Safari Overview
Some wildlife encounters are special. These two are extraordinary. Over three days in the misty highlands of Volcanoes National Park, you’ll track endangered mountain gorillas through ancient bamboo forest, then spend a morning with the lively golden monkeys unique to the Virunga region. Add in a stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a cultural village visit, and two nights in the shadow of Rwanda’s famous volcanoes , and you have a safari that goes far beyond the ordinary. Everything starts and ends in Kigali.
Safari at a Glance
Duration: 3 Days / 2 Nights
Destination: Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Safari Type: Primate Trekking
Trekking Difficulty: Moderate, Minimum
Age: 15 years (gorilla trekking)
Best Time to Visit: Year-round
Starts & Ends: Kigali
Day-by-Day Rwanda Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Kigali to Volcanoes National Park | Genocide Memorial Visit
After breakfast, your guide picks you up from your Kigali hotel and you head north. The drive itself is a pleasure , Rwanda’s famous thousand hills roll past the window, terraced and green. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a sobering and important visit that offers deep context for understanding the country you’re travelling through.
By the time you arrive at your lodge near the park, you’ll have earned a quiet afternoon. Settle in, get your gear ready, and rest up , tomorrow is a big day.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation Options:
🟢 Budget , Muhabura Hotel (or similar)
🔵 Midrange , Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge (or similar)
🟡 Luxury , Five Volcanoes Lodge / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (or similar)
🔴 Upmarket , One & Only Gorilla’s Nest / Bisate Wilderness Camp (or similar)
Day 2: Mountain Gorilla Trekking and Iby’wacu Cultural Village
This is the day you’ve been waiting for. After an early breakfast, you’ll head to park headquarters for the morning briefing led by Rwanda Development Board rangers , covering gorilla behaviour, what to expect on the trail, and how to conduct yourself during the encounter.
Then the trek begins. Threading through bamboo forest and up volcanic slopes, your ranger guide leads you in search of a habituated gorilla family. The trek can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas have wandered , but the moment you find them, everything else fades away. You’ll have one hour in their presence: watching a silverback move through the undergrowth, a mother cradling her infant, juveniles tumbling over each other in play. It’s one of those rare travel moments that genuinely lives up to the hype.
Back at the lodge, the afternoon is yours to recover and relive it all. In the evening, a visit to the Iby’wacu Cultural Village offers a warm and authentic introduction to local Rwandan traditions , music, dance, storytelling, and craft.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Same lodge as Day 1
Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking then return to Kigali
After breakfast, it’s back to park headquarters for a briefing before your golden monkey trek. These primates , endemic to the Virunga volcanic region , are a total contrast to the gorillas. Fast, acrobatic, and brilliantly coloured, they dart through the bamboo canopy in noisy, energetic troops. It’s joyful, chaotic, and completely captivating in its own way.
After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch, check out, and begin the drive back to Kigali, arriving in the evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
What’s Included
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Park entrance fees
- 2 nights accommodation near Volcanoes National Park
- Meals as per itinerary
- Professional English-speaking driver/guide
- 4×4 safari vehicle throughout
- Ranger guides during all treks
- Bottled drinking water
What’s Not Included
- International flights
- Rwanda visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses (drinks, souvenirs, laundry, etc.)
- Optional activities not listed above
