Main Info
A 4 Day Gorilla Safari to the Volcanoes National Park, the favorite destination for gorilla trekking in Africa. This trips starts and ends in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. This is the best trip giving you the opportunity to see the mountain gorillas in a leisurely way. You will stay 3 nights in a comfortable safari lodge close to the park. You will visit two different gorilla families on this tour so that you can maximise your experience with the mountain gorillas.
Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to the Volcanoes Park
Pickup from Kigali. Travel to the Volcanoes National Park in Northern Rwanda. The journey takes you through a hilly countryside that makes Rwanda be named the “land of a thousand hills”. Upon reaching the park, you can relax at the lodge as you await the next day adventure. Alternatively, you can visit the De Generes Campus or Dian Fossey Museum. Overnight at Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge (Budget) / Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Midrange) / Five Volcanoes Lodge (Midrange)
Day 2: Go Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park
6:00 a.m Arrive at the park’s entrance
You will be welcomed in the misty morning by a Cup of fresh coffee or tea accompanied by cultural songs and dance performed by local entertainers.
7:00 a.m You will join a group of 8 people and your guide for the day as your trek begins.
The trek up the slopes takes anything from an hour to three hours. It all depends on which group you are trekking as some are closer to the slopes than others. They also tend to migrate further up in colder weather and this gives you enough time to appreciate the views of the Volcanoes and communicate with the guides who are genuine enthusiasts
You will then Spend an hour in close proximity with a group of mountain gorillas. They are all habituated to human beings so they usually go on about their daily business totally unperturbed. The mountain gorillas offer us more than just an encounter but a unique privilege of immersive insight into their gentle lives in the wild.
11:00 a.m/ 12:00 You will receive your trekking certificate from the park wardens which is a small gesture for appreciating your contribution to conservation. You will also have just enough time as you drive out of the park to shop for and shop for souvenirs, mostly small wooden curved miniatures of gorillas and other forms of local art that feature mostly the mt.gorilla and the volcanoes as a central theme.
After lunch take an excursions to local community projects neighboring the Volcanoes National Park such as the Dianne Fossey Memorial Gorilla Museum the worlds leading gorilla research center. Travel Back to the hotel for a relaxed evening.
6:00 p.m Bonfire Dinner at the beach. Live Music only on weekends. Overnight at Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge (Budget) / Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Midrange) / Five Volcanoes Lodge (Midrange)
Day 2: Second Gorilla Trek in the Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, go for second gorilla trek in the Volcanoes National Park. This time you will be allocated a different gorilla family to visit. Led by the ranger guide go gorilla trekking in the bamboo forest. After meeting the mountain gorillas, return to the lodge for lunch.
In the evening, visit the Gorilla Guardian Village for a cultural experience of the Rwandan community. Activities at the village include dances and plays, guided community walks etc. Overnight at Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge (Budget) / Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Midrange) / Five Volcanoes Lodge (Midrange)
Day 4: Return to Kigali
After late breakfast depart from Lake Kivu back to Kigali City
