Itinerary

Day 1 – Kigali > Parc des Volcans
On arrival in Kigali you are met off your flight and briefed by your guide.  We drive to Musanze (formerly called Ruhengeri) in the northwest part of Rwanda, the main base town for Gorilla tracking. The drive is through beautiful rolling hills on a comfortable paved road and is approximately 2.5 hours from Kigali.  Overnight Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Standard) or Gorilla Mountain View Lodge (Upgraded). (D)

Day 2 – Parc des Volcans
After your morning wake-up call and breakfast transfer by road in a 4WD Land Cruiser and report to  the park headquarters, for gorilla trekking formalities  and briefing by the Volcanoes National Park's guides on  the gorillas' etiquette.  The gorilla group that you will visit will depend on the assignment of travellers to the seven habituated gorilla groups. Park rangers have already left to locate the 7 habituated Gorilla groups that are accessible to visitors. You will be assigned to a specific group of gorillas.  Groups of trekkers will have a maximum of  8 visitors per gorilla family. Your trek will vary in length depending on which gorilla group you have been assigned to and will commence at about 7,000 feet of altitude in the upper terraced slopes of the volcano. Soon you will enter the forest of bamboo and thick undergrowth.  You follow paths and the walking is steep but not overly strenuous.  Nothing can prepare one for the impact of encountering a fully grown silverback gorilla: up to three times as bulky as the average man, yet remarkably peaceful and tolerant of human visitors. There are no words to describe the thrill of recognition attached to staring deep into the liquid brown eyes of these gentle giants, which share some 97% of their genes with humans.  After locating your assigned Gorilla group you will spend one hour in their company before retracing your steps back down the volcano slopes. Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon there is an optional visit to the little known, but compellingly beautiful twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo.  Overnight Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Standard) or Gorilla Mountain View Lodge (Upgraded). (BLD)

Day 3 – Parc des Volcans > Kigali
After an early breakfast we report again to the Volcanoes National Park's Office to undergo the now familiar gorilla trekking formalities. We then re-enter the forest for the second and final gorilla trek visiting a different family than yesterday. You also have the option of the Golden Monkey Trek as an alternative to the Gorilla trek.  After lunch we will drive back to Kigali.  Overnight Lemigo Hotel (Standard) or Kigali Serena Hotel (Upgraded). (BLD)

Day 4 – Departure
After breakfast you will enjoy a Kigali city tour and visit to the Gisozi Genocide Memorial before being transferred to the airport in time for your onward flight. (B)

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