Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes Park: Mountain Gorillas Experience
Hike into the forest and watch mountain gorillas at close range
A full-day private gorilla trekking tour from Kigali takes you into Volcanoes National Park to track endangered mountain gorillas with an accredited guide. After a 112 km drive and a ranger briefing at park headquarters, you hike through the forest to find gorilla families, then watch them play, feed and interact before trekking back to Kigali by evening.
Step-by-step itinerary
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Pickup from Kigali hotel at 4:30 am
- Drive 112 km to Volcanoes National Park
- Stop for photos and coffee
- Arrive at Kinigi Village headquarters at 8:30 am
- Attend ranger briefing on tracking rules
- Join assigned gorilla trekking group
- Hike through forest to find gorillas
- Observe gorillas interacting and feeding
- Trek back to starting point
- Drive back to Kigali
What’s included
- Gorilla permit.
- English or French-speaking driver and guide.
- 4X4 vehicle transport from Kigali.
- hotel pickup and drop-off.
- lunch.
- bottled water.
- all fees and taxes.
Times
- Every day 04:00
Before you book
Operated by Devine African Safaris Ltd
Prices and times updated yesterday
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The experience
Volcanoes National Park sits 112 km north of Kigali, and the drive there is built into the day. Your guide picks you up at your hotel at 4:30 am, and you travel by 4X4 vehicle with stops along the way for photos and coffee. At 8:30 am, you arrive at the park headquarters in Kinigi Village, where a ranger briefs you on the rules and assigns you to a trekking group. The hike itself is strenuous (the forest is dense and the terrain uneven), but the reward is direct: you'll stand a few meters from mountain gorillas going about their day, watching juveniles play, mothers feed their young, and silverbacks keep watch over their families.
The trek is not a guided walk through a zoo or a viewing platform. You move on foot through the forest with your guide, who knows where the gorillas spend their time and can read the signs (broken branches, fresh tracks, calls) that lead you to them. Once you find a family group, you stay and observe. There's no time limit written into the permit, but the hike out and the drive back to Kigali mean you'll leave the forest by early afternoon. Lunch and bottled water are included, and the permit fee, the largest cost of the day, is already in the price.
Is this one for you?Hotel pickup from anywhere in Kigali means you don't need a car or arrange separate transport to the park: the 4X4 and guide handle the full route from your door. The early 4:30 am start and 112 km drive are built into a single day, so the gorilla trek fits without an overnight stay in the park.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and French.
How early do I need to wake up for this tour?
Your guide meets you at your hotel at 4:30 am. The early start is necessary because the 112 km drive to Volcanoes National Park takes several hours, and gorilla trekking begins after the ranger briefing at park headquarters around 8:30 am.
What are mountain gorillas like when you see them in the forest?
Mountain gorillas live in family groups led by a silverback male who protects the family. When you find them, you'll watch the juveniles play, mothers nursing and feeding their young, and the silverback keeping watch. They go about their routine largely unbothered by your presence, though the guide enforces distance rules set by the park.
How difficult is the hike through the forest?
The trek is strenuous. The forest is dense, the ground is uneven, and the altitude adds to the physical demand. You need at least a moderate level of fitness, and the park recommends the tour only for travelers 15 and older with good cardiovascular health.
What's included in the price?
The gorilla permit, 4X4 transport from Kigali, an English or French-speaking guide, lunch, bottled water, and hotel pickup and drop-off are all included. Tips to the guide and park rangers are not included.
How much of the day is spent driving versus trekking?
About 4 hours of the 9-hour day is travel time in the vehicle: roughly 2 hours each way between Kigali and the park. The rest is spent at the park headquarters, on the forest trek, and observing the gorillas.
Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes Park: Mountain Gorillas Experience
9h · EN · FR · at your hotel
from US$ 2,687 per person
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