04 DAYS MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREKKING SAFARI IN RWANDA

Begin the day with a morning breakfast and then embark on Kigali Genocide Memorial & Museum was created by a joint partnership of the Kigali City Council and the UK-based Aegis Trust. The centre is an extremely moving, challenging, educational and ultimately inspiring as well as a great place to understand the cause, tragedy and successful rebuilding post-genocide.

The memorial hosts a tour which is transparent and educational but very sombre and humbling when guests realise that over 250,000 deceased are buried on the site of the memorial.

Later, continue to Volcano National Park- bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park is best known as a sanctuary for the region’s rare mountain gorillas. Visitors flock here to experience a face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures. The park is set high on the jungle-covered slopes of the volcanic Virunga Mountains. Highly regulated treks through the reserve allow visitors to spend an hour at a time with these incredible primates in their natural habitat. While the gorillas are without a doubt the main draw card, visitors can also look forward to exploring a network of scenic hiking trails, visiting the tomb of the world-famous Dian Fossey and the Karisoke Research Centre, and enjoying a beautiful day hike to the Crater Lake on Mount Bisoke.

Day Itinerary

• 0800: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 0830: Depart for Kigali Genocide memorial center.
• 0900: Visit the Genocide memorial center.
• 1130: Transfer to Volcanoes. Travel time 2.5hrs.
• 1330: Arrival at the Lodge.
• 1350: Lunch for the day and spend the rest of the afternoon on relaxation.
• 1500: The rest of the afternoon is for relaxation around the lodge.
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at the Lodge.

Overnight:

• Bisate Lodge- Luxury hotel
• Volcano Inn- Mid-Range

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After the early morning breakfast at the lodge, set off for Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park which offers visitors the unique opportunity of discovering the 10 families of gorillas that live within the national park. Visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee before the trek starts and will be separated into groups of 8 depending on their physical abilities. Each group is guided by a guide and two scouts who are well trained in emergency situations. The amount of time set aside per trek is different depending on where the gorilla family is situated. Some trips may take as little as half an hour and some taking the better part of the day.

Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, whose main mission of existence is to create more space for engaging the different stakeholders in conservation including scientists, tourists, conservation partners, students, and local community members around Volcanoes National Park. Bringing together these stakeholders is one of the ways of advancing the collective goal of protecting mountain gorillas and the planet in general.

Day Itinerary

• 0600: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 0630: Transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing.
• 0800: Start the gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
• 1200: Estimated time of returning from the jungle.
• 1230: Transfer back to the Lodge.
• 1300: Lunch at the Lodge.
• 1500: Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus.
• 1800: Dinner and overnight stay at the Lodge.

Overnight:

• Bisate Lodge- Luxury hotel
• Volcano Inn- Mid-Range

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Start the day with morning breakfast and drive to Volcanoes National Park for Golden Monkey Tracking offers visitors a unique experience of catching a glimpse of the endangered Golden Monkey. These striking primates with their bright orange fur contrasting the green rainforests of the Virunga Mountains is a photographers dream. The Golden Monkey can be found in very few places outside of Volcanoes National Park, and their vibrant colours, energetic demeanour, and sizeable troupes of up to 30 individuals are indeed a sight to behold.

Day Itinerary

• 0600: Begin the day with a morning breakfast.
• 0630: Transfer to the park headquarters for the golden monkey trekking briefing.
• 0800: Start Golden monkey trek.
• 1130: Estimated time of returning from the jungle.
• 1200: Lunch at the Lodge.
• 1330: Drive back to Kigali
• 1700: Estimated time of arrival in Kigali and transfer to the airport.
• 1800: End of service.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, & Lunch.