Helpful Tips:

• For many visitors, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we strongly recommend a tour operator for the Mountain Gorilla experience.

• A tour operator handles booking your accommodation, transport, tours, meals, and guides, offering a good price.

  • Tour operators are listed in Lonely Planet, Bradt and Fodor’s travel guides.

• A Gorilla Permit is required for visitors 15 years of age or older to trek mountain gorillas. 

• The itinerary below helps most visitors use time well and get good value.

ℹ️ Essential Tips:

A tourist Visa is required - Apply Online

Travel Adaptors: Type C and Type J

Currency: USD is accepted at most tourist destinations.

Vaccines and malaria medication may be required.

‍ ‍Yellow fever proof of vaccination may be required.

Rwanda Tourism - website to get started.

DAY 1

• Arrive at Kigali Airport. Transfer to your hotel in Kigali or in Ruhengeri (2 hr. drive), depending on your arrival time.

• Ruhengeri is the 2nd largest town in Rwanda, with a stunning backdrop of the Virunga Mountains, which are a chain of volcanoes along the Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC border.

  • Ruhengeri’s proximity to the Volcanoes Park has made it a popular tourist destination.

• The Virunga Mountains are home to the critically endangered mountain gorilla. (Estimated pop. 1200).
  Tracking gorillas in Rwanda is safe and relatively accessible.

• Overnight: Volcano National Park area (3 nights) where to stay, more suggestions below.

• Distance: Kigali ---> Ruhengeri, 2 hours.

  
  ⚠️ In the mountains, distances are measured by time, not kilometers. A lodge 5 km away as the crow flies can take
  30 minutes to reach on a rocky, unpaved volcanic track. Choosing a lodge within a 10-to-15-minute drive of the Kinigi gates ensures a seamless, more relaxed start to the trekking day. 👍

• The top accommodation options are categorized by budget tier below.

  1. Luxury Tier: Unmatched Proximity & World-Class Comfort:

  📌 These properties sit at the park edge, with dramatic volcanic views and a short trip to headquarters.

  • Wilderness Bisate Lodge: Just a short drive from park headquarters, Bisate's nest-like forest villas sit in an eroded volcanic cone, offering immersive conservation experiences with ultra-luxury amenities.

  • Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge: Located by the park gates on the Virunga slopes, this Rwanda lodge is the country’s first community-owned lodge, so stays support nearby villages directly.

  • One&Only Gorilla’s Nest: Nestled among eucalyptus beside the park, this luxury property offers private decks and top-tier spa facilities to relax after a tough trek.

  2. Moderate Tier: Excellent Comfort & Practical Location:

  📌 Premium lodges in excellent locations—without the ultra-luxury price.

  • Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel: Located in Ruhengeri/Musanze on the main road to the park, this boutique hotel offers comfortable rooms, an outdoor pool, and a quick 15-minute drive to the morning briefing.

  • Mountain Gorilla View Lodge: Perched on Mount Karisimbi’s foothills, 10 minutes from park HQ, this lodge’s
    stone-and-thatch chalets have wood-burning fireplaces for chilly nights.

3. Budget Tier: Authentic & Accessible:

• Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge: Located roughly 10 to 15 minutes from the park gates, this lodge offers comfortable, mid-range to budget-friendly individual cottages constructed from local bamboo and volcanic stone.

• Kinigi Guest House: Situated almost adjacent to the park headquarters, this basic, no-frills option is operated by a local community cooperative. It offers unparalleled proximity for budget-conscious travelers.

DAY 2

• Start the day by setting out for the Golden Monkey, tracking in the Volcanoes National Park. (Permit required)

• Entering dense stands of bamboo, you will trek your way into golden monkey territory. Guides lead visitors to the habitat where monkeys have become accustomed to humans.

• The golden monkeys are viewed close-up and will entertain you in their natural habitat. <Learn more>

• Viewing is kept to a maximum of one (1) hour. Adult monkeys play in plain view, feeding on bamboo leaves and leaping from perch to perch. Females carry their young, completely comfortable among onlookers.

• Later, visit the Red Rocks Intercultural Exchange Center and join the local brew makers to understand the chemistry about the process of brewing a local beer from bananas. Enjoy a big glass of their local brew.

  • Other activities include basket weaving and traditional dancing, plus with your visit the local community families are financially supported.

• Overnight: Volcano National Park. (night 2 of 3)

DAY 3

• Gorilla Tracking at Volcanoes National Park.

  This is perhaps one of the most breath-taking wildlife experiences on earth!!! You get real close to these awesome giant primates.

• These massive primates are extremely rare, with fewer than 1200 living today. You will get within meters of the family and be privileged to spend one (1) hour amongst them. The trek can be hard and last 2 to 6 hours or more at high altitude. Make sure you are fit and healthy for the best experience.

  ⚠️ The gorilla trek experience begins early in themorning with an important orientation briefing.

  • <What to expect>

  • You will spend one (1) hour with the gorillas. Gorilla Permit required. Cost: $1500.

  • Tour operators can secure your Gorilla permit. Due to high demand, secure permits 4-6 months in advance.

• The best time to visit the Mountain Gorilla is the dry months - December to February and June to September. 

• It is important to bring good hiking boots, long trousers, and gloves for protection against stinging nettles, as well as some snacks and enough water, as the rainforest gets hot and humid during the day.

• Afterward, relax and enjoy the park.

• Overnight: Volcano National Park. (night 3 of 3)

DAY 4

• Depart to Nyungwe National Park. It’s a full-day drive. The route will pass by volcanic peaks, terraced farm hillsides, and through agricultural tea fields before entering the dense forest of Nyungwe.

• Nyungwe (a true rainforest) is on the western border of Rwanda, with many activities for tourists including nature walks,
  bird-watching and a canopy walk

• Where to stay: One & Only Nyungwe House (luxury) or Nyungwe Top View Hotel (budget) (2 nights)

• Distance:  Volcano Park ---> Nyungwe Park,  6 hrs. / 250 km.

DAY 5

• Nyungwe National Park.

  • Nyungwe’s main attraction is the different kinds of primate species, among which are chimpanzees & colobus monkeys.

• The day begins at sunrise with a Chimpanzee trek.

  The chimpanzee experience is very different from gorilla trekking. Chimpanzees move quickly through the trees, playing, so you often have to hurry to see them. Sightings are faster and less predictable.

  • —Chimp trekking moves quickly, so being physically fit will help.

• The main challenge with these chimpanzees is finding them, as they are not so habituated and are always shy.

  • It is not a guarantee that you will see them. (During peak season, there is an 80% chance you will see them.)

• The chimpanzee trekking permits are $150 USD, which is substantially less than that of the mountain gorillas.

  • It is advisable to book chimp permits well in advance. (Best to have your tour operator acquire them.)

• Nyungwe is probably the #1 bird watching destination in Rwanda with more than 280 bird species recorded. Bird watching can be frustrating because of thick plants and birds staying high in the trees, but most birds you see are worth noticing.

• Overnight: One & Only Nyungwe House (luxury) / Nyungwe Top View Hotel (budget)

DAY 6

• Depart to Kigali. Catch a late-day flight home or embark to another African destination.

• Distance: Nyungwe Park ---> Kigali. 6 hours.

• Historical Weather data.

• During mid-May through early September, and in November and December, you are likely to experience good weather with pleasant temperatures that fall between 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and 25 degrees Celsius (77°F).

• Rainy season is March through mid-May and October and November.

• Rwanda has dry periods in June through September, and December through February.

• Sunrise/Sunset times.