4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking, Golden Monkey & Dian Fossey

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Kigali Arrival & City Immersion

On the first day and the very moment you land in Kigali, your first impression is that the city is doing things differently.

Early morning, Your expert guide shall have a private airport pickup to a boutique hotel where check-in comes with cool towels and refreshing hibiscus juice.

Kigali’s layered green hills trimmed with red-roofed houses waiting to be explored capture your gaze.

By around midday, you will be taken for a guided visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. It will be rewarding, albeit sobering. You will fully grasp Rwanda’s history and the reason hope feels so palpable here.

In the afternoon, you shall have the Kimironko Market walkabout: Witness baskets the color of parakeets, ripe avocados piled like cannonballs, and a chatter of dozens of languages.

Your flat white at Question Coffee Café comes with the story of the fair-trade women farmers behind it.

Later in the evening, Sample local food at Heaven Restaurant—grilled brochettes, plantains, and perhaps a local beer.

Get an early rest, since you need to rise before the sun.

Overnight

• Budget: Five to Five Hotel Kigali
• Standard: Heaven Boutique Hotel
• Luxury: The Retreat by Heaven

Day 2 – Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

This is for you—your heart shall learn a new rhythm.

Today, in the early Morning, embark on a drive to Volcanoes National Park. A ranger briefs you on gorilla etiquette—no sudden movements and no eye contact with a silverback if you’d prefer not to be gently warned with a shove.

The trek commences with mud, bamboo, and the thrilling suspicion of being watched.

You spot a mountain gorilla family, including a juvenile munching celery stalk, unfazed by human attention.

A mother embraces her baby. The silverback tilts his head—somewhat intrigued, somewhat indifferent. It hits you that you haven’t been inhaling.

You have sixty minutes in their universe. In this case, moments spent will always outweigh any memento you bring back.

After the lunch break, head back to your cabin. Tired and mud-footed, you can now savor hot food and water while allowing relief to sink in.

Later in the evening, drink by the campfire. As part of the forest, share stories with fellow hikers about your adventures in their imaginary worlds.

Overnight

• Budget: La Locanda
• Standard: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
• Luxury: Bisate Lodge

Day 3 – Hike to Dian Fossey Tomb & Cultural Engagement

A day that unites, pays tribute, and offers perspective.

• This Morning, you trek toward Dian Fossey’s tomb. Stories are told along the way of how Fossey devoted her life to ensuring the survival of gorillas. You arrive at the gravesite, which speaks volumes—through silence, it shows how immensely one human could alter the world.

In the afternoon: Visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village. Participants are former hunters who have now sworn to protect wildlife. Learn to grind millet, weave baskets, or simply relax and enjoy the sun while listening to birds.

Optional stop at a local craft center to buy masks, woven bowls, and other handmade items.

Evening: Dinner at the lodge, followed by Rwandan coffee. Relaxing comes easy with such a busy day behind you.

Overnight

• Budget: La Locanda
• Standard: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
• Luxury: Bisate Lodge

Day 4 – Golden Monkey Trek & Departure

Enjoy one last adventure.

Early Morning, go to track golden monkeys. They’re much smaller than gorillas, twice as fast, and completely indifferent to your presence. One will likely swing overhead.

Observe their ascent through the canopy where their fur glistens like copper in the sun’s rays.

By midday: Return to the lodge for brunch. Fresh passionfruit, eggs, and coffee strong enough for your long flights back home.

Afternoon: Enjoy the drive back to Kigali, taking in the passing scenery of life unfolding across the fields and villages.

If time permits, stop once more for souvenirs.

Evening: Transfer to the airport. You leave Rwanda with boots stained red, souvenirs in your bag, and the sense that you’re bringing something truly astonishing home.

Overnight

Not applicable (departure day).

Helpful Information

• Physical fitness: Moderate hike with some elevation change.
• Permits: Book early for gorilla and golden monkey permits.
• Packing:

Waterproof boots (extra mud guaranteed)

Gloves (nettles)

Layering for chilly mornings and warm afternoons

• Photography: No flash. Bring extra batteries—this is a “now or never” opportunity