Kigali • Volcanoes National Park
Duration: 6 Days
The shortest sensible gorilla trip to Rwanda: two treks, three nights near the park and a night in Kigali at each end. Without Akagera or Nyungwe, there is only one long drive each way, and the trip fits into a week away from work. Every lodge on the edge of Volcanoes National Park sits at the top of the market, so this trip saves by being shorter rather than by stepping down a level. It uses the largest and most resort-like of them, which has a spa, a heated pool and its own helipad.
The drive from Kigali to Kinigi takes about two and a half hours, or about 30 minutes by charter helicopter from Kigali airport to the lodge's helipad. Gorilla permits currently cost US$1,500 per person per trek, only 96 are issued each day, and trekkers must be at least 15, so I book permits before anything else. Each trek gives you one hour with the gorillas. The dry months of June to September and December to February make for easier trails. Lodge rates drop in March to May and November, which can take several thousand dollars off this price if you do not mind the mud.
Two mountain gorilla treks, each with a different habituated family
A lodge five minutes from Volcanoes National Park, with a spa and heated pool between treks
The Kigali Genocide Memorial on your way to the volcanoes
A slower last day in Kigali for the market, galleries and dinner
An optional golden monkey trek if you add a night
Travelers short on time • Couples • Families with teenagers 15 and over • A gorilla add-on to a safari in Kenya or Tanzania
Kigali: Hemingways Retreat Kigali
Volcanoes National Park: One&Only Gorilla's Nest
Arrive at Kigali International Airport and transfer about 20 minutes to Kiyovu, a quiet, leafy part of the city. Most long-haul flights land in the evening, so this is a night to eat and sleep.
Overnights: Hemingways Retreat Kigali
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial in the morning, then drive north-west to Kinigi, about two and a half hours, and settle in at Gorilla's Nest, five minutes from Volcanoes National Park. On Days 3 and 4 you trek. Every trek starts with a 7am briefing at the park headquarters, where you are assigned a family, and the walk to reach them can take anything from a short hike to most of the day. Hire a porter on both treks; the trails are steep and often muddy. Afternoons are for the spa, the heated pool or a village visit. If you would like to see golden monkeys too, add a night.
Overnights: One&Only Gorilla's Nest
Drive back to Kigali after breakfast. Spend the afternoon at Kimironko market and the Inema Arts Center, and book a good dinner in town.
Overnights: Hemingways Retreat Kigali
Transfer to Kigali International Airport for your flight home. If your flight leaves late, keep the room for the day.
Customize this tripThe following is included in the price of your trip:
All accommodations
All meals and most drinks at the lodge, and breakfast in Kigali
Two gorilla trekking permits per person
Private airport and hotel transfers throughout, with a private driver-guide
Visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial
24/7 support on the ground from the local operator, with me as your point of contact
The following is excluded from the price of your trip:
International flights
Travel insurance
Rwanda visa fees
Meals and drinks not listed above
Optional activities (helicopter transfers, porters, golden monkey trekking, spa treatments, etc.)
Tips and gratuities
Every itinerary begins with a 20-minute planning call. From there, a $250 planning fee, credited in full toward your booked trip and non-refundable if you don’t book. I brief the property before you arrive — that's what the fee funds.
Plan your trip
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