Gorilla Trekking Rwanda
5 Days 4 Nights
Gorilla trekking Rwanda tour and safari is for those that are looking for gorilla tracking and later extend to other countries like Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya as it allows you enough time to explore Easter Africa. It offers an opportunity to trek Rwanda Gorillas twice, trek golden monkeys and a visit to the grave of Diane Fossey.
Overview
Gorilla trekking Rwanda tour and safari is for those that are looking for gorilla tracking and later extend to other countries like Uganda , Tanzania and Kenya as this tour gives you enough time to explore Easter Africa. It thus offers you an opportunity to trek Rwanda Gorillas, trek golden monkeys and a visit to the grave of Diane Fossey.
Brief Itinerary
- Day one: Arrival and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day two: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Day three: Optional second Gorilla trek in Volcanoes
- Day Four: A visit to the grave of the fallen gorilla hero Diane Fossey
- Day Five: Drive to Kigali for your flight out.
Detailed Itinerary
Arrival
- You’ll be picked up from the airport (or hotel)
- Accommodation before the tour departs can be arranged for extra cost
DAY 1: Arrival and visit Kigali Memorial Center and proceed to Volcanoes National Park
- Morning/Transfer
Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by our professional tour guide who will take you for a city excursion in and around Kigali. This is to enable you orient yourself with this great country of ‘a thousand hills’. After this excursion, you will proceed to Virunga National Park located in the North of Ruhengeri via undulating and beautiful terraced hills which shows a clear picture of the general landscape and altitude of Rwanda.
- Afternoon
You will have lunch and later relax at the lodge as you prepare for next day’s gorilla trekking experience
- Evening
You will have dinner and overnight at the lodge
Accommodation:
Budget: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Mid Range: Five Volcanoes Lodge
Luxury: One and Only Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner.
Drive time: 2 hours.
DAY 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Morning/Briefing
Have an early morning tasty breakfast at the lodge, you will start your exciting morning drive to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters for briefing about the do’s and dont’s of gorilla trekking experience
- Trek and Observation
You will depart for your gorilla trek into the indigenous forest in search for the Gorillas. This trek gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself into the strange but intimate part of the rain-forest where you will hear live calls of colorful birds, chattering of the rare golden monkey, as well as the forest filled with fresh spoor of the mountain elusive populations of buffalo and elephant.
- Evening
You will return from the forest and drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight
Accommodation:
Budget: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Mid Range: Five Volcanoes Lodge
Luxury: One and Only Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 3: Optional second gorilla trek or golden monkey
- Morning/Briefing
After breakfast, you will depart to the park headquarters for second gorilla trekking experience which aims at exhausting the different gorilla group different from the one you trekked the previous day.
- Trek and Observation
You will depart for your gorilla trek into the indigenous forest in search for the Gorillas. You will have an opportunity of identifying each gorilla in the gorilla group by name to the extent that at the end of the day you can be able to know their differences and what brings such differences between the groups you have tracked. You can as well go for golden monkey trekking as Volcanoes National Park is one place where gold meets with silver.
- Evening
You will return from the forest and drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight
trek Enjoy a bush or forest lunch before returning to the Lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Budget: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Mid Range: Five Volcanoes Lodge
Luxury: One and Only Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 4: Visit the African hero of gorillas
- Morning
After breakfast you will embark on you hevicle and drive to Volcanoes National park to visit the grave of the late Dian Fossey, an American naturalist and the first white Gorilla Hero of Africa. Dian Fossey’s story is a beautiful one who conserved these great apes in Africa. She basically learnt, exhibited and lived the gorilla lifestyle. If possible you can even grab your copy of Gorillas in the mist a natural move based on natural beauty of Africa rainy forests. Later have a free leisure break dinner and overnight at your lodge.
- Afternoon
You will later return and transfer back to the lodge for relaxation and overnight, you can opt to visit the Ibya Iwachu cultural village for cultural experience to get exposed to Rwanda’s culture
- Evening
You will spend your evening at leisure at the the lodge and later dinner and overnight
Accommodation:
Budget: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Mid Range: Five Volcanoes Lodge
Luxury: One and Only Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 5: Drive back to Kigali to depart back home
- Morning
After breakfast, you will bid farewell to the lodge and drive back to Kigali City and if you did not visit the genocide memorial center, you will have an opportunity to do so before transferring to the airport
- Afternoon
You will have a stop in Kigali city for lunch and then proceed to the hotel or airport to end the tour
- Evening
You will be transferred to your booked hotel or Kigali international Airrport for your evening flight back home
Drive time: 2 hours
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
This safari is available on a private basis so you can contact us for a Quote. Provides us with details of how many people you will be in a group, when you intend to travel and one of our specialists will reply to you as soon as we receive your email
Cost Includes
- Airport transfers on first and last day,
- Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Services of an English speaking driver guide
- Fuel for the whole trip
- Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary
- All park entrance fees
- Drinking water while in the vehicle
Cost excludes
- Gorilla permit at USD1500.00 per person per trek(we book it for you)
- Pre and post tour accommodation in Entebbe or Kampala
- International airfares
- Rwanda Visa which must be applied online at least two weeks
- Items of personal nature such as tips, drinks, and laundry
Enquire or Request a Trip Quote
- Gorilla permits: We encourage you to book gorilla permits in advance so that we secure your trekking spot. Gorilla permits are served on first come first serve by Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Please contact us so that we book them for you.
- Cost of the gorilla permit: The gorilla permits in Rwanda cost USD1500 for Non-Foreign residents, USD500 for East African Foreign Residents, USD200 East African Citizens
- Physical Fitness: Gorilla trekking can be physically demanding, a certain level of fitness will be required, please ensure you are in good health and have a certain level of fitness before you leave your country.
- Packing List: Please ensure you have comfortable walking/ hiking shoes that can handle the terrain, a rain Jacket, gloves, Camera, Binoculars,
- Age Limit: The Minimum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15 years and above, please ensure all travelers are aged 15years and above.
- Accommodation Options: Please choose the accommodation that suits your budget, Volcanoes National Park has all options of Budget, Midrange and Luxury.
- Means of Transport: The best means of transport is by road, it takes about 2-3 hours drive to from Kigali to Vocanoes National Park. For budget clients, we recommend use of safari vans, then others can opt for Safari Landcruisers. All vehicles are comfortable with enough leg room, AC and are driven by our professional driver guides.
- Best time to visit: Volcanoes National Park can be visited all year round for gorilla trekking, The most preffered time is June to September, December to February because they are the drier months of the year.
- Chances of Seeing the Gorillas: The chances of seeing gorillas are 98% because there are trackers who follow the movement of gorillas on a daily basis, they communicate to the Park guides and you walk in the direction they are.
- Choose a gorilla family: You can choose your preferred gorilla family of the day of the trek, if you prefer a close/ easy trek due to your fitness level, please request it and communicate to your guide.
- Other activities: There are several activities you can do in Volcanoes National Park; namely Birding, Ibya’ iwachu cutural experience, Nature walks, Community visits. All these can suppliment your gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park
- Trip cost estimate: The cost of this gorilla tour is based on your travel style. The cost Includes gorilla permit, accommodation, Meals, transport, and all services. Kindly get in touch with our Safari expert
- About Volcanoes National Park: This Park is Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the endangered mountain gorilla and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.
STANDARD: 4X4 SAFARI VAN
Our standard mode of transport is by road and we use 4×4 Safari Vans customized for game viewing and photography. Each safari van comes with a professionally trained driver guide and fuel for the whole safari. Our Safari vans have viewing hatches and each client is entitled to a window seat. Our Vans can take up to eight people. We also have 4×4 Super Customs very comfortable and stable on the road. These carry up to 5 people with their luggage. We also have 4×4 RAV 4 for a group of two people
UPGRADE: 4X4 LUXURY SAFARI LANDCRUISER
We have luxury latest Land cruisers each driven by professionally trained driver guides and fuel. They have pop-up roofs for proper game viewing and photography. They come with a small fridge for cooling your drinking water while on safari (which is always included while IN THE VEHICLE). They have inverters for charging small gadgets such as your smartphones and cameras. They can seat five to a maximum of seven people and each client is guaranteed of a window seat.
