Rwanda
Majestic Rwanda: 5-Day Gorilla Trekking and Lake Kivu Adventure
Gorilla Treks
From
$3,600 PP
Duration
5 Days
Pickup
Kigali International Airport
Best Time
June - September
- Mid Range Tour: This mid-range tour uses lodges and hotels.
- Can be customized: You can request changes to this tour.
- Private tour: This tour will be organized exclusively for you and won’t be shared with others.
- Suitable for solo travelers: Solo travelers can book this private tour.
Highlights
Highlight; Bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo 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. 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.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
Welcome to Rwanda! Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport, a representative from Akagera Aviation will assist you through customs and immigration processes. Once you step outside the arrival hall, our friendly tour leader will welcome you and escort you to your accommodation in the city. Check-in at the hotel will be facilitated by our team. Join us for an introductory briefing in the hotel lobby. Rest up for the night at the Amata n’ubuki Hotel, where you will be staying on a dinner, bed, and breakfast basis. (Dinner will be inhouse)
Day 2: Kigali to Volcanoes National Park (2h30 drive)
After breakfast and hotel, check-out and embark on a guided city tour at 9:00. The tour includes visits to the impactful Kigali Genocide Memorial and an art gallery. The memorial provides a profound insight into the events leading to the genocide and its aftermath, contributing significantly to Rwanda’s educational and healing journey. We will also take you on a drive tour around the oldest town in kigal, known as Nyamirambo and tell the story of growth from ashes. An art gallery is also in the program.
Enjoy lunch at the African themed La Republica Lounge. At 15:00, we’ll set off on a scenic drive to Musanze and the Volcanoes National Park area, arriving at around 17:30. Check-in at your lodge will be accompanied by a welcome drink. Dinner will follow at 19:00, and an overnight stay at the La locanda lodge.
Day 3: Exploring Volcanoes National Park (Gorilla Trek)| cultural experience
06:00 – Begin the day with an early breakfast before heading to the park headquarters. Your gorilla trek begins at 07:00 with a briefing at Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, where guides share insights on safety and gorilla behavior. After the briefing, you’ll set off to trail head then, through misty forests, trekking lush trails with expert guides leading the way.
The journey can be challenging but thrilling as you approach a family of gorillas. Watching them up close in their natural habitat is an unforgettable, humbling experience.
Once done, descend from the mountains. Transfer to Mountain Gorilla view lodge for lunch.
This afternoon we will visit Gorilla guardians village.
Experience the vibrant culture of Gorilla Guardians Village, where former poachers share Rwandan traditions through dance, storytelling, and crafts. A visit empowers communities and supports ethical tourism efforts. Later return to the lodge for leisure.
Dinner and overnight stay at La Locanda Lodge .
Day 4: Ellen Campus tour – Lake Kivu
After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel. 10:30: Visit the Ellen Degeneres Campus for the Dian Fossey Fund. It’s a conservation center in Rwanda dedicated to gorilla research, education, and protecting mountain gorillas near Volcanoes National Park. Drive 1 hour to Lake Kivu. Arrive and check in, followed by lunch.
This afternoon, have a guided kayaking session (weight must not exceed 95 kilos). Later, return to your resort for evening.
Dinner and overnight stay at Kivu hill view Resort.
Day 5: Lake kivu – Kigali (3h00)- Fly back home
Enjoy breakfast at your resort before checking out and having a leisurely drive to Kigali International Airport at 08h00. Arrive for late lunch at Pilipili restaurant, inclusive of debriefing by our team. Bid your driver-guide farewell and proceed with your check-in for your homebound flight. (if you have a late flight, you can check out at midday)
We wish you a safe journey and hope you carry beautiful memories of Rwanda back home!
What's Included
- Meet and greet assistance upon arrival
- Airport and Inter resort transfers from start to end of tour .
- Accommodation as mentioned in itinerary
- Meals as shown in each property
- Private use of modern custom-made safari landcruiser or Prado with WI-FI where there is reception
- Services of a professional, experienced English speaking driver guide
- Bottled mineral water in the vehicles during the tour
- 1 Gorilla permits per person (this includes briefing at RDB offices, guide, trek – US$ 1500)
- All visits mentioned in the itinerary, extra meals, entrances and activities (Ellen campus and cultural immersion)
- Emergency Medical Evacuation Services cover
- Our assistance from start to end of tour
What's Excluded
- International and domestic airline tickets unless where indicated
- Entry visa fees
- Porters at the park (US$ 20/per person) recommended
- Optional extras whilst in Rwanda not mentioned in the itinerary
- Tips and gratuities
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses such as telephone calls, mini bar, porter-age, travel insurance, etc.
- Stretcher for hiking per person and per Trek US$ 350
Gorilla permit note:
Once permit is bought, it cannot be refunded or inter-changed. Before confirming the tour, please ensure that you request for availability of permits based on the number of participants. There are only 115 permits available per day.
We are not holding any accommodation or permits. Permits can only be secured if purchased.
Passenger Information:
- In case of non-availability, we may have to reroute and provide alternative accommodation at lodges of similar category
- Passengers should bring only soft sided bags on safaris as our vehicles have limited luggage space
- All the passengers must have Identification Card/Passport with them throughout their travel.
Please use the form below for bookings or questions
Voices of the Journey: Gorilla African Tours Reviews
Dale C2024-12-17 Gorrile Africain Tours We contacted Gorille Africain Tours about a safari to Tanzania in October. After a few emails we had a phone conversation with one of their representatives that we felt was very benificial.Gorille put a perfect 10 day tour of Tanzania, Zanzibar and Mafia Island together for us Our Guide Albert picked us up at the airport in Kilimanjaro and we toured Tarangire,Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater all very unique from each other National parks.Be prepared for rough roads ( called an African Massage). We found standing up in the Landcruiser and holding on to the handrails the most comfortable way to ride and view wildlife. A good pair of binoculars is a must. We went in December which is the slow season a sometimes we were the only guests at some of the lodges. This meant less traffic and uncrowded roads and if we did get rain it didnt last for long. The Landcruiser can hold 7 passengers but we felt 2 or 4 is the best for viewing and communication. Our guide Albert was amazing, competent, knowledgeable and fun to be with. We flew to Zanzibar for our last 3 days, lots of history of the Spice trades and excellent museum on the history of the slave trade. We stayed one night in Stone town and toured and then were driven to the NE side for 2 nights. Long beaches, amazing sand. Beach shoes are a must as the shallow pool between the beach and the reef is full of urchins. No swimming but wading in the incredible warm water There are Snorkel and Scuba trips available right from the beach.. We flew to a remote island called Mafia one day and after a few hours of searching ( no guarantees) we found a pod of 6 Whale Sharks and were able to snorkel amongst them for over an hour,an amazing experience! We can’t thank Goriile enough for arranging such an amazing trip for us and we wouldn’t have changed a thing.We travelled to Africa to find adventure and we found it and a whole lot more! sally2024-12-15 Legends Safari. We went into the Kruger with Legends Safari and we had so many amazing sightings all up close. Within 2 hours we had seen the Big 5. Our guide Bradley was outstanding....highly recommend Kdot Innocent2024-12-12 Gorilla Trekking Experience On Sept 28 I went gorilla trekking with my friend, and it was an incredible experience! Seeing gorillas in their natural habitat was absolutely breathtaking. The team from Gorille Africain Tours went above and beyond to make our trip unforgettable. Everything was well-organized, and our driver was fantastic so friendly and professional. I’d highly recommend them to anyone planning a gorilla trekking adventure!
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