5 Days Volcanoes & Virunga Gorilla Safari (Rwanda & Congo)

5 Days Volcanoes & Virunga Gorilla Safari is a 5 day Rwanda & Congo Double Gorilla trekking Safari that starts & ends in Kigali. This 5 days Volcanoes & Virunga Gorilla trekking safari takes you to trek 2 different mountain gorilla families in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park & Congo’s Virunga National Park. Yet, half of the total remaining Mountain gorillas, are also found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

5 Days Volcanoes And Virunga Gorilla Tour highlights

Day 1: Transfer to volcanoes national park Rwanda

Day 2: Rwanda gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park

Day 3: Transfer from volcanoes national park to Virunga national park

Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park

Day 5: Drive back to Kigali city and departures

Detailed Itinerary For 5 Days Volcanoes & Virunga Double Gorilla Safari

Day #1: Transfer to volcanoes national park Rwanda

Day 1 of the 5 days Volcanoes & Virunga gorilla safari, starts with a pick up from Kigali, for a transfer to Volcanoes National Park. After briefing, you will set off for a 2-3 hours drive, to Ruhengeri, where you will reach in perfect time for lunch. Spend the afternoon at Leisure, as you prepare for your first gorilla trekking the next day.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique hotel – luxury, Le Bambou Gorilla lodge – mid range, Garden palace Hotel – budget

Day #2: First Mountain Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park

Start your morning with a delicious breakfast, and join your private driver, who will drive you to Kinigi headquarters for briefing about the gorilla trekking guidelines. Thereafter, ,in a group of 8 plus a ranger guide, head to the lush forest of Volcanoes National Park to look for Mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking may take at least 30 minutes to 6 hours to find them, with enroute encounters of some animals, & bird species.

Upon finding them, you will be allowed to stay with them for at most 1 hour, as you interact with them, take splendid photos & Videos as well as observing their daily routines. After here, return to the headquarters to meet with your driver guide, to take you back to the Lodge for Lunch, followed by an afternoon rest.

Later in the evening, take a stroll to the Iby’Iwachu Village to meet with Gorilla cousins to enjoying an awe-inspiring cultural experience, to learn about the Rwandese culture, by learning about their ancient stories of how they transformed from being poachers to now part takers in the conservation of Mountain Gorillas, then return to the Lodge.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique hotel – luxury, Le Bambou Gorilla lodge – mid range, Garden palace Hotel – budget

Day #3: Transfer from volcanoes national park to Virunga national park

The driver guide will pick you up after breakfast for a transfer to Virunga National Park, from Volcanoes National Park via Gisenyi Rwanda Border. You will the proceed to Grande barrier to cross into Goma to Virunga National park, Congo where you will be driven past the tourism office to pick your gorilla trekking permit then join the convoy to be transferred to your lodge for a check-in for dinner and an overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mount Kahuzi Hotel – luxury, Lulimbi Tented Camp – mid-range, Bukima Tented Camp – budget

Day #4: Second Mountain Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park

Transfer to Bukima police post very early in the morning to join for gorilla trekking briefing about the do’s & donts during trekking, when with the Gorillas and when you leave. With the assigned rangers & trek guides, proceed into the forest to look for the Mountain gorillas, whereby upon finding them, you will also spend at most 1 hour in their presence, as you watch them go about their daily schedules in the forest feeding, copulating, breastfeeding, playing, grooming, and sometimes fighting. Trek back to the park headquarters for your gorilla trekking certificate and return to your lodge for lunch and a relaxed evening.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mount Kahuzi Hotel – luxury, Lulimbi Tented Camp – mid-range, Bukima Tented Camp – budget

Day #5: Drive back to Kigali city and departures

Wake up to have breakfast, and checkout of the hotel, to join others, who will also be transfered back to the Congo Rwanda border, where you will meet you driver guide, who will transfer you back to Kigali. In case time allows, you can have a city tour to Kigali Genocide memorial, art galleries, Kimironko Market, and proceed to your hotel, or head to the Airport of Kigali for your scheduled flight back home.

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Tour includes
Gorilla trekking permit

Congo Rwanda visa

Rangers and convoy

Accommodation and meals

Transport

Service of the English-speaking driver-guide

Drinking water

Tour excludes
International flights

Rwanda visa

Personal expenses

Optional activities