Rwanda: Gorilla Tracking Safari (4 Day Tour)
- Volcanoes National Park
- Genocide Memorial Museum
- Kigali City Tour
- Mountain Gorilla Tracking Safari
- Lake Kivu
Overview
If viewing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat has been a long-time bucket-list item for you, now is the perfect time to realise that travel dream.
The Rwandan authorities announced an unprecedented discount in the price of Gorilla permits for 2024. To make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime offer, we have put together a four-day Rwandan Gorilla Tracking Safari.
Your tour starts in Kigali with an informative city tour and visit to the evocative Genocide Memorial Museum. The Volcanoes National Park is one of the oldest parks on the continent. Shrouded in mist, the mountainous area is rugged and wild, covered in lush rainforest. It is here that you will trek into the forest in search of the mysterious mountain gorillas. From here you travel to the sandy shores of Lake Kivu, overlooking glimmering waters and emerald-green mountains in the distance. Your tour ends back in Kigali.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to make a travel dream come true!
Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVE KIGALI
Early morning departure from O R Tambo Airport for Kigali, Rwanda.
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by your driver-guide. As check-in will only be from 14:00 you will depart for breakfast and then proceed on a city tour that will include a visit to the Genocide Museum.
Afternoon check-in and at leisure.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Park Inn by Raddison or similar (breakfast, dinner)
Park Inn by Radisson Kigali
Offering a prime city centre location, the Park Inn by Radisson Kigali is the premier hotel choice in Rwanda's capital city. The hotel is within easy reach of government buildings like the Presidential Palace and the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. The international airport is just 12 kilometres away, and airport shuttles to and from the hotel are available. Our 161 modern rooms and suites include amenities like free high-speed Wi-Fi and vibrant furnishings, so you can stay connected in comfort. When it comes to dining, the Live Inn Room Restaurant offers a modern, cosy atmosphere, along with a delectable range of international dishes.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
DAY 2: TRANSFER TO VIRUNGAS
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check-out and depart for the Volcanoes National Park. The journey passes through the beautiful, terraced hillsides that characterize much of Rwanda’s landscape. Our accommodation for the night is about 2½ hours’ drive from Kigali.
Enjoy lunch at your hotel.
In the afternoon you will visit the Ellen DeGeneres campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund for a self-guided tour. Here you will learn more about gorilla conservation.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Gorilla Mountain View Lodge or similar (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Gorilla Mountain View Lodge
The lodge is located at the foot of the Virunga Sabyinyo Mountain with beautifully landscaped natural foliage gardens and a startling variety of flower gardens. You will be welcomed with a glass of chilled fresh fruit juice or Rwandan tea or coffee.. Accommodation consists of 25 en suite cottages. All rooms have a coffee machine.
DAY 3: GORILLA TREK
Today you will have the rare opportunity to observe the famous Rwandan mountain gorillas.
Tracking the gorillas through the forested slopes of the Virungas is a magical experience. If luck is on your side, you will find 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.
You will be placed in a group of maximum 8 people, accompanied by a trekking guide and an armed park ranger. You will have the choice to hire a porter to accompany you on the trek.
Return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon departure to Gisenyi, a picturesque lakeside town on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, often referred to as the “Martha’s Vineyard of Rwanda”, with its pretty shoreline and colonial-style hotels.
Check-in and dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Lake Kivu Serena or similar (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel celebrates the shores of this African Great Lake as a destination of astonishing beauty, where pristine beaches and the sparkling waters of Africa’s sixth largest lake come together in breath-taking fashion. Your arrival is greeted by a bright, open-plan lobby giving way to a private stretch of beach reserved exclusively for hotel guests. We welcome you to experience unparalleled warmth, hospitality, and relaxation. With guest accommodation, restaurants and a spectacular swimming pool nestled among palm trees and manicured grounds and gardens, our privileged waterfront enclave provides all the amenities you would expect from a resort considered by many to be one of Rwanda’s best. Boasting gracious, personalised hospitality and abundant recreational activities on land and water, this 66-room getaway is the perfect choice for an extended holiday or weekend escape. Lake Kivu Serena Hotel combines tropical serenity and waterfront exhilaration to create a truly unique Rwanda resort experience.
DAY 4: DEPART KIGALI
Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Kivu
The remainder of the morning is relaxed along the shores of one of the greatest freshwater lakes in Rwanda in the Albertine Rift – part of the Great Rift Valley.
After an early lunch you will transfer back to Kigali to check-in for your return flight home.
(Lunch)
DAY 5: ARRIVE JOHANNESBURG
Early morning arrival in Johannesburg.
END OF SERVICE
Dates
Choose your own dates in 2024.
Rates
Please contact us for a quotation.
Included
- Accommodation on a dinner, bed and breakfast (DBB) basis.
- 3 x lunches.
- Exclusive transport in custom-made safari vehicle driven by an English-speaking driver/guide.
- Park entrance fees and activities as per itinerary.
- Gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park (quoted separately and cost be added to tour cost).
- Unlimited bottled mineral water in the safari vehicles.
Excluded
- International flights into and out of Kigali.
- Any optional activity.
- Drinks (sodas, beer, wine, spirits...)
- Medical and travel insurance.
- Tips, telephone, and personal expenses.
- Any service not specified under inclusions.
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
Suggested flight option: Rwandair Express
Day 1: Dep: 03:10 Johannesburg Arr: 07:00 Kigali
Day 4: Dep: 22:30 Kigali Arr: 02:20 Johannesburg (on day 5)
Approximate total flight cost per person including airport taxes: From R 9 000 per person return. Flight costs are an estimate only and can only be confirmed on day of booking as it is subject to airport tax fluctuations.
VISAS REQUIREMENTS
South African passport holders require a visa for Rwanda. For a visit of less than 30 days the visa is issued on arrival and free of charge.
TOUR NOTES
- Gorilla permits are non-refundable and non-transferable once purchased.
- Prices for gorilla tracking permits, airport taxes and park fees may be changed without prior notice. This is beyond our control and any increase levied will be for the guest’s account.
- It is a condition of booking the comprehensive travel insurance must be in place within 48 hours after the first tour payment was made. Live the Journey will not be liable for any cancellation fees and other losses due to the fact that the travel insurance was not in place.
- South African Passport Holders require a visa to enter Rwanda. This is issued free of charge on arrival. A passport valid at least 6 months after date of return with sufficient blank pages are required.
- Passengers must bring only a medium soft sided bags on safaris. Luggage space in the vehicles are limited.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
- Proof of a Yellow Fever certificate.
- Rwanda is in a Malaria area and precautions must be taken against this. Please consult your doctor or travel clinic at least 6 weeks prior to departure.
Reservations
Fill out the form below to request a full itinerary.