2 Days Gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park

2 Days Rwanda gorilla trekking safari is packaged for visitors interested in tracking mountain gorillas at the volcanoes national park Rwanda. The Volcanoes National Park is located in the northern part of Rwanda. It is part of the wider Virunga conservation area that covers Congo’s Virunga National Park and Mgahinga National Park. The park covers an area of 160 square kilometers and is bordered by Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Volcanoes national park was at one time a larger park that extended all the way to DR Congo. When DR Congo got independence, the park lost some of it is parts to the Virunga National Park in Congo. The park gained world recognition when Dian Fossey established her base there in 1967. The great primatologist had fled Congo for security reasons and established her gorilla research Centre between Mount Karisimbi and Bisoke. Dian Fossey worked hard to protect the mountain gorillas. Poaching was very high in the park but through her campaigns and fundraising efforts, she fought the criminals relentlessly. Fossey was killed in 1985 in her room by people believed to be benefiting from poaching. She is buried in a tomb at her former research Centre together with some of her favorite gorillas. Dian Fossey is credited for her groundbreaking findings about mountain gorillas. Without her work, heavy poaching would have probably wiped out mountain gorillas. Fossey discovered a way to make the gorillas comfortable around human presence which paved way for what we now know as gorilla tourism. After Fossey’s death, small-scale poaching still existed and the 1994 civil war still threatened the gorillas. But by this time the world knew about mountain gorillas and the need to protect them. You can learn more about Dian Fossey here.

Apart from the mountain gorillas, visitors can also spot golden monkeys, forest elephants, buffaloes and hyenas. The Volcanoes national park has five of the eight volcanoes found in the Virunga ranges. They include, Karisimbi, Sabinyo, Muhabura, Bisoke and Gahinga. Mountain climbing is therefore a very popular activity after gorilla trekking. The most popular volcanoes among hikers is Karisimbi and Bisoke. Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda is also very popular among visitors who are interested in a more complete primates safari in the country. The key attraction in the park remains gorilla trekking. Despite the higher cost of a gorilla tour in Rwanda, many visitors still choose the park because of its location near the capital Kigali. Some visitors have found safari bookings in Rwanda more straight forward. Some also claim that the roads in Rwanda are better and that the gorillas are easier to find. This easy accessibility could be the main thing that puts is ahead of the parks in Uganda and DR Congo.

The 2 Days Rwanda gorilla trekking safari package involves a Kigali city tour and visit the Gisozi genocide memorial site. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is very popular among tourists and one needs to book in advance in order to secure the Rwanda gorilla permit. Gorilla tours to Rwanda give you an opportunity to choose from 10 habituated gorilla families.

Day 1: Kigali city and genocide memorial site tour

A guide from Mission Africa Safaris will come to pick you at your hotel or airport early morning to begin your gorilla tour. The first activity is to tour the city of Kigali. You will go visit the renowned Kigali Gisozi genocide war memorial site to learn more about the genocide that took place in 1994. You will then go visit local markets in Kigali, the Kings palace and other interesting places. Afterwards, have lunch and start the the 2-3 hours journey to the volcanoes national park.  Along the way, marvel at the beautiful, mountainous and green countryside – You will agree that Rwanda is indeed a “The Land of a thousand hills”.

Day 2: Gorilla tracking at the Volcanoes national park

Take a quick early morning breakfast as our guide waits for you. You will be taken to the Kinigi park headquarters for a briefing on gorilla trekking. This briefing takes place at 7:00 am and is designed to share with you the rules and requirements for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. You will be given an opportunity to hire a porter and choose a gorilla family among the 10 habituated gorilla groups in Rwanda. Once that phase is done, you will begin tracking the gorilla group along with your porter and park guides. Depending on the location of your particular gorilla group the activity may take anywhere between 1 hour to 5 hours. Once you sight the gorilla group, take as many photos as you can. Follow instructions from your guide and stay calm even when a gorilla family member comes close to you.

Once your one hour is done, you will head back to the starting point where you will find our guide waiting to take you back to the lodge for lunch and rest. Later in the day, the guide will drive you back to Kigali and to the airport or  hotel

End of the 2 Days Rwanda Gorilla trekking safari.

The 2 Days Rwanda gorilla trekking safari includes.

• Transportation on a 4 x 4 safari vehicle
• Accommodation with meals as listed
• En route lunch
• Service of an English-speaking driver guide
• Gorilla trekking Permits
• Bottled mineral water

Excludes

International flights, visas, personal expenses like tips, beverages, wines and Insurance.