5 Days Rwanda Gorillas and Culture – Overview
The 5 days Rwanda gorillas & culture combines a magical mountain gorilla encounter and cultural interaction. For gorilla trekking, the area of interest will be Volcanoes National Park located on the North-western side of Rwanda, 2-3 hours’ drive from Kigali and home to about 12 habituated groups of mountain gorillas.
Cultural encounters will mainly be at Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village adjacent to Volcanoes National Park; King’s Palace and Butare National Museum- found 1.5kms from Butare centre, South-eastern side of Rwanda. King’s palace, the traditional royal place of residence is located in Nyanza.
Brief Itinerary – 5 Days Rwanda Gorillas and Culture
- Day 1: Volcanoes National Park 2-3 hours’ drive
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking, Iby’Iwacu village tour
- Day 3: Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri to Kigali- city tour
- Day 4: The King’s Palace & Butare National Museum tour
- Day 5: End of safari
Detailed Itinerary – 5 Days Rwanda Gorillas and Culture
Day 1: Volcanoes National Park 2-3 hours’ drive
Meet Maranatha Tours and Travel guide for a warm welcome to Rwanda, after getting briefed on your 5 days Rwanda gorillas and culture tour. After, leave Kigali driving to the Northwestern side of the country to Volcanoes National Park while enjoying the spectacularly scenic terraced hills. Check at the gorilla safaris at Ruhengeri Volcanoes N/Park for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation
- Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse
- Midrange: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge/Hotel La Palme/Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
- Luxury: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge/Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel/Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Day 2: Gorilla trekking, Iby’Iwacu village tour- Ruhengeri region
Get up early to enjoy breakfast, after, report to Kinigi for a briefing on Rwanda gorilla tracking rules and allocation of gorilla groups- 12 gorilla families are in Volcanoes National Park but only one is visited per day by 8pax. The trek to explore your gorilla group starts at 8:00 am and all gorilla visits will be led by an experienced park guide.
Expect to take 2-6 hours navigating through the jungles and steep slopes of Volcanoes N/Park but the long hours cover one hour of face to face encounters with gorillas. After, you will get back to Kinigi and then proceed to your lodge for relaxation. Later, take a short cultural walk up to Iby’Iwacu Village to interact with ex-poachers, and learn more about the unique cultures, and traditions of Rwandese.
Accommodation
- Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse
- Midrange: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge/Hotel La Palme/Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
- Luxury: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge/Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel/Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Day 3: Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri to Kigali- city tour
Exit Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri for Kigali 2-3 hours’ drive and on arrival, proceed with Kigali city tour. In Kigali, you will be visiting Kigali memorial centre to have insight into the 1994 Rwanda genocide, visit the craft markets, etc.
Accommodation
- Budget: Zebra Tourism Hotel Kigali
- Mid-range: 5 Swiss Hotel/Gorillas City Centre Hotel
- Luxury: Serena Hotel Kigali/Five to Five Hotel
Day 4: The King’s Palace & Butare National Museum tour
Enjoy an early breakfast, and after, leave Kigali for the Butare area for a cultural safari. Your areas of interest include the King’s Palace and Butare National Museum. After enriching the cultural experience and history of Rwanda, drive to Kigali for relaxation.
Accommodation
- Budget: Zebra Tourism Hotel Kigali
- Mid-range: 5 Swiss Hotel/Gorillas City Centre Hotel
- Luxury: Serena Hotel Kigali/Five to Five Hotel
Day 5: End of the
Leave the hotel for Kigali International Airport for departure or proceed to your next destination. This marks the end of 5 days Rwanda gorillas and culture trip.
End of the 5 Days Rwanda Gorillas and Culture
Safari inclusions
- Gorilla permits
- Airport transfer
- Cultural visits in Rwanda
- 4×4 safari vehicle for all ground travels
- Service of an English-speaking Uganda driver-guide
- Park entry fees & other tourist sites as per your itinerary
- Bottled drinking water in a tourist vehicle
Safari exclusions
- Tips
- Visas
- Airfares
- Cigars
- Laundry
- Extra accommodation costs
- Shopping
- Telephone
- Beverages
- Passports