5 Days Lowland and Mountain Gorillas Safari: The thrilling adventure of the 5 days lowland and mountain gorillas trekking safari will offer the encounter of the eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas. On this safari, you will visit Kahuzi Biega National Park in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda. Tracking of these gorilla species is different in terms of experience.
More so, you will also engage in golden monkey trekking in the Volcanoes National Park, and a community visit to the Gorilla Guardians Village. By the time you come to the end of the 5 days lowland and mountain gorillas safari, you will have created a signature of everlasting memories. Below is a detailed itinerary.
Safari Summary
- Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bukavu
- Day 2: Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park
- Day 3: Transfer to Volcanos National Park
- Day 4: Gorilla trekking and Ibyi’wacu community visit
- Day 5: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bukavu
On arrival at the Kigali International Airport, you will start with a transfer to Bukavu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The transfer will take about 7 to 8 hours to reach Bukavu via the Cyangungu border. You will have lunch along the way. Enjoy scenic views of endless hills and lush vegetation. Upon arrival, in Bukavu, you will be transferred to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Lunch and dinner
Day 2: Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park
Day 2 will start with a morning breakfast and then go ahead with a transfer to Kahuzi Biega National Park which will take about 45 minutes. While in the park, you will go ahead with a briefing about the lowland gorilla trekking. Later, you will go ahead with the activity which will take about 2 to 7 hours of the day. Upon meeting the gorillas, you will have 1 hour to view them. Later on, you will return to the lodge for relaxation and overnight. Spend the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge.
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanos National Park
After your early morning breakfast, you will go ahead with the transfer to the Cyangungu border to cross to Rwanda which will take about 1 hour. After crossing the border into Rwanda, you will go ahead with the transfer to the Volcanoes National Park. While in the transfer, you will make a stopover at the Musanze caves and later proceed with the transfer to the park. As you arrive in the park, you will be transferred to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Gorilla trekking and Ibyi’wacu Community visit
On the second last day of the 5 days of lowland and mountain gorillas trip, you will start with the briefing about the gorilla trekking after your breakfast. During the briefing, you will be highlighted what to do during the gorilla trekking. You will be accompanied by ranger guides and armed officers in the search of the gorillas. The activity will take about 2 to 7 hours of the day. After tracking gorillas, you will go ahead to the Gorilla Guardians Village formerly known as the Ibyi’wacu Cultural Village. for the community visit. In this community, travelers will engage in activities like coffee roasting, banana brewing, and many others.
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 5: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Kigali
On the last day of the safari, you will go ahead with the transfer back to the park headquarters for the briefing about the golden monkey trekking. Then later on you will go ahead with the tracking of the golden monkeys within the forested areas of the Volcanoes National Park. Then later on you will go ahead with the transfer to Kigali. While in Kigali, you will either be dropped off at the airport for your outbound flights or at the hotel of your choice. This will mark the climax of your 5 days lowland and mountain gorillas trekking safari.
Meal plan: Breakfast and lunch
A detailed introduction to 5 Days Lowland and Mountain Gorillas Safari
5 Days Lowland and Mountain Gorillas Safari is best understood as more than a name on an itinerary. It is a practical way to experience Rwanda, D.R. Congo through gorilla trekking, supported by local guiding and enough time to notice a guided forest trek and a carefully managed encounter with habituated gorillas. The page above explains the central subject; this planning section adds the decisions that turn that information into a workable trip. Travellers should think about the season, the length of each transfer, the amount of activity they enjoy, the standard of accommodation they prefer and how much unstructured time they want. The strongest itineraries leave room for real observations instead of rushing from one headline sight to another. In Rwanda and D.R. Congo, conditions can change between regions even during the same journey, so a route should be checked as a complete sequence rather than as a list of separate attractions. Start with the experience that matters most, then build transport, rest and secondary visits around it. That approach keeps 5 Days Lowland and Mountain Gorillas Safari rewarding for first-time visitors, experienced safari travellers, couples, families and private groups with different interests. For independent protected-area and conservation context, consult Visit Rwanda national parks, Virunga National Park travel updates, UNESCO’s Bwindi overview and confirm operational details again near the travel date.
How to plan the timing and route
Timing for 5 Days Lowland and Mountain Gorillas Safari is not only a question of choosing a month. It also involves arrival time, road or flight connections, permit availability where controlled activities are included, and the realistic pace of each day. Dry periods can make some roads and trails easier, while greener months may bring dramatic skies, fresh vegetation and fewer visitors in certain areas. Rain can occur in any season, particularly around forests and highlands, so flexibility remains useful. A local planner should confirm current park rules and access before final payment because official conditions can change. Use the Rwanda safari collection to compare journeys in the same region, then review the complete safari collection if you may want to combine countries. Arriving a night before a major trek or long game-drive day is often more comfortable than connecting directly from an international flight. When the route covers several borders, build in sensible buffers and avoid treating every transfer as guaranteed to take the shortest possible time.
Further planning resources for 5 Days Lowland and Mountain Gorillas Safari
Compare the Gorilla safari collection. Use official sources for general background and confirm current fees, access, schedules, permits and operating rules for the exact travel dates before payment. Internal Gorilla Uganda pages help compare route structure and travel style, while the open inquiry form allows a local specialist to check how the information applies to a private journey.