4 DAYS - GORILLA KINGDOM

Gorilla Trekking
Trekking Mountain Gorillas in Parc National des Volcans is one of the most memorable experiences of a life time. There are seven gorilla groups habituated for tourism. Parc National des Volcans is well known for its undulating volcanoes that give a spectacular view of Mount Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali Rwanda – Transfer to Gorillas Nest in Ruhengeri for early arrivals or Serena Hotel for late arrivals
Arrive at Kigali International Airport and be greeted by our professional and local guides. After a quick rest in your hotel room, you will be given a briefing on the trip for those who are spending the night in Kigali. For those continuing to Ruhengeri, the journey will start after a lunch break in Kigali. A full briefing on the trip will be given over dinner at the Mountain Gorillas Nest hotel.
Overnight Serena Hotel Kigali/Mountain Gorillas Nest Ruhengeri (B, L, D)

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Parc National des Volcans
Early morning drive to Ruhengeri, for those who would have spent the night in Kigali, passes through magnificent views of the hilly countryside which give Rwanda its stature as “a country of a thousand hills”. Upon arrival, transfer to Park offices for pre-Mountain Gorilla visit briefing for all guests. After the gorilla trek there will an opportunity to explore other community-based tourism attractions.

On this day (depending on trekking time), we offer you a choice of value added package from the following:

• Visit Ruhengeri Market, providing you with an opportunity to see and buy local Rwandan fabrics and to see how local markets are organized.
• Visit our local projects, to see how your travel with us contributes to making a difference in local people lives and interact with project members.
• Attend traditional dance lessons, to see and have a taste of local culture and how it is embedded in the tradition.
• Taste local food and beer.
• Visit a local household and experience local lifestyle.
• Listen to a presentation on community development and mountain conservation.
• Go on walks in villages surrounding the park and interact with local people.
• Visit the twin lakes Burera and Ruhondo and marvel at the views of the Virunga mountain chain.

Overnight at the Mountain Gorillas Nest. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Explore the Mountain Gorilla habitat
Guests have multiple options to choose from for a second trek in the park to explore more of the Mountain Gorilla habitat. This can be done by going on a another gorilla trek, a golden monkey trek, mountain hiking, nature walks to crater lakes on top of the volcano, bird safaris, and/or visiting the Dian Fossey tomb. In the afternoon, a visit to the Dian Fossey Research Station-KARISOKE can be arranged where you can listen to a presentation by the researchers on the ongoing Mountain Gorilla Conservation work.
Overnight at Mountain Gorillas Nest Ruhengeri (B, L, D)

Day 4: Transfer to Kigali, and go on a Kigali city tour
Kigali City tour: Kigali named by Dr. Richard Kandt, the first colonial resident governor of Rwanda in 1907, is Rwanda’s capital. Kigali is the main administrative and economic centre of Rwanda. With an ever green feel of fresh air, it is the cleanest and safest city in the region. Kigali’s face is her fortune; it is this dramatic beauty from which its name is derived. There are, however, other factors; Kigali is a city that delights the mind as well as the eye of any visitor. It is the city where the past lives comfortably with the present.

You will have the opportunity to see the following:

• Visit an artisan shopping centre for local arts and crafts shopping.
• Visit the Kigali Museum and learn the history of Kigali’s and Rwanda’s pre-colonial and colonial period as well as the colonial masters in Rwanda.
• Visit the city and see first hand the post genocide development and expansion of Kigali.
• Visit the 1994 Kigali Genocide Memorial site.

** Safari ends-Transfer to the airport **