4-Day Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trekking

Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be greeted and transferred to the Hotel Des Mille Collines. This hotel gained notoriety as a refuge for 1,268 people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, a story depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda.

The hotel has 113 rooms, including eight suites. Each room has amenities such as a bathtub, balcony, cable TV, telephone, minibar, internet access, toiletries, a work desk, wake-up service and voicemail. Some rooms include additional amenities like a bathrobe, ceiling fan, connecting rooms, hairdryer, trouser press and kitchenette. Non-smoking rooms are also available.

The hotel was built in 1972, opened its doors in 1974, and underwent renovations in 1987, making it one of the leading hotels in Rwanda with extensive meeting facilities.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

Hotel des Mille Collines

Luxury hotel located in Kigali

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Non-alcoholic drinks

Volcanoes National Park is home to the region's rare mountain gorillas. The park is part of the Virunga Mountains, which form the border between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Approximately 480 mountain gorillas live in the Virunga complex at altitudes ranging from 2,286m to 4,480m (7,500ft to 14,700ft).

You will be picked up for a tour of Kigali, which includes a visit to the Genocide Museum. Then, we will take a three-hour drive to Musanze, at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park. Musanze was home to Dian Fossey, an American primatologist, for 18 years. Her research on mountain gorillas at the Karisoke Research Center and her experiences were documented in her book, later adapted into the film Gorillas in the Mist in 1988. Tragically, Dian Fossey was murdered in 1985, presumably by poachers, although the circumstances surrounding her death remain a mystery. During your visit, you can explore her memorial museum and learn more about her important work.

Main Destination:

Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

Sambora Kinigi Lodge

Luxury lodge located less than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas)

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Non-alcoholic drinks

Encountering endangered mountain gorillas up close is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a rare opportunity. Volcanoes National Park is home to five of the eight rainforest and bamboo-covered volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains. With fewer than 650 gorillas remaining in the wild, Rwanda stands out as a success story, thanks to conservation efforts over the past few decades that have led to a gradual increase in their population.

Your adventure begins with a briefing from the national park's personnel, followed by a hike that may take several hours. While no formal training is required for gorilla trekking, walking at high altitudes can be tiring. The paths through the bush are often unclear, so maintaining focused concentration and adaptability are essential.

Once you reach your designated gorilla family, you can spend an unforgettable hour observing them as they interact—eating, grooming, playing or simply taking a nap.

Main Destination:

Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

Sambora Kinigi Lodge

Luxury lodge located less than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas)

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Non-alcoholic drinks

After breakfast, embark on the trek back to Volcanoes National Park to see the golden monkeys in the lush bamboo forest. You will enjoy watching these golden monkeys play, eat bamboo and engage in their daily activities. You will spend an hour observing them before trekking back to the park headquarters. Depending on your departure time, you may visit the Cultural Center and meet the Batwa people. Afterward, you will drive back to a hotel in Kigali or head to the airport for your departure.

Main Destination:

Kigali

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Non-alcoholic drinks