Journey to Rwanda for one of Africa’s most powerful wildlife experiences — gorilla trekking in the lush Volcanoes National Park. Meet these remarkable primates up close as they go about their daily lives in mist-covered forests. Expert trackers and local guides lead you through pristine rainforest for unforgettable encounters with entire gorilla families. Afterwards, unwind at forest lodges with roaring fires and mountain views, or extend your adventure to Nyungwe, Kenya, Tanzania or the Indian Ocean.
Travel to Rwanda for gorilla trekking – one of Africa’s most memorable wildlife encounters. Habituated to our presence, these gentle giants allow us to join their family for an hour in an unspoiled jungle habitat. You’ll sit spellbound as you watch familiar dynamics unfold around you – shy but curious babies; wrestling, mischievous teenagers and watchful, patient parents.
Rwanda offers what is regarded as the easiest, most accessible and the most reliable gorilla trekking in Africa. You fly into the capital Kigali and usually overnight in the city before travelling to the nearby Volcanoes National Park the next day. A protected swathe of pristine rainforest, the park was bought to the world’s attention by the late primatologist Dian Fossey of ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ fame and is home to several gorilla families as well as a wealth of other wildlife – smaller primates, dazzling butterflies and exotic birds.
Expert trackers are sent ahead of your hiking party and you’ll be guided by local naturalists for near certain encounters with gorillas. And after gorilla trekking there are other activities and discoveries too; you could search for the rare golden monkey, hike a volcano or visit a local village for an insight into local culture and customs.
Accommodation takes the form of specialist trekking camps and lodges set in forest clearings with panoramic views and all the comfort and en suite convenience you need. Trekkers are rewarded at the end of a damp and muddy day with roaring log fires and hot baths in their suites while hearty meals bubble away in the camp’s kitchen.
The experience needs at least three days and so most visitors who travel to Rwanda for gorilla trekking do so as part of a larger itinerary. Stay within the country and you have access to Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking adventures or you could combine gorilla trekking with a big game safari in Kenya or Tanzania. Easy air connections put East Africa’s best destinations together and you can even include South Africa, Victoria Falls or Botswana onto your Rwanda travel plans – ask us how.
A Rwanda gorilla safari is available as a stand-alone experience, and we have 4-day trekking itineraries for those who are short on time. These tours fly in and out of the capital Kigali and provide everything you need for your gorilla trekking experience in the Volcanoes National Park – including a 90% success rate at finding the gentle giants in their rainforest home.
But despite its small size, Rwanda is a surprisingly diverse country and home to several national parks and wildlife reserves. A gorilla safari can be combined with a chimpanzee tracking experience in the wonderful Nyungwe Forest, for example, or perhaps a couple of nights by magical Lake Kivuor in Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s up-and-coming savannah reserve.
Thanks to its international airport and well-practiced travel connections, Rwanda can easily be included in a larger African itinerary. You can double your gorilla experience by popping over the border into Uganda to trek for the gorillas of the legendary Bwindi Forest or expand your wildlife experience in a different direction by combining Rwanda with safari giant Tanzania and its iconic destinations such as the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Ask us about getting the timing right and it’s possible to see gorillas, the great wildebeest migration and the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) on one single itinerary.
And if you’d like to combine your Rwanda gorilla safari with something a little more relaxing, then consider a tour with an Indian Ocean beach resort on the itinerary. The island of Zanzibar, home to white-sand beaches and waving palm trees as well as spice plantations and fascinating Stone Town, the island’s historical capital, works well with Rwanda and is especially popular with families and honeymooners.
Browse of recommended Rwanda itinerary ideas below or simply contact us at Safari Online with your requirements and we’ll tailor-make your itinerary.
For most visitors, the question of when to go to Rwanda is usually better phrased as when to go for gorilla trekking. And that’s easy: the best time to go to Rwanda for gorilla trekking is during its two dry seasons: the first from mid-December to early February and the second from early June to late September. You’ll enjoy the easiest hiking conditions, the best gorilla sightings and the lowest malaria risk.
And if you are planning when to go to Rwanda for a gorilla trek that also includes other great experiences in Africa, then Rwanda’s two dry seasons combine well with some of the continent’s best holiday destination sat their peak.
The December to February trekking season coincides with the Serengeti wildebeest migration and its all-action birthing season as well as Africa’s favourite city, Cape Town, sitting under sunny summer skies.
Meanwhile, the June to September trekking season is when the wildebeest migration crosses crocodile-filled rivers between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara and also sees southern African destinations – the Kruger Park, Botswana, Victoria Falls and Namibia – at their best for safaris: it’s the driest time, the coolest weather, the easiest game viewing and the lowest malaria risk.
Rwanda has a warm and humid climate as you’d expect in an equatorial setting but thanks to high elevations, temperatures in the rainforest might be lower than you think. There’s not much difference in daily temperatures throughout the year – monthly averages are in the mid to late 20s Celsius (late 70s to early 80s Fahrenheit) – and it’s best to be forewarned that gorilla trekking destinations are often cold and wet.
Travellers to Rwanda can expect rain at any time of year but there are two distinct rainy seasons: the ‘long’, heavy rains of March, April and May and the ‘short’ rains of October and November. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is not particularly recommended at these times as the rains can be heavy and the gorillas harder to find. Travel to Rwanda during its wettest months – April and November – can present challenges; trekking through the jungle is extremely difficult and there may be weather-induced delays in flights or road transfers.
Note that although the most comfortable time to go chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest is during Rwanda’s dry seasons, food is often scarce at these times and the chimpanzees forage deeper in the forest. The chimp families are generally easier to find during the wetter months when food is more abundant. Bird watchers will find birding in Rwanda excellent all year round but especially in the October to April summer months when migrant species are present.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
You can travel to Rwanda for gorilla trekking as a single experience but this is a country usually experienced in combination with other destinations in Africa. Thanks to a smooth-running network of air connections, Rwanda’s gorilla trekking combines with big game safaris in Kenya and Tanzania or head south for Botswana, the Kruger Park, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. Tick off the Big 5, marvel at the great wildebeest migration and toast the setting sun from the top of Table Mountain – all possible combinations with your gorilla trek.
We have a wide range of tours that combine Rwanda with Africa’s best destinations and appeal to all types of traveller from honeymooners to families. Browse our most popular destination combinations below and visit our Itinerary Ideas page for inspiration or simply contact us with the destinations of your choice and we will tailor-make an itinerary for you.
