Welcome meet up and greeting, later transfer to your hotel for relaxation and night.
After breakfast, your day starts with a tour of Kigali city. Named in 1907 by Dr. Richard Kandt, the first colonial resident governor of Rwanda; Kigali city is surrounded by lush hills of green and is referred to as the land of a thousand hills. Get to visit interesting spots that may include; The old Kigali, The old parliament, Kigali genocide memorial site. For this experience, it is extremely moving, challenging, educational and ultimately inspiring. The tour is very transparent and educational but very somber and humbling when you realize that over 25,000 deceased are buried on the site of the memorial. Guaranteed you will feel every emotion during this visit. You will proceed to see the new Kigali,
Lunch at a local restaurant and later in the afternoon transfer for a 2.5 hours scenic drive with stunning views of the Land of a Thousand Hills. Arriving at your lodge, check in, freshen up and relax with the Hotel facilities.
Activity Note: Today’s mountain gorilla trek typically involves two to four hours of walking through thick brush over steep, rugged terrain at elevations ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 feet—and can include exposure to stinging nettles and fire ants. As overexposure to humans is harmful to mountain gorillas, contact is limited to one hour—and there is the possibility that they may become agitated and retreat back into the bush in less than our allotted time. Any travelers showing signs of obvious illness may be refused entrance by park authorities.
At about 6:00am, we take a drive of about 30 minutes to the National Park headquarters to meet your guides for the day. After completing our park formalities, you will head on a once in a life time experience of tracking mountain gorillas.
Once you spot them you are allowed to spend an hour watching your closest long lost cousin. This is perhaps one of the most breath-taking experiences on earth!!! You get so close to these awesome giant primates. You stare at each other blankly not knowing who to break the long silence first. Tracking the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga is a magical experience. These massive primates are extremely rare, with less than 1000 living today. You will get within meters of the family, and be privileged to spend an hour amongst them.
The trekking may be fairly strenuous; up to 3 hours or longer at a relatively high altitude. It is important to bring good hiking boots, long trousers, gloves for protection against stinging nettles, some snacks & sweets (for you, not the gorillas) as well as sufficient water as the rain forest gets hot and humid during the day. You will spend one hour with the gorillas, but it is an hour you will never forget. Depending on the length of our trek, groups will return to our lodge for freshen up and lunch. Later transfer to lake Kivu arriving late afternoon for dinner and overnight.
This day is pent in Kivu, optional boat cruise or relax on the shore of this beautiful lake.
Today, depending on your departure timings, we go on last minute shopping as we transfer to Kigali for your onward journey.
- Transport in a comfortable 4 x4 safari car
- Accommodation on Bed/Breakfast
- Return transfer from Kigali
- English speaking driver guide
- 4 x Gorilla trek permits in Rwanda per person
- Kigali city tour
- Kivu City tour
- Complementary bottled mineral water per day
- Tips / gratuities
- Additional extra activities
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