Volcanoes · Nyungwe · Akagera · Kigali
One hour with a mountain gorilla family, two to three hours from Kigali airport, planned from the Gold Coast and priced in Australian dollars.
Five stars. 5.0 on Google and Tripadvisor37 five-star reviews, every one of them
Mountain gorillas · Ancient rainforests · Big Five savannah
Rwanda is gorilla country. Volcanoes National Park in the north shares the Virunga massif with Uganda and the DRC, and the roughly 600 mountain gorillas of that massif are about half of those left in the wild. A permit gives you one hour with a habituated family in the bamboo and hagenia forest, close enough to watch a silverback at rest and juveniles playing in the undergrowth. Beyond the gorillas the country rewards slower exploration: Nyungwe's ancient montane rainforest for chimpanzees and the canopy walkway, Akagera rebuilt into a genuine Big Five park, and Kigali's coffee and good food in between. Rwanda is compact and remarkably well organised, with every major park reachable on good tarmac, and it joins a Tanzania safari with one short flight.
Mountain gorillasGolden monkeysNyungwe canopy walkAkagera Big FiveKigaliWho you're dealing with
We're an Australian company on the Gold Coast. We plan the permits, lodges and transfers, and look after you from first call to flight home, on one contract and one invoice from Kingse Safaris Pty Ltd (ABN 37 698 821 886). Your treks are led by park rangers and trackers who know each gorilla family.
How booking works →
In a guest's words
I can honestly say this was the best trip I’ve ever been on.
Rwanda, Park by Park
Scroll, and the map follows you from Kigali to the gorillas and on.
The capital · Where you land
A clean, well-organised city on a string of hills, with the Genocide Memorial, galleries, good food and a coffee culture that rivals anywhere on the continent. Every trip starts and ends here, and we usually build in a night before or after the trek.
Best monthsAll yearFrom AustraliaConnect once or twice, no non-stop flight
How you get here
Mountain gorillas · The headline
Five of the eight Virunga volcanoes, the bamboo and hagenia forest where Dian Fossey did her research, and twelve habituated gorilla families. Only 96 permits are issued a day. Treks start from park headquarters at Kinigi, groups of eight are matched to a family by fitness, and the reward is one hour with the family. Golden monkey tracking is the lighter alternative.
Best monthsAll year; driest June to SeptemberFrom KigaliTwo to three hours by road on good tarmac
What Rwanda gorilla trekking costs
Rainforest · The south-west
One of the oldest and most biodiverse montane rainforests in Africa, nearly 1,000 square kilometres of ferns, orchids and a canopy rising past 50 metres. Chimpanzee trekking runs in smaller groups than Uganda, 13 primate species include colobus troops numbering in the hundreds, and the 200-metre canopy walkway hangs 60 metres above the forest floor.
Best monthsJune to September for the clearest viewsFrom KigaliA longer road day, four to five hours
The canopy walk and the chimps
Big Five savannah · The east
Rwanda's savannah park along the Tanzanian border, taken over by African Parks in 2010 and rebuilt with lions reintroduced in 2015 and eastern black rhinos in 2017. Rolling hills, papyrus swamps and a chain of lakes; the Lake Ihema boat safari past hippo pods and crocodiles is the highlight, and it works well as a two-night addition to the gorillas.
Best monthsJune to September, clear and comfortableFrom KigaliAbout two and a half hours by road
Gorillas plus Akagera, the seven-night shapeMap tiles: Esri, National Geographic. Locations are indicative.
How to Experience It
The gorilla hour shapes the trip. Around it, these are the experiences we add, depending on where you stay.
One hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park. Only 96 permits issued daily. Treks range from under an hour to five or six hours depending on where the family has moved.
Follow endangered golden monkeys through the bamboo zone of Volcanoes National Park. Playful, photogenic primates found only in the Virunga volcanoes. Often combined with gorilla trekking.
Walk 200 metres of suspended bridge 60 metres above the Nyungwe forest floor. A bird's-eye view of the forest ecosystem and excellent birding.
Open-vehicle safaris in Akagera National Park with a driver-guide. The Big Five, elephants, buffalo and dozens of antelope species, with the Lake Ihema boat safari in the afternoon light.
Visit Kigali's markets and museums, the Genocide Memorial, and coffee plantations. Experience Rwanda's culture, history, and renowned single-origin coffee.
In a guest's words
The safety and security we felt with Kingse Safaris … is incomparable.
How a Rwanda Trip Comes Together
Four days is enough for one gorilla trek. A week lets you add Nyungwe or Akagera, and ten nights adds Tanzania. We don't sell fixed packages. Every trip is private and priced to your dates, so these are starting points.
4 days · 3 nights
One trek + city base
A night in Kigali, two nights near Volcanoes National Park, one gorilla trek, private transfers and a driver-guide. The compressed essential.
From about, per personA$6,900Permit included, two people travelling together, flights from Australia extra
Day 1 · Land at KigaliDay 4 · Fly home from Kigali
7 nights · Sweet spot
Primates or Big Five
The usual shape for a first Rwanda trip. Add three nights at Nyungwe Forest (chimpanzee tracking, canopy walk) or at Akagera (Big Five savannah, Lake Ihema boat safari). Akagera is about two and a half hours from Kigali by road, and Nyungwe is a longer day at four to five hours.
PricingQuoted to your datesPriced to order against current lodge and permit rates
Day 1 · Land at KigaliDay 8 · Fly home from Kigali
10 nights
Gorillas + Northern Circuit
Four Rwanda nights built around the gorillas, then a short flight from Kigali to Kilimanjaro for six Northern Circuit nights (Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti). The cleanest two-country routing from Kigali.
PricingQuoted to your datesPriced to order against current lodge and permit rates
Day 1 · Land at KigaliDay 11 · Fly home from Arusha
The four-day figure comes from our Rwanda gorilla trekking cost guide and the sample Rwanda itinerary, with the USD 1,500 permit included and international flights extra. Everything else is priced to order against current lodge and permit rates, so there are no list prices. See our guide to what an African safari costs and real trips with the real prices. Nights shift with your dates, the permits and the lodges you choose, so treat these routes as typical shapes rather than fixed packages.
See Our Set Safaris by BudgetWhere You Could Stay
The 12 lodges and hotels we recommend across Rwanda, grouped by area in the order you would meet them. The final selection flexes around your dates, the permits and availability. More on our Stays page.
Close to the gorillas. Treks start from park headquarters at Kinigi at first light, so everyone sleeps within reach of it the night before.
Volcanoes National Park
Luxury gorilla trekking and reforestation-led conservation stays
On the park boundary
Design-led couples and families seeking front-row volcano views on the park boundary
Exclusive use
Families or groups up to eight wanting a private exclusive-use villa
Closest luxury base
Families and couples wanting the closest luxury base to Volcanoes NP
Ridge above two lakes
Couples and view-chasers wanting the most dramatic ridge-top setting in Rwanda
Volcano foothills
Gorilla trekking with a strong community-ownership story
Kinigi
Intimate all-inclusive gorilla trekking base for couples and families
Near Musanze
Families and groups wanting a full-service resort with a spa close to the gorilla park
Near Musanze
Boutique comfort for couples, families and small groups before or after trekking
9 lodges
Forest in the south-west, savannah in the east. Each works as a three-night addition to the gorillas.
Nyungwe Forest
Chimpanzee and primate trekking in Nyungwe Forest; luxury rainforest retreat
Akagera National Park
Big Five savannah game drives and lake boating safaris
2 lodges
Your first and last night in the capital, a night we usually build in before or after the trek.
Kigali
First and last night in the capital; polished city base before and after safari
1 lodge
12 lodges and hotels across three areas, with the same comfort levels as our Stays page. Lodge names open each lodge's own website.
Plan Your Visit
Gorillas can be trekked all year. The dry seasons make for firmer trails and clearer views, and the green seasons bring quieter forests and lower rates.
What's happening
Short dry season
The short dry season. Warm, mostly dry weather with the occasional afternoon shower, and the landscape green from recent rains.
Peak season
Long dry season · Firmer trails · Clearer views
The long dry season brings clear skies, cool mornings at altitude and the firmest trails of the year. All the parks are accessible and at their best. It's high season, so the best lodges and permits go early. For these months we'd start planning six to twelve months ahead.
Best for a first trek and the clearest views
Short dry season
Warm days · Green landscapes · Fewer visitors
A shorter dry spell brings warm, mostly dry weather with the occasional afternoon shower. The landscape is green from recent rains, which suits photography. Fewer visitors than June to September makes bookings easier, and it's a favourite window for repeat visitors.
Best for photography and easier bookings
Green seasons
Rainy periods · Lush forest · Lower rates
The rains bring lush forest, good birding and a quieter atmosphere. April and May are the wettest months, and some lodges may close, but rates are at their lowest. Gorilla trekking continues all year. Expect mud and wet weather gear, and heavy rain can make roads and trails difficult.
Best for value and a quiet forest
From Australia
There's no direct flight from Australia to Kigali, so you connect once or twice. Once you land, the gorillas are the easiest to reach in Africa: two to three hours from the airport on good tarmac.
Step one
There's no non-stop flight from Australia to Rwanda, so every route connects through a hub. You fly out of your own city and we build the connections around it.
Step two
We usually route via Singapore, Johannesburg or Addis Ababa. Qantas flies non-stop from Sydney and Perth to Johannesburg, and Nairobi or a Gulf hub are possible too.
Step three
Rwanda's international airport, on the edge of the capital. We meet you at the door.
Two to three hours from the gorilla trailheadsFirst night
After a day of flying your first night is in the city, with nothing planned beyond dinner. The next morning your driver-guide takes you up to the Volcanoes on good tarmac.
UTC+2 all year · 8 hours behind Brisbane| Via | Airline | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | A common first connection | Then on to Kigali. |
| Johannesburg | Qantas, then a connection north | Non-stop from Sydney and Perth. |
| Addis Ababa or Nairobi | Ethiopian or Kenya Airways | Connect through to Kigali. |
| Doha or Dubai | Gulf carriers | Possible, not our usual choice. We pick the best link for your dates. |
We lock the lodges, then the flights. The gorilla permit comes first of all: only 96 are issued a day and the dry months sell out months ahead, so we secure yours before anything else, then place your lodges, flights and transfers together. Once your deposit is in, that's the time to take out your travel insurance.
There's no direct flight from Australia to Kigali. We usually route via Singapore, Johannesburg or Addis Ababa and suggest the best connection for your dates. Return fares have typically run from about A$2,000 to A$2,800 per person depending on timing and how early you book. Schedules change, so we check them when we build your trip.
Rwanda runs on UTC+2 all year, with no daylight saving. Perth is six hours ahead. Brisbane and the Gold Coast are eight hours ahead all year, and Sydney is eight hours ahead in winter and nine during daylight saving time.
The Practical Bits
The short version of what to sort before you fly. For visas and anything medical we point you to the official sources, starting with Smartraveller.
A gorilla permit is USD 1,500 per person, per trek, set by the Rwanda Development Board. It's non-refundable and non-transferable, and only 96 are issued a day across the park, so we secure yours before anything else. Permits for June to September and December to February sell out months ahead. Our guide to what Rwanda gorilla trekking costs has the detail.
The minimum age is 15, strictly, with no exceptions. Treks run from under an hour to five or six hours over steep, muddy ground at altitude. It's a real hike, not a stroll, but achievable at a normal level of fitness. Rangers assign each group of up to eight a family by fitness and availability, and porters carry your daypack and help on slippery sections. Tell us about any mobility concerns early.
Visa and passport rules are yours to confirm, and they change at short notice. Start with smartraveller.gov.au and Rwanda's immigration service at migration.gov.rw. Yellow fever, malaria and other vaccinations are medical questions, so see a travel doctor well before you go. On yellow fever, we generally tell people the vaccine is worth having, as one shot lasts a lifetime, but your doctor always has the last say. Smartraveller notes that malaria occurs across Rwanda, including Kigali.
At our last check (17 October 2026), Smartraveller's overall level for Rwanda was exercise normal safety precautions, with higher levels in some areas. It says not to travel to the Rubavu district, including Gisenyi, and to reconsider travel within 10 kilometres of the rest of the DRC border. It also advises visiting Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe Forest as part of an organised tour group, and notes that Rwanda is screening arrivals because of an Ebola outbreak in the DRC. Read the latest at smartraveller.gov.au.
Layers, a waterproof jacket, sturdy waterproof boots, long sleeves and trousers, and gloves for gripping vegetation on steep sections. Rwanda bans plastic bags, and Smartraveller says officials may fine you for having them, so pack in cloth or paper. It also lists vapes as illegal. Our packing list has the rest.
The permit is the biggest line, and a sample four-day trip starts from about A$6,900 per person for two, with flights from Australia extra. We price every trip to order. See what an African safari costs, our sample Rwanda itinerary, real trips and how booking works.
Go Further
Rwanda joins its neighbours easily. These are the three combinations we get asked about most.
The other gorilla country
Some travellers trek in both Rwanda and Uganda, with Queen Elizabeth or Kibale in between, for chimpanzees, tree-climbing lions and the Nile on the same trip.
The cleanest two-country routing
A short flight from Kigali to Kilimanjaro joins the gorillas to the Serengeti in a single trip. In Tanzania our own guides and vehicles run your drives.
Beach finish
After the gorillas and a Tanzania safari, three or four nights on the island is the classic ending: Stone Town for history, then the north or east coast.
The Big Decision
The hour with the gorillas is just as good in both countries. What changes is how you get there, what the trek feels like, what the permit costs and what else you can add.
Uganda's treks are usually tougher and the journey in is longer. Read the full Rwanda vs Uganda gorilla trekking guide, see our Uganda page, or read about the gorilla habituation experience.
The Practical Questions
The questions Australians ask us most about gorilla trekking in Rwanda, grouped by topic.
Can't see your question? Ask us directly and a real person will answer.
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Go Deeper
Guides that help you decide before you commit. Real numbers, no fluff.
Straight numbers help you decide before you commit. See what an African safari costs from Australia, what Rwanda gorilla trekking costs, real trips with the real prices and how booking works.
Keep Exploring
The same way of travelling, in other corners of Africa.
Start Planning
From a silverback in the bamboo to the Akagera plains. Tell us your dates and who's travelling, and we design the rest, from permits to lodges to the way home, with real prices in Australian dollars.
Five stars. 5.0 on Google and Tripadvisor37 five-star reviews, every one of them
“It was perfect from start to finish.”
Call us or message us
Pick up the phone if you'd rather talk it through. We spend a good part of the year moving between Australia and Africa, so if we miss you, WhatsApp Samara and we'll come back to you whatever the time zone.
Samara Imhoof
Bookings & Client Care
Whether you're just kicking around ideas or already booked. Dates, lodges, costs, changes, payments, flights.
Free call from Australia
1800 KINGSE(1800 546 473)Jackson Potter
Founder
Lodges, agents, media, or anything commercial. This one comes straight to me.
Not sure who to ask? [email protected] reaches the whole team.
