4 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trek
This 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trek is one of the best Rwanda safaris available, covering two of the country’s most prominent primates: the endangered mountain gorilla and the golden monkey. Both species can be found in Volcanoes National Park, and gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking are the trip’s undoubted highlights.
Highlights: 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trek
Day 1: Kigali City Tour, Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Gorilla Guardians Village Visit
Day 3: Golden Monkey Tracking, Visit to the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
Day 4: Transfer to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary: 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trek
Day 1: Kigali City Tour, Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
This trip begins with our Rwanda safari guide picking you up from your hotel in Kigali, or from the airport, depending on your arrival time. After a briefing on the trip ahead, you will enjoy a Kigali city tour, visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, Kimironko Market, and the Presidential Palace Museum. Afterward, enjoy lunch at a selected restaurant in town.
Continue on a three-hour drive to Volcanoes National Park, taking in views of Rwanda’s rolling hills along the way. You will pass through tea plantations, with plenty of opportunity for beautiful photographs. Continue to your hotel to check in and relax while you wait for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Virunga Lodge (Luxury) / Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge (Mid-Range) / Kinigi Guesthouse (Basic)
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Gorilla Guardians Village Visit
Wake up to an early breakfast at the lodge, then head to the park headquarters for a briefing, which begins at 7:00 a.m. Once allocated a gorilla family, you will hike through Volcanoes National Park in search of the gorillas. Trekking typically takes between two and six hours.
Once you encounter the gorillas going about their daily life, you will spend an hour observing their behaviour and activities. Afterward, trek back to the starting point in Kinigi and meet your guide for the transfer back to your hotel.
Freshen up and enjoy a hot lunch at the lodge. Later, after some time to relax, visit the Gorilla Guardians Village, formerly known as the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village. Spend time enjoying performances by local entertainers, and join in the dancing if you’re up for it. Return to the lodge to relax while you wait for dinner and an overnight stay, as above.
Day 3: Golden Monkey Tracking, Visit to the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
Enjoy an early breakfast at the lodge, then head to the briefing point for your golden monkey trekking adventure. After roughly two hours of hiking in Volcanoes National Park, you will encounter the golden monkeys feeding and playing among the tree branches. Golden monkeys are critically endangered and found only in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After spending about an hour with the golden monkeys, trek back to meet your Rwanda safari guide. Enjoy lunch, then head out to visit the beautiful twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay, as above.
Day 4: Transfer to Kigali
On this final day of your safari, enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the lodge, then check out and transfer to Kigali city. You will be dropped off at the airport for your flight, or at your hotel of stay in Kigali, bringing your 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trek to an end.
