By interest · 5 days
Gorillas and volcanoes
Built around the hour that costs 1,500 dollars, and everything worth doing in the Virungas on either side of it.
Length
5 days
Destinations
4 stops
From
$1,906 per person
Best for
Anyone whose trip exists because of the gorillas.
01 — The route
Where this trip actually goes
- 1
Kigali
One night on arrival — the permit paperwork and a good dinner.
- 2
Kinigi
Park headquarters and the trekking base.
- 3
Volcanoes National Park
Twelve habituated gorilla families, golden monkeys, Bisoke and Karisimbi.
- 4
Dian Fossey trail
The tomb at Karisoke, and the reason any of this survived.
The route on the map
Numbered pins follow the order of the route above.
Map of the Gorillas and volcanoes route
The interactive Google Map loads on the live site.
02 — Highlights
What you will remember
One hour with a habituated gorilla family
Golden monkey tracking on the second morning
The Dian Fossey memorial hike through the saddle forest
The Gorilla Guardians village, run by former poachers
03 — Day by day
5 days, priced honestly
Every figure below is per person and covers the room, the food, local transport, the intercity leg and any fixed fee that day. Switch the travel style to reprice the whole route.
Trip total, per person
$2,450
about $490 a day · mid-range
Comfortable en-suite room, a mix of local and tourist restaurants, occasional private transfer.
Day 1
Arrive Kigali
Muhanga (Gitarama) · Southern province
Transfer, permit confirmation, an early dinner.
Day cost
$83
- Room, food, local transport
- $81
- Intercity leg
- $1.5
- Airport → Kigali · 1,300–2,200 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Muhanga
Prices for Muhanga: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 2
To the volcanoes
Musanze (Ruhengeri) · Northern province
Drive north, settle near Kinigi, kit check and an early night.
Day cost
$174
- Room, food, local transport
- $172
- Intercity leg
- $2.4
- Kigali → Musanze · 2,400–3,500 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Musanze
Prices for Musanze: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 3
Gorilla trek
Musanze (Ruhengeri) · Northern province
05:30 departure, briefing at 07:00, the trek, one hour with the family, afternoon rest.
Day cost
$1,672
- Room, food, local transport
- $172
- Intercity leg
- —
- Permits and fees
- $1,500
- Gorilla permit
- Sleeping in
- Musanze
Prices for Musanze: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 4
Golden monkeys and Fossey
Musanze (Ruhengeri) · Northern province
Bamboo tracking at dawn, the Karisoke memorial hike after lunch.
Day cost
$347
- Room, food, local transport
- $172
- Intercity leg
- —
- Permits and fees
- $175
- Golden monkey and Fossey hike
- Sleeping in
- Musanze
Prices for Musanze: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 5
Back to Kigali
Musanze (Ruhengeri) · Northern province
Coffee in Musanze, midday drive south, evening flight.
Day cost
$174
- Room, food, local transport
- $172
- Intercity leg
- $2.4
- Musanze → Kigali · 2,400–3,500 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Musanze
Prices for Musanze: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Per person, priced in USD. Using a recent fallback exchange rate. Coach fares follow the current RURA intercity tariff.
04 — The big line items
What the day totals leave out
Park permits and vehicle hire are the two costs that decide a Rwandan budget. They are listed separately so you can add only the ones you will actually buy.
05 — Practical desk
When to go, and how to move
Best time to travel
June to September and December to February. Permits for those months go months in advance.
Getting around
A private vehicle for the trek days — public transport does not run at 05:30.
Know before you book
- ·Permits are per person, per trek, and non-refundable in most cases.
- ·Minimum age is 15 and a hire porter costs about 20 dollars, well spent.
- ·Gaiters, gloves and a waterproof are worth more than a good camera.
06 — Quick answers
Before you commit
How hard is the trek?
Anything from ninety minutes to seven hours at altitude on steep, wet ground. Groups are allocated by fitness where possible.
When should I book the permit?
As soon as dates are fixed. High-season permits sell out six to twelve months ahead.
Other Rwanda trips
Northern route · 4 days
Volcanoes and Twin Lakes
First-time visitors who want mountains without a long drive.
Western route · 6 days
The Kivu Belt
Travellers with a week and a taste for long, spectacular drives.
Southern route · 3 days
Southern heritage run
Students, researchers and anyone here for the history.
Get Gorillas and volcanoes quoted properly
Send your dates and travel style and we’ll pass this route to licensed Rwandan operators for a real quote on permits, transfers and rooms.