If you have three days, this is the trip we recommend most. You see Volcanoes National Park's two headline primates — the mountain gorillas and the acrobatic golden monkeys — with time to rest in between, then finish with a guided day in Kigali.
Price: $3,348 per person
Includes both permits (gorilla $1,500, golden monkey $100), two nights at a lodge near the park with breakfast and dinner, a private 4x4 with an English-speaking guide for all three days, park entry, the Kigali city tour with the Genocide Memorial, drinking water and walking sticks. Lunches are at your own cost, which keeps the price down.
Itinerary
Day 1 · from 4:30 AM
Kigali → gorilla trek
Early pickup from your Kigali hotel and drive to Kinigi for the 7:00 AM briefing. Trek to your assigned gorilla family for the hour of a lifetime, then check into your lodge for a hot shower, dinner and an early night.
Day 2
Golden monkey tracking, afternoon free
Back to Kinigi for the briefing, then into the bamboo forest to find a troop of golden monkeys — bright orange-gold, fast-moving and endlessly photogenic. Treks are generally shorter than for gorillas. The afternoon is yours: rest, visit a community project, or add an optional activity such as a boat trip on the Twin Lakes (Burera and Ruhondo) or a visit to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Ellen DeGeneres Campus.
Day 3
Back to Kigali, city tour
Drive south to Kigali for a guided tour: the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kimironko Market, an art centre and the city's viewpoints. Drop-off at your hotel or the airport.
Included and not included
Included
- $1,500 gorilla permit
- $100 golden monkey permit
- 2 nights lodge, breakfast and dinner
- Private 4x4 with English-speaking guide
- Park entry fees
- Kigali city tour and Genocide Memorial
- Water and walking sticks
Not included
- Lunches (around $8–15 each)
- Optional activities (Twin Lakes boat, hikes)
- Porters and tips
- Flights, visa, insurance
Swap or add
The structure is flexible. Popular changes: swap golden monkeys for the Dian Fossey tomb hike ($75), add a second gorilla trek on day two to meet a different family, or extend south to Lake Kivu. We'll requote immediately.
3-day tour questions
What does the 3-day gorilla and golden monkey tour include?
The $1,500 gorilla permit, the $100 golden monkey permit, two nights at a lodge near Volcanoes National Park with breakfast and dinner, a private 4x4 with an English-speaking guide, park entry, a guided Kigali city tour with the Genocide Memorial, water and walking sticks.
Why is the 3-day tour cheaper than the 2-day safari?
The 2-day safari includes all meals and a more expensive lodge night. The 3-day trip includes breakfast and dinner only, with lunches at your own cost (typically $8–15), at a value lodge — which keeps it at $3,348.
Is golden monkey trekking hard?
Usually not. Golden monkeys live in the bamboo zone on the lower slopes, so treks are generally shorter and flatter than gorilla treks.
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