3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari
3 days Rwanda gorilla trekking safari involves exploring Volcanoes National Park with a chance for you to strike your imaginations with a group of mountain gorillas. It includes gorilla trekking, Kigali city tour and visit to the Iby’Iwacu cultural village. Volcanoes National Park is the only pristine national park where gorilla trekking safaris are conducted in Rwanda and on your 3 days Rwanda gorilla tour, you have opportunity to trek one of the 10 habituated gorilla families.
Are mountain gorillas
Gorilla treks in Volcanoes National Park are limited to only 8 visitors per day and because of high demand, you are encouraged to secure your gorilla permit early enough. Volcanoes National Park is found in northwestern Rwanda about 113 kilometers away from Kigali. It was gazetted in 1925 to offer refuge to mainly mountain gorillas however, while on your 3 days Rwanda gorilla trekking safari, expect to also see other wildlife species that thrive in this magnificent park including some bird species that make up a total of over 200 in the park, antelopes and many primates.
En-route to Volcanoes National Park, you will drive towards northwestern Rwanda while also enjoying the breathtaking sceneries especially the rolling hills. Your 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari starts from Kigali to Kinigi which is Volcanoes National Park headquarters about 2-3 hours’ drive and will still end in Kigali.
What to expect on 3 days Rwanda trekking gorilla safari
- Kigali city tour
- Thrilling cultural experience at Iby’Iwacu cultural village
- 2 nights and meals
- 1 hour of magical encounter with the rare mountain gorillas
Brief itinerary of the 3 days Rwanda trekking gorilla safari
- Day 1: Transfer from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Day 3: Visit to Iby’Iwacu cultural village and Kigali city tour
Detailed itinerary of the 3 days Rwanda trekking gorilla safari
Day 1: Transfer from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park
Today, our experienced and professional driver-guide will pick you up from either Kigali International Airport or at the hotel/place of residence. He will brief you on what your 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari covers and after, you will head off northwestwards to Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri about 113 kilometers that is 2-3 hours’ drive away from Kigali in a comfortable 4 wheel drive safari vehicle. En-route, do not miss the breathtaking views of sceneries of the rolling hills, the Virunga Mountain ranges. Arrive early enough and check in at your preferred safari lodge.
Journey time: 2-3 hours
Meal plan: lunch and dinner
Accommodation choices
Luxury: Mount Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge
Mid-range: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Lodge
Budget: Garden Palace Hotel/Muhabura Hotel/Kinigi Guesthouse
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Start your day with an early morning breakfast at your safari lodge of choice at Volcanoes National Park. At 6:30am, you are expected to be at Kinigi park headquarters to have briefing from the park ranger guide/official on the set dos and don’ts that you have to observe while in search for mountain gorillas. It is today that you will be assigned to only one gorilla family to trek in a group of 8 visitors. The habituated gorilla families to trek in Volcanoes National Park include Bwenge, Hirwa, Agashya (13 Group), Kwitonda, Susa A, Susa B (Karisimbi), Sabyinyo, Ugenda, Umubano and Amahoro.
Mating Habits of Mountain Gorillas
At 8:00am, you will start your actual trek in Volcanoes National Park to search for the assigned habituated gorilla group with park ranger guide assigned to you. This may take you about 2-6 hours depending on your speed of hiking, nature of habitat and location of mountain gorillas among other factors. When you get your gorilla group, you have only one hour of magical encounter with opportunity to take as many pictures as possible, learn about their unique behaviors, body gestures to mention but a few. Later, return to where your trek began and connect to the lodge to have rest. In the evening, you can choose to pay a visit to scenic Twin Lake-Burera and Ruhondo Lakes or simply chill around the lodge.
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation choices
Luxury: Mount Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge
Mid-range: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Lodge
Budget: Garden Palace Hotel/Muhabura Hotel/Kinigi Guesthouse
Day 3: Visit to Iby’Iwacu cultural village and Kigali city tour
After breakfast early in the morning at your respective safari lodge, you will pay a visit to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village. A visit to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village involves exploring in depth the unique history, traditions, culture and not to forget the most thrilling dances, music performances from the Rwandans. Later, drive to Kigali where you will embark on a city tour. Kigali city tour involves a visit to Kigali genocide center for you to explore about what happened during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Other sites to places to visit while on Kigali city tour include Kandt Museum, craft markets. After, drive to the hotel to have rest, dinner and a night stay and this marks the end of your 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari.
End of your 3 days Rwanda trekking gorilla safari
Your 3 days Rwanda trekking gorilla safari includes
- Gorilla trekking permits ($1500 per person)
- Visit to Iby’Iwacu cultural village
- Bottled water
- Fulltime English speaking driver guide
- Kigali city tour
Your 3 days Rwanda trekking gorilla safari excludes
- Insurance
- Personal expenses such as cigarettes, laundry services, tips to driver guide/park ranger guide, porters; extra accommodation and activities outside your travel plan, airfares and others.
What to bring on your 3 days Rwanda trekking gorilla safari
- Camera without flashlight
- Long sleeved shirt/t-shirt/trousers
- Sweater
- Hat plus sun glasses
- Gardening gloves
- Bottled water and energy giving snacks
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Waterproof day pack
Gorilla trekking tips
- Gorilla trekking involves hiking through the dense vegetation and steep slopes. You therefore need to be physically fit and please have adequate drinking water and energy giving snacks. Note, do not eat, drink or smoke near mountain gorillas.
- Flashlight cameras are not allowed when taking photos of these creatures and if your camera has a flashlight, please you are advised to turn it off.
- Hire porter at $10-$15 to help you carry your heavy luggage.
- Cover your mouth when coughing or nose when sneezing or preferably have surgical masks.
- Walking stick should be a must to help you when hiking.
The dos and don’ts for gorilla trekking
- Only 1 hour is given to you to have a face to face encounter with mountain gorillas
- Only 8 visitors are assigned to trek one habituated family
- Maintain a distance of 7 meters away from mountain gorillas
- Keep within your group
- Do not go to trek gorillas if you are sick or not feeling well
- Keep your voices low at all times while on gorilla trek
- Do not eat, drink or smoke in the presence of mountain gorillas
- Only persons above 15 years are allowed to trek mountain gorillas
- Do not litter the park while trekking mountain gorillas
Best time to go for gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is an all year round adventure experience. Volcanoes National Park is best to visit for gorilla trekking during the dry season which starts from June, July, August and December, January, February. However, the wet months of the year are also ideal for gorilla treks but the challenge is that plenty of rainfall is received and habitat becomes muddy, slippery making it a bit challenging for trekkers to hike to search for gorillas. It starts from March to May and October to November.