Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights
A fantastic itinerary for those wanting to explore the Virungas
The mighty Virunga Mountains straddle the countries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and home more than half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. The Virungas are made up on thick and dense forest and whilst the gorillas are the main highlight, the Virungas offer so much more to be explored.
Kigali -Volcanoes National Park
Met on arrival in Kigali’s international airport and transferred to the Volcanoes National Park (approx. 2 hours) to stay in Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge for 3 nights on a full board basis.
Situated on Rwanda’s western border, the Volcanoes National Park is the Rwandan section of the Virunga Mountains. Sat on the foothills of the mighty Virunga mountains, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is the perfect place to stay for the ultimate gorilla experience. As with its sister properties in the Governor’s Collection, the lodge is close enough to the park headquarters for the gorilla trekking, yet remote enough to offer a peaceful stay with breathtaking views.
Volcanoes National Park
Spend both of these days trekking through the Virunga mountains in search of a family of mountain gorillas. Tracking the gorillas twice (one trek per day) will give you the ultimate experience… not to mention finishing the day in luxury at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge!
This is the day you’ve been waiting for – the day you’ll come face-to-face with the majestic mountain gorillas. As part of the Virunga Mountains (covering Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo), the Volcanoes National Park homes 20 families of endangered mountain gorillas. Although half of the families are protected for research purposed (continuing the legacy of Dian Fossey), the other 10 families have become familiar with tourists and it is one of these families that you will get the chance to observe. It has been described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience so remember to embrace every moment and step aside from the camera now and then!
Volcanoes National Park
Spend the morning in Sayinyo Silverback Lodge enjoying the view, landscape and activities that the lodge offers. In the afternoon, transfer back to Kigali to stay in the Serena Hotel for 1 night on a B&B basis.
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge offers a huge variety of activities aside from gorilla trekking so you can do as much or as little as you’d like on the final morning! These include escorted bird watching walks, mountain bike excursions, visits to the iby’iwacy village, the Buhanga sacred forests and the musanze market, Nyange community walks, and climbing up mountains (Mt Bisoke, M’Gahinga and Muhabura).
Kigali
After breakfast, have a private tour of the city including a visit to the genocide museum and memorial. In the afternoon, transfer to Kigali’s international airport to connect onto your international flight home.
Please note that the above is on a B&B basis unless otherwise shown and the cost does not include international flights.
