5 Day Gorilla And Game Safari In Rwanda
The five day gorilla trekking and game safari in Rwanda starts by buying a gorilla permit from Rwanda Development Board. The least number of days you can be on gorilla safari in Rwanda is 2 day gorilla trekking in Rwanda.
For game drives in Rwanda, Akagera National Park is the ideal destination, in the past, Akagera National Park was affected by the 1994 Rwanda genocide as many wild animals were killed yet others fled to other locations for safety. The glory of Akagera National Park is being reinstated and during the game drives, you may spot animals like giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, Uganda kobs and several others.
Summary of 5 day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Game Safari
Day 1 Drive to Volcanoes National Park
Day 2 Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Day 3 Drive to Akagera National Park
Day 4 Game Drive and Boat trip
Day 5 departure
Details of 5 Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Game safari
Day 1 Drive to Volcanoes National Park
Early morning, a driver guide from Arch safaris and tours will pick you from your point of commencement and drive to Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is the only home to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. From Kigali Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours drive away.
Volcanoes National Park so far has 12 gorilla trekking families some include Karisimbi, Agashya, Umubano, Amahoro, Hirwa, Susa and others. You need to book your gorilla permit for Rwanda in advance.
When you arrive in Volcanoes National Park, you check into your accommodation
Volcanoes National Park accommodations: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Volcanoes Virunga Lodge, Hotel La Palme , Hotel Muhavura, Le Bambou Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Five Volcanoes Lodge.
Day 2 Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, carry your gorilla trekking gears and wearing the right safari attire. You gather at the ranger stations ( ORTPN) for briefing then you are allocated the different gorilla families. You can hire a porter at a friendly price to carry your belongings so that you are not delayed by these items. At the start of your gorilla trek, the ranger guides follows the trail leading where the mountain gorillas were last seen the previous day. They donot normally walk far from there because of there bulky body size.
A fully grown mountain male gorilla weighs about 200 kilograms and the female about half this weight. On the way, you may spot other primates like the blue monkeys, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons and so many others. Look out for the waterfalls, dense network of rivers and other interesting features in the wilderness.
Keen birders have plenty to look out for including the Albertine rift endemics that linger the forest.
When you finally locate the mountain gorillas, wait for the ranger guide to establish there mood then start taking photos. Donot use a flash to take photos because you may agitate the mountain gorillas. Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas so that you can leave them alone to carry on with there day today life.
As you walk away, do it stealthily so as not to look suspicious before the mountain gorillas.
Day 3 Drive to Akagera National Park
After the gorilla trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park, you can visit Akagera National Park. This is the only game park in Rwanda still recovering from the effects of the Rwanda Genocide of 1994. Look out for interesting features along the way especially the different landforms that make up a thousand hills of Rwanda.
Akagera National Park is home to various animals like lions, elephants, herds of buffaloes , giraffes, waterbucks, bush bucks, zebras and others.
Akagera National park accommodations: Akagera game lodge, Ruzizi Tented lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Vintage cottage, Akagera Resort
Day 4 Game Drive and Boat trip
Rise up early for a game drive in Akagera National Park. Look out for animals like herds of elephants, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards and so much more. Enjoy the stunning scenery around the park.
After lunch relax on a boat trip on Lake Ihema. The view around Lake Ihema is outstanding where there are several highlands, lush green vegetation and others.
Return to your lodge
Day 5 departure
After the gorilla and game safari in Rwanda, drive to Kigali airport to catch up with your home bound flight
What is the distance from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda?
From Kigali, the distance to Volcanoes National park is about 109.4 kilometers. You go through the meandering roads for about 3 hours to Ruhengeri or Musaze. For extra comfort, using a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle is the best choice with a professional and well trained driver guide. Donot expect a smooth ride all the way and the roads in the countryside sometimes get messy especially during the rainy season and dusty in the extremely dry season.
How to get to Volcanoes National Park from Kigali?
By Road
Driving is the main means to Volcanoes National park from Kigali. You need to be ready to negotiate so many corners because of the winding nature of the roads. Having a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle is advised. The drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park covers districts like Burera, Musaze, Rubavu and Nyabihu.
By Air
Charter flight services are available at Kigali Airport to Volcanoes national Park (Musaze airstrip). You need a transfer vehicle to your lodge.
How Far is Akagera National park from Kigali?
The drive from Volcanoes National Park to Akagera National Park is about 213 kilometers covering about 4 hours to 5 hours. You need atleast 4×4 wheel drive vehicle on good condition for a great experience.
Note
In case you have limited time on your safari in Africa but wish to do gorilla trekking as your stopover activity, Rwanda gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National park is the ideal choice. You must note that having a gorilla permit is key in this plan because Rwanda gorilla permits sell out fast especially those for the peak season that is June, July, August, September, December and January.
You can do one day gorilla trekking in Rwanda but this is a crash program and must have night departure flights. Doing 2 day gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the least advisable time for a memorable gorilla safari experience in Rwanda.
How to book Gorilla Trekking Permit For Volcanoes National park in Rwanda?
Securing the gorilla permit for Rwanda starts with selecting a date and number of gorilla permits you wish to secure.
At Arch Safaris and Tours, we can assist you book your gorilla permits for Rwanda when you enquire from us. Our Team of safari consultants are ready to work with you to draw the best flow of your gorilla and game safari itinerary of Rwanda.
As soon as we get your gorilla safari enquiry, our consultant check availability from the list of Rwanda Development Board.
When we get positive gorilla permit availability, our consultant gets back to you as soon as possible. We advise clients to book their gorilla permits as soon as they can especially if hoping to do this adventure in June, July, August, September, December and January. This is the peak tourism season of Rwanda.
Demand for gorilla permit for Rwanda is high in this season too creating scarcity at the last minute. No gorilla permit is ever reserved without payment because first come first served basis is used. The number of gorilla trekking permits for Rwanda is limited to maximum 8 per gorilla family per day.
For identification, forward us some personal details like your full names are presented on the passport, date of birth, Nationality and others.
How much is a gorilla permit for Rwanda?
Currently, the cost of Rwanda gorilla permit is $ 1500 per person for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents and $200 for East Africans. You can book the gorilla permit directly online or through a tour operator like Arch Safaris and Tours
The cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking permit covers park entrance fees, one hour with the mountain gorillas, security, range guide fees, certificate, mountain gorilla conservation, community fees and others.
Exclusions in the cost of gorilla permit tips, accommodation, transport, souvenirs and other person related expenditures.
Is Rwanda safe to Visit for a Safari?
Rwanda is safe and enjoying steady peace since 1994. While on gorilla or game safari in Rwanda, there are well trained ranger guides to give you protection and the national park inhabitants. On ground are other Rwanda security agencies to keep law and order in and around Volcanoes National park and Akagera National Park.
As an individual, you need to mind personal security by not entering the forest that is Volcanoes forest without an escorting ranger guide. Donot get out of your room in the night without notifying anyone especially in the game park. This is because you may make a meal for some animal.
How long is gorilla trekking in Rwanda?
The time of completing the gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda is quite hard to determine just like when to find the mountain gorillas. Some tourists have found the mountain gorillas in two hours while other have spent more time. Finding the mountain gorillas depends on factors prevailing in the wilderness like location of feeding area, when there is a fight with another gorilla family, death of a family member, weather conditions of the day and others.
Before locating the mountain gorillas, look out for other forest dwellers like the black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys are others.
When you find the mountain gorillas donot stare into there dark brown sunken eyes, keep a distance of about 7 meters from them to avoid chances of spreading any communicable infection to them.
Finding the mountain gorillas during trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park you have one hour with them.
How strenuous is gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park?
The trek to find the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park is quite strenuous because the topography of this area was affected by volcanic action. The terrain of Volcanoes National Park is influenced by five Virunga Volcanoes that is Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Bisoke, Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Karisimbi and Mountain Muhavura.
You need to bear some level of fitness in order to complete the gorilla tour. The hike to find the mountain gorillas is quite strenuous so you need to have some level of patience.
Look out for other interesting forest dwellers in order not to get bored while searching for the mountain gorillas.
During the trek to find the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park you need to have some level of fitness. Do eat some energy treats during the stopovers as you search for the mountain gorillas.
Can I do Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Through Kigali?
It is possible to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda through Kigali in Rwanda. You need to have a gorilla permit from Uganda wildlife Authority. To cross from Rwanda to Uganda, you use the Gatuna or Cyanika border.
The drive time from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park may last about 5 to 6 hours.
Guideline of the Game Safari in Akagera National Park
Donot hoot when you locate the animals because you may scare them yet others would like to see them too.
Drive per the recommended speed limit while on a game drive because knocking down any wild animals may lead to a penalty.
Never get out of your vehicle while on the game drive not even to ease yourself because you donot know what is watching you.
Never dump garbage in the National Park during the game drive as this alters the nature of the environment where wild animals thrive.
Donot shout while on game drives in Akagera National Park so that you donot scare the mountain gorillas.
Never feed the animals because they are wild animals that must that must find there own food.
Avoid using flash cameras light as you take photos.
.
DAY 1 Drive to Volcanoes National Park
Early morning, a driver guide from Arch safaris and tours will pick you from your point of commencement and drive to Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is the only home to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. From Kigali Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours drive away.
Volcanoes National Park so far has 12 gorilla trekking families some include Karisimbi, Agashya, Umubano, Amahoro, Hirwa, Susa and others. You need to book your gorilla permit for Rwanda in advance.
When you arrive in Volcanoes National Park, you check into your accommodation
Volcanoes National Park accommodations: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Volcanoes Virunga Lodge, Hotel La Palme , Hotel Muhavura, Le Bambou Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Five Volcanoes Lodge.
DAY 2 Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, carry your gorilla trekking gears and wearing the right safari attire. You gather at the ranger stations ( ORTPN) for briefing then you are allocated the different gorilla families. You can hire a porter at a friendly price to carry your belongings so that you are not delayed by these items. At the start of your gorilla trek, the ranger guides follows the trail leading where the mountain gorillas were last seen the previous day. They donot normally walk far from there because of there bulky body size.
A fully grown mountain male gorilla weighs about 200 kilograms and the female about half this weight. On the way, you may spot other primates like the blue monkeys, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons and so many others. Look out for the waterfalls, dense network of rivers and other interesting features in the wilderness.
Keen birders have plenty to look out for including the Albertine rift endemics that linger the forest.
When you finally locate the mountain gorillas, wait for the ranger guide to establish there mood then start taking photos. Donot use a flash to take photos because you may agitate the mountain gorillas. Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas so that you can leave them alone to carry on with there day today life.
As you walk away, do it stealthily so as not to look suspicious before the mountain gorillas.
DAY 3 – Drive to Akagera National Park
After the gorilla trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park, you can visit Akagera National Park. This is the only game park in Rwanda still recovering from the effects of the Rwanda Genocide of 1994. Look out for interesting features along the way especially the different landforms that make up a thousand hills of Rwanda.
Akagera National Park is home to various animals like lions, elephants, herds of buffaloes , giraffes, waterbucks, bush bucks, zebras and others.
Akagera National park accommodations: Akagera game lodge, Ruzizi Tented lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Vintage cottage, Akagera Resort
DAY 4 – Game Drive and Boat trip
Rise up early for a game drive in Akagera National Park. Look out for animals like herds of elephants, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards and so much more. Enjoy the stunning scenery around the park.
After lunch relax on a boat trip on Lake Ihema. The view around Lake Ihema is outstanding where there are several highlands, lush green vegetation and others.
Return to your lodge
DAY 5 – departure
After the gorilla and game safari in Rwanda, drive to Kigali airport to catch up with your home bound flight
What is the distance from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda?
From Kigali, the distance to Volcanoes National park is about 109.4 kilometers. You go through the meandering roads for about 3 hours to Ruhengeri or Musaze. For extra comfort, using a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle is the best choice with a professional and well trained driver guide. Donot expect a smooth ride all the way and the roads in the countryside sometimes get messy especially during the rainy season and dusty in the extremely dry season.
How to get to Volcanoes National Park from Kigali?
By Road
Driving is the main means to Volcanoes National park from Kigali. You need to be ready to negotiate so many corners because of the winding nature of the roads. Having a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle is advised. The drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park covers districts like Burera, Musaze, Rubavu and Nyabihu.
By Air
Charter flight services are available at Kigali Airport to Volcanoes national Park (Musaze airstrip). You need a transfer vehicle to your lodge.
How Far is Akagera National park from Kigali?
The drive from Volcanoes National Park to Akagera National Park is about 213 kilometers covering about 4 hours to 5 hours. You need atleast 4×4 wheel drive vehicle on good condition for a great experience.
Note
In case you have limited time on your safari in Africa but wish to do gorilla trekking as your stopover activity, Rwanda gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National park is the ideal choice. You must note that having a gorilla permit is key in this plan because Rwanda gorilla permits sell out fast especially those for the peak season that is June, July, August, September, December and January.
You can do one day gorilla trekking in Rwanda but this is a crash program and must have night departure flights. Doing 2 day gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the least advisable time for a memorable gorilla safari experience in Rwanda.
How to book Gorilla Trekking Permit For Volcanoes National park in Rwanda?
Securing the gorilla permit for Rwanda starts with selecting a date and number of gorilla permits you wish to secure.
At Arch Safaris and Tours, we can assist you book your gorilla permits for Rwanda when you enquire from us. Our Team of safari consultants are ready to work with you to draw the best flow of your gorilla and game safari itinerary of Rwanda.
As soon as we get your gorilla safari enquiry, our consultant check availability from the list of Rwanda Development Board.
When we get positive gorilla permit availability, our consultant gets back to you as soon as possible. We advise clients to book their gorilla permits as soon as they can especially if hoping to do this adventure in June, July, August, September, December and January. This is the peak tourism season of Rwanda.
Demand for gorilla permit for Rwanda is high in this season too creating scarcity at the last minute. No gorilla permit is ever reserved without payment because first come first served basis is used. The number of gorilla trekking permits for Rwanda is limited to maximum 8 per gorilla family per day.
For identification, forward us some personal details like your full names are presented on the passport, date of birth, Nationality and others.
How much is a gorilla permit for Rwanda?
Currently, the cost of Rwanda gorilla permit is $ 1500 per person for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents and $200 for East Africans. You can book the gorilla permit directly online or through a tour operator like Arch Safaris and Tours
The cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking permit covers park entrance fees, one hour with the mountain gorillas, security, range guide fees, certificate, mountain gorilla conservation, community fees and others.
Exclusions in the cost of gorilla permit tips, accommodation, transport, souvenirs and other person related expenditures.
Is Rwanda safe to Visit for a Safari?
Rwanda is safe and enjoying steady peace since 1994. While on gorilla or game safari in Rwanda, there are well trained ranger guides to give you protection and the national park inhabitants. On ground are other Rwanda security agencies to keep law and order in and around Volcanoes National park and Akagera National Park.
As an individual, you need to mind personal security by not entering the forest that is Volcanoes forest without an escorting ranger guide. Donot get out of your room in the night without notifying anyone especially in the game park. This is because you may make a meal for some animal.
How long is gorilla trekking in Rwanda?
The time of completing the gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda is quite hard to determine just like when to find the mountain gorillas. Some tourists have found the mountain gorillas in two hours while other have spent more time. Finding the mountain gorillas depends on factors prevailing in the wilderness like location of feeding area, when there is a fight with another gorilla family, death of a family member, weather conditions of the day and others.
Before locating the mountain gorillas, look out for other forest dwellers like the black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys are others.
When you find the mountain gorillas donot stare into there dark brown sunken eyes, keep a distance of about 7 meters from them to avoid chances of spreading any communicable infection to them.
Finding the mountain gorillas during trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park you have one hour with them.
How strenuous is gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park?
The trek to find the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park is quite strenuous because the topography of this area was affected by volcanic action. The terrain of Volcanoes National Park is influenced by five Virunga Volcanoes that is Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Bisoke, Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Karisimbi and Mountain Muhavura.
You need to bear some level of fitness in order to complete the gorilla tour. The hike to find the mountain gorillas is quite strenuous so you need to have some level of patience.
Look out for other interesting forest dwellers in order not to get bored while searching for the mountain gorillas.
During the trek to find the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park you need to have some level of fitness. Do eat some energy treats during the stopovers as you search for the mountain gorillas.
Can I do Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Through Kigali?
It is possible to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda through Kigali in Rwanda. You need to have a gorilla permit from Uganda wildlife Authority. To cross from Rwanda to Uganda, you use the Gatuna or Cyanika border.
The drive time from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park may last about 5 to 6 hours.
Guideline of the Game Safari in Akagera National Park
Donot hoot when you locate the animals because you may scare them yet others would like to see them too.
Drive per the recommended speed limit while on a game drive because knocking down any wild animals may lead to a penalty.
Never get out of your vehicle while on the game drive not even to ease yourself because you donot know what is watching you.
Never dump garbage in the National Park during the game drive as this alters the nature of the environment where wild animals thrive.
Donot shout while on game drives in Akagera National Park so that you donot scare the mountain gorillas.
Never feed the animals because they are wild animals that must that must find there own food.
Avoid using flash cameras light as you take photos.
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