ENCOUNTERSAFRICA
4-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trek

Rwanda - Fly-in safari

4-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trek

Duration
4 days
Countries
Rwanda
Suited to
2-8 guests
Pricing
From USD 6,580

The journey

Rwanda makes gorilla trekking short. Kigali International is a two and a half hour drive from the park gate at Kinigi, on tarmac the whole way, which means you can land in the morning and stand in the Virunga foothills the same afternoon. There is no bush flight, no overnight in transit and no wasted day at either end. Three nights at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel buy you two treks rather than one. The second morning is the point. Gorilla families move, weather turns, and a single hour with a habituated group can pass in mist before you have settled. Trekking twice gives you a different family, a different band of bamboo and Hagenia forest, and a second chance at the encounter you came for. Each permit costs USD 1,500 and covers park entry, ranger guides and trackers, and one hour with the gorillas. June to September and mid-December to February are the drier months and the easier walking. March to May and October to November are wetter: the forest is greener, the slopes are harder work, lodge rates drop and permits are easier to secure at short notice.

Your camps, day by day

Stay 1

Kigali to the Virungas

You land at Kigali International and meet your driver-guide, with an hour at the Genocide Memorial before the road north. The drive to Kinigi takes about two and a half hours on tarmac, through terraced hillsides and market towns. Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel stands within sight of Sabyinyo and Muhabura, and dinner is by the fire while you sort layers and boots for the morning.

Stay 2

First Family, First Hour

Breakfast at six, then the short drive to Kinigi park headquarters, where Intore dancers perform while rangers match each family to your fitness. Trekking groups are capped at eight people. The walk in takes anything from one hour to four, through bamboo and stinging nettle, and ends with a strict sixty minutes at seven metres from a silverback. Back at the lodge by mid-afternoon, boots at the fire.

Stay 3

A Second Silverback

A different family today, usually higher on the slopes of Bisoke or Karisimbi, so the ground is steeper and the forest is Hagenia rather than bamboo. Second treks are often the better ones: you know the pace, the porters know you, and you spend the hour watching rather than fumbling with a camera. We can swap this permit for golden monkeys if you would rather not climb twice.

Stay 4

Back Down to Kigali

A slow breakfast with the volcanoes out, if the cloud lifts, then the two and a half hour drive back to Kigali. There is time for the craft co-operatives at Kimironko market or a coffee at Question Coffee before the airport. Your driver-guide drops you about three hours ahead of your international departure, which from Kigali usually leaves late in the evening.

Safari highlights

  • Two gorilla treks on consecutive mornings in the Virungas
  • Three nights at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel near Kinigi
  • One hour at close range with a habituated family, twice
  • Kigali to the park gate in 2.5 hours on tarmac, no bush flight
  • Guided hour at the Kigali Genocide Memorial on arrival
  • Golden monkeys and the Dian Fossey grave hike as alternatives

What is included

Included

  • 3 nights accommodation, per person sharing
  • Two Rwanda gorilla trekking permits at USD 1,500 each per person
  • Return road transfers Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National Park, 2.5 hours each way
  • Private 4x4 vehicle and English-speaking driver-guide throughout
  • Daily transfers between the lodge and the Kinigi park headquarters briefing
  • All meals at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, with house wine on arrival
  • Guided visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial
  • Volcanoes National Park entry, ranger guides and trackers, and Rwanda VAT
  • Bottled water in the vehicle and on both treks

Not included

  • International flights to and from Africa
  • Rwanda visa and entry permits
  • Comprehensive travel and medical insurance, including altitude and trekking cover
  • Premium spirits, champagne and imported wines
  • Porter hire at the trailhead, about USD 20 per trek, and gratuities for rangers, trackers and lodge staff
  • Items of a personal nature, curios and telephone calls
  • Optional golden monkey permit at USD 100 and the Dian Fossey grave hike at USD 75

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 4-day Rwanda gorilla trek cost?

This programme starts at USD 6,580 per person sharing and runs to about USD 6,780 in peak season. That covers three nights at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel on full board, two gorilla permits at USD 1,500 each, a private 4x4 and driver-guide throughout, return road transfers between Kigali and Volcanoes National Park, all park entry fees and a guided hour at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. International flights to Africa are quoted separately.

How much is a Rwanda gorilla permit in 2026?

USD 1,500 per person, per trek, at the standard rate for foreign non-residents. It is the single biggest line item on this trip, more than the three nights of accommodation combined, and it cannot be discounted. The Rwanda Development Board sets the price and no operator can move it. RDB does publish a 30 per cent low-season discount, USD 1,050, for November to May treks that also spend two nights in Nyungwe or Akagera; this 4-day itinerary does not qualify on its own, but we can extend it so that it does.

Are international flights included in a Rwanda gorilla trip?

No. International flights to and from Africa are excluded and booked separately, usually into Kigali International. Everything on the ground in Rwanda is included: the return road transfer between Kigali and Volcanoes National Park, roughly two and a half hours each way over 105 kilometres of tarmac, the private 4x4 and driver-guide, both permits, park fees and all meals. There is no internal flight on this route.

How do you get from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park?

By road. It is about 105 kilometres and two and a half to three hours on good tarmac, north through Musanze to the park gate at Kinigi. There is no scheduled flight. A private 4x4 with driver-guide is priced per vehicle, around USD 200 one way, so two travellers pay the same as one. Helicopter charters exist and cost several thousand dollars for the same 30 minute hop.

Should you do one gorilla trek or two in Rwanda?

Two, if the budget allows. A single trek is one hour with one family, and mist, rain or a fast-moving group can flatten it. A second permit puts you with a different family on different ground, and most travellers find the second morning the stronger one because they already know the pace. The second permit adds USD 1,500 per person, which is why this trip costs what it does.

When is the best time to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda?

June to September and mid-December to February are the dry seasons, with firmer ground and shorter walks. March to May and October to November bring the long and short rains: the forest is greener, the slopes are slippery, lodge rates fall by roughly a third and permits are easier to get at short notice. Gorillas are tracked daily, year-round, and sightings are effectively guaranteed.

How fit do you need to be for gorilla trekking in Rwanda?

Reasonably fit rather than athletic. Treks start at about 2,500 metres and climb from there, and walking time to a family ranges from thirty minutes to four hours each way on steep, muddy ground. Rangers match travellers to nearer or further families at the Kinigi briefing, so say what you can manage. Porters cost about USD 20 and carry your pack. The minimum age is 15.