Rwanda Road Trip Gorilla Tours – Fly in to Kigali-Rwanda and trek Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda road trip Gorilla tours – Explore Rwanda and enjoy the nature and culture. Trek the Mountain Gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park on a self-drive safari in Rwanda. Discover why Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills and be moved by its captivating history. Scroll down below to see the day-to-day route with route description and lots of insider travel tips.
This road trip Gorilla tour needs to spend two nights at your hotel in Volcanoes National Park. On an average travel day, you drive for 5 hours. Keep in mind that with photo and picnic stops, this still makes a full travel day. Road conditions are good – asphalt with the occasional pothole and speed bumps. Take note that the maximum speed in Rwanda is 60km/h. Offline navigation is easier if you download Maps.me on your smart phone before you go.
How to obtain a Gorilla tracking permit
If you are planning to visit the Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, it is recommended that you reserve Gorilla permits well in advance. The Rwanda Development Board issues the Gorilla permits only upon cash payment in full (no pre-booking). Gorilla Permits cost USD1500per person per trek. There are no discounted Gorilla permits for the tracking related to a low or high season.
Great Adventure Safaris can arrange the Gorilla permits for you, after you have booked your trip with us. In order to do so, we need your full names corresponding with your passport, nationality, date of birth and passport number of all the people tracking, preferred starting date, second best dates in case the preferred date is fully booked. Once proof of payment has been sent, we will purchase the permits on your behalf. Kindly note, the minimum age for Gorilla tracking is 15 years old.
How to get there
Volcanoes National Park is found in a small village called Musanze previously well-known as Ruhengeri, which is very accessible by public transport from Gisenyi, Kigali City or from the Kigali International Airport. The drive to Volcanoes National Park is 2-3 hours and hence one can do Gorilla tracking on the same day and drive back to Kigali after the trek. You will be required to arrive at the National Park headquarters in Kinigi, by 7:00 am, therefore, if you hope to trek Gorillas for one day, you have to wake up very early for your journey so that you are on time. However, there isn’t any public transport from Musanze to the headquarters of the National Park at Kinigi.
Best time for your Rwanda Road Trip Gorilla Tour
Visiting Rwanda for Gorilla tracking can be done all year round. The best time to travel to Rwanda is during the drier seasons, periods between December to early March and June to September. December to March is a long dry season for Rwanda, with temperatures going up to 29 degrees Celsius for some days while the months of March-Mid May, July to September, on the other hand, are regarded as the rainy in the country.
Overall Rwanda has a good whether throughout the year but the dry season is more preferable. The weather is generally good in addition wildlife viewing is also more common during this period of time. Tourists interested in visiting mountain Gorillas, this is the best time for Gorilla tours since there is a minimal chance of rain during the trek and a good hiking terrain in the rain-forest. We still suggest your waterproof clothing even during these drier months, as this Equatorial climate is very unpredictable. This period is also a peak season, hence the prices can be higher on things like accommodation, car hire etc.
On the other hand, some travelers especially those on budget like visiting in the wet season. During this season, hotels have low occupancy, hence give travelers discounted food and sleeping services which is an added advantage. Also, there is low demand for Gorilla permits which guarantee visitors a chance to see these endangered species with no competition.