ENCOUNTERSAFRICA
6-Day Singita Kwitonda Gorilla Safari

Rwanda - Fly-in safari

6-Day Singita Kwitonda Gorilla Safari

Duration
6 days
Countries
Rwanda
Suited to
2-6 guests
Pricing
From USD 26,980

The journey

Rwanda is the easiest country in Africa in which to see mountain gorillas, and the most expensive, and the two facts are connected. A permit costs USD 1,500, the park releases 96 of them a day, and that money is what has taken the Virunga population from a few hundred animals to roughly 604. This programme buys two permits rather than one, because a single measured hour is rarely enough to settle into what you are looking at. The base is Singita Kwitonda, eight suites on 178 acres of former farmland that Singita has been returning to forest, ten minutes from the park boundary and looking straight at Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura. The rate covers everything except permits and vehicles, and the lodge asks for three nights if you want two treks. It opens instead in the east, where two nights at Wilderness Magashi Peninsula give you the counterweight: lake, savannah and all of the Big Five, since 70 southern white rhino were moved into Akagera in June 2025. June to September and December to February are the drier months, when the volcano trails are firm rather than greasy.

Your camps, day by day

Stay 1

East to Akagera

You land at Kigali International and drive two and a half hours east through banana shambas and terraced hills to Akagera's northern gate, then on to Wilderness Magashi Peninsula on the shore of Lake Rwanyakazinga. Three suites only, each with a plunge pool and a rooftop star bed. An evening game drive on the private concession runs until the light goes.

Stay 2

Lake and Savannah

Akagera runs to 1,122 square kilometres and is the only park in Rwanda holding all of the Big Five. Lions came back from South Africa in 2015, black rhino in 2017, and 70 southern white rhino arrived in June 2025. You work the northern plains at dawn, take a boat onto Lake Rwanyakazinga where elephant come down to swim, and go out again after dark with a spotlight.

Stay 3

Across to the Virungas

After a last drive you head west, five and a half hours across the ridged hills of central Rwanda and past Kigali, to Singita Kwitonda. The lodge sits on 178 acres of reclaimed farmland ten minutes from the Volcanoes park boundary, with Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura filling the windows. Eight suites, volcanic stone walls, hand-fired terracotta and a heated plunge pool in each.

Stay 4

First Gorilla Trek

Briefing at park headquarters in Kinigi at seven, then your family is allocated and you climb through farmland into bamboo and hagenia forest. Trackers have been with the group since dawn and radio your guide their position. You get one hour, timed. Around 604 mountain gorillas live in the Virunga massif and Rwanda releases 96 permits a day. Back at the lodge, the plunge pool is already hot.

Stay 5

Second Gorilla Trek

A second permit and a different family, usually higher up and further in, which is the whole argument for trekking twice. The first trek you spend looking; the second you spend watching, and you start noticing how much of it is simply domestic. Afterwards, walk the Akarabo nursery, which has raised some 250,000 indigenous trees, shrubs and bamboo for replanting along the park edge.

Stay 6

Golden Monkeys, Then Kigali

One short trek left. Golden monkeys live in the bamboo along the lower edge of the park, in troops of up to eighty, and they move fast and noisily, which after two mornings of gorillas is a useful contrast. You are back by late morning. Lunch at the lodge, then the two and a half hour road transfer to Kigali, timed for evening international departures.

Safari highlights

  • Two gorilla permits, two different families, on consecutive days
  • Three nights at Singita Kwitonda on the Volcanoes park boundary
  • Two nights at Wilderness Magashi Peninsula, three suites only
  • Akagera's Big Five, including more than 110 white rhino
  • Boat safari on Lake Rwanyakazinga and a spotlit night drive
  • Golden monkey trek in the bamboo on the final morning

What is included

Included

  • 5 nights accommodation, per person sharing
  • Two Rwanda mountain gorilla permits at USD 1,500 each, plus one golden monkey permit
  • Private road transfer, Kigali International Airport to Akagera North Gate
  • Private road transfers, Akagera to Volcanoes National Park and Volcanoes National Park to Kigali International Airport
  • Singita driver-guide and 4x4 vehicle for the three days at Kwitonda, covering every park transfer
  • All meals, premium wines and spirits, laundry and WiFi at Singita Kwitonda
  • All meals, local drinks, laundry, twice-daily game drives, boat safaris and night drives at Magashi Peninsula
  • Akagera National Park entry fees and the Wilderness conservation levy
  • Singita conservation partnership and carbon offset levies

Not included

  • International flights to and from Africa
  • Rwanda visa and travel insurance
  • French champagne and premium imported spirits at Magashi Peninsula
  • Porters on the gorilla treks, roughly USD 20 per person per trek
  • Gratuities for trackers, driver-guides and lodge staff
  • Wellness treatments and boutique purchases at Singita Kwitonda
  • Items of a personal nature

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 6-day Rwanda gorilla safari cost?

This programme starts at USD 26,980 per person sharing. That covers five nights, three of them at Singita Kwitonda and two at Wilderness Magashi Peninsula, both fully inclusive, two gorilla permits at USD 1,500 each, a golden monkey permit, the Singita driver-guide and vehicle, Akagera park fees and every road transfer from Kigali and back. Peak-season departures run to about USD 30,080.

Are international flights included in this Rwanda safari price?

No. International flights to and from Africa are excluded, so you book your own carrier into Kigali International Airport and can use miles if you prefer. Everything inside Rwanda is included. There are no domestic flights on this programme: Kigali to Volcanoes National Park is road only, about two and a half hours, and Kigali to Akagera is a similar drive east.

How much is a Rwanda gorilla permit in 2026?

USD 1,500 per person per trek for foreign non-residents, unchanged for 2026. The permit covers park entry, the ranger guide and a strictly timed hour with the gorilla family. Rwanda issues 96 permits a day across roughly twelve habituated groups, so they sell out months ahead in the dry season. This programme includes two, on consecutive days, plus a USD 100 golden monkey permit.

How many nights do I need at Singita Kwitonda?

Three, if you want to trek twice. Singita sets a two-night minimum for one activity and a three-night minimum for two, and the lodge also requires you to book its driver-guide and 4x4 for every day of the stay, which is what gets you to the Kinigi briefing at seven each morning. The eight suites each have a heated plunge pool.

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

June to September and December to February, the two drier windows. The volcano trails are firm instead of greasy, and visibility in the bamboo and hagenia is better. Rain is possible in any month at 2,500 to 3,000 metres, so waterproofs and gaiters are not optional. March to May is the long rains: fewer people, lower rates, much more mud.

Can you see the Big Five in Rwanda?

Yes, in Akagera National Park, 1,122 square kilometres of lake and savannah on the Tanzanian border. Lions were reintroduced from South Africa in 2015, eastern black rhino in 2017, and a further 70 southern white rhino arrived in June 2025, taking the park past 110 white rhino. Magashi Peninsula sits on a private concession in the productive northern sector.

How hard is the gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park?

Moderate to demanding, and it depends entirely on where the family has moved. Treks start at about 2,500 metres and can climb past 3,000, through stinging nettles, bamboo and thick vegetation, and last anywhere from one to six hours each way. Trackers locate the group before you set off. Porters carry your pack for roughly USD 20 and are worth taking.