Gorilla Tracking in Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans Extension

Upon arrival in Kigali, Rwanda, transfer to the Kigali Serena for overnight...D

Head out on a morning tour of the city and the Genocide Memorial Centre, a moving memorial to those who lost their lives in the genocide of 1994 that split the country apart. Afterward, a spectacular 2.5-hour drive brings you to Kinigi, headquarters of the Parc National des Volcans. The drive brings you through awe-inspiring scenery with the towering green shapes of the 12,000-foot Virunga Volcanoes dominating the landscape. Overnight at the Five Volcanoes Hotel...BLD

After your briefing with a ranger-guide for guidelines on gorilla tracking during the next two days, enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of tracking and quietly observing the mountain gorilla clans that reside in the park's montane forests, researcher Dian Fossey's base for 13 years. The hiking terrain ranges in altitude from 3,800 to 8,500 feet and preserves one of the largest natural forests in East Africa. The tracking can be tough—you begin early in the morning and hike through dense forests at moderate altitudes for three to six hours, depending on where we find the gorillas. The hiking is on moderately steep and thickly forested terrain, and the climate is hot and humid. But the rewards are tremendous and the rigors forgotten as soon as you spot a gorilla family and become absorbed in watching these gentle creatures. Overnight at the Five Volcanoes Hotel...BLD

Enjoy a second day of gorilla trekking or trek to see the Golden Monkeys, another highlight of Parc National des Volcans. For those interested in the Golden Monkey Trek, you'll depart from the Park's Kinigi Headquarters at 07:00 am with a tracking guide to visit one of the two habituated groups of Golden Monkeys. Visitors are permitted to stay for one hour with the monkeys. Groups are limited to 32 people. In the late afternoon, return to Kigali with overnight at the Kigali Serena...BLD

Transfer to the airport for a midday flight from Kigali...B

Effective January 1, 2018, nationals of all countries can obtain their visa upon arrival in Rwanda without prior application. No passport photos are necessary, and the visa must be paid for in USD. The current fee is $50 USD for each applicant and the visa is valid for up to 30 days.