Gorillas, Lakes & Volcanoes

6 Day Gorillas, Lakes & Volcanoes

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Safari summary

This week long exploration of Rwanda includes the vibrant city of Kigali and a visit to the Genocide Moemorial Museum before setting off for the Parc des Volcans and two days of your choice of Gorilla trekking, the Golden Monkey trek and a visit to Dian Fossey’s grave. Finish this off with two days of relaxation on the shores of Lake Kivu, an area often referred to as the ‘Martha’s Vineyard of Rwanda’This week long exploration of Rwanda includes the vibrant city of Kigali and a visit to the Genocide Moemorial Museum before setting off for the Parc des Volcans and two days of your choice of Gorilla trekking, the Golden Monkey trek and a visit to Dian Fossey’s grave. Finish this off with two days of relaxation on the shores of Lake Kivu, an area often referred to as the ‘Martha’s Vineyard of Rwanda’.

About this tour

	Tour type	Set-date, set-itinerary, group
	Main focus	Primate trekking
	Activity level	Moderate activity
	Best months	All months
	Countries	Rwanda
	Parks	Volcanoes

Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1 – Kigali On arrival in Kigali you are met and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay. Overnight Lemigo Hotel.

Day 2

Day 2 - Kigali > Parc des Volcans After breakfast you will enjoy a Kigali city tour and visit to the Gisozi Genocide Memorial before we drive to Musanze (formerly called Ruhengeri) in the northwest part of Rwanda, the main base town for Gorilla tracking. The drive is through beautiful rolling hills on a comfortable paved road and is approximately 2.5 hours from Kigali. Overnight Gorilla Mountain View Lodge. (BLD)

Day 3

Volcanoes

Day 3 – Parc des Volcans After your morning wake-up call and breakfast transfer by road in a 4WD Land Cruiser and report to the park headquarters, for gorilla trekking formalities and briefing by the Volcanoes National Park's guides on the gorillas' etiquette. The gorilla group that you will visit will depend on the assignment of travellers to the seven habituated gorilla groups. Park rangers have already left to locate the 7 habituated Gorilla groups that are accessible to visitors. You will be assigned to a specific group of gorillas. Groups of trekkers will have a maximum of 8 visitors per gorilla family. Your trek will vary in length depending on which gorilla group you have been assigned to and will commence at about 7,000 feet of altitude in the upper terraced slopes of the volcano. Soon you will enter the forest of bamboo and thick undergrowth. You follow paths and the walking is steep but not overly strenuous. Nothing can prepare one for the impact of encountering a fully grown silverback gorilla: up to three times as bulky as the average man, yet remarkably peaceful and tolerant of human visitors. There are no words to describe the thrill of recognition attached to staring deep into the liquid brown eyes of these gentle giants, which share some 97% of their genes with humans. After locating your assigned Gorilla group you will spend one hour in their company before retracing your steps back down the volcano slopes. Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon there is an optional visit to the little known, but compellingly beautiful twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo. Overnight Gorilla Mountain View Lodge. (BLD)

Day 4

Volcanoes

Day 4 – Parc des Volcans > Lake Kivu After an early breakfast you have the option of a second gorilla trek where you will report again to the Volcanoes National Park's Office to undergo the now familiar gorilla trekking formalities. We then re-enter the forest for the second and final gorilla trek visiting a different family than yesterday. You also have the option of the Golden Monkey Trek as an alternative to the Gorilla trek. After lunch we will drive the short distance to the village of Gisenyi, often referred to as the ‘Martha’s Vineyard of Rwanda’. Beautifully set on one of the Great Rift Lakes, Lake Kivu, the area is blessed with sandy beaches and water sport options. You have the afternoon for relaxation in the area or at your hotel. Overnight Lake Kivu Serena Hotel. (BLD)

Day 5

Day 5 – Lake Kivu Another day of relaxation where you can just enjoy the Lake’s tranquil setting, the hotel’s many amenities or perhaps visit the nearby volcanic hot springs. Overnight Lake Kivu Serena Hotel. (BLD)