Rwanda is one of only three countries in the world where the critically endangered mountain gorillas live.Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris

Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is often described as “life changing” and with good reason. With only an estimated 880 Gorillas left in the world, to see these gentle creatures in their natural habitat are a truly unique moment. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour.

Gorillas make their homes in and amongst the bamboo-covered slopes of the Virunga Mountains in the Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda. Trek to see them and you’ll be introduced by your expert trackers and guides to one of the fully-habituated families of mountain gorillas and you can stay with them for an awe-inspiring hour, often crouching just a few feet away, whilst the gorillas go about their daily lives.

Hikes in the mountains can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours + depending on the family allocated to your group and their location. The journey back can take just as long, but you are often carried along by the euphoria you feel at seeing the gorillas.

1. Authentic Gorilla Trekking Tour to Volcanoes National Park

Duration: 1 day | Destinations: 1

This 1 Day Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda Tour is perfect if you are in Rwanda for a very limited time, but have time to spare for a Wildlife expedition.

The gorilla trekking tour gives you a unique opportunity to track the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat in a shortest time possible.

Tour highlights:

• Magical Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
• Great views of the landscapes
• Travel with an expert guide
• Gorilla permits included
• Pick up & drop off included

Best for these traveler types:

Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

2. Akagera national park safari - Big 5 & Big Cats

Duration: 1 day | Destinations: 1

This 1 Day Akagera national park - Big 5 & Big Cats safari makes a perfect escape out of the city for just a day. View a complete tour itinerary here 

This tour is perfect if you are in Rwanda for a very limited time, but have time to spare for a Wildlife expedition.

Akagera national park is a the only Savannah park in Rwanda and is home to several mammal species including Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Hippos, Kobs, Zebras, Bushbucks, Waterbucks and most recently Black Rhinos have been introduces from South Africa, making Akagera national park officially a big 5 park like it was many years ago. It is also home to numerous bird species in the several habitats which include woodland, swamps, lakes and Savanna.

Tour highlights:

• Spot the Big 5 & Big Cats
• Enjoy scenic drives
• Observe wildlife from the security and comfort of an air-conditioned 4x4
• Enjoy a picnic lunch 
• Hotel picks up & drops off included
• All park entrance fees included

Best for these traveler types:

Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

3. Mount Bisoke Hike & Gorilla Trekking Rwanda Tour

Duration: 2 days | Destinations: 1 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

While on this 2 Days Mount Bisoke Hike & Gorilla Trekking Rwanda, you will hike mount Bisoke on day one and gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park on day two.

The mountain Bisoke hiking is one of the most unforgettable activities in Rwanda. The top of this Volcano has a spectacular crater lake.

It is simply a 6 – hours hike including the 2 hours descending down to the starting point. Experienced hikers can get to the top of this mountain in a matter of 3 hours or even less and return to the base in about an hour.

Mount Bisoke is an active volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. It straddles the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the summit is located in Rwanda.

Tour highlights

• Mount Bisoke volcano hike
• Magical Gorilla Trekking
• Visit to Genocide Memorial Center
• Gorilla Permit included
• All park fees included
• All meals included

1 night accommodation

Expert driver/guide

Round trip transfers to Kigali

Best for these traveler types

Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

4. Chimpanzee Trekking & Canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park

Duration: 2 days | Destinations: 2 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

The Nyungwe National Park is home to various primate species, including chimpanzees, black and white Columbus, mangabeys, and unique plant species, including orchids. It is also home for endangered bird species making it a suitable destination for bird lovers Water falls, a canopy walkway, and various hiking trails

On the Chimps & Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park, you will also come across other primates, including the red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, plant species, and birds, to mention but a few.

Tour highlights

• Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest
• Canopy walk
•  A glimpse at a variety of primates & Birds
• Comfortable accommodation rated excellent by past travelers
• 4 x 4 vehicle transportation rated excellent by past travelers

Best for these traveler types
Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

5. Gorilla trekking Rwanda Tour

Duration: 3 days | Destinations: 2 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

This 3 day trip will take you to visit the Volcanoes National Park the home of Mountain Gorillas and Golden monkeys and you will get a chance to visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.

You will join the local brew makers to understand the chemistry of the process of brewing a local beer from bananas.

These Magnificent twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo and its Swamp Rugezi are the excellent photogenic, serene and scenic places for Bird watching activity.

Also you will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, a place of remembrance & learning. The Kigali Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Tour highlights

• Magical Gorilla trekking 
• Visit the Genocide Memorial center
• Meet the friendly locals 
• Visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
• Visit to the cultural center
• Gorilla permits included!

Best for these traveler types

Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

6. Rwanda Gorilla Trekking & Akagera National Park Safari

Duration: 4 days | Destinations: 2 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

This 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking & Akagera National Park Safari will take you to visit Akagera National Park for game drives and a boat cruise on Lake Ihema and you also have a chance to visit Volcanoes National Park to track the endangered mountain gorillas.

Akagera National Park lies in eastern Rwanda, hugging the border with Tanzania. It's characterized by woodland, swamps, low mountains and savannah.

The varied terrain shelters wildlife including zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions and hundreds of bird species, such as the rare shoebill stork. In the southern part of the park, vast Lake Ihema is home to hippos and crocodiles.

Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

 The national park is known as a haven for the rare and endangered mountain gorilla and golden monkeys

Tour highlights

• Magical Gorilla trekking
• Watch the Big 5 & Big cats 
• Game drives with expert guide/driver
• Boat cruise on Lake Ihema
• Visit Genocide Memorial Center
• Gorilla Permit included
• 3 nights’ accommodation

Best for these traveler types
Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

7. Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps in Nyungwe safari

Duration: 5 days | Destinations: 3 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

This tour 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Chimps starts and ends in Kigali.

This 5-Day gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda will take you to Volcanoes and Nyungwe Forest National Parks that feature two of the main primate destinations in Africa.

The Volcanoes National Park, in the northwest part of Africa protects the Rwandan side of the Virunga Massif where the mountain gorillas thrive. The safari also includes a heritage tour to the Royal Palace at Nyanza and Ethnographic Museum at Butare.

Tour highlights

• Gorilla Trekking
• Chimps trekking
• Canopy walk
• Gorilla Permit included
• All park fees included
• All meals included
• 4 night accommodation
• Expert driver/guide
• Round trip transfers to Kigali

Best for these traveler types
Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

8. Rwanda Chimps, Gorillas & Golden Monkey Tracking Safari

Duration: 6 days | Destinations: 4 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

 These 6-Day Rwanda Chimps, Gorillas & Golden Monkey Safari starts in Kigali with a visit to the different points of interest like the genocide museum and craft markets in Rwanda's Capital.

We set out to explore the oldest and largest Nyungwe forest in search for the playful primates. Later on take a scenic transfer to Ruhengeri home to Volcanoes national park popular for the mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys that you will have a chance to spend time with and couple it up with the cultures of the people and how they lived.

Tour highlights

• Gorilla trekking
• Golden monkey tracking
• Chimpanzee trekking
• Visit to genocide memorial center
• Canopy walk
• Cultural experience
• Gorilla permits included
• Travel with expert guide

Best for these traveler types
Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

9. Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps Tracking & Lake Kivu Tour

Duration: 7 days | Destinations: 4 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

Rwanda is often called the land of a thousand hills. Everywhere you look you will see the beautiful green hills. In Rwanda you can enjoy nature, primates and the beaches of Lake Kivu.

This 7-Day Rwanda Gorilla, Chimps & Lake Kivu Tour has been designed to bring you all the highlights of this beautiful country with a rich history. It includes the best highlights of Rwanda and you will depart from and return to Kigali.

Tour highlights

• Gorilla trekking
• Chimpanzee trekking
• Relax at Lake Kivu
• Boat trip on Lake Kivu

Kigali City tour

Travel with an expert guide

Gorilla permits included

Best for these traveler types

Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

10. Rwanda Gorillas, Big 5, Big Cats in Akagera & Lake Kivu Tour

Duration: 7 days | Destinations: 4 | Accommodation: Comfortable facilities

During this week tour in the country of thousand hills, you will be experiencing gorilla trekking, the wildlife, the history, the culture, and the tradition. Canoeing and the village walk are on the menu when we go to Lake Kivu. 

You will visit Volcanoes national park for the magical gorilla trekking experience, visit Akagera national park to spot the Big 5 & Big Cats and relax at Lake Kivu making it an unforgettable adventure.

Tour highlights

• Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
• Spot the Big 5 & Big cats in Akagera National Park
• Unlimited game drives in Akagera NP
• Boat trip on Lake Ihema in Akagera NP
• Canoe on Lake Kivu
• Kigali genocide memorial
• Visit Relax on Lake Kivu

Best for these traveler types
Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups

Rwanda is a tiny country situated within the Great Lakes region of Africa. Due to its recent history, it has gained certain popularity. However, Rwanda presents an extra optimistic vision of Africa and offers wonderful natural landscapes and wildlife species to visitors.

Rwanda's traditions are authentic, which continues to attract many tourists. A place where travelers can buy souvenirs and observe African rapid development away from Rwanda’s capital, Rwanda has protected and preserved its entire natural heritage. Rwanda is also endowed with many lakes, including Lake Kivu, for relaxation and a peaceful shoreline. Rwanda is also safe in terms of security. Click here to view our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour.

Gorilla encounters

Gorilla trekking experience can be encountered in Rwanda at Volcanoes national park; Volcanoes national park protects half of the world’s total gorilla population. Gorilla tours are led by an experienced park ranger who will take you to meet habituated families of primates living on the slopes of these chained mountains. In addition, Rwanda is a great ape destination.

People in Rwanda are friendly, and welcoming in nature.

Rwanda safari guarantees travelers from Europe or the United States’ complexion is referred to by the term "muziungu," meaning the white one. Respond with a smile, "amahoro," meaning "hello" in Kinyarwanda. Although the people inhabiting Kigali speak English or French, they are willing and open to strangers.

Hike Rwanda’s unique landscapes

Rwanda's natural landscape justifies the moniker "a thousand hills," with panoramic views offering palette colors ranging from sweet red to the brightest ever lush green tea plantations. Rwanda's landscape is a photographer's dream. Volcanoes national park superb extends towards the northern part of Rwanda, it borders Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Explore the real history of Rwanda

Rwanda has one of the darkest histories in Africa, when travelers go to Kigali the genocide museum is absolutely a must place to visit dedicated to the memory of the 1994 innocent people who were killed mercilessly in the fight between two tribes in Rwanda. The information regards the killings are displayed to present Rwandan perspective tragi in the country's history.

What can I do in Rwanda?

If anyone is planning to go to Rwanda, they’re probably thinking about one reason: mountain gorilla trekking. It gives you a chance to spend a life-changing moment among the gentle apes, which share up to 98% of human DNA. Rwanda is arguably among the best places in the world to do mountain gorilla trekking.

Go on a safari in Akagera National Park

Tourists can go on safari in Rwanda. Akagera National Park is located Just a short 2.5-hour drive from Kigali city, Akagera National Park is central Africa’s largest protected wetland. It’s 440 square miles of conserved land brimming with wildlife species such as a plethora of birds, elephants, antelope, zebras, hippos, lions, and giraffes. Akagera National Park is the only protected area in Rwanda where you can see the Big Five animals.

Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial

As you travel to Rwanda, it’s impossible not to think about the recent Rwandan Genocide, in which more than 800,000 Rwandan people died in just 100 days. This tragic event changed the history of Rwanda, mostly for the relatives of the victims who lost their loved ones.

Tourists can try to understand the incomprehensible genocide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. By viewing the halls of photographs, artifacts, and informative stories, the Kigali Genocide Museum explains everything that took place during the 100 horrific days.

Experience the only canopy walkway in East Africa

Hiking on the suspended bridge in Nyungwe Forest National Park that is over 200 feet above the park’s ancient treetops? Sublime. Nyungwe Forest National Park canopy walkway takes about a 60-90-minute walk from the Uwinka Visitor Center near the Igishigishigi Trail, with incredible umbrella tree tops and lush green vegetation. Nyungwe Forest National Park is home to over 13 primate species and many bird species.

Learn how to pick tea leaves

After chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park, you might want to relax with a cup of tea. Fortunately, tea plantations are blanketing the park, offering not only the beautiful scenery but also the chance to learn about cultivating the caffeine-laced leaves.

Gisakura Tea Estate allows tourists to experience a couple of hours in the life of a tea leaf picker. The pickers will let you wear their backpack basket and show you the delicate technique of plucking tea leaves with just three fingers. It’s harder than it looks! Then, you’ll watch as their impressive hauls are weighed and trucked to the factory for processing. Tours can be arranged with the Rwanda Development Board.

Mountain gorillas aren’t the only conserved animals in Rwanda. Inyambo, a special breed of sacred cows with long horns as large as elephant tusks, watch a dedicated staff of singers croon them into a tranquil state near the King’s Palace Museum throughout the day. Inyambo cows served an important role during royal ceremonies until Rwanda ended its monarchy in 1961.

However, the Rwanda Agriculture Board still carries on the tradition of breeding and grooming the Inyambo cows today. Visit the King’s Palace Museum in the Nyanza District to watch the beautiful singers use music to keep the Inyambo cows calm. This experience is one of the only rituals in Rwanda that tourists shouldn’t miss.

The best time to go to Rwanda is in the dry months of June to September and December to March. These months are drier, which is an ideal period for trekking or tracking mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and chimpanzees with little or no mud, mostly on the steep paths. Although Rwanda features many seasons, they must be considered while planning an adventure safari.