of Rwanda’s “Intore” dancers, one of Africa’s most extravagant and exciting traditional dances. Groups of warriors, singers and drummers perform traditional dances with some outstanding choreography. After arriving at the capital we visit the Genocide Museum, a powerful yet confronting experience, and important in understanding the tragedy and the resilience of the Rwandan people.
Then it’s time to return to our finishing point hotel to enjoy a final night dinner together celebrating our experiences with our newfound friends.
Overnight Accommodation: Hotel in Kigali
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 Kigali, Rwanda
Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast today.
Why not continue your adventures and join Jeff and Kat on a further African adventure into Tanzania and witness the Great Migration in Serengeti National Park? See the details here
Or you may want to stay on for further adventures in Rwanda. Ask us about making arrangements. Perhaps a safari to Akagera National Park on Rwanda’s Eastern border with Tanzania, a boat trip on Lake Kivu, or even an opportunity to see Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains.
For further inspiration read about some of Jeff’s adventures in Tanzania and other African adventures here.
If this looks like an Exceptional Journey for you and your group we can create a bespoke private tour just for you, CONTACT US HERE or email jeff@exceptionaljourneys.international immediately to start planning as accommodation may be difficult to secure in the most popular seasons.
