A 6 day gorilla safari which starts and finishes in Kigali. Seeing some of the last remaining 900 mountain gorillas in the world is a fantastic experience and this safari takes you to two gorilla parks – Parc Nationale des Volcans (PNV) in Rwanda and Mgahinga in Uganda. This tour offers an opportunity to track the mountain gorillas three times; twice in PNV, once in Mgahinga/Nkuringo. The Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda has ten habituated gorilla families and tracking most groups in the Afro-montane forest usually takes only a few hours.

You can also climb a volcano, visit the remains of Dian Fossey’s grave and the endangered golden monkey. Mgahinga, in Uganda, is a great place to appreciate the unique Virunga volcanoes and it has one habituated family. Sometimes this group moves across the border so you can track gorillas at Nkuringo in Southern Bwindi instead. You can also climb a volcano or go for a nature walk, visit the endangered golden monkey or go birding.

On this safari, you will stay 3 nights at the Volcanoes National Park and 2 nights in Mgahinga National Park.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1 : Meet & Greet. Depart for PNV
Met on arrival at airport and transfer to Kigali. Briefing on your safari. After lunch, depart for PNV at 2pm. The journey north goes through the beautiful terraced hillsides that characterize much of Rwanda’s landscape, gradually climbing to the base of the awesome Virunga volcanoes, sometimes with as many as five peaks visible. O/N: Volcanoes Virunga Lodge (FB).

Day 2: Gorilla Tracking in Parc National des Volcans
Go gorilla tracking in Parc National des Volcans (subject to permit availability at the time of booking). Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virungas is a magical experience. If you are lucky you can get to the gorillas, spend an hour with them, and be back at the base in time for a late lunch! Some gorilla families however are more elusive and tracking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy. O/N: Volcanoes Virunga Lodge (FB).

Day 3: Golden Monkey Tracking/Visit Orphanage/Lake kivu
Visit the golden monkeys or drive to Gisenyi, visit Ross Carr’s orphanage and Lake Kivu or climb the Visoke/Muhavura volcanoes, or trek to Dian Fossey’s grave, or visit the local school, community projects or walk to Lake Bulera. O/N: Volcanoes Virunga Lodge (FB).

Day 4: Transfer to Uganda
In the morning either relax or walk near the Lodge, visit the golden monkeys or trek to Dian Fossey’s grave. After lunch transfer to Uganda [Clocks go forward one hour]. O/N: Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Lodge (FB).

Day 5: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest
Either go gorilla tracking again, this time in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (on payment of supplement at time of booking), or climb a volcano, or go for a nature walk, or visit golden monkeys in Mgahinga. O/N: Buhoma Homestead / Gorilla Forest Camp.

Day 6: Leave for Kigali Rwanda/Kampala
Leave for Kigali in Rwanda [Clocks go back one hour] or Kampala (in Uganda). If in Rwanda, time permitting, go for a tour of the city including a visit to the market, pottery project, handicraft shops, the Franco-Rwandan cultural centre and the genocide memorial. Transfer to the airport (HB).

End of the Tour