This six-days tour in Rwanda starts with an airport pickup and transfer to a Kigali hotel. On day two, guests visit the genocide memorial site before being driven to the Volcanoes National Park for a three-hours journey to their lodge. Day three is the highlight of the tour with gorilla trekking in the national park. On day four, guests have the option of an afternoon golden monkey trek, visiting Kinigi market or cultural village. Day five is spent hiking to the Dian Fossey grave and home for gorillas. Day six is a transfer back to Kigali airport for departure.
Kigali
7:00am
Tour at a glance:
| Day | Location | Accommodation | Meals | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kigali City | Hotel Des Mille Collines | D | Trsf |
| 2 | Volcanoes N. Park | INGAGI Park View Lodge | B, L, D | City Tour, Trsf |
| 3 | Volcanoes N. Park | INGAGI Park View Lodge | B, L, D | Gorilla Trek |
| 4 | Volcanoes N. Park | INGAGI Park View Lodge | B, L, D | Golden Monkeys |
| 5 | Volcanoes N. Park | INGAGI Park View Lodge | B, L, D | Dian Fossey Hike |
| 6 | Kigali airport | ——————- | B | Check Out |
| FB- Full Board, D-Dinner, BB-Bed and breakfast, B – Breakfast, BL- Breakfast and Lunch, Flt-Flight, Trsf-Transfer | ||||
Below are the key tour highlights:
Upon arrival at the Kigali airport, you will be welcomed by our Representative, greetings – short briefing and immediate transfer to your Hotel in Kigali.
After a leisure morning breakfast at around 09:00 am, your driver/Guide will meet you at the hotel and ready to transfer to the Volcanoes National Park. You will start with a short city tour of Kigali and after all visit to the genocide memorial site; a grim reminder of the senseless massacre of innocent’s lives in 1994.
The drive is through beautiful rolling hills, awesome landscape, bypassing coffee and banana plantations on a comfortable paved road and is approximately 3 hours from Kigali to your lodge.
Wake up for an early morning breakfast and at around 6:30AM, we head to the Kinigi Park Headquarters.
Today, your gorilla trek is sure to be the highlight of your tour. You will be at the Kinigi ranger station by 7am, where you allocate guides and briefed before heading into the forest. You will track one of the 10 habituated Gorilla groups in Rwanda. Move in a company of experienced ranger guides through the forest while searching for mountain gorillas. Only eight people are able to track each habituated group. After the Gorilla trekking, you will return to your Lodge and the remainder of the day is at leisure.
After an early morning breakfast at around 6:30am, you will report again to the park headquarters for another experience with a different endangered species in the volcanoes “the Golden Monkeys”. It’s normally an easy trek which might take between 1-2 hours.
The golden monkeys are a rare species of old-world monkey now found only in the Virunga Mountain range. Now endangered, it is one of the species on the endangered red list. They live in social groups of up to 90 individuals usually led by one adult male.
After the trekking, back to the lodge to relax and recharge. Enjoy a leisurely lunch and, if you’re feeling up to it, take a stroll through the vibrant Kinigi market. Here, you can explore the various stalls offering a diverse array of items, from fresh produce like potatoes and beans to colorful textiles and other handicrafts. The market is a fascinating place to soak up local culture and get a glimpse of daily life in the area.
The region is renowned for its abundant vegetable production, thanks to the nutrient-rich volcanic soil. This presents an excellent chance for you to peruse the diverse selection of fruits and vegetables on offer at the market. Other options available are visits to the Twin Lake (Burera and Ruhondo), the Ibyiwacu Cultural Village, a traditional healer and local medicinal garden or local school.
Your guide will discuss with you the opportunities available on the day should you wish to get out and around in Musanze. After the visit return to your Lodge for Dinner and overnight.
After a morning breakfast at around 7 am, you will head to the park ranger station, pick up the guide to take you to the Forest to Visit the Dian Fossey grave and home for Gorillas. The Dian Fossey site is between Mount Bisoke and mount Karisimbi. The hike takes between 2 – 3 hours to get to the site and another 2hours back depending on your physical fitness.
Today you will pack your stuff and getting ready for a morning transfer to Kigali airport for your out bound flight. The journey from your Hotel at the Volcanoes to the Kigali airport takes generally 3 hours.
