2 days Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park.

Trip Highlight
Itenerary
Inclusions

Trip Highlight

Overview

2 days Gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is the ultimate adventure experience in Rwanda. Many people plan for years to be able to watch the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Rwanda’s volcanoes national park is among the four parks where mountain gorillas currently inhabit. This 2 days tour is especially suitable for people who are flying for a conference or business. This gorilla safari will bring you close to these massive but gentle animals that live in a communal family led by the dominant silver back. In some gorilla groups you will find more than one silver back in which case it implies the other silver-backs had to submit to his leadership or breakaway and start their own families.

What to expect

Volcanoes National Park is about 2 hours’ drive from Kigali. As you travel to the home of mountain gorillas in the Virunga volcanoes, enjoy the scenery of ‘the thousand hills’. Gorilla trekking will take you in the deep jungles as you search for these massive animals. Your guide in communication with the trekkers who leave early morning will soon lead you to the location of the gorillas. You are allowed to spend up to one hour with gorillas, and get within five feet of a Gorilla once you locate them. In certain instances the young gorillas may come closer to you or out of curiosity touch you but you are not expected to respond because the silverback could respond violently as it tries to protect the young one from you.

Itenerary

Day 1

Drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park

On arrival at the airport, welcomed by a Salama Tours & Travel Agency representative and transferred to your hotel in Musanze formerly known as Ruhengeri. Alternatively if you were already in Kigali you will be picked from your hotel or designated location and drive to Musanze. The drive from Kigali to Musanze takes about 2 hours with great scenery along the way.

The drive to Musanze takes you through different villages and town along the road. Enjoy the scenery of the thousand hills with great views of valleys and pathways to different homes and trading centers. We advise that you get enough sleep the day before so that you prepared for both a short hike and along hike depending on where the gorillas nested. In afternoon you can take a canoe ride on River Mukugwa or choose to visit the gorilla guardians village

Day 2

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park and transfer back to Kigali

Trekking the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of the Virunga volcanoes is an experience that will stay with you every waking moment. Arise early and your driver guide will transfer you to the briefing area at the park headquarters. Enjoy the traditional dances and coffee as you wait to receive your briefing from the ranger guide. You will then be given information on the groups to trek and you transfer to meet your ranger guide. After further briefing on likely distance to travel and expected behavior while in the forest, you start your trek into the jungles of Volcanoes National Park. For some gorilla groups, you are expected to drive out a bit before starting the trek. You are advised to take along a porter to help with your day pack and some of your gadgets, it is easy to think that you do not need one but they can be helpful if the gorillas nested further away from your starting point.

Inclusions