3 days / 2 nights
3-Day Rwanda Gorilla Experience
The shortest trip that does the gorillas justice
- Duration
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Destinations
- 2 places
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- From
- Price on request
01Overview
This is the trip for anyone with a long weekend, a fixed date, or a permit already in hand. It does one thing properly rather than several things briefly.
You land in Kigali, transfer north to Musanze, trek, and have a second morning free for golden monkeys, the Dian Fossey hike or a community visit before returning to the capital.
It is short, and it works. The gorillas are the point, and nothing here dilutes them.
Highlights
- One hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family
- Two nights close to the park gate at Kinigi
- A choice of golden monkeys, the Fossey hike or a community visit
- Volcano views across the Virunga chain
02Day by day
The itinerary
Every day, in order, with what is included. Open a day to see the detail.
Day 01
About 2 to 2.5 hours driving
Kigali to Musanze
Arrival, a short introduction to Kigali, and the drive north into volcano country.
- Meals
- Breakfast not includedLunch not includedDinner included
- Overnight
- Lodge or guesthouse near Kinigi
- Transport
- Private vehicle with driver-guide
- Morning
Arrival at Kigali International Airport
Met on arrival and transferred into the city.
- Afternoon
Kigali Genocide Memorial
The essential first stop in Rwanda, and the context for everything that follows. Allow a couple of hours.
- Evening
Drive to Musanze
Roughly two hours north on good roads, arriving in time for dinner beneath the volcanoes.
Day 02
Trek duration varies widely
Gorilla trekking
The early briefing at Kinigi, the trek in, and one hour with a gorilla family.
- Meals
- Breakfast includedLunch includedDinner included
- Overnight
- Lodge or guesthouse near Kinigi
- Transport
- Private vehicle to the trailhead
Day 03
About 2 to 2.5 hours driving
A second morning, then Kigali
Golden monkeys, the Fossey hike or a community visit, then the drive back for your flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast includedLunch not includedDinner not included
- Overnight
- Departure day
- Transport
- Private vehicle with driver-guide
03What is included
- All transport in a private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation as specified, on a twin-share basis
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Airport transfers
- Drinking water in the vehicle
- All government taxes
04What is not
- International flights
- Gorilla and golden monkey permits
- Visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Porters, tips and gratuities
- Drinks and items of a personal nature
Accommodation
Two nights near Kinigi, chosen for proximity to the briefing point. Options run from comfortable guesthouses to some of the most expensive lodges in Africa — we will match this to your budget.
Transport
A private vehicle with a driver-guide throughout. Roads on this route are sealed and in good condition.
05Where you go
Destinations on this route
Kigali City
Kigali
Rwanda's capital, spread across a series of ridges and valleys — the arrival point for almost every trip, and a city worth more than the night most itineraries give it.
1 to 2 nights
Northern Province
Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda's gorilla country: bamboo and hagenia forest climbing the flanks of five volcanoes, home to habituated mountain gorilla families and golden monkeys.
2 to 3 nights
06What you do
Experiences on this route
Gorilla Trekking
One hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family
The reason most people come to Rwanda: a guided climb into the Virunga forest to spend an hour with a wild mountain gorilla family.
Half to full dayChallenging
Golden Monkey Trekking
Endangered monkeys crashing through the bamboo
A shorter, easier trek in the Virunga bamboo zone to find troops of endangered golden monkeys — fast, bright and far more animated than the gorillas.
Half dayModerate
Cultural Experiences
Time with people, not a performance staged for you
Community cooperatives, Intore dance, craft workshops and village visits arranged so the money stays where the visit happens.
2 hours to a full dayEasy
Kigali City Tours
The day that gives the rest of the trip its context
The Genocide Memorial, a walking tour of Nyamirambo, Kimironko market and the city's working art studios — treated as a destination, not a transit night.
Half to full dayEasy
For the gorillas, yes. It is not enough to see Rwanda — you will miss Akagera, Nyungwe and Kivu entirely. If this is your only trip, consider the seven-day route instead.
This route, your dates
Request this itinerary
Send us your dates and traveller numbers and we will come back with availability, a full quote and any changes we would suggest.