A 5 Day Gorilla Trek - RWANDA

Encounter not just gorillas, but also golden monkeys and much more on this magical and exciting tour into the rainforests of Rwanda.

Per person in a shared double room

Gorilla Mountian View Lodge hosts you on this 5 day trip to Rwanda. Cosy, comfortable and in a great location, the lodge is the perfect base for this exciting primate-focused tour.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Kigali

Meals:

On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by one of our representatives and transferred to Lemigo Hotel for your overnight stay (dinner is payable direct). Lemigo Hotel is a haven of space, luxury, serenity and simplicity, filled with rich touches of the fantastic Rwandan culture.Located in the Kimihurura area of Kigali, just about 10 minitues from the International airport, Lemigo Hotel is a refreshingly unique experience of relaxation amidst serene landscapes. It consists of 97 rooms and suites and rooms include LCD TV and WiFi. Other hotel facilities include a swimming pool, a spa, health club, a gym, and a vibrant mix of restaurants and bars.

Accommodation: Lemigo Hotel

Day 2 - Kigali - Virungas

Meals: B D

After breakfast, you will join your driver/guide on a City Tour of Kigali. The history of Rwanda dates back centuries and Kigali has been a part of it for a hundred years. Founded in 1907 as a German settlement, Kigali did not become the capital until Rwanda’s independence in 1962 when it replaced the colonial seat of power in Butare. Since then, the city has seen major economic development resulting in what it is today; a vibrant and cosmopolitan city of a million people with wide boulevards, an international airport, world-class hotels and restaurants, crafts and curio shops.Visit the Kandt Museum, tour old Kigali and the craft centres, visit the genocide memorial site where you learn about Rwanda’s history. Tour more and see the new developments - the recovery has been incredible, a true testament to humankind’s resilience.After your city tour you are able to buy lunch (payable direct) after which you will drive to Ruhengeri in the foothills of the Virungas. You will arrive at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge in the late afternoon in time for dinner and your overnight stay. Gorilla Mountain View Lodge, a 3* bush lodge on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, offers good quality accommodation with panoramic views of the Virungas, barely a kilometre away from the Park HQ.An oasis of serenity at the base of Sabyinyo volcano, all of the 25 guest cottages, built in contemporary African design using local materials, are en-suite and come equipped with a mini bar, coffee machine and various mod-cons. Soft furnishings with modern African prints, motifs and colours as well as original artworks in recycled timber create a relaxing and refreshing ambiance. The lodge’s grounds are beautifully landscaped with natural foliage and a stunning variety of wild flowers. In the evenings, the Itorero, local Rwandan cultural dancers troupe, spice up your stay with memorable Rwandan dances.

Accommodation: Gorilla Mountain View Lodge

Day 3 - Virungas

Meals: B L D

After an early breakfast we will drive to Volcanoes National Park HQ to be allocated a gorilla tracking group. Here you will get a short briefing by your trackers then drive to the trail for the start of an amazing adventure. The exhilarating trek, in the footsteps of the rare and critically endangered Mountain Gorillas - the largest living primate on Earth - starts in the cultivated foothills of the Virungas with stunning views in all directions. Upon entering the national park, the paths littered with fresh spoor of the mountains’ elusive buffalo and elephant, trekkers will be immersed in the mysterious intimacy of the rainforest, alive with colourful bird calls, butterflies and much more. Through gaps in the canopy, the magnificent Virunga peaks, among the highest in Africa yet easily accessible, are glimpsed, beckoning an ascent.When you have spotted a group of gorillas, you will stay with them for a magical hour as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting and raising their young. Coming face to face with a giant silverback must truly be one of the greatest wildlife experiences on Earth!In the afternoon, you can enjoy a sightseeing tour around the Twin Lakes; Burera and Ruhondo, two shimmering volcanic crater lakes located high in the Virungas and separated by a narrow stretch – their deep blue waters ringed by steep hills and tall waterfalls in a most spectacular backdrop, the Virunga Volcanoes. Optionally you can walk with your guide in the hills bordering the lakes in search of birds. Descend and walk along the lakes and through the local village and its small market place or stop for afternoon coffee at the adjacent Virunga Lodge. Return to lodge for dinner and you overnight stay.

Accommodation: Gorilla Mountain View Lodge

Day 4 - Volcanoes National Park - Kigali

Meals: B L

You have another early wake up and return to the Park HQ where you will be allocated a Golden Monkeys tracking group. After a short briefing by your trackers, you will be driven to the trail to begin the treck.The very beautiful Golden Monkey has a golden body, cheeks and tail with contrasting black limbs, crown, and tail-tip. Not much is known about their behaviour, other than that they live in social groups of up to 30 individuals and their diet consists mainly of leaves and fruit. It is thought that they eat insects too. Restricted to the highland forest of the Virungas especially near bamboo, they share this habitat with their big brother the Mountain Gorilla, inhabiting a small area that overlaps the territory of one of the gorilla families.Together they face the same threats of snares and human encroachment, and are listed on the IUCN Red List of critically endangered species. Tracking these remakable monkeys usually takes from 2 to 4 hours. Once you come to the habituated families, you will spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life; adult monkeys frolic in plain view, feeding on bamboo leaves and leaping from perch to perch while females carry their young, completely oblivious to on-lookers.Following lunch, we will drive back to Kigali and check in at Lemigo Hotel for your overnight stay (dinner is payable direct).

Accommodation: Gorilla Mountain View Lodge

Day 5 - Depart

Meals: B

Today you will be transferred to the Kigali International airport in time for your flight home after what we know will have been a remarkable experience and one that you will never forget.

Additional information

GORILLA PERMITS NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE

Included

Airport transfers only on arrival and departure day
Accommodation at Lemigo Hotel and Mountain Gorilla View Lodge;
Meals as shown (BB-Bed & breakfast, FB-Full board),
Exclusive use of 4WD vehicle, mineral water in the vehicle
Services of an Amber Expeditions’ Driver/Guide
Mountain Gorilla tracking permits-once and Golden monkeys tracking permits-once (given separately), park entrance fees, professional trackers whilst tracking,
Medical Emergency Evacuation Cover.

Excluded

Airline tickets and travel insurance,
Entry visa fees,
Optional extras whilst in Kigali and Ruhengeri,
Drinks throughout the trip,
Tips & gratuities,
Personal expenses such as telephone calls, mini bar, porter-age, etc.

Tour starts/ends:

Your tour will start at the Kigali International Airport

Your tour will end at the Kigali International Airport

Expected group size:

All your tours are private. Meaning that only you and your party will occupy the vehicles. Trekking is done in groups

Type of vehicles used:

4x4 Land Cruiser's are used throughout your safari.

Level of ability required:

Our Treks and Trips are desinged for all ages. We have had clients of 70 sucessfully trek the gorilla's.

Please note that Trekking permits are only avaviableto persons over the age of 15.

Food and dietary information:

If you have any specific requirements please do let us know before you travel. We can then pass this information on to the Hotels and Lodges so they can cater for you.