3-Day Rwanda Gorilla Safari from Kigali

Day 1 - Kigali

Begin your safari with pickup from Kigali International Airport. You will be transferred to the Flame Tree Village in the heart of Kigali city. Overnight at the hotel on a bed and breakfast basis (dinner is at your own expense).

 

Day 2 - Kigali to Ruhengeri (Distance 66 miles / 107km - 2.5-hour drive)

After breakfast, embark on a City Tour of Kigali. Learn the history behind Rwanda through the tales told by its capital; get acquainted with pre-colonial and colonial Rwanda, the 1994 genocide and see the new developments. Visit the genocide memorial site at Gisozi, about 21 miles (35km) outside the city centre as the highlight of the city tour. This visit is an emotional experience for most visitors as they encounter the horrid massacre that engulfed the country in 1994. It also presents an opportunity to learn about other genocides in the world.

After a sumptuous lunch at a local restaurant in Kigali, depart Kigali on a scenic drive north-westwards to Ruhengeri at the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes. Enjoy the picturesque countryside as you drive on to check-in to the Gorilla Mountain View Lodge for dinner and overnight.

 

Day 3 - Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park

After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will be transferred to the Volcanoes National Park at 6:30am. The park is located in the Virunga Mountains, a magnificent chain of dormant volcanoes in the north of Rwanda which it shares with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The mountains form part of the extension of the Congo-Nile divide, separating two of Africa´s most important watersheds. They are also home to the world’s last surviving Mountain Gorilla populations, currently about 700 individuals.

Arrive at the park headquarters for registration at 7am - a simple process where the park staff asses your fitness level to determine which gorilla family you will visit. Next, the park staff will brief you on trekking times and conditions to the various groups based upon the gorilla's location in the park the previous evening.

Gorilla Trekking: There are a total of 80 gorilla permits available each day with a maximum of 8 trekkers visiting any one group. Treks vary in duration depending on which gorilla group you are assigned to. After locating your assigned gorilla group, you will spend approximately one hour in their company before heading back down the volcano slopes.

After a great gorilla trekking experience, drive south-eastwards back to Kigali City. Later, you will be transferred back to Kigali International airport at the conclusion of your safari adventure.