The 2-Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari is a thrill adventure that offers a lifetime trek experience along the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. The trek experience will bring you into a face-to-face encounter with a family of mountain gorillas in it’s natural montane habitat, where you will spend time observing similar human-like traits and social behavior of these endangered apes.
While at Volcanoes NP, you will enjoy an insightful cultural evening experience at the Gorilla guardian’s village to learn about the exciting ancient Rwandan culture through storytelling, ancient warrior dances and enjoy the heart-warming hospitality. The Gorilla Guardian’s Village is a successful story of a thriving former poachers now turned conservationists community.
Itinerary in Detail for 2 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari
Day One: Transfer to Kinigi and Cultural Experience.
This morning your guide driver will pick you up from your hotel/residence in Kigali for a two-hour drive to Musanze in the northwest of the capital. You will have a hot lunch break and thereafter check in at your hotel in the town of Kinigi set on the slopes of Volcanoes National Park.
On this evening, you will take a short drive to the gorilla guardian village for a cultural experience. In this complex village, community performers will expose you to a rich Rwandan cultural heritage expressed through earth-shaking warrior dances and various activities. This 2-hr long demonstrative experience explores various arts and crafts, and other traditional formalities and disciplines that have shaped and strengthened them throughout historical transitions that occurred up to today’s modernity.
This community is composed of reformed poachers that survived on the forest for livelihood but have now completely transformed into a thriving agriculturally based community. The example here is how tourism/conservation and community can indeed thrive together!
- Accommodation: La Bamboo Lodge FB
- Drive Time: 2.5hrs
Day Two: Gorilla Trekking and Transfer to Kigali
After an early breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the Visitors center arriving at 7am. You will be received by ranger guides who will take you through a Gorilla conservation work and safety on the trekking experience. Visitors will then be grouped into an 8-person groups assigned to trek any of the habituated gorilla families spread across the Volcanoes NP.. You will then take a short drive to the trail head to begin the experience, here you will be offered a walking stick (highly recommended) and also a chance to hire a porter to help carry that backpack on the trek.
Along the trails, the experienced ranger guides will point out diverse flora but also allow rest and scenic rest stops. When the gorilla family is located, you will be allowed only an hour to interact with up-close, observing human like traits, social behavior and lifestyle of these large yet gentle endangered apes.
The experience duration totally relies on how far the gorilla family is feeding from range that day but anywhere between 4-6hrs is normal. After the experience, you will take a 2hrs transfer to Kigali to be dropped off at your residence or hotel of your choice.
2 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari Includes
- 4WD drive car with a guide.
- Bottled drinking water.
- 1 Gorilla permit.
- Gorilla Guardian Village fees.
- Accommodation and meal plan.
2 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari Excludes
- Accommodation and dinner on the last day.
- Tips and Porter fees.
- Laundry and other items of personal nature.
- Insurance.