rwanda & kenya
gorillas and a private beach house
Seventeen nights from Rwanda's gorilla forests through Kenya's conservancies to a private house on Kilifi Creek.
- Private Safari
- From $50,570 pp
- 2 guests
- 17 nights
trip highlights
- At Volcanoes National Park, treks begin at Kinigi Park Headquarters and climb through bamboo and Hagenia woodland toward habituated mountain gorilla families.
- Virunga Lodge stands on a ridge between Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo, with six of the eight Virunga volcanoes visible on a clear day.
- Mgahinga holds a single habituated gorilla group, the Nyakagezi family, on open volcanic slopes beneath Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo.
- Bwindi Lodge sits on the forest edge at Buhoma, where more than 25 habituated gorilla groups live in the surrounding rainforest.
Scroll for the full itinerary
From Kigali to the Virunga Forests
This route links four bases across Rwanda and Uganda over 10 nights, beginning in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and arrival hub. From there it climbs to Volcanoes National Park, the Rwandan sector of the Virunga Massif, then crosses into Uganda for Mgahinga, the country’s smallest gorilla park, and ends in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which holds close to half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
You travel by road and light aircraft, with gorilla trekking governed by permit rules that allow eight visitors and one hour with a habituated family. Days move between forest treks, golden monkeys and time in the lodges. Accommodation runs from a boutique city hotel to three hand-built forest-edge lodges.
Daily Itinerary Breakdown
Arrival in Kigali
You begin in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, spread across ridges at the centre of the country and widely regarded as the cleanest city in Africa. A single night here eases the arrival, with time for the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi or the textile stalls of Kimironko Market if the schedule allows. Hemingways Retreat Kigali is a 20-room boutique hotel of stone and teak in the leafy Kiyovu district, a short drive from the airport, with a solar-heated saltwater pool and farm-to-table dining.
- Accommodation at Hemingways Retreat Kigali
Mountain Gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes
From Kigali you drive north to Volcanoes National Park, the Rwandan sector of the Virunga Massif, covering 160 square kilometres of rainforest. Treks assemble at Kinigi Park Headquarters by 7am and climb through farmed foothills into bamboo and Hagenia woodland, a permit granting one hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family; golden monkeys and around 200 bird species share the forest. Reached by a steep climb of around an hour from the park headquarters, Virunga Lodge stands high on a ridge between Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo, its ten hand-built bandas facing either the volcanoes or the lakes.
- Accommodation at Virunga Lodge
Golden Monkeys and the Nyakagezi Group
Crossing into Uganda, you reach Mgahinga, the country's smallest gorilla park, set among three dormant Virunga volcanoes. A single habituated family, the Nyakagezi group, lives on bamboo and open volcanic slopes beneath Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo, which makes for clearer sightlines than the dense forest to the north; golden monkeys are tracked through the bamboo zone. A short walk from the park gate, Mount Gahinga Lodge has eight circular bandas hand-built from local volcanic stone under papyrus thatch, each with a fireplace and a private veranda.
- Accommodation at Mount Gahinga Lodge
Bwindi's Forest-Edge Gorilla Trekking
You continue north to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site holding close to half the world's remaining mountain gorillas, with more than 25 habituated groups. Treks depart from the Buhoma sector following Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers, eight visitors per group and one hour with the gorillas once found; nature walks lead to waterfalls and the river. On the forest edge at Buhoma, Bwindi Lodge has its own footpath into the forest and balconies looking directly onto the trees, separated only by a stream, and is a favourite haunt of the Rushegura gorilla group.
- Accommodation at Bwindi Lodge
Ed Charles, BBC Producer
Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.
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- Private Safari
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- 2 guests
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rwanda
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- Private Safari
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- 2 guests
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rated five stars by our clients
our approach
remote, exclusive
& personal
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.
Get in touch to start planning yours.