This 5 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Karisimbi Hike takes you to hike Mount Karisimbi and to track gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
Day 1: Transfer to Ruhengeri – Volcanoes National Park
You will be picked up from your hotel in Kigali and embark on a city tour visiting Kimironko market and the genocide memorial site.
Have lunch at the historical Hôtel des Mille Collines – famous for the movie (Hotel Rwanda) and transfer to Ruhengeri – the nearest place to Volcanoes National Park found in the northern province of Rwanda arriving in the evening. Dinner and overnight at Virunga Lodge
Day 2: Mt. Karisimbi Hiking
Have breakfast, go for a briefing at the park headquarters, and drive to the starting point where you will begin the hike. You will trek through Bisoke and navigate your way up to Karisimbi. On a lucky day, you might even encounter the Gorillas on your hike but that’s nothing to consider at all because it is a very rare occurrence. You will overnight on the mountain close to the peak.
Day 3: Descend and Back to the Lodge.
On this day, you will ascent to the top of Karisimbi 4705m and descend back to the starting point where you will find your driver/guide waiting and transfer you back to the lodge where you will relax and enjoy the evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight at Virunga Lodge
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking – Volcanoes National Park
You will enjoy an early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch and bottled drinking water for a briefing by the park ranger guides at 7:00 am. After the briefing, you will start your gorilla trekking journey accompanied by the ranger guides in search of the mountain gorillas; this takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas.
However, the guides will try to find them from where they were last seen the previous day! You will spend 1 hour with these gentle giants and later return to your lodge to refresh and visit Iby’iwachu cultural village in the evening to experience the Rwandese culture. Dinner and overnight stay at Virunga Lodge as above.
Day 5: Transfer to Kigali & Departure.
Enjoy breakfast at leisure and embark on the drive back to Kigali arriving in the afternoon. Drop off at the airport for your onward flight.