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Rwanda Gorilla Trekking: A Day Tour in Volcanoes National Park
5.0
63 Ratings
Kigali
Embark on a thrilling gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Book a luxury safari with certified guides for a 99% chance of gorilla sightings. Unforgettable experiences await!
Embark on a thrilling gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Book a luxury safari with certified guides for a 99% chance of gorilla sightings. Unforgettable experiences await!
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Gorilla Trekking with Volcanoes Safaris - Begin the day early with a drive to the volcanoes, approximately a 3-hour journey. Experience the breathtaking landscape of the northern province, characterized by its rolling hills, as you head to the park. This area is known for its open grasslands, bamboo forests, and swamps. Historically, the Volcanoes…
- Gorilla Trekking with Volcanoes Safaris - Begin the day early with a drive to the volcanoes, approximately a 3-hour journey. Experience the breathtaking landscape of the northern province, characterized by its rolling hills, as you head to the park. This area is known for its open grasslands, bamboo forests, and swamps. Historically, the Volcanoes National Park extended into parts of the Virunga National Park in DR Congo. It is located in one of Africa’s most mountainous regions, featuring five volcanoes: Karisimbi, Sabinyo, Bisoke, Muhavura, and Gahinga. Mount Karisimbi is the tallest, standing at 4,507 meters. The park is adjacent to Virunga National Park in DR Congo, Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, forming a large protected area known as the Volcanoes Ecosystem. With approximately 360 mountain gorillas left in the world, this park offers a unique opportunity to see half of these magnificent creatures in one location.
- Volcanoes National Park - At 4:30 am, the safari driver guide will pick you up for a 2.5-hour drive to Volcanoes National Park in Ruhengeri, home to the endangered mountain gorillas. At 7:30 am, you will arrive at the park’s headquarters in Kinigi Village for a briefing by the ranger on the rules and regulations of gorilla tracking before venturing into the jungle. The trek can last between 2 to 5 hours, depending on the gorilla family’s location, with a maximum of eight visitors allowed per family. Once you reach the gorillas, you can observe them for one hour. The minimum age for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is 15 years.
- Ruhengeri - According to those who have experienced gorilla trekking, there is an opportunity to visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village to learn more about Rwandan culture, including traditional medicine, dances, weddings, and handicrafts shopping.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Meals with locals and drinks
- Professional driver-guide
- Pick up and drop off anywhere in Kigali
- Private transportation
- Meals with locals and drinks
- Professional driver-guide
- Pick up and drop off anywhere in Kigali
What's Not Included
- Gorilla Permit: Mandatory, Share Passport copy(s) for assistance.
- Tips to the guide and park rangers.
- Anything not explicitly mentioned.
- Gorilla Permit: Mandatory, Share Passport copy(s) for assistance.
- Tips to the guide and park rangers.
- Anything not explicitly mentioned.
Additional Information
Are you considering booking a gorilla safari in Rwanda? That’s a fantastic choice! With firsthand experience, we can confidently say it’s truly worthwhile. Opting for gorilla trekking in Rwanda, we excel in crafting bespoke group and private gorilla trekking tours to Volcanoes National Park. As specialists in luxury safaris in Rwanda, we are proud of…
Are you considering booking a gorilla safari in Rwanda? That’s a fantastic choice! With firsthand experience, we can confidently say it’s truly worthwhile. Opting for gorilla trekking in Rwanda, we excel in crafting bespoke group and private gorilla trekking tours to Volcanoes National Park. As specialists in luxury safaris in Rwanda, we are proud of our certified safari guides, who are members of the Rwanda Safari Guides Association. With our expertise and meticulous attention to detail, we offer a 99% chance of gorilla sightings when you book your gorilla safari with us. Dive into the enchanting world of these majestic creatures, observing them in their natural environment. Our custom-designed tours promise an unforgettable experience, blending comfort, adventure, and expert guidance. Prepare for a journey of a lifetime, where you’ll create treasured memories and gain a profound appreciation for Rwanda’s remarkable biodiversity.
Location
Universal Ventures Rwanda (Tour Operator)
KK 15 Road
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(63 Ratings)
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Tmisaacs
Feb 15, 2026
One day mountain gorilla hike from Kigali 4:30am to 4-5 ish pm - Life long memory involved being picked up by private driver 3 hour drive from Kigali to Volcanos Park.
Hiking times vary depending on where the gorillas were. For us it was 1hr 45 min there and same back.
We’re both around 60 and found the trek manageable, went up only 400ft or so but very muddy with guide hacking bamboo ahead is. We were given sticks (essential regardless of age). Why wife used a porter for $20 who carried her rucksack and held her hand saving here from slipping in the mud a couple of times. I managed without but got a shoe stuck in the mud - no big deal but messy.
You can rent “goloshers” to stop mud going between your shoes and trousers for $5. Hire raincoat for $10. We were lucky with the rain but it always seems 50/50. Sturdy sneakers/trainers are adequate although the rangers ware wellys.
The gorillas were amazing. The lead ranger murmurs gorilla talk to the alpha male silverback - almost like asking is permission to visit (but in reality checking that he is in a good mood - from his murmured response.
We got very close (see photos) but were always instructed how to remain safe and what not to do. It was breathtaking.
Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew
Jan 16, 2026
Great time with the gorillas! - Great tour company and incredible trek. Nzirorera was great to work with. The company kept me up to date; really nice to be able to purchase the park permit before I even left. The rangers, trackers, and porters help make the trip fun. Really amazing to get to spend so much time with the gorillas: great to watch the family relax and play together. Kind and friendly people from start to finish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaushik
Dec 20, 2025
Memorable trip to see the gorillas! - Really enjoyed this trip to Volcanoes national park. Uviversal Ventures arranged it perfectly well. The driver was very punctual and friendly. He did an excellent job not only as a driver but also as a guide by providing useful information about visiting the park, etc.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolinelc7557dc
Dec 11, 2025
A wonderful experience! - We had a really great 1 day trekking tour with Universal Ventures Rwanda. Everything was beautifully organized, with great attention to small details. Our driver, Christian, truly went above and beyond to make sure that we had an amazing experience thanks to his professionalism and kindness. He carefully answered every question, and was sure to point out spots of interest. We are so thankful!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunshine10256644490
Dec 11, 2025
Amazing experiences, the company you need to book with! - Cannot recommend this company enough! 20/10 would recommend both for solo and couple/friend travels. We actually did three different activities with them: Gorilla trekking 1 day, Kigali tour and 2night/3d in Lake Kivu. It was super professional, safe, beyond reliable and so well organized. First of all, our guide Christian (ask for him!) was incredible. Super professional, knowledgeable and great ressources provided. He really made sure we had the best experience. Suggested experiences along the way and made sure we got to them even though they were not included in the initial itinerary and did not even blink at the idea of prolonging his long day just for our benefit. He was also the nicest human being. One of us got sick and he simply brought us back to the hotel for her to rest and continued the itinerary with the rest of the group. He also helped us run errands even though he absolutely did not have to. He is also super punctual and really just cares about the guests. Super nice guy and really goes above and beyond. Also takes the best pictures and knows the best spots for your feed 😄 Second, Emmanuel (company owner) was the most responsive and helpful person we have ever interacted with. Super thorough and present. Third, the vehicles were in excellent conditions and water was always available. Lastly, the vendors/companies they work with are amazing. The boat tours in Kibuye (ask to go with Fabrice!), the hotel on Lake Kivu, all amazing! They truly are a gem of a company :) would definitely rebook with them without hesitations!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Explore33819828281
Dec 7, 2025
Awesome - Outstanding experience !
My guide Shadady went above and beyond paying attention to all my needs.Highly recommended !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Edmotion
Dec 5, 2025
Nzirorera was just chill - The Rwanda admissions fee of US$1500 is excessive for the experience. But the tour guide company’s service was easy and just fine. My guide and driver was Nzirorera Shadady who was extremely chill and helpful and conversational guy who gave me insights into many things about his country. My sneakers was fully submerged in deep mud during the walk and he got someone from the town nearby to clean my shoe completely while we had lunch after the experience. The gorillas? Akin to meeting them in a zoo. Except that here we had to trek 4-5 km. Something to be done once in our lives, I guess although I met Americans who were paying the $1500 per person for five days in a row. Even the locals were impressed by such extravagance.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amyck9810am
Nov 28, 2025
Smooth and great experience for gorilla trekking - I booked my trip from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park with Universal Travel at the very last minute, and the entire experience was incredibly smooth and well-organized. I already purchased my permit but neglected transportation until the day before. Really appreciate them for accommodating us!
Seeing the gorillas was absolutely unforgettable. Christian, our driver and guide, picked us up directly from our hotel in Kigali and made sure we were comfortable, informed, and perfectly on time for every key moment of the trek. The drive itself can be intense, so we were especially grateful for his skill, calmness, and guidance throughout the journey.
Overall, a fantastic experience. Highly recommend Universal Travel and Christian for anyone planning a gorilla trek in Rwanda.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gilberto
Nov 27, 2025
Experience BEYOND AMAZING! A must do in Rwanda - I booked a one-day tour from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking, and it was absolutely exceptional from start to finish. The company handled everything with professionalism — including arranging all the official trekking logistics directly with the national park — which made the whole experience completely stress-free.
My guide, Christian, was outstanding. He picked me up exactly on time in a new, clean, and very comfortable car, which immediately set the tone for a great day. Throughout the entire journey, he made sure I was comfortable, informed, and fully prepared for the trek ahead.
Christian stayed with me through every step of the process, from check-in to the briefing area to the trailhead, always making sure I was ok. It felt like exploring with someone truly invested in making sure I had the best possible day.
The gorilla trekking itself was unforgettable, but the quality of service is what made the day seamless and memorable.
Highly, highly recommended for anyone considering a day trip from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park. I would absolutely book with this company again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shayne
Nov 22, 2025
Extraordinary experience - I had the pleasure of exploring Rwanda with Christian as my guide, and he was exceptional from start to finish. He’s the kind of guide who instantly makes you feel at ease — professional, attentive, and genuinely passionate about sharing his country’s culture, wildlife, and history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
