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Virgin Wilderness Safaris

Rwanda Gorillas & Golden Monkeys Safari

A 5 days/4 nights safari to the Land of a Thousand Hills, combining two unforgettable gorilla treks in Volcanoes National Park with a playful morning among the golden monkeys of the bamboo forest. With just a scenic two and a half hour drive from Kigali and a boutique lodge at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, this is Rwanda's greatest wildlife experience at its most effortless.

Duration 5 days/4 nights
Destination Rwanda
Tailor-Made Safaris · Kenya · Tanzania · Rwanda · Uganda · Seychelles
virginwildernesssafaris.com · book@virginwildernesssafaris.com · +254 101 790 913
Virgin Wilderness Safaris
Rwanda Gorillas & Golden Monkeys Safari

About this journey

A 5 days/4 nights safari to the Land of a Thousand Hills, combining two unforgettable gorilla treks in Volcanoes National Park with a playful morning among the golden monkeys of the bamboo forest. With just a scenic two and a half hour drive from Kigali and a boutique lodge at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, this is Rwanda's greatest wildlife experience at its most effortless.

A four nights safari designed for travellers who want the mountain gorillas of the Virungas with the shortest travel time in Africa. From Kigali, one of the continent's cleanest and most welcoming capitals, a beautiful drive through terraced hills delivers you to Kinigi, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park and the forests made famous by Dian Fossey.

At the centre of this journey are two gorilla treks, each with a different habituated family, doubling your time with these extraordinary animals and revealing new personalities with every encounter. A golden monkey trek adds a lively counterpoint, as troops of these rare, copper coated primates tumble through the bamboo around you.

With a first night at the Kigali Serena Hotel, the capital's grande dame, and three nights at Sambora Kinigi, a stylish boutique lodge just minutes from the park headquarters, this is Rwanda at its most intimate and rewarding.

Highlights

  • Two gorilla treks with different habituated families in Volcanoes National Park, home of Dian Fossey's pioneering research
  • Golden monkey trekking through the bamboo forest, in search of one of Africa's rarest and most beautiful primates
  • Three nights at Sambora Kinigi, a boutique lodge at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, minutes from the trailhead
  • A night at the Kigali Serena Hotel with time to explore Africa's cleanest and safest capital
  • A guided visit to the museum at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Ellen DeGeneres Campus, telling the story of Karisoke and the mountain gorilla's recovery
  • The shortest gorilla trekking journey in Africa, with Kigali just two and a half hours from the park
  • Optional visits to the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Gorilla Guardians cultural village
Virgin Wilderness Safaris
Itinerary

Day-by-day itinerary

DAY 1

Arrival in Kigali

On arrival at Kigali International Airport you are met by our representative for the short transfer to the Kigali Serena Hotel, an elegant retreat in the heart of the city. Depending on your arrival time, join a guided city tour taking in the local craft markets, the vibrant streets of one of Africa's most forward looking capitals and, for those who wish, the moving Kigali Genocide Memorial. Spend the evening at leisure ahead of your safari.

Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel
DAY 2

Drive to Kinigi, In the Footsteps of Dian Fossey

After a relaxed breakfast, set off on the scenic drive northwest through Rwanda's famous terraced hills towards Kinigi, at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, a journey of around two and a half hours. On the way, stop at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, where the museum's interactive galleries tell the story of Dian Fossey's pioneering work at Karisoke and the remarkable recovery of the mountain gorilla. It is the perfect introduction to the forests you will enter tomorrow. Continue the short distance to Sambora Kinigi for lunch and spend the afternoon settling in, with the cones of Sabyinyo, Bisoke and Karisimbi rising above the gardens. For those with energy to spare, an afternoon visit to the Gorilla Guardians cultural village offers a warm introduction to local life through drumming, dance and tradition.

Accommodation: Sambora Kinigi Lodge
DAY 3

First Gorilla Trek

Rise early for a hearty breakfast before the short drive to the park headquarters at Kinigi for your briefing and allocation to one of the park's habituated gorilla families. Then follow your rangers up through farmland and into the ancient afro montane forest. Treks can take from one to several hours depending on where the family has moved, and the reward is a full hour in the presence of these extraordinary animals. Return to the lodge for a late lunch and a restful afternoon, with time for a massage or simply the volcano views.

Accommodation: Sambora Kinigi Lodge
DAY 4

Second Gorilla Trek

Return to the park headquarters for your second trek, this time with a different habituated family. No two encounters are ever alike, and a second trek reveals new personalities, new behaviour and, for photographers, a second chance at the images of a lifetime. Return to the lodge in the afternoon to relax and celebrate an extraordinary few days in the Virungas.

Accommodation: Sambora Kinigi Lodge
DAY 5

Golden Monkey Trek, Return to Kigali, Depart

A final early briefing at the park headquarters, this time for the golden monkeys. The trek into the bamboo zone is gentler than the gorilla treks, and the reward is an hour among a large, playful troop of these rare, copper coated primates, found only in the Virungas. Return to the lodge for brunch before the drive back to Kigali, arriving in good time to connect with your evening international flight.

Virgin Wilderness Safaris
Inclusions & Contact

What's included

Included

  • 1 night at the Kigali Serena Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis
  • 3 nights at Sambora Kinigi on a full board basis
  • 2 gorilla trekking permits per person for Volcanoes National Park
  • 1 golden monkey trekking permit per person
  • Kigali city tour
  • Entrance to the museum at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Ellen DeGeneres Campus
  • All road transfers in a private 4x4 safari vehicle with an expert English speaking guide
  • Park entrance fees as per the itinerary
  • Drinking water while on road transfers and activities

    • Not included

  • International flights and airport taxes
  • Rwanda entry visa
  • Travel and medical insurance, including gorilla trek cancellation cover
  • Porter fees on gorilla and golden monkey treks
  • Drinks at the hotel and lodge unless otherwise stated
  • Laundry, spa treatments and other items of a personal nature
  • Gratuities for guides, trackers, rangers and lodge staff
  • Any activities not listed in the itinerary

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