Day 1: Meet in Kigali (at your hotel or Kigali Airport), Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Begin your 7-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trek and Zanzibar Tour with a meeting with our driver (who is also your gorilla tour guide) in Kigali at your hotel or at Kigali Airport. We then continue with your transfer by private vehicle to Volcanoes National Park, the home of gorilla trekking activity in Rwanda.
Your 3-day Rwanda gorilla tour with Dian Fossey hike tour also includes a tour of Kigali City. You can choose to do this at the beginning of the gorilla tour or at the end. Either way, your tour guide will be available to take you through some interesting spots in Kigali City. The new prosperity features a number of thriving markets and features the mountain terrain famous in Rwanda. A sober contrast to its recent history. For survivors and others whose families were murdered in Rwanda´s genocide in 1994, the memorial sites and centers are places of dignified remembrance for loved ones lost. It is also a place of reflection and learning for the wider community, both in Rwanda and internationally.
Ranging in altitude from 2,400m to 4,507 the Volcanoes National Park (French: Parc National des Volcans) is dominated by the setting of volcanoes after which it is named. Best known to the outside world as the place where for almost 20yrs the American primatologist Dian Fossey undertook her pioneering studies of mountain gorilla behavior.
Day hikes to see the gorilla families can be strenuous on tracks climbing through the forest, and time is very limited once contact is made with the gorilla families. It is a rare and memorable experience to visit with these giant cousins of man.
Our accommodation is ideally positioned for those who want to watch animals in their habitat, specifically the endangered Rwanda mountain gorillas that still roam these areas.
Share in the cuisine of Rwanda, which is served with the hospitality for which we all return to African countries. Take walks, learn more about the gorillas, and absorb the gorgeous surrounding landscape.
Accommodation options available
Up-market: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Moderate: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Have breakfast and go to Volcanoes National Park offices for briefing, after setting off in the forest for gorilla trekking. Obviously, this is surely the highlight of your 3 days Rwanda gorilla trek tour, and we are committed to leaving some lasting memories with you. We ensure that your gorilla permit is well booked in advance, you have all you need for your gorilla tour, and you are allocated the befitting gorilla group to trek in Volcanoes National Park.
A thrilling trek through the refined foothills of the Virunga's provides inspiring views in all directions. Then, suddenly, the trail enters the national park, engrossing trekkers in the strange closeness of the rainforest, alive with the calls of colorful birds and chattering of the rare golden monkey and besieged with fresh spoor of the mountains' elusive populations of buffalo and elephant.
Through gaps in the forest canopy, the marvelous peaks are sighted, easily easy to get to, and among the uppermost in Africa, indicating an ascent.
Gorilla trekking is quite strenuous but a worthwhile encounter of these gentle giants. The enthusiasm of your coming across these apes will wipe away your intricacy of the strenuous trek.
Spend time watching gorillas, watch the adults feeding their young ones, brushing and resting as the youngsters play from vines in a pleasurably playful display.
Accommodation options available
Up-market: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Moderate: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
Day 3: TRANSFER TO KIGALI FOR DEPARTURE TO ZANZIBAR
After breakfast, drive back to Kigali for your departure flight to Zanzibar, where you are met by our representative for the transfer to your hotel for overnight.
This island evokes magical dreams of spices, culture, sandy beaches, and rich history. Walk through the labyrinth of streets in Stone Town, visit the ruins of the old Sultan palaces, take spice tours that awaken your senses, swim with dolphins, or just relax on beautiful beaches. Zanzibar offers it all.
Overnight at Turaco Nungwi Resort (Half board)
After breakfast, transfer to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters for a briefing and later begin the hike over the volcanic terrain to the Dian Fossey campsite. You can expect to reach the camp within 3-4 hours after hiking through amazing and scenic landscapes because the camp is tucked in between Mount Visoke and Mount Karisimbi at about 3000 meters (9000 feet) above sea level. If you are lucky, you might encounter a wild group of gorillas along the hike. Dian Fossey was so in love with mountain gorillas that she led to the arrest of many poachers in the park, something that is believed to have caused her murder by unknown people on December 27th, 1985. Because of this love for the mountain gorillas, she was buried at the campsite together with 20 mountain gorillas, including her most beloved, Digit.
Dian Fossey's work with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park was featured in the famous film Gorillas in the Mist.
After the hike, we shall drive to Kigali city and visit the Gisozi Genocide Memorial. Your driver shall then drop you off at your preferred hotel in Kigali.
Day 4: Zanzibar Island - Optional activities.
You can spend your time at the hotel doing as much or as little as you choose. The beach is a fantastic place to have a stroll or read a book under the shade of a palm tree, and the shady beach bar is a great spot for unwinding during the heat of the day. There isn't a dive centre on site, but if you want to arrange a dive or snorkelling trip, just ask the managers and they can point you towards the dive centre down the beach or make the necessary arrangements for you. There are bicycles to hire, which are a fun way to explore under your own steam, too!
Day 5: Transfer from Stone Town to Nungwi.
We would highly recommend heading out on a snorkelling trip at some point during your stay - you will sail in a traditional dhow to one of the reefs and can spend an hour or two watching the colorful marine life living in the corals off Zanzibar. This is a lovely way to spend a morning or afternoon and a good opportunity to sail on a dhow as well!
Day 6: Full day Zanzibar for optional tours
For something completely different to the beach, you could head into Stone Town for a day trip - the town is located on the west coast, around an hour and a half away, and is a busy and fairly dusty town. However, it's full of shops and street stalls, so if you're looking to buy souvenirs this is the best place for it, and the narrow winding streets are reminiscent of Marrakech.
Day 7: Transfer back to Zanzibar Airport.
You will check out of your room this morning but can store your bags and spend the day relaxing by the pool until you are picked up in the mid-afternoon and driven to the airport.
