How To Plan a Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trip to Volcanoes, Rwanda

The gorilla & golden monkey trip to Volcanoes is Rwanda’s biggest tourist attraction that brings you the closest to two of the world’s most endangered primates. The endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys are endemic to the Virunga mountains region. They live nowhere else in the world but around the Virungas on the border between Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda.

Rwanda is the best destination to watch the two species up-close in their natural habitat and still support the program with your expenditure with a robust pioneering gorilla conservation program. The trip’s highest expenses are permits to allow you a guided trek into the primates’ forest. Other expenses are standard travel expenses on any safari, including accommodation, meals, and transport. 

We’ve detailed great tips on how to plan a gorilla & golden monkey trip to Rwanda’s Volcanoes, including essential information you need to prepare a successful safari holiday. 

Volcanoes National Park

Located in the far northwestern Rwandan border with DR Congo and Uganda, Volcanoes National Park, is Rwanda’s tourism jewel hosting the last batch of mountain gorillas roaming the Virunga volcano mountains’ slopes. 

Besides the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys endemic to the region, the park protects a great collection of animal and plant species in its rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, lush bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp, and heath. Rwanda prides itself in providing genuinely unique experiences tracking endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys through Volcanoes’ thick forest jungle, teeming with over 200 species of colorful endemic birds in its forest canopy.

You’ll spend at least two nights in Volcanoes National Park to join early morning gorilla & golden monkey excursions on two different occasions before you drive southeast back to Kigali for your flight out of the country. Volcanoes National Park is about a 2-hour drive from Kigali International Airpot, your entry point into Rwanda; no scheduled flights between Kigali & Volcanoes. So plan to spend a night in Kiningi, outside the park, to catch the daily early morning gorilla & golden monkey excursions up the mountain slopes.

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

There are less than 80 gorilla permits and about 20 golden monkey permits available per day. With the huge attention both activities get from international adventurers, you’re more likely to get the chance to see the primates if you plan to book your gorilla & golden monkey permits for this trip months in advance. 

Basing from near the park headquarters in Kiningi, just outside the park, you should be there in time for the morning briefing at 08:00. A local tracker with two armed rangers from the trailhead will lead your group into the misty forest to find the gorilla family, spending close to four hours to find the gorillas, though there’s no telling exactly how long it can take.

Once you find the gorillas, you’ll be allowed to spend an hour with the mountain gorillas watching them at close range. They’re usually stationed in one place eating or grooming, making it possible to watch their primitive antics. Sightings are highly successful: almost everyone gets to see the giant creatures.

Trekking in the forest is somehow challenging but doable for most average walkers. The terrain is steep, uneven, and sometimes slippery during the rainy seasons. No cars can drive in the park, and there’s no used trail to reach the gorillas. You hack your way through the misty woods until you find the gorillas. Prepare yourself for some physically demanding walk while you plan for the gorilla & golden monkey trip to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Golden Monkey Trekking in Volcanoes

Like gorilla trekking, daily golden monkey trekking excursions in Volcanoes National Park Golden start at the park headquarters and head into the forest very early morning.

Two groups of golden monkey families are habituated and available for tracking in Volcanoes National Park. The largest group is about 80-100 members found in Mount Sabinyo’s bamboo forest zone. 

Golden Monkey trekking can be easily compared to chimpanzee trekking because the active primates stay on their feet, moving briskly through the bamboo forest. You’ll be compelled to keep up with the little monkeys’ movements. 

When you find the golden monkey family, your local guide can allow you only one hour with them. The age and number of trekkers are usually not restricted so that anyone can trek the golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park. 

Typical Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trip Itinerary

A typical gorilla & golden monkey trip itinerary in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park will take about 3 nights. Plan to spend a night in Kigali, your entry point and Rwanda’s cultural hotspot, then two nights in Volcanoes National Park. 

Gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking in Rwanda occur only in Volcanoes National Park, and both activities start at the same time in the morning. Therefore, you can’t do both activities on the same day. Plan your itinerary to spend another night in Kiningi after the gorilla trekking activity.

Rwanda’s gorilla permit costs $1,500, and the golden monkey permit costs $100 per person per trek. These two take up the most significant chunk of your trip budget and are very scarce in supply—plan with your tour operator to book your permits months in advance if you hope to see the primates. When you book your lodge in Volcanoes National Park, you’ll be asked to pay for the permit separately, but the lodge will offer bed, meals, lodge activities, and sometimes, transfers to the gorilla point.

Lodging will cost about $100 – $200 for budget, $200-$450 for midrange, and above $600 for a luxury forest lodge. Depending on the provider, transfers may cost about $80 – $250 per day, including the driver and gas/fuel. 

Reach out to our consultants at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com to help you plan your gorilla & golden monkey trip in Rwanda. Or check out our guide to gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park to give you the best information you need to plan this trip.

Best Time To Go

Volcanoes National Park’s tropical climate guarantees a downpour anytime disrupting your trekking experience. It’s best to visit the for a gorilla and golden monkey trip during the dry season between June and September. Most travelers avoid visiting Volcanoes National Park during the heavy rains of March to April when roads are impassable and trails slippery.

It barely rains during the dry seasons, but a downpour can’t be ruled out. Roads are navigable, and it’s easier to walk under the forest canopy gazing out for the exciting inhabitants. 

Although the dry season is the peak travel season in the country, trekking is highly restricted, and the park doesn’t feel overcrowded. However, if you want to take advantage of the low season pricing, book your trip for the wet seasons. When there are lower visitor numbers during the rains, most lodges offer discounts on accommodation to attract budget travelers.

Where You’ll Stay in Volcanoes National Park

The best advantage of planning a gorilla & golden monkey trip in Rwanda is that you’ll not have to sleep in different accommodations because both activities occur in the same park. You can stay in the same lodge where you’ll base to trek gorillas on the first morning and golden monkeys on another. 

Accommodation in Volcanoes ranges from high-end luxury safari lodges to comfortable boutique lodges and hotels that suit all tastes, budgets, and travel styles. Here’s a list of our best picks of where to stay in Volcanoes for a gorilla & golden monkey trip in Rwanda.

Luxury, high-end ($600 over)

• Bisate Lodge
• Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
• One&Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge
• Virunga Lodge
• Singita Kwitonda Lodge

Comfortable, mid-range ($250 – $600)

• Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
• Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Budget (less $250)

• Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
• Villa Gorilla
• Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel
• Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
• Ruzizi Tented Camp

What To Pack For The Gorilla Trek

Staying at a high altitude of about 2190m / 7185feet in Kiningi, it gets very cold and damp in the late hours. You have to pack clothing to keep warm and dry during your stay. To stay warm and dry in the misty weather, carry a lightweight rain jacket, a sweater for the evenings at the lodge, and a pair of warm socks.

Trekking under the forest trees will require that you pack a pair of lightweight, waterproof hiking shoes, gaiters, trousers, and long sleeve shirt to avoid prickly plants pocking your skin, and a waterproof backpack to keep your gadgets dry. Make sure you take only lightweight staff because the activities alone are physically demanding, and you want to keep down the weight you walk with.

A detailed packing list will give you a better insight into what you’ll need to take on this trip.

Planning the gorilla & golden monkey trip

Most travelers want to avoid the time and language barriers in navigating the Rwanda travel logistics. Yes, the logistic can be quite challenging to navigate, and we understand when you send us that inquiry. 

We endeavor to give you all the information you’ll need to decide on booking a gorilla & golden monkey trip to Volcanoes in Rwanda. Our local consultants will help you book a permit for your planned dates and find you the best lodging facilities to match your budget and liking. 

Generally, Encounter Africa will take care of your whole trip, planning, booking, and managing it so that you preserve all your energy for the experience. Email us at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com to talk to a consultant who understands your language.