1-Day Gorilla Trekking from Kigali

Short on time? See mountain gorillas in a single day from Kigali, with your permit and round-trip transport arranged.

We collect you from your Kigali hotel at 4:00 AM and drive about 2.5 hours north to Volcanoes National Park in the Virunga Mountains. After coffee and a briefing at park headquarters in Kinigi, you join a small group and head to the foothills to meet your trackers.

The trek winds through bamboo forest and open meadows. It can take anywhere from one to several hours, depending on where your gorilla family is that day. Once you find them, you spend up to one hour watching them up close, then walk back down and drive to Kigali, arriving late afternoon or early evening.

Itinerary

1. 1

   04:00 · Pick-up in Kigali

   Early hotel pick-up and a scenic 2.5-hour drive north to Musanze.

2. 2

   07:00 · Kinigi park headquarters

   Coffee, a briefing from the rangers, and assignment to a small trekking group.

3. 3

   Trek to the gorillas

   Drive to the trailhead and follow your guides and trackers through bamboo forest and meadow. Trek times vary from one hour to several.

4. 4

   One hour with a gorilla family

   Watch the gorillas feed, play and rest from about 7 metres away.

5. 5

   Late afternoon · Back in Kigali

   Walk down, then drive back to your hotel in Kigali.

Times are approximate. Ask about a two-day trip if you’d like to stay overnight in Musanze.