Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

Upon arrival at Kigali airport you will be met by your driver guide and transferred to the 5-star Kigali Serena Hotel for your overnight stay. Ideally located on one of Kigali's most charming boulevards this fantastic hotel is a great base from which to explore the city. You can choose to discover the city at leisure this evening or simply relax by the pool or in your beautiful bedroom in preparation for the adventures that lie ahead.

Overnight accommodation at Kigali Serena Hotel with breakfast included.

After breakfast this morning you can enjoy a city tour of Kigali which includes the interesting Gisozi Genocide Memorial Centre. The centre exists as a permanent memorial to those who fell victim to the genocide of 1994 and you will have chance to visit the three poignant permanent exhibitions, the largest of which documents the genocide, and pay tribute to the victims.

After your city tour you can enjoy lunch at Heaven Restaurant before being collected by your driver for your 2-3 hour drive to the stunning Volcanoes National Park and the luxurious Virunga Lodge. One of Africa’s finest and most renowned lodges, Virunga Lodge offers stunning views of the Virunga Volcanoes and the Musanze valley to the west and Lake Bulera and Ruhondo to the east. Upon arrival at this sumptuous lodge you can enjoy a delicious meal and spend some time relaxing after your busy morning and preparing for tomorrow’s exciting adventures.

2 nights accommodation at Virunga Lodge on a full board basis.

This morning it’s an early wake-up call as the wildlife experience of a lifetime awaits! After an early breakfast you will transfer to the park to begin your gorilla trekking excursion at 7am. Upon arrival the park’s expert gorilla trekking staff will introduce you to the plan for the morning and brief you on what to expect. This will include safety instructions as well as rules for behaviour around these fascinating primates. Depending on your fitness levels and how far you want to trek, you will be assigned a group of 8 people and a gorilla family that you will be trekking to see. A maximum of 80 visitors are allowed to participate in this activity per day, with a maximum of 8 people visiting any one group of gorillas. These rules are stringently adhered to and that’s why your gorilla permit is so important. Your gorilla permit is included in the price of your package and the vast majority of the cost of this permit is delivered directly to the park for conservation efforts and ensuring the safety and ongoing survival of these beautiful animals.

Having been assigned a group, you will return to your safari vehicle for the short drive to the trekking start point where your group leader will go over the plan and rules again before you start your trek through the mountains in search of your allocated gorilla family. This trek does require a relative level of fitness and sometimes it can take longer than expected to find your gorilla family, but the anticipation of seeing these gentle giants in the wild, along with the spectacular views and likely bird sightings on offer, is likely to be more than enough distraction from that. And we can almost guarantee that when you come face to face with these majestic animals the trek will soon become a distant memory!

Porters may be hired for the trek to carry your backpack and gear. The cost is US$10 per person/per day.

Upon sighting the gorillas your group will be allowed one hour with them to watch them as they go about their daily lives; feeding, moving, playing, wrestling and feeding their young – this will be a totally unique and unforgettable experience!

As your exciting gorilla adventure comes to an end you will head back to the lodge for lunch and the rest of the day is at your leisure. You could relax on the private terrace of your luxury banda and reflect on the remarkable experience you will have had today or take a walk around your beautiful surroundings before enjoying a fantastic dinner and a great night’s sleep.

This morning will bring more unforgettable wildlife encounters as after an early breakfast you transfer back to the park headquarters for your golden monkey trekking experience. The Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus Mitis Kandti) is a local subspecies of the widespread Sykes Monkey, also known as the “Blue Monkey” and is endemic to the high altitude forests. The monkeys are playful and inquisitive and often spend their time leaping from bamboo branches or frolicking on the forest floor. There are two habituated groups of Golden Monkey, one group comprises around 80 - 100 members and has its home at the foot of Mt Sabyinyo. This exceptionally enjoyable experience usually lasts for around 4 hours, and afterwards you will return to your lodge for lunch and check out before transferring to the equally luxurious Kivu Serena Hotel for the last night of your Rwanda gorilla experience tour.

Overnight accommodation at Kivu Serena Hotel on a half board basis.

As you awake on the last morning of your Rwanda tour you can enjoy an included kayaking excursion on the lake before returning to the hotel for lunch and check-out. You will then be collected by your driver for the 3 hour drive back to Kigali airport for your onward or homeward flights. Should you wish to extend your stay in Rwanda there are many options for further national park tours so please enquire for details and suggestions.