In Flight.

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by a representative outside the airport arrivals section to travel to Kigali Serena Hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning after breakfast, explore Kigali during a city orientation, and then pay a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a permanent memorial and museum dedicated to the victims of Rwanda's 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Sections of the museum guide visitors through the country's history and the cultural and political shifts that led up to the violent events of 1994. This is followed by powerful exhibits detailing the crimes and providing background information on the victims and various accounts from survivors. The center also serves as a permanent memorial and cemetery honoring the more than 250,000 people who were buried in mass graves at that very site. Have lunch at a local restaurant before embarking on the 2-and-a-half-hour drive through the Rwandan countryside to the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes. The Virunga Mountains in Volcanoes National Park are made up of six volcanoes located on Rwanda's border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park was established in 1925 with the purpose of helping save the resident gorillas and their mountain forest habitat from the growing threats posed by poachers and farming. The remote national park gained international fame when Dian Fossey published "Gorillas in the Mist," a compilation of her 13 years in the field working among local mountain gorillas. Fossey's research and lifelong commitment to protecting mountain gorillas and their shrinking habitat helped prevent local gorillas from possible extinction.

After an early breakfast, drive to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters, where you will be assigned to a gorilla tracking group. Attend a briefing by your trackers, followed by a drive to the trail head for the start of your amazing gorilla tracking adventure. This afternoon, enjoy a visit to the Iby'inwacya Cultural Village, which is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of reformed poachers.

Enjoy the morning at leisure or head out on an optional second gorilla tracking adventure, which is not included in the pricing and must be booked in advance by those interested. Later, visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Have lunch at the onsite Gorilla Café before exploring the Campus, which is dedicated to research and education. An immersive conservation gallery tells the story of mountain gorilla research and conservation from the time of Dian Fossey to present day. The property itself is a marvel of eco engineering, designed to reduce negative impacts to the environment through the use of locally sourced materials, rainwater harvesting, green roofs, and the construction of a wetland. The campus gardens also highlight plant species native to the area.

Dian Fossey is the pioneer of mountain gorilla conservation, and today you will get to pay a special visit to her grave. This hike takes visitors up to the site of her original research center, Karisoke. On the way up, discover the vibrant birds and plants that make up this unique mountain forest. The gorilla cemetery is nearby, which is the final resting place of Dian Fossey and many of the gorillas that were killed by poachers during her time on the mountain. After the hike, return to Kigali for a farewell dinner at the hotel.

Arrive back in the U.S.