Overview
The 1 Day Rwanda gorilla safari is a special gorilla tour package that suits best guests with tight budget or busy schedule. It is an ideal trip for travelers already in Rwanda and they desire to undertake a gorilla trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park (VNP). It is a short distance from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, about 105km making it the most accessible destination to track mountain gorillas.
Volcanoes National Park lies in Ruhengeri/Musanze region, Northwestern Rwanda and getting there takes 2-3 hours. This is a lush protected area in Rwanda, established in 1925 and occupying the land area of about 160sq.km featuring bamboo forests, open grasslands and swamps. It sits within one of the most mountainous areas in Africa – the Virunga Region and 5 of the Virunga Volcanoes all exist in this park including Sabyinyo, Karisimbi, Gahinga, Muhabura and Bisoke.
Karisimbi Volcano is the tallest of the 8 Virunga Volcanoes rising 4507m. Volcanoes National Park hosts more than half of the rare mountain gorillas. Other species of wildlife are hosted in this park including; golden monkeys, duikers, bushbucks, giant forest hogs, forest elephants, bush pigs, buffaloes and spotted hyenas. 200 species of birds make up part of Volcanoes NP wildlife attractions and they include among others the dusky crimson-wing, Rwenzori turacos, Rwenzori batis, francolins, archer’s ground robin, red-faced woodland warblers, Rwenzori double-collared sunbird and strange weavers, etc.
Detailed Itinerary
Expect to wake up early and at around 4:30 am, meet and greet your driver guide in Rwanda. Leave with packed breakfast and enough bottled drinking water. Drive to the Northern Province of Rwanda to visit Volcanoes National Park, 2-3 hours’ drive from the heart of Kigali.
You will be expected to reach Kinigi offices early to meet the park official for a briefing session about guidelines to be observed while tracking gorilla families which is scheduled to start at 8:00am. The park official will be the one to assign gorilla groups to each group of eight guests to visit and park guides will be available to lead throughout your trek.
About 12 gorilla families are all open for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park including the Susa A, Amahoro, Umubano, Bwenge, Hirwa, Ugenda, Susa B/Karisimbi, Umubano, Kwitonda, Agashya/Group 13, Titus, Sabyinyo and Pablo. Treks take 2-6 hours to find gorillas inclusive of one hour of a close encounter and photo taking.
On locating a family of gorillas, you will have time to observe how these large apes behave and opportunity to take pictures. After, start returning to the park offices where the driver guide will be met and you drive back to Kigali marking the end of 1 Day Rwanda Gorilla Safari.
End of safari
Inclusions
- Valid gorilla permits
- Road travel to & from the park
- Bottled drinking water
- All safari activities on your one-day gorilla tour excluding the optional ones
- An English-speaking Rwanda tour guide
Exclusions
- Souvenirs
- Visa costs
- Air tickets
- Laundry services
- Insurance expenses
- Beverages/alcoholic drinks
- Tipping on your trip
- Airfares
- Bills on shopping, etc.