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8 days - Kigali and Volcanoes National Park

Kigali first, then the gorillas and golden monkeys

Eight days in Kigali and the Volcanoes area, with three nights in the capital before gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park.

1 Country
3 Stops
7 Nights
  • The storyThe headline tells the journey in a few lines, one after another.
  • At a glanceThe figures beneath it are the essential facts of the trip.

The journey

When to go

Gorillas and golden monkeys
Kigali city days
Gorillas and golden monkeys Kigali city days Avoid
January Primary window

A short dry season. The trails are drier, the volcano slopes are clearer and visitor numbers are moderate. Dry and mild at 1,500 m, with comfortable days for markets and city walks.

Short dry season Dry, mild

The route

Kigali Volcanoes National Park Kigali
01

Rwanda

Kigali, then Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking and golden monkeys.

Upon arrival and completion of customs and immigration formalities, our guide will welcome you and will transfer you to the hotel. Then our assistant will brief you on the upcoming safari. Accommodation: The Retreat.
After a leisurely breakfast, you will spend the day at leisure. The Retreat has a fitness gym and a retreat spa with skincare, beauty, and massage treatments. Relax and rejuvenate in their whirlpool and sauna.
Enjoy a Rwandan culinary day. Taste the local fruits at a farmer’s market and look for special ingredients needed to create modern African recipes. Enjoy the hands on experience of making Rwandan banana beer (Urwagwa) and take part in a private cooking class with The Retreat’s Chef featuring some of their signature recipes. The Retreat’s bartenders may teach you how to make one of their innovative cocktails. Shush its top secret! Afternoon at leisure.
You will have a guided city tour. You will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which has been and continued to be a place of remembrance and learning to honour victims of genocide against the Tutsi and ensure that it never happens again. It is also designed to engage and challenge an international visitor base. Drive to Kinigi After lunch, you shall begin your journey to Volcanoes National Park. Enjoy the spectacular views of hills and misty valleys on your way. In the far Northwest, it protects the steep slopes of the mountain range, which is the home of the endangered Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys.
After your breakfast in the morning, you will be transferred to the park headquarters for clearance, briefing, and allocation. After briefing, experienced ranger guides on the hike will lead you to visit one of the 12 habituated mountain Gorillas families in the park. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes, not over 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and muddy. You will spend an hour in their presence when you can observe, photograph, and film them in their idyllic habitat. After tracking, you shall return to your accommodation and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
After Breakfast, you will be driven to Volcanoes National Park Headquarters in Kinigi for the Golden Monkey tracking experience. After a briefing by park rangers, you will drive for 15min to the starting point. You connect to the trailhead and traverse the jungle in search of the unique and rare golden monkeys. It is an amazing opportunity to spend one hour with them as they play, jump from tree to tree, munch on fruit, and perform other behaviours in their natural habitat. The duration of the golden monkey activity is 4 hours, after which you will settle for lunch. You will spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
On this day after breakfast, you will have the morning at leisure. If you like, you could engage and enjoy the lodge activities. You will have lunch at the lodge. After lunch at the lodge, you will check out and embark on your journey back to Kigali. You will check in at The Retreat and have an overnight stay.
We will transfer you to Kigali International Airport and you will check in for your outbound flight.

Choose your route

The six-day route: gorillas, Lake Kivu and Nyungwe chimpanzees · 6 days / 5 nights · lower-cost option · from $5,880 per person sharingThis version replaces the longer Kigali stay with a single arrival night, then a morning with the gorillas at Volcanoes National Park, a night on the shore of Lake Kivu, a night in Nyungwe Forest for the canopy walk and chimpanzee tracking, and a final night in Kigali. It suits travellers who want chimpanzees as well as gorillas, but it has no spa or cooking-class days and fewer nights near the volcanoes. Ask us to build this version around your dates.

The detail

About this trip

We invite you on an 8-day tour to Rwanda to do Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park. An exciting activity with the Virunga Mountains ranges in sight. You have an opportunity to learn about the conservation efforts that rejuvenated this park after being ravaged by war. Explore the landmarks of the history of Kigali City.

What is included

  • Park fees(For non-residents);
  • Gorilla permits (One per person, non-resident);
  • Chimp permits (One per person, non-resident);
  • All activities(Unless labelled as optional);
  • All accommodation(Unless listed as upgrade);
  • A professional driver/guide;
  • All transportation (Unless labelled as optional);
  • Roundtrip airport transfer;
  • Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section);
  • Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section).

What is not included

  • International flights (From/home);
  • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour;
  • Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day);
  • Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.);
  • Increase in taxes and/or fees for parks set by the government.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How does the trip move between Kigali and Volcanoes National Park?
By road. You arrive in Kigali on day 1 and stay at The Retreat for three nights. On day 4 you have a guided city tour that includes the Kigali Genocide Memorial, then after lunch you drive to Kinigi and Volcanoes National Park, enjoying views of hills and misty valleys. On day 7, after lunch at the lodge, you drive back to Kigali, and day 8 is the airport transfer.
When is the best time for this Rwanda trip?
January, February, June to September and December score highest, with firm trails, clearer views of the volcanoes and dry, mild days in Kigali. July and August are peak season for trekking, with the driest conditions and the earliest sell-out. March to May and October to November are wetter, with muddy, slippery trails, and April is the wettest.
What do the trekking days look like?
On day 5, after breakfast, you go to park headquarters for clearance, briefing and allocation, then hike with ranger guides to a gorilla family. The trek can take 1 to 6 hours, and you spend one hour with the gorillas. Day 6 is golden monkey tracking: a 15-minute drive to the trailhead, an hour with the monkeys, and about four hours in total.
Which days on the Rwanda itinerary are flexible?
Days 2 and 3 in Kigali are relaxed. Day 2 is at leisure at The Retreat, which has a gym and a spa, and day 3 is a culinary day with a market visit and a private cooking class. The mornings of day 7 are also at leisure, with lodge activities if you like. Dates and lodges are confirmed in your proposal.
Can you combine more than one country in a single trip?
Yes. Many of our journeys cross borders, for example Botswana with Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, or Cape Town with a safari and the Falls. Tell us the places you have in mind through the enquiry form and we will plan the route and transfers as one itinerary.
What meals are included on safari?
Meals depend on the camp or lodge and are set out in your itinerary. On safari they are usually taken at camp, with a picnic or packed meal on some days. Tell us about any dietary needs when you enquire.
Do I need vaccinations or medication before an African safari?
Health requirements depend on where you are travelling from and where you are going, and they change. Check your country's official travel health advice or TravelHealthPro (travelhealthpro.org.uk), and see a travel clinic well before you depart. Ask about malaria prevention early.
What should I pack for an African safari?
Lightweight, breathable clothing that covers your arms and legs helps against sun and insects, in neutral colours. Bring comfortable closed shoes (boots if you will walk), a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars and a camera with spare batteries and memory cards. Your itinerary lists any luggage limits for charter flights.
How do I stay safe on safari?
Your guides brief you on how to behave around wildlife. Follow their instructions, stay in the vehicle or camp area as told, and never approach or disturb animals. Conditions differ by country and change over time, so check your government's current travel advice before you book and again before you travel.

On this trip

Photographs from the route, not stock library scenery.

Mountain gorilla looking out over forested hills in the Virunga region of Rwanda
Mountain gorilla sitting among green leaves
Sun setting over the city of Kigali, Rwanda

Book it in this order

Work down the list. Each step depends on the one above it.

Field notes

The practical detail that decides whether a trip runs smoothly.

Slow days in Kigali

The first three days are relaxed, with a spa, sauna, market visit and cooking class. Nothing is rushed.

City tour

Day four's guided tour includes the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Dress modestly and follow the staff's guidance on photography.

Trekking and golden monkeys

The golden monkey walk from Kinigi involves a short drive to the trailhead and about four hours in the bamboo forest, then lunch.

Gorilla trekking kit

Wear waterproof boots, gaiters, gardening gloves and a rain jacket. The terrain is rough and muddy.

A leisurely last morning

On day seven you have the morning at leisure at the lodge before lunch and the drive back to Kigali.

Plan this journey

Make this trip your own

Every journey is planned around your dates and your party. Tell us who is travelling and when, and a specialist will come back with a tailored itinerary and a quote. Payment is by invoice.

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