Gorilla Safaris in Rwanda SPECIAL

Meet a representative of eXplore Plus Travel & Tours at OR Tambo Airport at the RwandAir check-in counter 3 hours before the scheduled departure time as your flight to Rwanda departs after midnight.

The package includes return economy airfare with RwandAir from Johannesburg to Kigali Airport (departing at 03h10, and arriving at 06h20). On arrival at Kigali Airport, the Covid tests will be done at the airport. After the tests are done, you will exit the airport where our friendly safari team will welcome you. Transfer to Park Inn by Radisson Blue to enjoy breakfast (included), drop your bags and refresh. As you drive through the city you will notice why the motto of Kigali is "Cleanliness and Security".   

The second stop will be at the Genocide Memorial Centre, regarded as one of the best museums in Africa! Learn about Rwanda’s history from the pre-colonial era to the 1994 genocide war that shocked the world. The memorial commemorates the bravery, strength and unmatched struggle of the people of Rwanda. It is also the burial site of the victims of the Genocide of 1994 (In 100 days, an estimated 1 000000 Rwandans were killed in the genocide). A trip to this memorial centre is not only an educational experience that will offer you a thorough insight into the country’s painful past but also provides a genuinely moving experience. You cannot appreciate this beautiful country and its friendly people if you haven’t visited this memorial centre.  

After visiting the museum, we will stop for lunch at Repub Lounge (included) where you can taste some of Rwanda’s local food and enjoy stunning views of the city.

Check-in at the hotel with the afternoon at leisure, or you can visit the Kimironko Market. Here you will find handicrafts and souvenirs, colourful baskets, vibrant kitenge fabrics and seamstresses ready to make you a dress, fresh vegetables and fruits, household goods, and a meat and fish market.

Stay: The Park Inn by Radisson Blue (standard room)

Meals: Breakfast on arrival, dinner & breakfast the next morning

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before check-out and travel to Volcanoes National Park, driving through the stunning scenery of flourishing green hills and valleys. Almost the entire country is 5 - 7 thousand feet high and incredibly lush.   Huge indigenous forests and different types of farms stretch as far as the eye can see. Enjoy an en-route stop for lunch at the Mugano Café (included), before your visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Fossey Fund.  A beautiful campus built for gorilla conservation (opened on 1 February 2022). Visit the Cindy Broder Conservation Gallery with an immersive public exhibit designed to tell the story of mountain gorilla research and conservation from Dian Fossey’s time to today. The gallery includes never before seen artifacts from Dian Fossey’s almost two decades living with the gorillas, an engaging visual experience, including virtual and augmented reality, and a 360-degree immersive theatre. To complete the experience at the Ellen Campus, there is a café and gift shop with inviting areas to sit and enjoy the biodiversity of the campus.

Stay: Mountain View Gorilla Lodge (Cottage)

Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

Early morning departure from the lodge to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi for your MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREKKING experience. After the briefing, you will drive to the starting point closest to the gorilla family you trek. This is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come face-to-face with a silverback gorilla! You can stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour. You'll be privileged to come within mere meters of a gorilla to observe them foraging, playing, teasing each other, and eating.  Afterward, you will return to the base where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to the lodge. 

A nurse will visit the lodge during the afternoon for your Covid PCR for nonvaccinated travelers and results will be emailed to be presented at the airport on departure.

Stay: Mountain View Gorilla Lodge (Cottage)

Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

Enjoy a morning at leisure with lunch at the lodge (included) or enjoy the opportunity to engage in another activity in the Volcanoes area (for your account). You can visit the nearby ex-poacher’s village. As part of overall conservation endeavors, former poachers renounced their old ways and became conservation activists. 

You can also book a second gorilla trek (pre-book) or trek the golden monkeys.  Afternoon drive back to Kigali where we'll stop for a farewell dinner (included) before your transfer to the airport for your flight home, departing at 23h30 (Rwanda time), arriving 03h20 (South African time).

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