1-Day Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

A full-day gorilla encounter from Kigali

  • Duration1 day
  • LocationVolcanoes National Park
  • Minimum age15+
  • DifficultyModerate

Tour overview

About this journey

Embark on an unforgettable journey with a remarkable day at Volcano National Park. Upon arrival, immerse yourself in the captivating world of mountain gorillas with a comprehensive briefing at the park offices, followed by the allocation of gorilla groups and guides. Track the gorillas from their previous day’s location until you locate them.

Witness the intimate moments of their daily lives as they feed their young, climb trees, and bask in the serenity of their surroundings. cherishing the memories of an awe-inspiring encounter with the gentle giants of the forest.

Trip highlights

  • Early pick-up and scenic drive through the hills
  • Briefing at Kinigi park headquarters
  • One hour with a mountain gorilla family
  • Back in Kigali the same evening
Starts
Kigali International Airport
Ends
Kigali
Best time
All year · best June–September & December–February
Style
Private & tailor-made

Your route

  1. Kigali
  2. Volcanoes NP
  3. Kigali

Day by day

Detailed itinerary

  1. Day1

    Pick up very early in the morning, thereafter proceed to Volcano National Park in Musanze district. Head straight to the park offices for briefing about the gorillas and allocation of Gorilla groups and guides. Thereafter get into the tropical rain forest and search for the mountain gorillas starting from where they were the previous day until you find them.

    You will find them doing their daily chores of feeding their young ones, climbing trees and others just relaxing take your best photographs having switched off your flash. This whole exercise takes a maximum of 1 hour and then return to hotel/Lodge for Lunch, in the afternoon transfer to Kigali for your flight back home or at the Hotel.

    • Gorilla trekking
    • OvernightBack in Kigali
    • MealsBreakfast · Lunch
    • Travel≈ 2.5 hrs each way
  2. End of your Pride Adventure — with memories for life.

Drive times are approximate. Lodges are confirmed with you when you book, matched to your budget and availability.

Price details

What’s included

Included

  • Gorilla Permit
  • Accommodations
  • Transportation
  • Professional guide

Not included

  • International flights
  • Tips
  • Taxes
  • Insurance

Gallery

Photos from the trail

Before you go

Good to know

What to pack

  • Waterproof hiking boots with good grip
  • Light rain jacket (it can rain any time)
  • Long trousers and long-sleeved shirt
  • Gardening gloves for grabbing vegetation
  • Day pack, 2 litres of water and snacks
  • Camera without flash, and spare batteries
  • Passport (needed to collect permits)

Travel with confidence

  • Licensed and insured tours
  • Local driver-guides who know every trail
  • 24/7 on-ground support
  • Permits and lodges booked for you

Questions

Frequently asked

Can this itinerary be customised?

Yes. Every Pride Adventure trip is tailor-made. We can add or remove days, change the order, upgrade or downgrade lodges and add activities. Send us a request and we will send you a proposal.

Is the gorilla permit included?

Yes, the gorilla permit is included in this tour. Permits are limited each day, so book early, especially for June–September and December–February.

How fit do I need to be for gorilla trekking?

You should be able to walk for 1 to 6 hours on steep, muddy forest paths. Porters and walking sticks are available at the park and help you a lot. Minimum age is 15.

What is the best time to go?

The long dry season (June–September) and the short dry season (December–February) are the easiest for trekking and game drives. The green seasons are quieter, lush and good value.

How do I book?

Send us a request with your dates and group size. We reply within 24 hours with a quote. When you confirm, we book permits and lodges and send you a full travel pack.

Free quote

Request this tour

Tell us your dates and group. We will confirm availability and send you a tailored price within 24 hours.

No payment needed. We reply within 24 hours.

What travellers say

Traveller testimonials

4.9 from 7 verified reviews
Tripadvisor

Great day spotting 4 out of the big 5

Good tourguide, passionate about driving and telling us about the park and animals. Good vibes, can recommend! Thanks mr T

Sightsee05212738867 May 2025 · Verified
Tripadvisor

The realization of a dream, A Safari in East Africa.

I had the pleasure of going on three adventures in Akagera with Pride Adventure. Mansoor is a guide who has a passion and deep knowledge of Rwanda’s nature. He is extremely professional and also speaks French, English and Kinyarwanda. Having done other safaris, I must say that I really appreciated the sensitivity he had towards listening to our expectations and needs. I recommend Pride Arrive without any hesitation.

Nathalie April 2025 · Verified
Tripadvisor

The winning team!

We had the most amazing time with Pride Adventures! Mansour is incredibly knowledgeable at his work and knows the park inside and out. He was very welcoming and easy to talk - feeling like family after 2 days in the truck together. I highly recommend his service!

Brianna S March 2025 · Verified
Tripadvisor

Best tour in Ouganda

The experience was wonderful! We track gorillas and visit QE park! Driver, hotel, guide were a real pleasure. Cyprien was professionnal, very good guide, smooth, calm, always on time. I recommand Pride Adventure 100%

Dominique March 2025 · Verified
Tripadvisor

safari tour in Akagera national park

We had so much fun at Sarari. Driver were helpful and told us of animals. Car was safe and tidy. We saw different kinds of animals.

Sari K March 2025 · Verified
Tripadvisor

Recommendation for all

Good service, excellent driver, very easygoing atmosphere. Beatiful park and fantastic place to see elephants, lions and zeebras

Tuomas L March 2025 · Verified
Tripadvisor

Good service and great guide/driver

The guide picked us from the hotel and drove safely us to the Akagera Park. The guide explained what is going to happen there. In the Park our driver found all of the animals and we saw giraffes, elephants, lions, rhinos, zebras and many more.During the visit the guide asked us to pre-order the lunch from the menu and it was ready in the restaurant when we arrived.Water was available during the trip.Good service.

Jenni K March 2025 · Verified
1 dayPrice on request
Enquire
Chat with us