The 3 Days Rwanda gorilla tour offers a marvellous opportunity to see endangered primates like mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Volcanoes national park. The tour focuses on the gorilla trekking experience with optional activities like golden monkey tracking, Kigali city tour and cultural experience.
Trip Highlights
- Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
- Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes national park (optional)
- Cultural experience at Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village (optional)
- Kigali City Tour (optional)
Trip Summary
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport & transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
Day 3: Golden monkey tracking & departure
Detailed itinerary – 3 Days Rwanda gorilla tour
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Arrive at Kigali International Airport (KGL) and meet your driver guide. Depending on your arrival time and interest, you might have a brief city tour of Kigali, one of the cleanest cities in Africa. This tour often includes visits to key sites such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, and a local craft market.
After the brief city tour, embark on a scenic drive to Volcanoes national park in the northern province of Rwanda (2-3 hours drive). The journey offers breathtaking taking views of Rwanda’s “thousand hills,” terraced landscapes, and local communities. Arrive and check into your lodge near Volcanoes national park and enjoy your dinner and overnight as you prepare for the gorilla trekking adventure.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park and cultural experience
After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters of Volcanoes national park at Kinigi for a briefing on gorilla trekking. You will also divided into small groups of trekkers and assigned a habituated gorilla group to track (maximum of 8 trekkers per gorilla group). Accompanied by experienced guides and rangers, head into the forest searching for your allocated gorilla group.
This trek may take between 1-6 hours depending on the location and movement of gorillas in the forest. Upon locating them, spend the magical and unforgettable permitted hour observing and photographing them in their natural habitat. As you witness their interactions, feeding habits and playful antics, you will accept that this is a truly humbling and mind-blowing experience.
At the end of the hour, return to the park headquarters to be transferred back to your accommodation for relaxation. In the afternoon, you might go for a cultural experience at the Gorilla Guardian Village (formerly known as Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village) located near the park. Enjoy an immersion into the Rwandan culture through traditional dances, songs and an insight into local life. Return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Golden monkey tracking and departure
After breakfast, you might opt to return to Volcanoes national park for another thrilling primate experience, golden monkey tracking (permit required at $100 per person). Golden monkeys are beautiful and colourful primates, playful and vibrant. They are typically found in the bamboo zones of the park and tracking them usually takes a few hours.
After the encounter, head back to your accommodation for lunch or relaxation before driving back to Kigali for your departure flight or overnight at your hotel. Depending on your flight schedule, you might have a chance to do a city tour in Kigali if you missed it on Day 1 or go for last-minute souvenir shopping.
Important consideration for the 3 Days Rwanda gorilla tour
The 3-Day Rwanda gorilla tour is a brief gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda that requires adequate preparation and planning. Ensure to book your gorilla permit at least 6 months through a credible tour operator. Rwanda’s gorilla permit is sold at $1,500 per person (as of 2025). The golden monkey tracking permit also requires advance booking at $100 per person.
The best season for gorilla tracking in Rwanda is during the dry period between June and September and December to February. However, gorilla tracking tours and other wildlife safaris in Rwanda take place throughout the year.
Some of the important gear to pack for gorilla tracking in Rwanda include, sturdy hiking boots, long trousers, long-sleeved shirt, pair of gloves and a camera with extra batteries. Other crucial items like drinking water, rain jacket, walking stick can be obtained at your lodge or park headquarters.
Gorilla trekking is physically demanding and therefore requires a reasonable level of fitness. Porters are aways available for hire to those who don’t have the required level of fitness or the elderly. Hiring a porter can make your trekking easier and at the same time provide direct income to the local community. The age limit for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is 15 years.