Mountain Gorillas in a Single Day
Gorilla permit US$1,500 pp · trip price quoted for your dates
Volcanoes National Park is only about two and a half hours from Kigali, which makes Rwanda the one place where you can see mountain gorillas and sleep in the capital the same night. It is a long day, starting before dawn, but it works well for travellers in Kigali for work or with only one free day.
Your driver-guide collects you at about 4:00 am so you reach park headquarters at Kinigi for the 7:00 am briefing. After the trek and your hour with the gorillas, you have lunch near the park and drive back, arriving in Kigali in the evening. If you can spare one more night, our 2-day tour is far more relaxed.
Photo: The original uploader was OLI-ramses at German Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
Trip Highlights
One Hour with the Gorillas
Trek with rangers and trackers to a habituated gorilla family in the bamboo and forest of the Virunga volcanoes.
No Overnight Needed
Leave Kigali before dawn and be back at your hotel the same evening.
Permit Secured First
We confirm a gorilla permit for your exact date before you pay for anything else.
Your Permit Supports Conservation
Gorilla permit fees pay for ranger patrols and veterinary care, and a share of park revenue funds schools, clinics and water projects around the park. How permits work.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1Kigali – Volcanoes National Park – Kigali
Pick-up from your Kigali hotel at about 4:00 am with a packed breakfast. Drive north through the hills to park headquarters at Kinigi for the 7:00 am briefing, where rangers assign groups to gorilla families. Trek for anything from one to five hours, spend one hour with the gorillas, then walk back to the vehicle. After a late lunch at a lodge near the park, drive back to Kigali, arriving in the early evening.
What's Included
Included
- Gorilla permit (US$1,500 per person), booked in your name
- Packed breakfast and lunch at a lodge near the park
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof and an English-speaking driver-guide
- Airport or Kigali hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Accommodation at your chosen lodge level, with meals as listed each day
- Park entry fees for the activities named in the itinerary
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Help with permits, timings and pre-trip questions from our Kigali office
Not included
- Accommodation in Kigali
- International flights and your Rwanda visa
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended; it should cover medical evacuation)
- Porter fees on trek days and tips for guides, trackers and lodge staff
- Drinks at lodges, laundry and personal purchases
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
Physical Requirements
This is the most demanding way to see the gorillas: about five hours of driving plus the trek, which can take from one to five hours at altitude on steep, muddy slopes. Tell us if you would like a shorter trek and your guide will ask the rangers.
Request This Trip
Tell us when you would like to travel. We will check gorilla permit availability for your dates and send a quote within one working day. No obligation.
Why Travel with Us?
Rwanda specialists, based in Kigali
We plan Rwanda trips and Rwanda–Uganda combinations, so our advice on permits, lodges and timings is current and first-hand.
Permits checked before you pay
We confirm gorilla permit availability for your date before asking you to pay for it, then build the itinerary around the permit.
Private trips only
Your own vehicle and driver-guide, on your dates, at your pace — no shared minibuses and no fixed departures.
Honest advice on trek difficulty
Your guide talks to the rangers at the briefing so the gorilla family you visit suits your fitness as closely as possible.
Lodges chosen for location
We favour lodges close to the Kinigi park headquarters, so trek mornings start calmly rather than before dawn.
Conservation and community
Every permit funds park protection and community projects around Volcanoes National Park, and we work with local guides and porters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I really see the gorillas in one day from Kigali?
Yes. Volcanoes National Park is about two and a half hours from Kigali. You leave at around 4:00 am, join the 7:00 am briefing at Kinigi and are back in Kigali in the evening.
Is a one-day gorilla trek worth it?
It is worth it if one day is all you have. With a spare night, the 2-day tour avoids the 4:00 am start and lets you rest after the trek.
What should I bring on a one-day trek?
Waterproof hiking boots, a rain jacket, long trousers, gardening gloves for nettles, water and your passport, which rangers check against your permit.
