Start Location: Kigali, Rwanda; End Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Duration: 5 Days
Travel Season: Year round (Best: June to September)
Accommodation: Volcanoes Safaris - Virunga Lodge
Ascend into the emerald highlands of the Virunga volcanoes, where dense montane forests shelter the world's last mountain gorillas. Venture deep into the misty, vine-tangled slopes with expert trackers until you come face to face with a habituated family, and spend an unforgettable hour observing them forage and play just feet away.
Highlights at a Glance
• Mountain gorilla: About a thousand remain in the world, all of them in these three volcanoes.
• Golden monkey: Endangered and endemic to the Virungas, tracked in the bamboo zone.
• Other wildlife: Forest elephant and buffalo signs on the trails - duiker - black-fronted duiker - over 180 bird species including the Rwenzori turaco and regal sunbird.
Itinerary
2°S1.75°S1.5°S29.5°E29.75°E30°EMuhangaKibuyeShyorongiByumbaNderaNgororeroParc des VolcansVirunga LodgeKigali1·42325 km
1·4 Kigali · 2 Virunga Lodge · 3 Parc des Volcans
Day 1Arrive Kigali
Arrive at Kigali International Airport, where you are met by your expert Volcanoes Safaris guide and transferred into the city. The afternoon is given over to a tour of Kigali, Rwanda's hillside capital. Overnight at The Retreat in Kigali, with breakfast included.
Day 2Kigali to Virunga Lodge
Continue the city tour and visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial before setting off on the roughly three-hour drive north through Rwanda's terraced hills to Virunga Lodge. Settle into your banda on the ridge above Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo, with the Virunga volcanoes on the horizon. In the evening there is a fireside chat with staff from the Gorilla Doctors or the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Overnight Virunga Lodge, all meals included.
Day 3Gorilla Trekking in Parc National des Volcans
Wake early for the drive to the park headquarters and your briefing before setting off to track a habituated mountain gorilla family through bamboo forest in Parc National des Volcans. The hike typically takes one to three hours each way, followed by one hour in the presence of the gorillas; in wet conditions tracking can take most of the day. Afterwards visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, then return to the lodge for a complimentary massage at the Ikirunga Spa. Overnight Virunga Lodge, all meals included.
Day 4Golden Monkey Trekking
After an early breakfast, set off to track the rare golden monkeys through the bamboo forests on the lower slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. The trek is gentler than the gorilla hike and rewards you with troops of these endangered primates moving fast through the bamboo. The rest of the day is free for the lodge, the spa and the views over the twin lakes. Overnight Virunga Lodge, all meals included.
Day 5Virunga Lodge to Kigali and Departure
After breakfast, drive back to Kigali, a journey of approximately three hours. On arrival you are transferred to Kigali International Airport for your onward flight. Volcanoes Safaris advises booking departures after 8pm to allow for the drive.
Accommodation
Volcanoes Safaris - Virunga Lodge. Virunga Lodge - 10 hand-built bandas in total; Virunga Lodge Deluxe Banda (4, with private suites); Virunga Lodge Standard Banda (6); Virunga Lodge private banda terrace overlooking Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo; Ikirunga Spa & Sauna at Virunga Lodge - home of the Rungu massage; The Dian Fossey Map Room, Virunga Lodge - permanent exhibition and private event space; Virunga Lodge dining room and bar; Virunga Lodge fireside terrace and viewing decks; The Retreat by Heaven, Kigali - one-night city stay; Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Musanze; Kigali Genocide Memorial; Parc National des Volcans bamboo forest trekking trails.
All-Inclusive Benefits
• Gathering and dismissal city: Kigali, Rwanda (Kigali International Airport)
• All road transfers and transport throughout, with an expert Volcanoes Safaris safari guide
• 1 night at The Retreat, Kigali and 3 nights at Virunga Lodge
• All meals throughout (breakfast in Kigali; breakfast, lunch and dinner at Virunga Lodge)
• Soft drinks, standard and premium alcoholic drinks, signature cocktails and cellar collection wines (French champagne excluded)
• Single malt whiskeys included
• Laundry service at the lodge
• All lodge activities and all massages at Ikirunga Spa, subject to booking and availability
• Guided gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking in Parc National des Volcans
• Visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and fireside conservation talk
• Kigali city tour
• Priced per person sharing, 2026 low season
Not Included
• Rwanda gorilla trekking permits - NOT included, US$1,500 per person, payable in full on invoice
• International flights to and from Kigali, and Rwandan visa
• Kigali Genocide Memorial entrance fee or donation, paid directly
• Travel insurance and items of a personal nature
• Tips and gratuities
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