Day: June 26, 2023

Gorilla trekking and Golden Monkey Tracking in Rwanda. All you need to know about Combining gorilla trekking with Golden monkey tracking in Rwanda

Gorilla trekking and Golden Monkey Tracking in Rwanda. Are you planning to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Are you planning to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda but you would love to add on yet another exciting wild life activity, then gorilla and golden monkey trekking is the right safari for you.

This article gives you detailed information on how in just three days you can be picked up from Kigali international airport, trek mountain gorillas and golden monkeys before departing bac home.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda only h

appens in one national park and that’s volcanoes national park. The park has only ten gorilla families habituated and open to visitors for the gorilla trekking experience. In the very same national park, is where the golden monkey trekking is most popular and that’s the reason why a combination of gorilla trekking and Golden monkey trekking is such a great choice while planning for a safari to Rwanda.  

Detailed Itinerary for a three days Gorilla trekking And Golden Monkey Tracking in Rwanda

 Your first day of the three days gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking safari in Rwanda will be highlighted by a pick from Kigali international airport, a tour of Kigali city, and later transfer to Volcanoes National Park.

Very early in the morning, you will meet with a representative from Katland safaris who will brief you about your three days gorilla and golden monkey trekking safari in Rwanda. After the briefing, you will proceed and take a tour of Kigali city that will be highlighted with a visit to the historical and memorial Genocide Museum with stories well narrated of how many lost lives in an ethnic battle and how Rwanda has been able to recover from that dark past in just a couple of years. 

You will later transfer to Volcanoes national game park reaching early evening to check in into the booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

You can choose to have an evening nature walk to the beautiful twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burere.

Gorilla trekking

Your second day of Gorilla trekking And Golden Monkey Tracking in Rwanda will be highlighted with a whole day of gorilla trekking.

You will wake up early in the morning for breakfast and later meet up with a guide from Katland Safaris who will transfer you to the Volcanoes national game park headquarters. Upon reaching the park, you will receive a briefing from the ranger guide on how the trek will be conducted highlighting the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. Later after the briefing, you will then embark on a gorilla trek that at times takes anything between 2 to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas where last seen the previous evening. After encountering the gorillas, you be allowed a full one hour to spend with them, take pictures and videos to share with loved ones back home.

After gorilla trekking, you will return to the park headquarters where you will meet a guide from Katland safaris who will transfer you back to the lodge for lunch, evening relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Golden monkey tracking

The third and last day of the three days Gorilla trekking And Golden Monkey Tracking in Rwanda will be highlighted by Golden Monkey Tracking, and your Departure back home.

You will wake up early in the morning for early breakfast and a transfer to volcanoes national game park for yet another adventurous activity which is golden monkey tracking.

You will wonder into the jungle with the guide as you look out for other wildlife species until you finally come close to the golden boys of the jungle. When you do, spend some time with them as you take pictures to share with love ones back home.

Return to the lodge for lunch, a check out and transfer to either your hotel in Kigali or to Kigali international airport for your international flight back home.

 Accommodation options

Some of the lodge that you can use for Gorilla trekking And Golden Monkey Tracking in Rwanda Volcanoes national game park include Le bamboo Gorilla Lodge Kinigi Guesthouse, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Amahoro Guest House and Virunga Lodge among others.

Feel free to contact us with any inquiries.

Top Safari Lodges in Rwanda. Luxury Safari Lodging in Rwanda – game safaris in Rwanda – Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Rwanda

Top Safari Lodges in Rwanda. Rwanda is becoming a very popular destination for travelers from all over the world mostly for adventure seekers interested in gorilla trekking safaris. Accommodation while on a safari through Rwanda should be the very last thing to worry about when on a safari through Rwanda. Whether you want to live in the lap of luxury or just want a little pampering, Rwanda offers you the perfect accommodation while on a safari through the country of a thousand hills.

A List of Top Safari Lodges in Rwanda

Bisate Lodge

Bisate Lodge is a new, luxurious lodge in Rwanda’s Virunga Volcanoes region, which opened in mid-2017. This sumptuous eco-lodge aims to provide guests with more than just a gorilla experience, rather immersing you into the local atmosphere, giving you a greater understanding of the conservation work that helps to protect the gorillas, ecosystems, and the local community.

With just six forest villas spaced across the large but private Bisate site, you will feel as though you are staying within the national park itself.

Top Safari Lodges in Rwanda

Gorilla’s Nest

Gorilla’s Nest is a luxury lodge located at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes and only a 5-minute drive from the park headquarters. Fit with 5-star treatment, rooms are styled like treehouses up stilts, and with a design that draws the outside in. The hotel was imagined by interior designer Hubertus Feit to give a subtle sense of Africa while taking nothing away from the true emphasis of the place: the surrounding landscape. One & Only Gorilla’s Nest is a place that encourages you to gaze into the mirror through eye-opening encounters with majestic mountain gorillas and experience the story of Rwanda.

Gorilla’s Nest is situated close to the entrance to Parc National des Volcans in northern Rwanda and is set within a grove of trees with the rooms set around a large courtyard. On a clear day, the views across to the volcanoes and surrounding area are spectacular. Surrounded by swaying eucalyptus trees, One & Only Gorilla’s Nest awakens a wild spirit of adventure.

Top Safari Lodges in Rwanda

One & Only Nyungwe House

Blending into the local environment – with its natural structural appearance – the lodge overlooks the tea plantation and rainforest, a unique view, and a spectacular area to stay. Aimed at the Western market, lodges have contemporary fittings and interiors, with traditional touches and large windows.

Fantastic for tracking chimpanzees, there is a total of 13 primates in the area, as well as 275 bird species, including the striking giant hornbills, great blue turacos, and red-breasted sparrow-hawks. Enjoy delicious, Fresh cuisine on the lodge terrace.

Ruzizi Tented Lodge

Ruzizi Tented Lodge is a small private luxury tented camp made up of seven en-suite tents on the beautiful shores of Lake Ihema. The camp surrounds a grass-thatched main structure that houses the reception area, the lounge, the dining area, and the bar. The camp is fully powered by solar energy and has hot running water throughout. With a capacity of slightly over 20 people, the camp is an intimate retreat allowing for a relaxing stay while remaining immersed in the wildlife. Proceeds from the lodge go towards conservation and supporting the communities around the park where many of the staff come from.

Top Safari Lodges in Rwanda

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

Located close to the headquarters of Volcanoes National Park, this luxurious lodge allows travelers to acclimatize to the altitude of the Virunga Mountains while preparing for a life-changing experience: tracking the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Spacious rooms, sheltered balconies, 24-hour electricity, hot and cold running water, and the choice of a bar, restaurant, library, and games room ensures every guest is well catered for, no matter how they’d like to spend their stay. Thanks to its proximity to the gorillas’ habitat, Sabyinyo is a fantastic choice for safari-goers who wish to combine their gorilla trekking experience with rest.

Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Rwanda

Designed for those seeking a transformative and purpose-driven safari experience, this new lodge from eco-conscious proprietor Singita opened its doors in August 2019. Located on a stunning 178-acre plot of land on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, Singita Kwitonda Lodge is the latest property to cement Rwanda’s position as the destination for sustainable travel in East and Central Africa. The 15th property in Singita’s portfolio has been carefully curated to embody the gentle, restorative spirit of Rwanda, and its opening will help to protect the precious mountain gorillas that live within the nation’s borders.

Top Safari Lodges in Rwanda

Virunga Lodge

Virunga Lodge is a comfortable eco-lodge located on a hillside overlooking the Virunga Volcanoes and Lakes Ruhondo and Bulera. 360-degree breathtaking views make this one of the top lodge destinations in Africa. 

Ten bands with private verandas offer views over the lakes and volcanoes; open fireplaces in the lounge and dining room are a warm welcome after a day tracking the mountain gorillas. Volcanoes Virunga Lodge is built around eco-friendly concepts with solar lighting and the use of local materials. Approximately a 45-minute drive from the gorilla park of Parc National des Volcans.

Contact us with any inquiries on how to book a stay in one of Rwanda’s Exclusive safari lodges for your adventure Holiday through Rwanda.

Rwanda gorilla trekking destinations. Book a Gorilla trekking safari to Rwanda – Volcanoes  National Park 

Rwanda is one of the premium gorilla trekking destinations in Africa. Even though Rwanda’s gorilla permit is the most expensive of all the 3 mountain gorilla trekking destinations (at $1,500), the country still attracts a very high number of gorilla trekkers in the region. This is due to several factors that give Rwanda an advantage over its neighbors as far as gorilla trekking is concerned. These include a good transport network evidenced by the well-tarmacked roads right from the airport to the park.

The short distance between the airport and the park which takes just 3 hours of driving is another favorable factor. High-quality accommodation facilities with good services for all categories of travelers including luxury, midrange, and budget facilities also give Rwanda another competitive advantage, Guaranteed security in and around Volcanoes National Park is another encouraging factor that attracts thousands of travelers to trek gorillas here.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes place in only one destination and that’s in Volcanoes national game park. The gorilla trekking exercise in Volcanoes National Park is less tenacious compared to other trekking destinations like Bwindi which is very hilly and with dense vegetation.

About Volcanoes National Park Rwanda

Volcanoes national park is a stop center for all Rwanda gorilla safaris in Rwanda. The strategic location of the VNP roughly 2 hours’ drive from Kigali international airport makes it the most accessible gorilla national park in the world. Besides gorillas, Volcanoes National Park is a home for golden monkeys, a variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects among other creatures which together make a complete Rwanda safari package.

Spanning a 160 sqkm area in the northern part of Rwanda, Volcanoes national park is part of the great Virunga volcano conservation region spanning to cover Virunga National Park Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda. It was initially a small area around Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke volcanoes which was gazetted to protect the Mountain gorillas which were facing the threat of extinction as a result of poaching.

How to get there

Volcanoes National Park is located in a small village called Musanze previously well-known as Ruhengeri, which is very accessible by public transport from Gisenyi or Kigali or the airport. The drive to Volcanoes national park is 2 hrs and hence one can do gorilla tracking on the same day and drive back to Kigali after the trek. You will be required to arrive at the headquarters of ORTPN in Kinigi, at the park entrance, by 7:00 am, therefore, if you hope to trek gorillas for one day, you have to wake up very early for your journey so that you are on time. However, there isn’t any public transport from Musanze to the headquarters of the park at Kinigi.

Rwanda Gorilla Permit

The gorilla permit allows you to visit the endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. The Rwanda gorilla permit is sold at $1,500 per person and it guarantees a traveler one hour in the presence of gorillas. Majorly gorilla permits are booked through local tour agents who deposit them for booking and finally purchase them on behalf of the traveler as the trekking day approaches. Due to the high demand and the strict gorilla conservation regulations in Rwanda, which limit the number of permits to be issued per day, travelers are recommended to make permit bookings at least six months before their trekking date. There are 10 habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park and each family is visited by only 8 trekkers per day. This means that Rwanda issues only 80 gorilla permits per day for gorilla trekking

Accommodation in and around Volcanoes National Park

There are a variety of accommodation facilities within and around Volcanoes National Park ranging from luxury to midrange and budget facilities to cater to all categories of travelers

Best time to visit Volcanoes National Park

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park takes place throughout the year though the dry season is preferably the best time to visit the park.

Contact us for any inquiries about booking a gorilla safari to Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park.