4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trek and Lake Kivu

Captivating Rwanda Journey: Gorillas, Culture, and Scenic Landscapes

Embark on a captivating 4-day adventure with Twinkle Star Tours, delving into the heart of Rwanda’s natural wonders. Traverse the historic Kigali city, immersing in poignant narratives of the past, before venturing into the enchanting Volcanoes National Park for a thrilling Gorilla trekking experience. Witness these majestic creatures in their natural habitat, an encounter that lingers in your memory. Immerse yourself further in local culture at Iby’iwachu cultural center and explore the Karisoke Research Center, discovering the fascinating world of Mountain Gorillas. Transition to the serene beauty of Lake Kivu, where optional activities await. Engage in nature walks, birding, or leisurely exploration of nearby hot springs and islands. The journey continues in Kigali, a city that echoes Rwanda’s rich history. Reach out to Twinkle Star Tours to embark on this unforgettable expedition, offering a blend of nature, wildlife, and cultural immersion.

TOUR INCLUDES

Accommodation as per the itinerary
4WD safari vehicle
Bottled drinking water
Gorilla trekking permit
Services of an English-speaking driver/guide.
Return airport transfers.

TOUR EXCLUDES

Other drinks apart from bottled water
Laundry
Tips to local guides
Telephone expenses
Porter fees while trekking Gorillas
Personal insurance

Day 1: Kigali City Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

Following breakfast at your hotel, embark on a poignant journey through Kigali's history by visiting various memorial sites across the city. These significant locations encompass the Genocide memorial sites, a solemn tribute to the innocent lives lost during the mid-1990s genocide. Explore the Presidential Palace Museum and the Nyamata church, where you'll hear harrowing accounts of the tragic events that transpired. Gain insights into the country's history, spanning from colonial periods to the present. After this eye-opening experience, enjoy a hearty lunch before heading to Ruhengeri town, situated just outside Volcanoes National Park. As the day comes to a close, dine and settle in for the night at the lodge, reflecting on the profound historical and cultural encounters of the day.

Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes and Visit to Iby’iwachu cultural Center

Today, your adventure unfolds as you join a seasoned team to track one of the habituated Gorilla groups. After an informative briefing about Gorilla trekking protocols, you'll set off with expert guides to explore the lush forest in search of the majestic Mountain Gorillas. The tracking duration can vary from as little as half an hour to up to 5 hours, revealing the unpredictable nature of this encounter. Along the way, traverse forested slopes, navigate through entwined vines, bushes, and bamboo, all leading you closer to your destination. Your guide will skillfully identify telltale signs of Gorilla presence – from dung and nests to chewed bamboo shoots. Upon reaching the Gorillas, relish a maximum of one hour in their presence, an awe-inspiring moment that lingers in memory. After a return to the hotel for lunch, the afternoon invites you to the Iby’iwachu cultural village, a gateway to understanding Kinyarwanda culture through engaging mediums like folk songs, dances, storytelling, and drama. As the day concludes, retreat to the lodge for dinner and a restful overnight stay.

Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking, hike to Karisoke Research Center and Transfer to Lake Kivu

Embark on another day of exploration with a hearty breakfast, followed by an assembly at the park headquarters. Here, you'll receive essential insights during a briefing on the rules of Golden monkey tracking, setting the stage for your forest adventure. Trekking through the wilderness will consume 1 to 2 hours of your time, allowing you to witness the delightful antics of these rare primates in their natural habitat. After the trek, return to the lodge for a well-deserved lunch and a moment of relaxation. In the afternoon, immerse yourself in a rewarding hike to the Karisoke Research Centre. This hub of knowledge showcases an exhibit dedicated to Mountain Gorillas and the groundbreaking conservation efforts initiated by Dian Fossey. You'll encounter invaluable Dian Fossey artifacts, a 3D interactive model of the Virunga Mountains, and casts of real Gorilla nose prints, offering an enriching educational experience. This insightful visit sheds light on lesser-known aspects of Mountain Gorillas. Your day concludes as you're whisked away to the tranquil Kibuye town, situated near the captivating Lake Kivu. Enjoy dinner and a peaceful overnight stay at the lodge.

Day 4: Lake Kivu – Kigali Town

Make the most of your day by embracing a range of optional activities around the captivating Lake Kivu. Choose to embark on a leisurely nature walk, or set off on a bird-watching adventure during a serene boat ride. Delve into exploration by visiting the islands that dot the lake's expanse, or unwind at the rejuvenating nearby hot springs. Fishing enthusiasts can indulge in their hobby, while those seeking cultural insights can journey to the Congo border. Discover the enchanting Ndaba Falls or meander through Kibuye town to gain a deeper understanding of local lifestyles. As your day unfolds, savor these experiences before being smoothly transferred to Kigali. Bid farewell to the beauty of Rwanda and return to your hotel or the airport with cherished memories in tow.

SAFARI PRICES BY SEASON
NO. OF PERSONS & ACCOMMODATION CATEGORY

HIGH SEASON - STANDARD

For prices please contact our expert team

PEAK SEASON - STANDARD

For prices please contact our expert team

LOW SEASON - STANDARD

For prices please contact our expert team

TAILORMAKE THIS TOUR

A tailormade tour will put you in control of what you would like to do and experience in your safari to Africa. The above is just an indication of what an itinerary can be like.

OUR REVIEWS

Bryan D

23 January 2023

Amazing Twinkle Star Tours booked us an amazing 10 day safari tour. Throughout the process they were incredibly helpful and accomodating; happy to work through any requests we had, large or small.Would highly recommend and will definitely use them again!

Julian K

6 November 2022

Amazing Safari Experience Great Safari, very well overall planning, highly recommended to everyone!We found twinkle Stars through SafariBookings.com and decided for them because of reasonable pricing and a fast reply. We were not disappointed. We were so satisfied with Twinkle Stars that we also planned other trips with them such as transfers, a visit to the Kisite Marine Park near Diana Beach, a Day-Hike up Mt Longonot and more. Everytime we got exactly what we wanted.Some of the absolute benefits were:- uncomplicated and highly flexible planning; even though we startet with a pre-planned 10 day trip, it was no problem to customize the trip according to our needs/wishes- absolutely amazing guide; our guide was Albert and like most other reviews we can verify that the guides are one of the highlights; make sure you get along with your guide and he will provide you with a truck-load of knowledge, information and stories-perfect nature/wildlife and accomodations; we saw everything we could have dreamt of and all accomodations were beautifulSome tips:-make sure you are in contact with the real Twinkle Star to avoid scams; during the planning stages you should only deal with James Collins Oketch; also cross-check Email adress and phone number with their website to make sure-make sure to have a fixed agreement on everything including type of car, exact accomodations, activites etc. to avoid conflicts Suggestions for improvement:-make the payment process more transparent/accessible; payment is only possible through cash (who wants to travel with that amount?) or through a bank link (Credit Card); admittedly we did not feel well when we transferred a large sum of money towards an unknown Kenian bank account (no problems, but still scary); I am sure a payment method through PayPal or some official provider would reassure a number of customersThank you for an amazing time in KeniaJulian & Leslie

Sharon K

10 October 2022

Safari in Kenya and Tanzania I would thoroughly recommend using Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris if you are considering booking a trip to Kenya or Tanzania. Having worked with James back in 2019 to create our dream safari, it was not until this year, 2022, that the dream came true. Starting in Nairobi, we were picked up by our guide, Abubakar. This being my first safari, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but Abu, put us at ease, kept us safe and comfortable and helped us see so many wonderful animals and their natural behaviours in the wild. We went to Samburu National Reserve, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Naviasha, Masai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Lake Manyara National Park and Amboseli National Park. I would recommend all these places. Each has its own unique character and ambience. If I had to select some highlights though, it would have to be Ol Pejeta because of the exceptional work they are doing to save the Northern White Rhinos; the Serengeti because it is truly a wonder and the Crater - because that is where we got to see all the BIG 5 in one day. In terms of highlights - I would also recommend paying the extra costs to meet the last two Northern White Rhinos in Ol Pejeta as the money you spend goes to a wonderful charity and also gives you the chance to meet face to face these wonderful animals. My eyes are welling up, remembering the time we got to spend with them. My husband also treated us to a balloon ride over the Masai Mara. I am not a brave flyer at the best of times, but I am so glad we did this. It was a wonderful way to see the Mara and the different animals across its plains. The GuidesAbu was a brilliant guide with knowledge and experiences of the animals. His friendly disposition and network with fellow drivers meant we were always able to see really wonderful animals, and take as much time as we wanted to get our perfect pictures and memories. When we crossed over to Tanzania we had a new guide, Stuart from Raven Safaris. Stuart knows the Serengeti and the Crater having long years experience. Stuart's patience and knowledge of the animals was exceptional and we were both lucky and privileged to see 4 different leopards because of his brilliant guiding skills. Value for moneyIf you are researching for your own safari, you will know, they are not cheap, however, considering the parks we visited, the places we stayed the food provided and the knowledge shared by our guides, the value for money was brilliant on this trip. It was also tailored to meet the requests we had and all our questions were answered without hesitations. If you are looking for a bit of luxury I would certainly recommend Ol Pejeta and the Intimate Camp in the Serengeti. As someone who doesn't camp a lot, both of these places offered camping tents which are honestly nicer than my own apartment back home!I have wanted to go on safari since I was a young person growing up watching the documentaries narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Wildlife is not a documentary - however, we were lucky and privileged to get a small window into that world for a few weeks. I will treasure the memories and photographs forever and hope that in years to come those wonderful places and their inhabitants continue to not only exist but also thrive.

Harry D

30 September 2022

EXCELLENT SAFARI It was the best vacation trip my wife and I have taken in a very long time and will be remembered for a long time. This was a private Safari for 19 days in both Kenya and Tanzania for me and my wife. Guides: Both Guides were knowledgeable and informative. Their driving skills were second to none. In Kenya, our driver George was great. We really connected with him. He went over and above what we expected. If we were to go again, we would want him as our Guide/Driver. In Tanzania, Stuart was a great driver/guide as well. Both allowed us to adjust our schedule to suit our needs and made sure we saw everything.Lodges:The Tented lodges exceed our expectations in every way. We would stay at these again. The tour included a sunrise Ballon Safari in Masai Mara. it was a great addition to the tour.Our luggage was delayed on arrival to Nairobi. The Twinkle Star person meeting us at the Airport went above and beyond to ensure we were able to start our Safari on time.

12 September 2022

Outstanding Safari Tour Agency My girlfriend and I wanted to go on Safari this year. We spent a part of the summer looking for a good package and came across Twinkle Star Tours & Safaris. We read their reviews and saw their package options and found the one that best fit our budget. Other than the financials, we were pretty much hands off, as Twinkle Star took care of everything for us. Even when our initial choice of Safari Accommodation fell through, they helped us find another one in our budget and with the same level of luxury. Our overall experience from beginning to end, was nothing less than excellent.

Kim N

31 August 2022

Kenya and Tanzania Safaris We booked the 12-days tour with James (Twinkle Star Tours). We were a group of 12 people with 4 vehicles. James greeted us in the morning at the hotel where we stayed overnight. Our drivers also picked us up from there after the the greeting. Drivers were on time every day. The transfers from Kenya to Tanzania and back went smoothly. The experiences in both countries were great. Twinkle Star Tours exceeded our expectations, highly recommend Twinkle Star Tours for next booking. James also came to the airport at the end of the trip with his two daughters with some farewell gifts for everyone. Thanks for your attention to details in planning, James!

khaledaislam12345

14 June 2022

A trip of a lifetime Wow! Twinkle Star Tours went above and beyond to personalise this trip for me and ensure everything went according to plan. There were a few personal hiccups along the way but James (the director) was able to facilitate along the way always. Communication is fast, things are put in place efficiently and the staff treat you like family. The excursion days in Nairobi with Double Whiskey (Willy) were really great. The safari was a dream. Diani beach was beautiful. The team are amazing!!!! I can’t recommend them enough. I hope to be back in Kenya soon.

Rafael L

5 May 2022

A Trip of a Lifetime My wife and I did a 10-day safari with Twinkle Star Tours for our honeymoon while in Kenya. We had an incredible experience during the safari and it was a trip that will be remembered for a lifetime.Shortly before the tour was set to start some hiccups happened with the payments, and James (tour organizer) spent hours upon hours with us making sure everything was settled and taken care of, one way or another. This is a company that truly cares about its customers, and the overall experience.During the safari itself our guide was also called James. This dude was honestly one of my favorite things about the whole trip. He was extremely knowledgeable about anything and everything dealing with the animals and the locations we visited, and had an answers to all of our questions- and we had lots of them. His contagious laughter and easy-going attitude made the 10 days we spent together an absolute joy, and i could tell that he truly enjoys what he does.The lodging booked for us was also on point. All of the places were extremely clean and comfortable, with breathtaking views on just about all of them. It was the perfect mix of adventurous tent-like places you’d expect on a safari, with just the right luxury touch. Just as an extra, I would also highly recommend stopping by the Maasai village for a meet and greet, which was an optional stop for us. It was life changing….Thank you James and James for making this absolutely incredible experience possible.

Courtney L

4 May 2022

Great Value This has been a crazy experience, I will do my best to be succinct but I see why so many safari reviews are so LONG.So first thing, the safari was excellent. My husband and I booked a private “luxury” safari for our honeymoon and I wasn’t sure what to expect, particularly since it seemed closer to mid-range pricing, but it certainly FELT luxury to us. The lodging was fabulous, couldn’t have picked better places myself. Our tour guide James was super cool (not the same James who plans it, a different guy). We saw the “big 5” and so many other animals. This company is a pretty small operation and they take guest satisfaction super seriously. Everything was well-organized, we felt safe the entire time. It was an adventure of a lifetime to be sure.It is worth mentioning that we originally booked a 10-day safari but unfortunately a scam came to light; someone impersonating the tour company took some of our money. Once we got everything figured out, we were able to start the safari a day late; due to our own time constraints, this brought it down to a 9-day safari, but honestly that was still great. I think 9 or 10 days is the way to go.On that note, no matter who you book with, be sure that you are ONLY in contact with actual person you are attempting to contact; check the phone number against their website. If you are booking with Twinkle Star, you will pretty much only be dealing with James. After everything was said and done, they really worked with us to make sure the safari could still happen.I can say confidently, given everything that we went through, that this is an honest company that will not disappoint you. I was definitely a little worried about quality control when trying to book everything from the US, but everything was super above-board with Twinkle Star and they really did a great job.

4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trek and Lake Kivu

Captivating Rwanda Journey: Gorillas, Culture, and Scenic Landscapes

TOUR INCLUDES

TOUR EXCLUDES

SAFARI PRICES BY SEASON
NO. OF PERSONS & ACCOMMODATION CATEGORY

TAILORMAKE THIS TOUR

OUR REVIEWS

OUR REVIEWS

Trusted Safari Tour Operators

TRAVEL STYLES

KENYA OFFICE

USA OFFICE

TAIWAN OFFICE

4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trek and Lake Kivu

Captivating Rwanda Journey: Gorillas, Culture, and Scenic Landscapes

TOUR INCLUDES

TOUR EXCLUDES

SAFARI PRICES BY SEASON NO. OF PERSONS & ACCOMMODATION CATEGORY

TAILORMAKE THIS TOUR

OUR REVIEWS

OUR REVIEWS

Trusted Safari Tour Operators

TRAVEL STYLES

KENYA OFFICE

USA OFFICE

TAIWAN OFFICE

SAFARI PRICES BY SEASON
NO. OF PERSONS & ACCOMMODATION CATEGORY