Arrival in Kigali
Welcome meet up and greeting, later transfer to your hotel for relaxation and night.
City Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, your day starts with a tour of Kigali city. Named in 1907 by Dr.
Richard Kandt, the first colonial resident governor of Rwanda; Kigali city is surrounded
by lush hills of green and is referred to as the land of a thousand hills. Get to visit
interesting spots that may include; The old Kigali, The old parliament, Kigali genocide
memorial site. For this experience, it is extremely moving, challenging, educational and
ultimately inspiring. The tour is very transparent and educational but very somber and
humbling when you realize that over 25,000 deceased are buried on the site of the memorial.
Guaranteed you will feel every emotion during this visit. You will proceed to see the new
Kigali,Lunch at a local restaurant and later in the afternoon transfer for a 2.5 hours
scenic drive with stunning views of the Land of a Thousand Hills. Arriving at your lodge,
check in, freshen up and relax with the Hotel facilities.
Rare Mountain Gorillas Trek
Activity Note: Today’s mountain gorilla trek typically involves two to four hours of
walking through thick brush over steep, rugged terrain at elevations ranging from 7,000
to 9,000 feet—and can include exposure to stinging nettles and fire ants. As overexposure to
humans is harmful to mountain gorillas, contact is limited to one hour—and there is the
possibility that they may become agitated and retreat back into the bush in less than our
allotted time. Any travelers showing signs of obvious illness may be refused entrance by
park authorities. At about 6:00am, we take a drive of about 30 minutes to the National Park
headquarters to meet your guides for the day. After completing our park formalities, you will
head on a once in a life time experience of tracking mountain gorillas. Once you spot them
you are allowed to spend an hour watching your closest long lost cousin.
This is perhaps one of the most breath-taking experiences on earth!!! You get so close to
these awesome giant primates. You stare at each other blankly not knowing who to break the
long silence first. Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of
the Virunga is a magical experience. These massive primates are extremely rare, with
less than 1000 living today. You will get within meters of the family, and be privileged to
spend an hour amongst them. The trekking may be fairly strenuous; up to 3 hours or longer
at a relatively high altitude. It is important to bring good hiking boots, long trousers,
gloves for protection against stinging nettles, some snacks & sweets (for you, not the gorillas)
as well as sufficient water as the rain forest gets hot and humid during the day.
You will spend one hour with the gorillas, but it is an hour you will never forget.
Depending on the length of our trek, groups will return to our lodge for freshen up and lunch.
Later transfer to lake Kivu arriving late afternoon for dinner and overnight.
Lake Kivu – spent at Leisure
This day is pent in Kivu, optional boat cruise or relax on the shore of this beautiful lake.
Transfer back to Kigali
Today, depending on your departure timings, we go on last minute shopping as we transfer to Kigali for your onward journey.