Rwanda Gorilla Trekking — Five Day Primate Safari
A five-day Rwanda safari built around the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park, with golden monkeys, the Dian Fossey legacy and Kigali's living history.
About this safari
For many travellers a morning with a habituated mountain gorilla family is the experience of a lifetime, and Rwanda is the most accessible place on earth to have it — the forested volcanoes of the Virunga Massif lie just a few hours from a modern capital. This five-day journey is built around that encounter: a gorilla trek into the bamboo and montane forest of Volcanoes National Park, an hour in the quiet company of silverbacks and tumbling youngsters, and the time to add a golden-monkey trek or the moving hike to Dian Fossey's research site.
It begins and ends in Kigali — one of Africa's cleanest, safest and most welcoming cities, whose Genocide Memorial gives essential context to Rwanda's remarkable recovery. Wildtouch secures the strictly limited gorilla permits, handles every transfer and tailors the trekking days to your fitness and interests. The trip pairs naturally with a Kenya or Tanzania safari for travellers who want both Big Five wildlife and the primates.
What makes this one special
- A guided hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family
- Volcanoes National Park — the Virunga volcanoes and Dian Fossey's forests
- Golden monkey trek in the bamboo forest
- Optional hike to the Dian Fossey research site
- Kigali — clean, safe and welcoming, with its essential Genocide Memorial
- Permits secured and the trekking days tailored to your fitness
The journey, morning by morning
Arrival, Kigali
Met at Kigali International Airport and transferred to your hotel. A guided afternoon tour of the city includes the Kigali Genocide Memorial — a moving and essential introduction to Rwanda's history and its remarkable recovery — before a welcome dinner.
Kigali to Volcanoes National Park
A scenic two-to-three-hour drive north through Rwanda's terraced hills to Volcanoes National Park, the Rwandan slopes of the Virunga Massif. Arrive at your lodge for lunch, with the afternoon to settle in beneath the volcanoes and a briefing for the trek to come.
Mountain gorilla trek
An early start at park headquarters, then a guided trek climbing through farmland and into thick mountain forest in search of a habituated gorilla family. The reward is a closely managed hour in their company — silverbacks, females and youngsters going about their day a short distance from you (park rules ask you to keep around 7 metres back, though a curious youngster may sometimes close the gap). The afternoon is for rest, or an optional visit to a local community.
Golden monkeys and the Dian Fossey legacy
A second day in the forest, tailored to you: a golden-monkey trek into the bamboo to find troops of these rare and playful primates, or the longer, moving hike to the Dian Fossey research site and her grave, high on the slopes where her work brought the mountain gorilla back from the brink.
Volcanoes to Kigali — departure
A relaxed morning beneath the volcanoes before the drive back to Kigali, with time for a craft market or a coffee stop en route. Wildtouch handles the airport transfer for your homeward flight, or onward connection to a Kenya or Tanzania safari.
How this journey unfolds — 2 stops in 5 days
- 1Kigali
- 2Volcanoes
The year on this safari, month by month
June to September and December to February — the drier months, when the forest trails are firmest. Gorilla trekking runs year-round; permits are limited and arranged well in advance.
Rwanda's forests are wet year-round; the drier windows (around June–September and December–February) make for firmer trekking trails.
Conditions along the route
Live readings where this safari spends its days.
The world this journey moves through
Representative photography of the landscapes and wildlife on this route — tap any photo to view it full screen. Client photography replaces these once Jacob's library arrives.
Included and not included
Included
- Meet-and-greet on arrival and all airport and ground transfers
- Gorilla trekking permit (one trek) and golden-monkey permit
- Private guide and vehicle throughout
- All accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- All meals as outlined per day
- Kigali city tour and Genocide Memorial entry
- Bottled water in the vehicle throughout
- Government taxes and levies
Not included
- International flights to and from Kigali
- Rwanda visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Additional gorilla or chimpanzee permits beyond those specified
- Porter hire on treks (recommended), personal items, drinks, laundry
- Tips for your guide, trackers and lodge staff
Travellers for whom the gorillas are a bucket-list experience, and anyone wanting to add Rwanda's primates to a Kenya or Tanzania safari. A reasonable level of fitness helps, but the pace follows the group.
From comfortable lodges to flagship luxury properties near Volcanoes National Park, and a boutique hotel in Kigali. You choose the tier; Wildtouch handles permits, bookings and all logistics.
Questions travellers ask
- Do you secure the gorilla permit for me?
- Yes. Rwanda gorilla permits are strictly limited each day and must be arranged well in advance. Wildtouch secures your permit as soon as the booking is confirmed and builds the rest of the trip around the trekking date.
- How difficult is the gorilla trek?
- Treks range from one to several hours over steep, often muddy forest terrain at altitude. The pace follows the group, porters are available and recommended, and a reasonable level of fitness is enough for most travellers. Let us know your fitness and we'll request an appropriate gorilla family.
- Can I combine Rwanda with a Kenya or Tanzania safari?
- Yes — this is one of the most popular ways to travel with Wildtouch, pairing the gorillas with the Maasai Mara or the Serengeti for Big Five wildlife and the migration. As we operate all three countries, the whole trip is handled under a single booking.
This itinerary is a starting point
Dates, lodges and pace are shaped around you — by Jacob, who runs the trip. Share your dates and party and we'll make it yours.