3 Days Best Affordable Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour
This 3 Days best affordable gorilla tracking Rwanda Tour is your opportunity to view the mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. It is a short 2-night stay at an affordable lodge, not too far from the park's headquarters, and includes 1 gorilla trekking experience with return airport transfers. It's a no-frills, big reward journey that can be easily added to an East African safari.
During your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour, you'll stay at a comfortable lodge nestled near the park boundary, providing easy access to the starting point of your gorilla trek. The highlight of this Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour is undoubtedly the guided hike through bamboo forests and afro-montane vegetation to spend a precious hour with a habituated gorilla family, an experience that wildlife enthusiasts describe as profoundly moving and life-changing.
Your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour begins and ends in Kigali, Rwanda's clean and vibrant capital city, with convenient transfers to and from Volcanoes National Park, known locally as "Parc National des Volcans" or "Pariki y'Ibirunga" in Kinyarwanda. This compact yet comprehensive Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour allows you to maximize your experience while minimizing costs, making it an excellent choice for travelers seeking an affordable gorilla adventure.
Tour highlights
Face-to-face encounter with endangered mountain gorillas
Expert-guided trek through the ancient forests of Volcanoes National Park
Comfortable accommodation near the park boundary
Scenic drive through Rwanda's stunning landscapes and terraced hillsides
Opportunity to observe fascinating gorilla behaviors and social interactions
Optional activities include coffee tasting and local cultural experiences
Professional English-speaking guides throughout the journey
Convenient transfers to and from Kigali International Airport
Price Includes:
- Gorilla tracking permit
- Park entrance fees
- All activities mentioned in the itinerary
- Ground transport in a custom 4x4 safari vehicle
- Bottled water during transfers and tracking
- Full board accommodation as specified in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Driver allowances and park fees
- All mentioned activities (excluding optional experiences)
Price Excludes:
- Rwanda Visa
- International and internal flights
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Optional activities (coffee tasting, chocolate and wine tasting, bicycle rental)
- Laundry services
- Travel insurance
- Beverages beyond the provided water
- Tips for staff and guides
Itinary in details
- Day1Pick Up in Kigali and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour begins with a warm welcome at Kigali International Airport by your dedicated driver-guide for the scenic 116 km journey north to Volcanoes National Park, approximately a 2.5-hour drive through Rwanda's stunning "Land of a Thousand Hills." This Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour Day takes you through picturesque landscapes of terraced hillsides and rural villages before arriving at Kinigi, the gateway town to your gorilla adventure located at the foot of the Virunga Mountains. Your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour experience continues with check-in at your comfortable lodge near the park boundary, where you'll enjoy dinner and an informative briefing about tomorrow's gorilla tracking adventure while admiring views of the volcanic peaks that form the natural habitat of the mountain gorillas.
- Day2Meet with the Gorillas at Volcanoes National Park
The highlight of your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour begins early with a 6:00 AM breakfast before a short 15-minute transfer to Kinigi Park Headquarters, where you'll join other travelers for a comprehensive briefing by Rwanda Development Board rangers at 7:00 AM. During this pinnacle of your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour, expert trackers will lead you through bamboo forests and montane vegetation for 1-5 hours (depending on gorilla location) to encounter one of the 12 habituated gorilla families in Parc des Volcans, as it's also known. Your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour provides the extraordinary privilege of spending one hour observing these magnificent creatures - including playful youngsters, nurturing mothers, and impressive silverbacks - in their natural environment before returning to your lodge for a late lunch and an afternoon at leisure to reflect on this profound wildlife experience.
- Day3Transfer to Kigali International Airport
The final day of your Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour starts with a leisurely breakfast at your lodge before checking out by 10:00 AM for the return journey to Kigali, traversing approximately 116 km of Rwanda's scenic countryside. This Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour concludes with an optional stop in Kigali for lunch (not included) or a brief city tour if time permits before your driver transfers you to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight. Your transformative Gorilla Tracking Rwanda Tour experience ends here, but the memories of intimate encounters with mountain gorillas in "Igihugu cy'Ibirunga" (Land of Volcanoes) will remain with you long after you've left the remarkable country known as "The Land of a Thousand Hills."