Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Gorilla trekking is an adventure from beginning to end!
- More about your Oliver Guide: Courtney Leary
- Trip type: Adult, Family, Group getaway, Solo, Mountains
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: 3-5 days
to & from
We booked our entire African adventure through Indagare which I highly recommend given there are so many logistics– including planes + drivers– necessary. We added Rwanda at the end of a week in Kenya (see guide here) so that we could trek with the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. We flew into Kigali from Nairobi on Kenya air which was just fine (not great,) spent one night there and then our driver/ guide picked us up in the morning and we drove 3 hours to the park/ our hotel. Our driver/ guide was fantastic and he was ours for the entire stay in Rwanda. He took us to check in for Gorilla trekking the next day and then drove us to the trail head, picked us up…. drove us back to Kigali…. I can’t imagine this trip without a driver+guide. When departing Rwanda, we flew on Rwanda air to Doha, Qatar where we boarded a Qatar Airlines flight back to the states. Qatar airlines was incredible in business class, not so in economy. Rwanda air was a little sketchy (old plane!) but I am not sure that there are other choices.
Where to Stay
Upon arrival in Kigali we stayed one night at Hemmingways Retreat Kigali. It is truly a retreat in the middle of a very chaotic city, quiet and peaceful. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the restaurant is decent with a very eclectic dinner menu.
Near the park, we stayed at Singita Kwitonda which completely blew us away! The setting, design elements and architecture were incredible and we have never felt more spoiled. We loved having our own hot tub with the most gorgeous views of the volcanoes. The beds were incredibly comfortable and the views (again!) from our beds stunning. We had a full living area with a stocked refrigerator and a full sized dining table in our room. It felt like a very luxurious home. The staff was so warm, friendly and accommodating to our every need without being intrusive. The only negative we could think of with the property was the lack of a gym– my husband and I did not mind but the kids wanted one.