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Volcanoes National Park

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Volcanoes National Park

Go Gorilla Trekking & More

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 or Zanzibar. 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.

Volcanoes National Park on the map

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TOP EXPERIENCES

A COMPLETE RAINFOREST EXPERIENCE

1. Go Gorilla Trekking

It’s one of the world’s biggest & most exclusive wildlife experiences & since there are no more than a thousand or so mountain gorillas left in the wild, your gorilla trek directly contributes to their continued survival in the Volcanoes National Park.

2. Search For The Primates

Take some time to walk the jungle trails with a sharp-eyed guide & you’ll see other primates in the rainforest too, perhaps including the rare golden monkey, at home in the bamboo forests at the base of the volcanoes.

3. Visit a Local Village

Meeting the locals gives you a chance to find out a little more about life in the equatorial rainforests. Guided tours to local communities enable you to meet & interact with ordinary Rwandans as well as to contribute to economic projects and conservation programmes.

4. Hike or Bike

Our recommended accommodations also provide the base for you to explore by mountain bike or on a hiking trail. There are short trails bursting with bio-diversity while more experienced hikers could walk to Dian Fossey’s old ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ research camp & her final resting place.

5. Go Birdwatching

With around 200 bird species on record, the Volcanoes National Park is a rewarding bird watching destination, not least for birders keen to see a few Albertine Rift endemics, of which 13 occur in the park. There’s easy birding around the lodge but take a guide into the forest for the more elusive ones.

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Reviews

Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)
An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)
Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.

Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)
Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena