Tourists are advised against making erroneous, incomplete, or false applications. Such cases may include, among others, applying for the wrong product, uploading a false ID or visa, and uploading an expired ID or visa. Please be advised that verification of tourist documents is done at park entry gates. Tourists who submitted incorrect, incomplete, or false applications WILL BE REFUSED ENTRY TO THE PARK, regardless of whether they paid for and received a system-generated permit.

 

In case of any doubt about your tours to Rwanda please send your inquiry to Devine African Safaris Reservation Office on email info@gorillasafariscompany.com

 

Rwanda Development Board accepts no liability for erroneous, incomplete or fraudulent applications

 

Tourist Permit Fee

 

 

Guidelines for Dian Fossey's tomb 

Requirements

Reporting times at Visitor Information/Registration Centers at Park entrance are 07h00.

To qualify for Rwandan or East African Foreign Resident status, foreign residents in Rwanda and East African countries must have a minimum of four consecutive months of residency status or work permit in their passport or diplomatic card.

A diplomat who has a residence visa can be allowed to use the applicable resident rates for his spouse and legally accepted children even if the spouse and legally accepted children do not have resident visas (reside outside of Rwanda).

 

Reporting East African residents need to provide EAC ID cards or passports.

A tourist with one Rwandan parent and a tourist with a Rwandan spouse will be considered Rwandan as long as the Immigration and Emigration Director General confirms it.

 

Restrictions

The minimum age for Dian Fosey’s Tomb hike is 15 years.

 

Processing Time

A tourist permit will be automatically issued by this system upon completion of the application process.

 

Application Process

The application process is as simple as picking an available slot in the product of your choice, filling out mandatory forms, uploading the requisite support documents, and paying the applicable fees.

 

Applications are made with full details of the client (names, passport number, email, and phone number) at the time of payment.

Bookings and reservations are done on a "first come, first served" basis.

Rwandan nationals are expected to pay the full amount at the time of booking.

The trek starts at 7:00 a.m. from the park headquarters in Kinigi, from where visitors will have to drive or be driven to the start point for the trek.

 

The trek involves a 30-minute drive from the park headquarters to the trailhead to access the Karisoke research camp, where visitors walk for 10 minutes to the park boundary.

 

The walk from the park boundary to the research center where Dian’s grave is takes about an hour to an hour and a half and affords good views of forest hogs, forest elephants, a variety of primates, and bird species.

 

The trek to the Karisoke research camp takes around 3–4 hours and takes you through some of the most beautiful stretches of Hagenia–Hypericum forest in the Volcanoes National Park.

 

This hike is an incredible experience—physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It is so inspiring to learn about someone who was so dedicated and left a legacy that exists even today. The hike involves moving through the forests and hiking up the slopes, which therefore requires some degree of fitness and patience.

 

About Dian Fossey tomb

Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and anthropologist who committed her life to the conservation of the mountain gorilla by conducting an 18-year comprehensive study about the fateful ape.

Dian Fossey is portrayed in Gorillas in the Mist, a 1988 American drama film directed by Michael Apted and starring Sigourney Weaver. Her anti-poaching patrols led to the arrest of many poachers who were sentenced to jail, and some are still serving their sentences. Dian was murdered in 1985 in her tent at her research institute by unknown murderers, where she was found lying in a pool of blood in the early morning of December 27, 1985.

 

Fossey is buried at Karisoke, in a site that she herself had constructed for her deceased gorilla friends. She was buried next to Digit in the gorilla graveyard, alongside many other gorillas killed by poachers. Memorial services were also held in New York, Washington, and California.

 

Hike to Dian Fossey's grave as a tribute to her great work protecting the Volcanoes mountain gorillas, which are still alive and can be seen today. It is very advisable to go do the tomb hike the day after your gorilla safari in the Volcanoes Forest.

Trekking to the Dian Fossey Tomb is one of the most sought-after safari activities carried out while visiting Volcanoes National Park for a gorilla trip.

 

For those interested visiting Dian Fossey’s original scientific base Karisoke, a trek is available from the Volcanoes National Park headquarters. Karisoke Scientific Base was established by Dian Fossey in the saddle area between two volcanoes, Mt. Bisoke and Mt. Karisimbi (from which the name Karisoke is derived). The camp site stands at an altitude of around 3000m (over 9000 ft) and was abandoned during the unrest of the 1990’s. All that remains today is the graveyard where several of Dian Fossey’s favorite gorillas were buried. Dian Fossey is also buried near the graves of her beloved gorillas.

 

At the site you will find the house from where Dian Fossey was mysteriously murdered in 1985 but the more peaceful is the place where she was buried just next to her favorite gorilla friend, Digit and about 20 other mountain gorillas either killed by poachers or suffered death for other reasons.