Trekking

3 Days Volcanoes National Park Gorilla Trekking

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

DURATION

3 Days / 2 Nights

DESTINATION

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

PERMIT

Rwanda gorilla permit required

DIFFICULTY

Moderate

STARTING & ENDING POINT

Kigali

Trip tools

Read this trip in your language and choose kilometres or miles. Your choice applies to the altitude chart, weather and every day below.

Altitude & distance

Distances and altitudes are approximate. Your final itinerary confirms each day’s route.

Typical weather · Volcanoes & Bwindi forests

Jan · Mostly dry

Forest, daytime

23°C

Lodge nights

11°C

Short dry season; easier trails.

Long-term averages for planning, not a forecast.

Health & safety tips

You cannot trek with a cold, flu or other infection — gorillas catch human illnesses. Tell the rangers if you feel unwell.
A face mask is usually required within seven metres of the gorillas; carry your own.
Trails are steep, muddy and at 2,000–3,000 m: wear broken-in boots, gardening gloves and long sleeves, and consider a porter.
Carry a yellow fever certificate and ask a travel clinic about malaria prevention before you go.
Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.

General preparation guidance, not medical advice. See a travel-health professional 6–8 weeks before you travel.

Trip overview

A short, high-impact trip to track a habituated mountain gorilla family in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, in the same Virunga highlands where Dian Fossey carried out her research. Every departure is private, with a professional guide and your gorilla trekking permit arranged in advance.

Trip highlights

One hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family

Trek through the Virunga volcanic highlands

Optional golden monkey tracking

Visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

Small trekking groups, limited daily permits

Professional, experienced local guides

Day by day

Met on arrival in Kigali and driven north-west towards Volcanoes National Park, roughly two to three hours through Rwanda’s terraced hillsides. Check in to your lodge near the park headquarters at Kinigi, with a briefing on the next day’s trek over dinner.

Meals: Lunch & DinnerOvernight: Lodge near Kinigi

An early start to park headquarters for a briefing and to be assigned one of Volcanoes National Park’s habituated gorilla families. Trackers locate the family ahead of the group, and the walk in can range from under an hour to most of a morning depending where they have moved to overnight. Once found, you spend one hour in their company before returning to the lodge for the rest of the day at leisure.

Elevation: Park HQ approximately 2,500 mHiking time: 2–6 hours, depending on the familyMeals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerOvernight: Lodge near Kinigi

A shorter guided trek to a troop of golden monkeys in the same bamboo forest, or a half-day visit to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, depending on your preference. After lunch, transfer back to Kigali for your onward flight or connection to a second Rwanda park.

Meals: Breakfast & LunchOvernight: —

What’s included

Gorilla trekking permit

Professional guide

Ground transport in Rwanda

Accommodation as specified

Meals as listed in the itinerary

Drinking water while trekking

Park entry fees

Not included

International flights

Rwanda visa

Travel insurance

Porter fee at the trailhead (optional, paid locally)

Tips for guides and porters

Personal expenses

Any service not specifically mentioned under inclusions

Why Blue Monkey Expeditions

Guides experienced with Volcanoes National Park’s trekking groups and terrain

Permits arranged and confirmed before you travel

Safety-conscious trekking with a guide-led pace throughout

Local knowledge of which trails and families suit each traveller

Personalized planning around your wider Rwanda or East Africa trip

Responsible trekking that supports park and community conservation programmes

Good to know

FITNESS

Able to walk 5–7 hours a day on consecutive days. No technical climbing.

GROUP SIZE

Private departure, 1–7 guests per vehicle

VEHICLE

4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, charging sockets and cooler box

GUIDE

Wilderness-first-aid certified mountain guide, plus cook and porters

BEST MONTHS

January–March and June–October

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

From $180 per trip, waived on request where the lodge allows

Frequently asked questions

Pricing depends on your dates, group size and lodge level, including the Rwanda Development Board gorilla permit fee. Tell us your travel dates and we’ll send a costed quote.

You need to be able to walk two to six hours over uneven, sometimes muddy, high-altitude terrain. There is no technical climbing, but the trail can be steep.

Rangers keep a minimum distance of around seven metres for the safety of both gorillas and visitors, though the gorillas themselves sometimes move closer.

Yes, the minimum age for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is 15, with no exceptions.

Trekking runs year-round. The two dry seasons, June to September and December to February, have easier underfoot conditions.

Yes. Kigali connects easily with Arusha and Kilimanjaro International Airport, and we regularly combine this trip with a Tanzania safari or Kilimanjaro climb.

Booking & payment

30% deposit

A 30% deposit confirms your dates, lodges and park permits. Everything up to that point is free, including unlimited itinerary revisions.

Balance 30 days before

The balance is due 30 days before arrival by bank transfer or card. Some itineraries can be settled in cash on arrival in Arusha.

Free changes

Dates and lodges can be changed at no cost until 45 days before departure, subject to availability at the new dates.

Cancellation

Cancel more than 60 days out and you lose only unrecoverable permit costs. Inside 30 days the deposit is retained. We recommend travel insurance in all cases.

Gallery

3 Days Volcanoes National Park Gorilla Trekking — photo 1

3 Days Volcanoes National Park Gorilla Trekking — photo 2