Home to the world’s last mountain gorillas, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park offers the easiest and safest gorilla trekking in Africa. Expert trackers lead you through misty forests to meet a habituated gorilla family. Stay in luxury rainforest lodges offering massages, forest walks, and cultural visits. Just a short drive from Kigali, a Volcanoes safari pairs perfectly with Tanzania’s big game or Kenya’s beaches for the ultimate African adventure.
Home to the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas, the Virunga Volcanoes are shared between the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda but it is in the forests of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park that you find the easiest, safest and most reliable gorilla trekking.
A Volcanoes gorilla safari is both rewarding and accessible. Expert trackers go ahead of you to locate the gorillas while local guides share their wealth of information with you as you hike through the forest. The success rate of finding a habituated gorilla family is 95%, and you spend a precious, privileged hour in their company, observing familiar patterns of behaviour as family members socialise, play and argue with one other.
It’s relatively easy to go gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park too. You fly into the capital Kigali and since the park is only about 100 kilometres (60 miles) away, you can either transfer there directly or spend a pleasant night in Africa’s cleanest – and by all accounts – safest capital city before travelling to the park for your gorilla safari the following day.
There are several lodges set around the Volcanoes National Park, obviously focused on gorilla safaris but also designed to deliver a more holistic experience in the rainforest. They offer guided walks through the forest to search for other primates and small mammals as well as birds and butterflies. You can visit local communities to experience the human perspective of the environment, or explore under your own steam by mountain bike or on a hiking trail.
Back at your lodge there is plenty of comfort after a day in the rainforest. Our top Volcanoes gorilla lodges include a post-trek massage as part of the service and your suite comes with a deep bath and fireplace. There are honeymoon-perfect suites as well as larger family units, and you’ll sit down to hearty home-cooked meals to the sounds of Rwandan traditional song and dance.
And a Volcanoes gorilla safari works well with other African safari and beach destinations. Kigali connects to the continent’s major travel hubs such as Nairobi and Johannesburg so you can combine your gorilla trek with, for example, a big game safari in Tanzania or a beach holiday in Kenya. Browse our recommended Itinerary Ideas or simply contact us with your requirements and we’ll recommend an itinerary or will tailor-make one for you.
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.
Volcanoes National Park gorilla lodges provide travellers with specialised accommodation from which to go trekking and gain a deeper understanding of the rainforest environment. Above all, however, our recommended gorilla-trekking lodges are just what you need at the end of a day in the jungle.
Despite its equatorial location, the Volcanoes National Park sits at altitude and the climate is often cold and wet. Needless to say, trekking in mountainous rainforest can be a tiring and muddy business but with our choices of gorilla lodges you’ll be returning to a homely stone or timber chalet with a hot bath and blazing logs in the fireplace. Our top Volcanoes National Park gorilla lodges even provide a free boot cleaning service and massage after the trek, and you’ll find a hot-water bottle tucked up in your bed at night.
The lodges are set at various distances from the entrance to the Volcanoes National Park but have wonderful locations on hillsides with stunning views over the Virunga Mountains. There will be several public areas – a lounge and dining room plus bar and outdoor terraces – and infrastructure is good, right down to the complimentary Wi-Fi. All accommodation has an en suite bathroom and our top lodges are happy to serve dinner in your room if you’d like a bit of privacy.
A gorilla trek is usually the main focus of your stay at a Volcanoes lodge but there are plenty of opportunities to discover more. Our recommended accommodation can arrange mountain bike trips and hikes as well as easier walks to local villages and markets. Bird watchers might want to hire a birding guide and there are opportunities to watch traditional song and dance as well as participate and contribute to local community projects.
Larger family chalets are available but families should note that their children have to be 15 or older to go gorilla trekking. Consequently, Volcanoes National Park lodges do not generally cater for, or indeed accept, younger children – especially during the peak trekking seasons.
Browse our recommended Volcanoes National Park gorilla lodges below or simply contact us and we will match an accommodation with your requirements.
Discover the perfect blend of comfort and nature at the foot of the Virunga mountains. Our eco-friendly retreat offers a peaceful escape, surrounded by lush gardens and Rwandan charm ideal for guests looking to relax, reconnect, and explore the wonders of Volcanoes National Park.
Sambora Kinigi Lodge is one of the luxury lodges within the Volcanoes National Park. For an intimate and life changing safari experience, you should book your stay at this beautiful lodge that overlooks the Virunga Volcanoes of Rwanda.
The Bishop's House location in the rich quiet suburbs of Musanze places makes the house the ideal location for travelers wanting to explore the Volcanoes National Park, the Musanze Caves and all the other attractions that make the area a busy tourist hub.
The lodge is only minutes away from the headquarters of the Parc National des Volcans from where clients trek on foot to see the magnificent Mountain Gorilla – perhaps one of the most dramatic, thrilling and poignant wildlife experiences possible.
Named after a mighty but gentle silverback gorilla, Kwitonda Lodge combines with Singita’s Serengeti properties to deliver gorilla trekking as well as a classic safari. Set just outside the park, the lodge has 7 luxurious suites & both a 2 & 4-bedroom villa.
With its 6 opulent villas tucked away just outside the park, Bisate is a small & intimate lodge, perfect for honeymooners & discerning travellers. Part of an extensive portfolio, Bisate nicely combines with Wilderness lodges in – for example - Botswana or Kenya.
A stunning hill-top setting with vast views & easy access to prime gorilla trekking country has made this 8-chalet lodge one of our most popular choices. You can treat yourself to a massage after your trek, hike for golden monkeys or visit local villages.
This exclusive-use home features two heated plunge pools, in- and outdoor fireplaces, and large timber-framed windows ensure a guest experience unlike any other. You can appreciate transformative encounters with the ‘gentle giants of the forest’.
A Volcanoes National Park gorilla safari can be enjoyed as a stand-alone experience but it is usually part of a larger itinerary in Africa. Our multi-destination itinerary ideas are tried and trusted tours that bring together some of the best destinations on the continent.
You could keep it local and explore other parts of Rwanda where you’ll find savannah reserves and deep, tranquil lakes surrounded by mountains. We recommend a Rwanda itinerary that includes Nyungwe Forest, the oldest mountain rainforest in Africa and home to lodges that specialise in tracking forest’s many primates, including large troops of chimpanzees. Or why not double your gorilla experience by choosing an itinerary with a gorilla trek in both Rwanda and neighbouring Uganda?
A popular combination with a Volcanoes gorilla trek is a big game safari. Tanzania and Kenya are very accessible from Rwanda by air and offer some of Africa’s best wildlife viewing: the Serengeti and Masai Mara are home to the wildebeest migration and Rwanda’s two gorilla trekking seasons coincide with the migration’s most dramatic chapters – the birthing and river-crossing seasons. Learn more about when to go to the Volcanoes National Park here.
Other iconic safari destinations are on our itineraries: you can combine your Volcanoes National Park gorilla safari with Big 5 viewing in the Ngorongoro Crater, or head south and marvel at Victoria Falls and the elephants of Botswana’s Chobe River. And if you’d like to feel the sand between your toes, then the island of Zanzibar is easy to combine with your gorilla trek and has accommodation ranging from dive resorts to honeymoon hideaways.
Accommodation will be of similar quality on your tour and you’ll have a private bathroom and a suite with a view throughout. The package includes your local logistics and meals while on tour plus activities and various experiences. Distances are mostly covered by air travel though there may be some road transfers and certainly some driving to reach your lodge or safari camp.
Browse our itinerary ideas below for inspiration or simply contact us with an idea of what you’d like to experience and we will create an itinerary for you.
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!
With international flights in and out of Kigali, it is possible to travel to the Volcanoes National Park and go gorilla trekking as a single experience. But since you have already made the long journey to Africa, this would be the perfect opportunity to see more of the continent.
Volcanoes gorilla trekking combines with all our classic African destinations for an itinerary that not only takes in gorillas in their rainforest home but perhaps also the great wildebeest migration on the plains of the Serengeti. It is also easy to add on a beach holiday too – the island of Zanzibar is close at hand – and if you add on a couple more hours by air, you have the Southern African tableau before you – Victoria Falls, the Kruger and Cape Town are among the favourites.
Smooth-running logistics and air travel makes sure it all works and we have a wide range of tours that combine the Volcanoes National Park with Africa’s best destinations. Visit our Itinerary Ideas page for inspiration or simply contact us with your ideas and we will tailor-make an itinerary for you.
