The 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla trekking and Mount Karisimbi hiking safari is the best short safari done in Volcanoes national park but is interesting and adventurous. It is designed to spend a day traveling and touring Kigali city, the second day for gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park, and the last 2 days hiking up to the summit and descent of mountain Karisimbi. Hiking Mount Karisimbi requires two days but it’s quite rewarding with amazing landscape and beautiful scenery. The safari package includes 4 days and 3 nights and both activities are done within volcanoes national park in Rwanda.
Tour highlight

1. Day 1: Kigali city tour & transfer to Volcanoes national park
2. Day 2: Gorilla trekking
3. Day 3: Hike Mount Karisimbi
4. Day 4: Descend Mount Karisimbi and departure

Day 1: Kigali city tour and transfer to volcanoes national park

Early in the morning, you will be fetched from your place of lodging or the airport. Before beginning the safari, Our guide will greet and brief you about the whole safari activities to do on your Rwanda safari and give you a full rundown of what to expect. You’ll begin with a tour of Kigali, starting at the Gisozi genocide memorial site to learn about the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the King’s palace, and a handicraft shop to pick up a few artifacts, and then moving on to the National Museum of Rwanda. You’ll stop for lunch, then drive two to three hours through the countryside to the Volcanoes National Park.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking activity 

On the second day of your tour, you will wake up early to take a cup of coffee, pack your lunchbox, and transfer for a gorilla trekking briefing at the park’s main office. Once the briefing is done, you will be assigned in groups of 8 members to trek a specific gorilla family. Begin the trek through the bush to find the gorilla.

It is a challenging trek depending on which gorilla family you are allocated to but all the endurance follows the excitement when finally coming face to face with the gorillas.  This can take you about 2 to 6 hours in the deep forest hiking up and down. One hour is given to observe these gorillas take photos and videos, and watch them feed the young ones at a distance of 7 meters.

After spending an hour with the gorillas, you must head back to the park headquarters to be reunited with your driver and taken back to the lodge. Later in the evening, you can take a walk and visit the twin lakes of Burera & Ruhondo together with a guide. Dinner and overnight at Mountain gorilla lodge and Le Bambou gorilla lodge options.

Day 3: Hike Mount Karisimbi

Have early breakfast in the morning and pack your lunch, the driver will take you to Kinigi headquarters for briefing. Porters and Ranger guides will accompany you on your hike up Mt. Karisimbi, Africa’s fifth-highest snow-capped peak. Prior to reaching the summit, hiking begins on Mount Bisoke’s edge. You will have to stop at an altitude of 3,700 meters to camp for the night. The next day, you will continue up to the summit of the Volcano.

Once you reach it, you will be able to see the beautiful scenery of the Virungas ranges including mountains and the Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, non-habituated gorillas, view the Karaoke research center, and Dian Fossey cave. After observing, you will descend back to the starting point to meet your driver to take you back to the lodge to freshen up and rest.  Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, and Davinci Lodge.

Day 4: Descent of Mount Karisimbi

On the last day of your 4 days safari tour, you will wake up early for breakfast prepared by the porter cooks, and begin to descend from the mountain, you will meet your driver at the starting point and transfer back to Kigali city for the meal and after drop you at the hotel or at the airport for departure.

End of tour