4-Day Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey Tracking Adventure
The mountains of Rwanda are home to the endangered Silverback gorillas, and captivating Golden Monkey. Nestled in the cradle of Volcanoes National Park, the two species have found a way to flourish. In this unique experience, you can observe the gorillas and monkeys from a safe distance, take in their beauty, and examine them in their natural habitat. After each day, you will recharge in a luxurious Lodge and have time to learn more about the area’s history.
Trek Summary
Adventure
4 D / 3 N
Spaces and prices vary per trip
THE WWTREK ASSURANCE | OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGE
Gorilla and Golden Monkey Tracking Activity Rating: MODERATE
Challenge:
Gorillas and Monkeys are always moving, which means we may have to trek off-trail to find where they are nesting. The jungle terrain can be challenging to trek as it is uneven and often contains dense jungle foliage.
Reassurance:
An expert team of Gorilla and Monkey Tracking Guides will lead you. If you follow your gear/packing list closely, you will be comfortable and prepared for any weather you may encounter in the jungle.
The World Wide Trekking Difference
Our team of Gorilla and Monkey Tracking Guides goes above and beyond to create a unique, safe, and exhilarating experience for our guests. Backpacking through dense vegetation, riding in Land Cruisers from spot to spot, you will get up close and personal with some of the most endangered species of Gorilla in the world.
WWTrek Accommodations
Stay in beautiful lodges with spacious rooms, comfortable beds, and access to luxurious amenities!
WWTrek Meals
Our highly trained staff is eager to make delicious meals for all our guests, regardless of preferences or allergies. Expect bountiful plates and delicious local flavors as you trek your Gorilla and Monkey Tracking adventure, and enjoy the tastes it brings along the way.
WWTrek Team
Our team of medically and practically trained Guides is here to help you every step of the way. From the first point of contact with the office through the end of your trekking experience with us, World Wide Trekking will work with you to ensure you feel comfortable and prepared to embark on your journey.
WWTrek Experience
We think it’s imperative to offer our guests the ability to hear from one another. This way, guests can get the nitty-gritty details about the trek… like finding out just how challenging that hike really is!
WWTrek Guest Services
World Wide Trekking boasts an extensive support crew for all of our groups. At headquarters in Salt Lake City, our staff is dedicated to helping you every step of the way. If you’re planning your trip and have a question about which boots to buy, our adventure specialist is just a phone call away.
We provide medically certified, English-speaking guides for all of our adventures. Additionally, you have access to a local operations manager and a plethora of local professionals to aid the group.
Once your trip begins, World Wide Trekking boasts an extensive support crew. We provide medically certified, Professional guide(s) for all adventures as well as a plethora of local professionals to aid the group. Additionally, you have access to a Local Operations Manager throughout your adventure.
Trek Itinerary
Arrival at Kigali International Airport
- You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport where you will fly to Kigali.
- Meet your World Wide Trekking Guide and transfer to your hotel.
- Enjoy a delicious dinner and overnight.
- Overnight: Kigali Serena Hotel or comparable
- Meals included: Dinner
Kigali City Tour | Volcanoes National Park
- After breakfast you will set out for a tour of the Kigali genocide memorial center, which honors the memory of more than one million Rwandans killed in 1994 through education and peace building.
- After lunch you will head to Volcanoes National Park to soak in the magnificent views and enjoy an afternoon at your leisure.
- Overnight: Igangi Park View Lodge or comparable
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes National Park
- After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters.
- Your ranger will brief you on the code of conduct while with the gorillas, and you will set out to find them!
- You will then transfer back to your lodge for lunch, and you can decide to relax at your leisure or take part in a cultural walking tour.
- Overnight: Igangi Park View Lodge or comparable
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Celebration Dinner
Golden Monkey Trek
- Today after breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the park headquarters.
- You will have a briefing about the monkeys and then you will set out to find them!
- You will later return to your lodge for lunch and transfer to Kigali airport for your departure.
- If time allows, you can take part in a brief city tour before departing.
- Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
What's Included
Transportation by private vans and buses throughout
Baggage handling throughout the adventure
- Services of local English-speaking guides and staff throughout
- All services, tours, hikes, entrance, and excursion fees described in the itinerary
- 3 nights lodging
- All meals included in the scheduled itinerary
- Pre-trip planning, customization, and consultation
Not Included
- International airfare
- Passports and Visas
- Immunization Costs/Travel and Medical Insurance
- Personal Trekking Gear
- Optional Excursions/deviations from the schedule
- Meals or bottled beverages other than those specified in the itinerary
- Excess baggage charges
- Items of a personal nature: laundry, soft drinks, incidentals, etc.
- Expenses incurred due to circumstances outside of WWTrek’s control
- Gratuities for guides
The World Wide Trekking Difference
Volcanoes National Park
Visit the famous Volcanoes National Park and trek in search of Gorillas and Golden Monkeys.
Endangered Species
The Silver Back Gorilla is the most endangered species of gorilla. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see them up close!
Lush Vegetation
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds as you trek through Volcanoes National Park. Lush greens surround the trails as you work to find the Gorillas and Golden Monkeys.
Luxury Accommodations
Stay in premiere luxury accommodations throughout your trek.
Trip Add-Ons
Gorilla and Golden Monkey Tracking is the perfect trek enhancement for anyone wanting to make the most of their trip to Africa. We recommend adding this to a trek up Kilimanjaro!
Human Outreach Project
OUR PLANET… HELPING OTHERS, CHANGING LIVES
HOP works in areas surrounding World Wide Trekking expedition sites in remote areas of Tanzania, Nepal, Peru, and at home in Utah. With a particular focus on youth, HOP partners with communities to identify local needs and co-create sustainable solutions to improve health and education.
Trip Add-Ons
Travel Notes
Best Time of Year to Visit
The best time for wildlife viewing is during the two dry seasons (June – October, and January-February). Animals head to the grasslands to feed and congregate around water sources, enticing predators to stake out the watering holes. If you’re lucky, a dramatic chase may develop. June and July are the best months to catch Serengeti’s Great Migration, a spectacular sight of over 2 million zebra and wildebeest traveling together.
If you’d like to avoid the crowds during the popular dry season, you will still find plenty of fascinating wildlife viewing during the wet season. The wildebeest calving season (January – February) is a great time to see young, which can also lead to predator action. The wet season also offers spectacular green scenery and a kaleidoscope of migratory birds.
Arrivals and Departures
Gorilla and Golden Monkey Tracking is most often done following a Kilimanjaro climb. This trip begins and ends in Rwanda. You will fly into and out of Kigali International Airport (KGL).
*Many guests prefer to leave after the scheduled itinerary to go on Safari or to visit Zanzibar Island. We are happy to help you make these arrangements. Additional charges for transportation, lodging, meals, and activities will apply.
Recommended Flights
International airfares are not included in program pricing. When booking international travel, we recommend working with an experienced travel agent. One that World Wide Trekking is proud to coordinate with is Brian Mei from Eastern Travel. You can reach Brian directly by calling 801.792.1721 or by email at brian@easterntravel.com. Additional support is always available by calling the Eastern Travel Office at 801.466.8811 or by emailing Michelle at michelle@easterntravel.com.
The benefit of using a travel agent is in the event of itinerary changes, the travel agent will find the best flight connections, and land arrangements, for you. Though third-party travel websites are convenient, we do not recommend using them, due to instability in the itineraries. We also recommend that you protect your flight with travel insurance and a refundable ticket.
We also recommend that you protect your flight with travel insurance and a refundable ticket. Contact AIG Travel Guard to get more information.
Travel Insurance
We recommend safeguarding your trip by purchasing travel insurance. World Wide Trekking has partnered with AIG Travel Insurance as our preferred travel insurance provider. For a price quote, or to purchase travel insurance, visit AIG Travel Guard.
Customs, Visas, Immigration
Upon arrival in Rwanda you will purchase your Visa.
Contact G3 Global Services for more information.
*Please be sure to have at least six months of validity on your passport. Most countries won’t allow travelers in their country unless their passport is expected to expire six months after the last day of travel. Make two copies of your passport, leave one at home, and bring the other with you to Rwanda. Ensure you provide a copy of your passport to WWTrek 90 days before your departure date.
Accommodations
At WWTrek we understand how much the fine details matter. We make every effort to impress and provide the small comforts that make a big difference. Find postcards and bottled water on your bed awaiting your arrival. All the lodges in our itineraries are chosen with care.
Transportation
A World Wide Trekking representative will privately transport you from the airport to your lodge. We arrange all in-country transportation and ensure safe, comfortable, and private transportation for all of our travel needs. Enjoy both land cruisers and charter flights for the best safari viewing experience.
Meals
Proper nutrition plays a vital role in the success of all our adventures. We offer a flexible and accommodating yet flavorful and hearty dining experience shared together at the lodges. Enjoy buffet style breakfasts and banquet style lunches and dinners. The lodges provide two or more options during each course and beverages range from water and soda to beer.
*Please contact us if you have any special dietary needs or food restrictions. We can accommodate any special diets. We are happy to help!
Health and Safety
Our stringent commitment to safety means you have access to our medically certified guides before and throughout your trip. Our staff also carries emergency medical equipment such as a medical kit and satellite communicator.
In addition, we recommend visiting your local International Travel Clinic one month before your trip. Needed vaccinations include a current tetanus shot, annual influenza shot, Varicella, Typhoid, Hep A, Yellow Fever, and MMR.
For more information, feel free to contact us directly with any questions, at 801-943-0264. We can schedule a phone call with our medical advisor, Dr. Levy, to answer any specific questions regarding your personal needs. Visit our Trek Tips series on YouTube.
Gratuities
In many parts of the world, gratuities are given in appreciation for a job well done. Our guides will take care of tipping service personnel along the way so that you don’t have to think about it.
For any additional services outside of our itinerary, plan to tip 10% (transport, restaurants, baggage, lodges, etc). We will provide you with detailed tipping recommendations on your ‘Trip Detail’ site once you sign up.
At the trails end you will have the opportunity to contribute to a group tipping pool that will be presented to your WWTrekking guides and trekking staff as we say our goodbyes.
Currency Exchange
We recommend exchanging money at the airport as soon as you clear customs. We will offer additional exchange opportunities, but typically you will receive the best rates at the airport. Exchanging $100 should suit your needs for the trek and safari. We always recommend bringing $500 cash with you on your trip for incidentals.
Fitness and Nutrition
We provide a complimentary 6-week extensive fitness and nutrition program to help our guests prepare for their journey ahead. The program is tailored specifically for our trips and includes virtual 1 on 1 coaching sessions with our Fitness and Nutrition Specialist.
General Information
Country
Rwanda
Population
13.46 million
Time Zone
Rwanda operates on Central Africa Time Zone – UTC+02:00, putting it 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 10 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST).
Capital City
Kigali, Rwanda
People
Tribes of Rwanda
Hutu are traditionally known to be farmers.
Tutsi, are traditionally cattle-owning pastoralists.
A small population or the Pygmy Twa are known for being hunters and potters.
Culture and Religion
The great majority of Rwandans follow the Christian faith, with 45% belonging to the Catholic faith, 35% to the Protestant, and a smaller 5% to Islam.
Currency
The official currency of Rwanda is the Rwandan Franc, although US dollars are widely accepted. There will be several opportunities throughout your trek to exchange money.
