Destination: Rwanda
Parks: Volcanoes National Park
Itinerary at Glance
Day 1: City tour & transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla Trek at Volcanoes National Park and departure (late evening flight)
Overview.
The 2 days Rwanda Gorilla trekking adventure tour, brings you to a great encounter with the rare mountain gorillas. This trip starts with a pick-up in Kigali, where you will be picked up, before you head off to Volcanoes National Park, after an in sighting Kigali city tour with a visit to the Kigali genocide memorial. You will spend one night at Volcanoes, trek the gorillas the next day and return for your evening departure flight back home.
High lights.
- Kigali city tour
- Visit to Kigali genocide memorial
- Gorilla trekking
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport
Day Itinerary
Arriving at Kigali International Airport (must be an early noon flight arrival), after clearing customs, you will be met by your driver guide outside at the exit point, he will welcome you to Rwanda, share a short briefing, or meeting you at your hotel in Kigali, after your morning relaxed breakfast, share a short briefing and drive to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center which honors the memory of more than one million Rwandans killed in 1994 through educational and peace-building. You will be able to watch and listen to some video clips from some of the survivors of the incident. Lunch in Kigali and after Lunch we will proceed to Volcanoes National Park through the magnificent route to Musanze which will take us approximately 2hrs of good road drive, with a great en route stop overs. The road is smooth and well maintained, something that Rwanda is well known for.
Volcanoes National park
Bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda in Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park is best known as a sanctuary for the region’s rare mountain gorillas. Visitors flock here to experience a face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures, making it the most famous park in Rwanda. The park is set high on the jungle-covered slopes of the volcanic Virunga Mountains. Highly regulated treks through the reserve allow visitors to spend an hour at a time with these incredible primates in their natural habitat. While the gorillas are without a doubt the main drawcard, visitors can also look forward to exploring a network of scenic hiking trails, visiting the tomb of the world-famous Dian Fossey and the Karisoke Research Centre, and enjoying a beautiful day hike to the Crater Lake on Mount Bisoke. You can as well as opt for trekking the shy golden monkeys or head for a canoe ride on the twin lakes. The beautiful Buhanga Eco Park, still remains virgin and open to visitors, where you get more cultural insight in regards to leadership and kingship of Rwanda.
Gorilla Trekking at Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park offers visitors the unique opportunity of discovering the 10 families of gorillas that live within the national park. Visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee before the trek starts and will be separated into groups of 8 depending on their physical abilities. Each group is guided by a guide and two scouts who are well trained in emergency situations. The amount of time set aside per trek is different depending on where the gorilla family is situated. Some trips may take as little as half an hour and some take the better part of the day.
Overnight at: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel (luxury) or Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (mid – range)
Meal Plan: lunch and dinner
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and depart
Day Itinerary
After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters. You will meet with your ranger who will brief you about the code of conduct while with the gorillas. You will then enter the forest in search of the gorillas. The gorilla trekking may take 2 – 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas in the jungle and your group speed as well. Meet and stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour. After a great experience you will walk back to the starting point, meet your guide waiting for you and be transferred to your lodge for lunch, and after lunch, and refreshment, before we hit the road back to Kigali, and be dropped at your hotel in Kigali or at the airport for your late evening flight back home. End of tour! Meal Plan: Breakfast & lunch.
This safari package includes.
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- 1 Gorilla permit ($1500), per person
- En-route lunches
- Kigali city tour
- Visit to Kigali genocide memorial ground
- Services of an English speaking driver/ guide.
- Unlimited mineral water per day per person during safari
- Fun and other excursions as mentioned in the itinerary.
The package excludes expenses of personal nature like:
- Visa Fees & flights
- Optional activities
- Tips & gratuities
- laundry
- Alcoholic drinks
- International vaccinations
- Health test requirements
- Porter fees while trekking
- Personal travel Insurance
- Personal shopping bills
- Phone call bills
- Extras while at the hotel
- Items of personal nature
Please contact us for a free detailed quote on the option of your choice. We can tailor a request that suits your interests, and budget, as well as we can change or upgrade the lodge options, as well as we can arrange gorilla trekking in Uganda, in case you wish to. Write to us with more details about your safari.