5 days Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari
The 5 days Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari is a once-in-a-lifetime journey that takes you to Volcanoes National Park in the northern province of Rwanda, where you will participate in a beautiful gorilla trekking activity that will provide you with amazing experiences as you spend one hour with habituated gorilla families. You will also participate in other activities while in the park, such as trekking to the primatologist Dian Fossey’s burial, viewing the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, and visiting the Ibyi’wacu traditional hamlet to connect with the locals.
Highlights of the 5 days luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 2: First gorilla trekking
Day 3: Second gorilla trekking
Day 4: Dian Fossey hike and cultural tour
Day 5: Twin lakes tour and departure
Detailed itinerary for 5 Days Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes national park,
On the first day of the 5 Days Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari, you will be greeted by our driving guide, who will educate you on your safari before transporting you to Kigali for a city tour. During the Kigali city trip, you will visit various interesting sights, such as the Kigali genocide memorial center, where you may listen to audios and see photographs of the victims of the 1994 Kigali genocide.
You will also visit Kimironko Market, where you will engage with vendors selling a variety of things such as handcrafts, paintings, and souvenirs. After the city tour, you will have lunch in one of Kigali’s restaurants and sample various Rwandan foods before continuing on to Volcanoes National Park, which offers spectacular views of rolling hills, gorgeous scenery, and sceneries, among other things. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge, enjoy dinner, and spend the night.
Day 2: First gorilla trekking
On the second day of your 5-day luxury Rwanda gorilla safari, you will pack a lunch and meet your driving guide at the park headquarters for a lecture on gorilla trekking laws and regulations. Following the briefing, you will be divided into groups of eight and assigned a gorilla family to hike with a park guide who is familiar with the forest’s routes.
Gorilla trekking tours in Volcanoes National Park takes between 30 minutes and 7 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas. During the trek, you will see other primates such as vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, forest birds, animals such as bush pigs, duikers, buffaloes, and tree species. When the gorillas are discovered, you will be permitted to spend one hour with them in their natural environment, allowing you to learn about their lifestyle, snap photographs, and film the events.
After a thrilling encounter with the habituated gorillas, you will return to the park headquarters and be granted a gorilla trekking certificate for participation in gorilla trekking. You will then meet your driver guide and be transferred to the lodge for dinner and stay.
Day 3: Second gorilla trekking
On the third day of your 5-day luxury Rwanda gorilla safari, you will have an early breakfast, bring a packed lunch, and meet with your driver guide to proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing on the laws and regulations of Rwanda gorilla trekking, similar to the previous day. Following the briefing, you will be divided into groups of eight and assigned another gorilla family to travel along with a park guide who is familiar with the jungle’s trails.
Gorilla trekking takes between 30 minutes and 6 hours, depending on their location, and once found, you will spend one hour with them in their natural environment, learning about their habits and behaviors, watching them go about their daily activities, and taking photos, as you did with your first gorilla trekking experience. After the one-hour interaction with the gorillas, you will return to the park headquarters and meet your driver guide before being sent back to the lodge for an evening of leisure, dinner, and sleep.
Day 4: Dian Fossey hike and cultural tour
On the fourth day of your five-day luxury Rwanda gorilla safari, you will meet your driver guide and be transferred to the park headquarters for a briefing on Dian Fossey hiking. After the briefing, you will travel to the trailhead and begin climbing up to the Karisoke Research Centre, an institute founded by American primatologist Dian Fossey, who dedicated her life to the conservation of mountain gorillas and other species.
When you get to the institute, you will see the home where she was slain in 1985, as well as her gravesite, which is near to that of her favorite gorilla Digit and the graveyards of another 20 gorillas killed by poachers. Apart from the graveyards, you will learn about mountain gorillas’ lifestyles and the importance of conservation. After that, you’ll return to the park headquarters to meet your guide before heading to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will embark on a guided cultural excursion to the Ibyi’wacu cultural hamlet, which is located near the park. During the cultural trip, you will get the opportunity to connect with the locals, learn about their lifestyle, culture, and way of life, try various local delicacies, see farmlands, experience traditional dances, plays, and music, and listen to traditional stories, among other things. After the cultural tour you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Twin lakes tour and departure
On the final day of your 5-day luxury gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, after breakfast, you will meet your driving guide and travel to the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, which are nestled at the foothills of Mount Sabyinyo, Muhabura, Bisoke, and Gahinga.
The twin lakes serve as fishing grounds for adjacent local populations that rely on fishing for a living, and they also provide excellent vistas of diverse bird species, terraced farmlands, gorgeous scenery, landscapes, and terraced hills, as well as opportunities to enjoy the cool air and snap fantastic photographs.
After visiting the twin lakes, you will travel back to the resort for lunch. After lunch, you will check out of the resort and meet your driver guide to begin your journey to Kigali International Airport, where you will be dropped off for your departure flight.
End of 5 Days Luxury Rwanda Gorilla Safari.
