Rwanda | Gorilla Trek Pre- or Post-Trip Extension

In Flight.

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by our representative outside the airport arrivals section then transfer to Kigali Serena Hotel with dinner then overnight.

This morning after breakfast, explore Kigali during a city orientation and then pay a visit to the Kigali Memorial Centre, a permanent memorial and museum dedicated to the victims of Rwanda's 1994 genocide. 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 the 2h30min drive through the Rwandan countryside to the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes. The Virunga Mountains of Volcanoes National Park are made up of 6 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 of in the field work 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 HQs where you will be allocated a gorilla tracking group. 0700 hrs: Briefing by your trackers then drive to the trail head for the start of your amazing Gorilla Tracking adventure. This afternoon, enjoy a visit to the Iby'iwacu Cultural Village which is a non-profit that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers.

Enjoy the morning at leisure or head out for your second Gorilla (NOT INCLUDED IN PRICING AND MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE). Later visit the Ellen Degeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Have lunch at the onsite Gorilla Café before exploring the campus whis 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 into the 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 resources, rainwater harvesting, green roofs, and the construction of a wetland. The campus gardens highlight native plant species to the area.

Dian Fossey is the pioneer of mountain gorilla conservation, and today we will get to pay a special visit to her tomb. This hike will take you 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 graveyard is nearby, which is the final resting place for 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 U.S.