The 1 day Rwanda gorilla tour is best done when a visitor spends a night in Rwanda before the day of trekking. The exercise starts very early in the morning, kicking off with briefing at the park headquarters. You will leave your hotel in Kigali at 4:30 am, for a 2-hour picturesque drive to Volcanoes National Park in the northwest of Rwanda. On arrival, you will have your breakfast before proceeding to the park headquarters at Kinigi for the briefing by the park warden.
At 8:30am the tour guide will transfer you to the starting point of the gorilla trek. The gorilla groups are allocated to the guests for tracking at random except when there are some exceptional factors to consider like age. Usually trackers who are advanced in age are allocated a gorilla family considered to be not far away from the starting point. However, our experienced guides have over time mastered the movement of the gorillas as well as having a good relationship with the park wardens. They normally talk to them before time and express the clients' interests and ability to forge a way for a successful gorilla trekking encounter.
The trek may last from 1-6 hours depending on the movement of gorillas. Travellers are advised to disclose their trekking abilities to park wardens and guides so they can be allocated the suitable gorilla family. However, be rest assured that you are guaranteed to meet a gorilla family in the park on your 1 day Rwanda gorilla tour at all costs.
What to expect on your 1 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour
Located in the northwest of Kigali in Musanze district, Volcanoes National park is Rwanda's home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The park shelters the highest number of mountain gorillas of all the 3 parks in the Virunga Mountains. The other two parks are; Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
10 gorilla families have been habituated in Volcanoes park and are visited by trekkers everyday. These are Hirwa, Agashya, Umubano, Susa A, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Kwitonda, Amahoro and Titus gorilla family. Each gorilla family is visited by a group of eight people everyday. Visitors are permitted to spend one hour in the presence of gorillas according to gorilla trekking guidelines.
What else to do and see in Volcanoes national park
Besides gorilla trekking, visitors can enjoy a variety of other experiences in Volcanoes national park. These include bird watching, golden monkey trekking, nature walks, community tours, volcano hiking (Mt Karisimbi & Bisoke) as well as hiking to Dian Fossey tomb. Trekkers can also make a brief tour to Musanze caves.
On return, your driver will transfer you back to Kigali for drop off at your hotel or at the airport for a scheduled flight back home.
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