6.0
Jan
6.0
Feb
5.0
Mar
4.0
Apr
4.0
May
9.5
Jun
10
Jul
10
Aug
9.5
Sep
8.0
Oct
7.0
Nov
6.5
Dec
Reviews 132 • Excellent
5 nights itinerary from $5,500
per person
Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights
A fantastic itinerary for those wanting to explore the Virungas
The mighty Virunga Mountains straddle the countries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and home more than half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. The Virungas are made up on thick and dense forest and whilst the gorillas are the main highlight, the Virungas offer so much more to be explored.
Trip Highlights
This trip is fully customisable in terms of length, days on safari, days at the beach, safari activities, accommodation needs and luxury fine-tuning to meet your wildest dreams, budgets and party size. Do call us any time to price-up and customise this itinerary for you.
Trip Itinerary
Nick : This trip is fully customisable in terms of length, days on safari, days at the beach, safari activities, accommodation needs and luxury fine-tuning to meet your wildest dreams and budgets and party size. Do call us any time to talk about this itinerary.
Day
1
Kigali -Volcanoes National Park rwanda
Met on arrival in Kigalis international airport and transferred to the Volcanoes National Park (approx. 2 hours) to stay in Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge for 3 nights on a full board basis. Situated on Rwandas western border, the Volcanoes National Park is the Rwandan section of the Virunga Mountains. Sat on the foothills of the mighty Virunga mountains, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is the perfect place to stay for the ultimate gorilla experience. As with its sister properties in the Governors Collection, the lodge is close enough to the park headquarters for the gorilla trekking, yet remote enough to offer a peaceful stay with breathtaking views.
Day
2 – 3
Volcanoes National Park rwanda
Spend both of these days trekking through the Virunga mountains in search of a family of mountain gorillas. Tracking the gorillas twice (one trek per day) will give you the ultimate experience! Not to mention finishing the day in luxury at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge! This is the day you've been waiting for, the day you'll come face-to-face with the majestic mountain gorillas. As part of the Virunga Mountains (covering Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo), the Volcanoes National Park homes 20 families of endangered mountain gorillas. Although half of the families are protected for research purposed (continuing the legacy of Dian Fossey), the other 10 families have become familiar with tourists and it is one of these families that you will get the chance to observe. It has been described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience so remember to embrace every moment and step aside from the camera now and then!
Day
2 – 3
Volcanoes National Park rwanda
Spend the morning in Sayinyo Silverback Lodge enjoying the view, landscape and activities that the lodge offers. In the afternoon, transfer back to Kigali to stay in the Serena Hotel for 1 night on a B&B basis. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge offers a huge variety of activities aside from gorilla trekking so you can do as much or as little as you'd like on the final morning! These include escorted bird watching walks, mountain bike excursions, visits to the iby’iwacy village (NICK - ?) the Buhanga sacred forests and the musanze market, Nyange community walks, and climbing up mountains (Mt Bisoke, M’Gahinga (???) and Muhabura).
Day
5
Kigali
After breakfast, have a private tour of the city including a visit to the genocide museum and memorial. In the afternoon, transfer to Kigalis international airport to connect onto your international flight home.
Please go to either of our Tailormade Safari Trips pages to see a lot more safari trips, ideas and budgets.
What kind of Wildlife should you see on the Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights trip in 2026/27?
For 2026/27, we expect you’ll be able to find the following wildlife in the Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights bearing in mind the quality of guiding, budgets, time of year and duration of stay all affect your chances of finding or seeing any of the following outstanding animals that dwell in Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights…
The Parks & Regions featured in the Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights itinerary...
A general introduction to the parks and regions featured in the Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights for 2026/27.
Do visit our Africa Wildlife page for our full wildlife viewing guide...
What are the other great Camps & Hotels across the same Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights parks and regions...
For 2026/27 we highly recommend all the following camps & hotels in the same Kigali, Volcanoes National Park parks & regions — and let us help customise and price-up your ideal trip for you...
1 Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
Volcanoes National Park, Africa, Rwanda
As part of the Governor’s Collection, and owned by a community trust, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is sat in the foothills of the mighty Virunga mountains. Its remote location offers remarkable views and… More…
2 Kigali Serena Hotel
Kigali, Africa, Rwanda
This five-star hotel is the pick of the bunch when it comes to accommodation in Rwanda’s capital. Located just ten minutes from the international airport and three hours from the Volcanoes National… More…
3 Bisate Lodge
Volcanoes National Park, Africa, Rwanda
The newest, and most luxurious of the mountain lodges, Bisate, opened its doors in June 2017. Bisate Lodge, which is Wilderness’ latest camp, is in the heart of the forest, boasting views… More…
4 Gorilla Mountain View Lodge
Volcanoes National Park, Africa, Rwanda
Gorilla Mountain View Lodge, which boasts stunning views of the volcanic mountains of the Virunga Massif, is conveniently located only 3 kilometres from the entrance of the Volcanoes National Park. Not only… More…
And don't miss our Africa Wildlife page for a full guide to the amazing wildlife available...
What other Safari Trips & Tours do you have for the same regions in 2026/27?
An overview of what other tailor-made trips & tours The Africa Specialists have available to Kigali, Volcanoes National Park parks & regions for 2026/27.
Serengeti and mountain gorillas
Kigali, Serengeti National Park, Volcanoes National Park
From $6,000 per person
See the Trip
Virunga Mountains & Gorilla Highlights
Kigali, Volcanoes National Park
From $5,500 per person
See the Trip
An Extraordinary Gorilla Experience
Kigali, Volcanoes National Park
From $8,500 per person
See the Trip
Rwanda in 8 days
Akagera National Park, Kigali, Nyungwe National Park, Volcanoes National Park
From $7,000 per person
See the Trip
Do visit our Africa Safari Finder page to find more trips and locations for 2026/27
Other Safari/Holiday types recommended for the same regions in 2026/27...
Nick: The idea here is to show our safari and holiday ‘types’ (aka ‘what to do’ content) again using icons for the click-through, to break up the rythm of the page/s visually. Should be quite complimentary to the actual trips themselves (currently being shown in the previous paragraph)…
Why travel with The Africa Specialists™?
1
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We help plan your trip from start to finish
We make sure to include all your interests
We offer a range of accommodation types
It is your trip, made to suit you
2
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We have over 40 years of destination know how
We all spend time in our destinations annually
Local contacts give us unique insight
We are true specialists
3
We have you covered!
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4
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