Gorillas in Volcanoes, a quiet evening on Lake Kivu and chimpanzees in Nyungwe, starting and ending in Kigali. Every permit price below is checked against the parks' own published rates.
← Part of our Rwanda travel guide
Seven days is enough to see Rwanda's two great primates and its largest lake without rushing. The route runs in a loop: north to the volcanoes, west to the lake, south to the rainforest, and back to Kigali. The biggest single cost is the gorilla permit, so the table at the end shows what the whole week adds up to.
Fly into Kigali International Airport. Most visitors start at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the place to begin understanding the country's recent history. Entry is free, and an audio-guide package costs $30. It's open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00), but only from 13:00 on the last Saturday of the month, when Umuganda community work takes the morning.
Allow at least two hours. Photography isn't allowed inside the museum.
About two and a half hours by road to Musanze and the park headquarters at Kinigi. Spend the afternoon settling in, or visit the Musanze Caves or the Buhanga Eco-Park. Sleep near Kinigi so the trek-day start is easy.
Lodges and the full park essentials: our Volcanoes National Park guide.
Report to the Kinigi headquarters around 7:00 for the briefing and your gorilla family. The trek can take 30 minutes or several hours each way; once the gorillas are found, you get one hour with them. The permit is $1,500 per person for international visitors.
What a trek day actually involves: gorilla trekking, hour by hour.
A morning trek to the endangered golden monkeys in the bamboo forest ($100 for international visitors). After lunch, drive about an hour and a half west to Rubavu on the shore of Lake Kivu, for a slow evening by the water.
Prefer a hike? Swap the monkeys for the walk to Dian Fossey's tomb or the climb to Bisoke's crater lake.
A long, scenic day on the road, following Lake Kivu south past tea and coffee hills before climbing into Nyungwe's rainforest. Start early, and break the drive at Karongi for lunch by the lake.
Chimpanzee tracking starts before dawn, around 5:00 ($150; minimum age 15). In the afternoon, walk the canopy walkway at Uwinka, about 50 metres above the forest floor ($40). Nyungwe also charges park entry: $100 for the first night or day, then $50 for each of the next two.
More on both: tracking chimpanzees in Nyungwe and the Nyungwe canopy walk.
Five to six hours by road back to Kigali. Plan an evening flight, or add a night in the city.
Per person, for two people travelling together and sharing a room and a vehicle, at 2026 prices for international visitors. Flights, meals, drinks and tips are not included.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla permit | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Golden monkeys | $100 | $100 | $100 |
| Nyungwe entry, 2 nights | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Chimpanzee tracking | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Canopy walk | $40 | $40 | $40 |
| Visa on arrival | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| Lodging, 6 nights | $150–360Guesthouses, $50–120 a room | $450–1,200Lodges, $150–400 a room | From about $5,000Top lodges from about $800 per person a night, often full board |
| Transport, 7 days | $250–350Small car with driver, $60–90 a day, plus fuel | $350–5504x4 with driver-guide, $90–130 a day, plus fuel | $950–1,250Safari Land Cruiser, $250–320 a day, plus fuel |
| Total, per person | About $2,400–2,700 | About $2,800–3,700 | From about $8,000 |
Permit and park prices: Visit Rwanda (RDB), Nyungwe National Park's 2025–2026 rate sheet, the Akagera price list, the Kigali Genocide Memorial and SafariFind (golden monkeys). Lodging and vehicle ranges are typical 2026 market rates from SafariFind and Rent a Driver Rwanda; transport totals include a fuel allowance, split between two. Checked 20 October 2026. Confirm prices before you pay.
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