Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari

Day 1: Safari starts with a visit to Volcanoes National Park

Your safari starts immediately as you land. One of our representatives will be ready to welcome you and brief you on your safari. We shall drive north to Ruhengeri and Kinigi.

Leaving the capital city of Kigali, we drive north for about three hours to reach Ruhengeri (now called Musanze). Musanze city is the closest travel hub to Volcanoes National Park, one of the best places in Africa to see mountain gorillas in the wild.

Our scenic journey takes us through the rolling hills and lush landscapes of northwestern Rwanda to our accommodation in Ruhengeri. Sit back and watch people go by whilst enjoying dinner.

Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Virunga Mountains

Today is the day for your once-in-a-lifetime experience of tracking mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda. In the early morning, we have breakfast and then drive to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters near Kinigi. First, the rangers give you a briefing on the gorilla trekking procedures and then we set off into the mountains.

The trek can take up to eight hours, but seeing the endangered African mountain gorillas in the wild is worth the effort. Walking through swamps and forests, up hills and into valleys, can be tiring and challenging, so come prepared for the trek.

Once we locate a group of gorillas we stop and spend some time with these gentle primates. Watch the largest primates in the world as they groom, feed and interact with each other in their natural habitat. Coming face-to-face with a group of gorillas is one of the most special and rare wildlife encounters on earth!

After our close encounter with these great apes, we trek back to the start of the trail and return to our accommodation. We have dinner and relax, taking it easy after our exhilarating day of gorilla trekking.

Day 3: Tracking Golden Monkeys in Volcanoes

On day three we return to Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcanoes) early in the morning, this time to track golden monkeys. These rare primates are endemic to the bamboo forests found at high altitudes in the Volcanoes National Park area. This subspecies of the Sykes Monkey is listed as endangered.

We trek to one of the two habituated troops of golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park, each consisting of about 80 monkeys. The golden monkeys are active animals, interacting playfully and jumping energetically between the trees, which makes them fascinating to watch.

After seeing the unique golden monkeys of Volcanoes National Park we have lunch in Ruhengere and set off south to Kigali. Our drive to Kigali takes us through the scenic hills of Rwanda, stopping to admire the views along the way.

After about three hours on the road, we arrive in Kigali and check into our accommodation where we have dinner and unwind for the evening.

Day 4: End of Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari

This morning we take an exciting tour of the attractive city of Kigali, one of the cleanest cities in Africa. This modern city is the administrative, business and cultural centre of Rwanda, spread out across several hills in the middle of the country.

The city tour includes a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, documenting the history of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. We also visit the Caplaki Crafts Village where you can browse and buy traditional crafts. Exploring the bustling city with its vibrant streets offers insight into Rwandan society today.

After exploring Kigali, we transfer you to the airport for your onward flight.

Accommodation Options for this tour

The tour offers budget, mid-range and luxury accommodations. 

Child Policy

This tour does take children.

• Child rates and policies are available upon request as these vary based on the safari activities, accommodation, room arrangements and child’s age
• The minimum age required for gorilla trekking as per the Uganda Wildlife Authority is 15 years.
• The minimum age requirement for chimpanzee tracking is 12 years.
• Game drives involve a few hours of driving and may not be suitable for very young children.