1 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour

Tour Overview

The 1-day gorilla tour in Rwanda is a perfect short Rwanda gorilla trekking safari package suitable for those of you with a limited time or tight budget. It is the perfect option if you would like to have a quick tour to explore in depth the unique behaviors of mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

The one-day gorilla tour of Rwanda offers the best gorilla trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park, home to about 13 gorilla groups. Volcanoes National Park shelters habituated gorilla groups including Susa A, Karisimbi, Ugenda, Hirwa, Agashya, Umubano, Amahoro, Kwitonda group, and more.

Volcanoes National Park is one of the oldest African gorilla parks, established back in 1925 and sits on the land area of 160 sq. km. The park is situated in the Virunga Conservation Area and also protects the Virunga Volcanoes including Karisimbi Volcano (4507m), Gahinga, Sabyinyo, Bisoke, and Muhabura.

Volcanoes National Park also protects a total of 200 bird species, buffaloes, forest elephants, hyenas, golden monkeys, and some antelope families. Mountain gorillas are the prime attractions to explore on the gorilla tour in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Tour Details

Detailed Itinerary

Being a short gorilla tour of Rwanda, expect to leave Kigali City for Volcanoes National Park for briefing in Kinigi. You will drive for about 2-3 hours from the heart of Kigali to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri, northwestern Uganda. A briefing session will begin at around 7:00 am and gorilla families will be assigned to you to trek. Each group of mountain gorillas will be visited by a maximum of 8 (eight) guests and it is a single gorilla trek.

The park ranger guide will be assigned to take you on the entire gorilla trekking expedition in Volcanoes National Park. The gorilla trek will start at around 8:00 am and will go for 2-6 hours and this covers an hour to enjoy up close and personal encounters with a group of mountain gorillas in the wild.

The mountain gorilla encounter includes exploring in depth about behaviors of the gorillas, taking pictures, and not to miss observing the unique body gestures. The park ranger guide will be available to interpret the distinct body gestures to visitors.

During photography, expect to capture the best pictures of mountain gorillas as they are immersed in the jungle. When taking pictures, you will be expected to use a non-flashlight camera and in any case your camera has one, ensure that you turn it off.

It is important to also maintain a distance of 7-8 meters away from a family of mountain gorillas. After you have had a thrilling encounter with a group of mountain gorillas, you will be led back to the briefing point. From Kinigi, expect to drive back to Kigali City for you to be dropped off at the hotel or directly to the airport. This marks the end of 1-day gorilla tour of Rwanda starting from Kigali.

End of tour

Tour package includes

• Valid gorilla permit
• Bottled drinking water on a tour
• Park ranger guide services
• Park entrance fees
• Lunch
• Relevant government taxes

Tour package excludes

• Tips
• Craft shopping
• Souvenirs
• Travel Insurance
• Cigarettes
• Optional Activities
• Accommodation after the trip

The best time to go for a gorilla tour in Rwanda

Rwanda is all-year-round destination, however, the dry season is the best time to enjoy a thrilling encounter with mountain gorillas in the wild. There is a long dry season which occurs from June to September, and the short dry months take place from December to February.

It is around the dry season when the weather conditions are favorable for gorilla trekking. The dry months of the year record very low or no rainfall making it easier to walk through the jungle to search for the Rwanda mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

The wet or off-season is most preferred by budget gorilla trekkers. This starts from March to May and October to November. Unlike the dry spell, the wet months are characterized by heavy rainfall, slipper ground/forest floor, and steep slopes thus posing a huge challenge for trekkers to enjoy their trek.

What should you take on a 1-day gorilla tour in Rwanda?

The checklist for essentials to take with you on a 1-day gorilla tour in Rwanda includes waterproof hiking boots, a good camera, a daypack, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, a first aid kit, and sunscreen. Additional items to take include extra camera batteries and memory card, a safari hat, waterproof poncho or rain jacket, high energy giving snacks, a pair of binoculars, a valid gorilla trekking permit, a valid visa, a passport, anti-malarial tablets, and others.

Accommodation in Volcanoes National Park

Visitors who desire to spend more days have multiple accommodation options for overnight stays. They include budget, midrange, and luxury including the wilderness Bisate Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, the Bishop’s House, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, Amakoro Songa Lodge, Best View Hotel, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guesthouse, and Muhabura Hotel.

Other attractions to explore in Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park protects more than mountain gorillas. There are multiple birds to be spotted including African green broadbill, Lagden’s bush-shrike, Rwenzori batis, Archer’s robin chat, black cuckoo, Rwenzori turacos, scarlet-tufted sunbird, dusky turtle dove, brown necked parrot, handsome francolins, Kivu ground thrush, collared apalis, Rwenzori double-collared sunbirds, red-faced woodland warblers, strange weavers, common stonechat, Baglafetch weaver, and others.

While in or around Volcanoes National Park, you can also add other activities to the gorilla tour, including bird watching or birding, visiting the twin lakes, Musanze caves, a community visit at Iby’Iwacu village, a tour of Lake Kivu, golden monkey tracking, volcano hiking, and others.

How to get to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda

On your 1-day gorilla tour, accessing Volcanoes National Park can be by road or air. By road transportation, you only need about 2-3 hours to drive from the heart of Kigali Capital to the park for your gorilla trekking adventure. By air, the park can be reached within 30 minutes from Kigali Airport to the airport in Musanze.