Rwanda: Gorilla Tracking Safari (4 Day Tour)

DAY 1: ARRIVE KIGALI

Early morning departure from O R Tambo Airport for Kigali, Rwanda.
 
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by your driver-guide.  As check-in will only be from 14:00 you will depart for breakfast and then proceed on a city tour that will include a visit to the Genocide Museum.
 
Afternoon check-in and at leisure.
 
Dinner at the hotel.
 
Overnight Park Inn by Raddison or similar (breakfast, dinner)
 
Park Inn by Radisson Kigali
Offering a prime city centre location, the Park Inn by Radisson Kigali is the premier hotel choice in Rwanda's capital city. The hotel is within easy reach of government buildings like the Presidential Palace and the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. The international airport is just 12 kilometres away, and airport shuttles to and from the hotel are available. Our 161 modern rooms and suites include amenities like free high-speed Wi-Fi and vibrant furnishings, so you can stay connected in comfort. When it comes to dining, the Live Inn Room Restaurant offers a modern, cosy atmosphere, along with a delectable range of international dishes.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

DAY 2: TRANSFER TO VIRUNGAS

Breakfast at the hotel.
Check-out and depart for the Volcanoes National Park. The journey passes through the beautiful, terraced hillsides that characterize much of Rwanda’s landscape.  Our accommodation for the night is about 2½ hours’ drive from Kigali.
 
Enjoy lunch at your hotel.
 
In the afternoon you will visit the Ellen DeGeneres campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund for a self-guided tour. Here you will learn more about gorilla conservation.
 
Dinner at the hotel.
 
Overnight Gorilla Mountain View Lodge or similar (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
 
Gorilla Mountain View Lodge
The lodge is located at the foot of the Virunga Sabyinyo Mountain with beautifully landscaped natural foliage gardens and a startling variety of flower gardens. You will be welcomed with a glass of chilled fresh fruit juice or Rwandan tea or coffee.. Accommodation consists of 25 en suite cottages. All rooms have a coffee machine.

DAY 3: GORILLA TREK

Today you will have the rare opportunity to observe the famous Rwandan mountain gorillas.
 
Tracking the gorillas through the forested slopes of the Virungas is a magical experience. If luck is on your side, you will find the gorillas, spend an hour with them, and be back at the base in time for a late lunch. Some gorilla families, however, are more elusive, and tracking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy.
 
You will be placed in a group of maximum 8 people, accompanied by a trekking guide and an armed park ranger. You will have the choice to hire a porter to accompany you on the trek.  
 
Return to the lodge for lunch.
 
Afternoon departure to Gisenyi, a picturesque lakeside town on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, often referred to as the “Martha’s Vineyard of Rwanda”, with its pretty shoreline and colonial-style hotels.
 
Check-in and dinner at the hotel.
 
Overnight Lake Kivu Serena or similar (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
 
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel celebrates the shores of this African Great Lake as a destination of astonishing beauty, where pristine beaches and the sparkling waters of Africa’s sixth largest lake come together in breath-taking fashion. Your arrival is greeted by a bright, open-plan lobby giving way to a private stretch of beach reserved exclusively for hotel guests. We welcome you to experience unparalleled warmth, hospitality, and relaxation. With guest accommodation, restaurants and a spectacular swimming pool nestled among palm trees and manicured grounds and gardens, our privileged waterfront enclave provides all the amenities you would expect from a resort considered by many to be one of Rwanda’s best. Boasting gracious, personalised hospitality and abundant recreational activities on land and water, this 66-room getaway is the perfect choice for an extended holiday or weekend escape. Lake Kivu Serena Hotel combines tropical serenity and waterfront exhilaration to create a truly unique Rwanda resort experience.

DAY 4: DEPART KIGALI

Breakfast at the hotel.  Enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Kivu
 
The remainder of the morning is relaxed along the shores of one of the greatest freshwater lakes in Rwanda in the Albertine Rift – part of the Great Rift Valley.
 
After an early lunch you will transfer back to Kigali to check-in for your return flight home.
(Lunch)

DAY 5: ARRIVE JOHANNESBURG

Early morning arrival in Johannesburg.  
END OF SERVICE