3 Day gorilla Trekking and Dian Fossey Hiking Safari
per person
Our 3-Day gorilla and Dian Fossey Tour takes you to see the endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Besides Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, this park is the most popular in Rwanda, with the second largest population of mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey was very instrumental; she spent her life studying these primates and protecting them from poachers and animal traffickers.
The park has 10 gorilla groups that tourists can visit year-round. Dian Fossey was the first to learn about mountain gorillas and how to help them get acclimatized to humans. She realized that gaining the trust of the dominant silverback was crucial. By imitating gorilla sounds, they learned to trust her over time. Fossey shifted her focus from research to gorilla conservation, actively working against poachers and traffickers of baby gorillas. This effort led to her having many enemies, and she was ultimately found murdered in her cabin, likely by someone hired by poachers.
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Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival and Pickup from Kigali – City Tour – Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking – Visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village
- Day 3: Visit Dian Fossey Tomb and the former Karisoke Research Centre – Departure to Kigali
Day 1: Arrival and Pickup from Kigali – City Tour – Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park
Upon arrival, your driver guide will meet you at the airport or your hotel in Kigali to brief you about the tour. If you need to shop, the Guide can suggest places to visit. After the briefing, you will go on a half-day city tour, visiting the genocide memorial site, the former presidential palace, and local markets and souvenir shops. You will have lunch at a nice place in Kigali. After lunch, your driver guide will take you to Volcanoes National Park, a 2-hour drive. You may arrive at the lodge around 4pm. In the evening, you may request the guide for a tour of Lake Ruhondo and Burera or visit Musanze town before dinner.
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury), Hotel La Palme (Mid-range), and Muhabura Guest House (Budget).
Day 2: Gorilla trekking – Visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village
Wake up early and have your heavy breakfast before heading to the park offices for a briefing. Ask the hotel staff for your boxes of packed lunch before setting off for your gorilla tracking experience. At the park offices, you will meet park wardens, rangers, and other visitors. These officials will brief you about rules and regulations, inform you about the gorillas, what to expect, and how to behave while tracking. After the briefing, you will be assigned a gorilla family based on your fitness, availability, and choice.
Gorilla trekking at Volcanoes National Park lasts between 1-6 hours, depending on the gorilla group and their location. The trek can be physically demanding, with treks through dense bamboo forests and rough terrains. It’s important to follow the rangers’ instructions closely while near the gorillas. Do not eat near them, maintain a safe distance, and avoid surrounding them in a group to prevent irritation. Flash photography is not allowed. Once you locate the gorillas, you have one hour to observe them before returning to the starting point to meet your driver and relax at the park offices.
In the afternoon or evening, the drive guide will take you to Gorilla Guardian Village, formerly Iby’iwacu cultural village. Here, expect to learn about the culture of three Rwandan tribes. You will also have the chance to buy souvenirs and visit the local medicine man to learn about traditional disease treatments.
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury), Hotel La Palme (Mid-range), and Muhabura Guest House (Budget).
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and DinnerDay 3: Visit Dian Fossey Tomb and the former Karisoke Research Centre – Departure to Kigali
Wake up early and have breakfast while waiting for the Guide to take you to the park offices for a briefing. Then, hike the same path that Dian Fossey took many times to the mountain slopes. Rangers will share information about Fossey, her work with gorillas, her foundation, and her legacy. You will meet some porters who worked with her and hear their stories. Finally, visit Dian Fossey’s burial site near Digit, her favorite gorilla, and see her old research station and the Karisoke Research Centre. After, retire and return to Kigali city.
Accommodation: Breakfast and Lunch
3 Day gorilla Trekking and Dian Fossey includes & Excludes
Includes:- 1 gorilla trekking permit per person
- A private English-speaking guide /driver
- Entrance fee to the Dian Fossey Tomb
- A Cultural experience at the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village.
- Kigali City Tour
- All activities mentioned in the itinerary
Excludes:
- Personal insurance
- Extra activities
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks such as juice, soda, wine, etc.
- Accommodation before and after the safari.
- Expenses of a personal nature like tips, laundry services, cigarettes, visas, and air tickets.