This 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari and golden monkey trekking will give you two prime safari activities in the volcanoes national park – Rwanda gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking. You have an opportunity to learn a bit about the Rwandan culture by visiting a cultural village after your gorilla experience.
Safari highlights
- Gorilla trekking
- Golden monkey trekking
- Iby’Iwacu cultural village/ Gorilla Guardians Village
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival for Rwanda gorilla safari & golden monkey trekking
On arrival at the airport, you will find a Kagera Safaris representative waiting to welcome you to ‘the land of a thousand hills’. You will start with a tour of Kigali city before you proceed to Volcanoes national park. . Depending on time of arrival and consequently time in the city before the drive to Musanze, you have options of places to visit which include; Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Craft markets in Kigali and the Kandt National Museum. The city tour is optional, you can choose to immediately embark on your journey to Musanze as you await the Rwanda gorilla trekking the next day.
After the brief tour of Kigali city, you have lunch in the city. After lunch you start the drive to Musanze in preparation for the gorilla trekking.
Drive time – 2 hours 30 minutes Or Helicopter (Augusta) – 35 minutes
L & D
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
After an early morning breakfast the driver guide will transfer you to the briefing area at the headquarters of Volcanoes national park. The ranger guide will share tips of on your time in the park and encountering mountain gorillas. In the meantime you will enjoy traditional Rwandan dancers and pure Rwandan coffee as you wait to start your trek. After the briefing you are distributed in different gorilla groups to start the trek. Gorilla trekking requires that you be relatively fit to enjoy hiking in the Volcanoes.
If the family of gorillas you visit is nearby and you are able to finish this activity in the morning, there is an option of visiting the gorilla guardians village to learn more about the Rwandan culture and the people who co-existed with the gorillas for centuries.
B, L & D
Day 3: Rwanda Golden monkey trekking – Volcanoes national park
Today after breakfast, we transfer again to the briefing area but this time for golden monkey trekking. Golden monkeys are primates that reside in the Virunga regions of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. The golden monkey are generally more active than the gorillas. This requires that for great photos you will continuously follow them as they forage for food especially the delicious bamboo shoots. Sometimes they are seen getting into the surrounding gardens for potatoes. However to note is that they are generally not located too far so the trek to their habitat is much more manageable than some of the gorilla families. You will receive a briefing at the park headquarters before you start your golden monkey trek just like the previous day.
You can carry packed lunch but usually the trek lasts a few minutes and you are able to return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch the driver guide will transfer you to Kigali to return to your hotel or take your flight home.
Drive time – 2 hours 30 minutes Or Helicopter (Augusta) – 35 minutes
B & L
