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Rwanda Gorilla Short

4.3(11 reviews)6 daysStart and end in
3 photos
Dust & Thorn
Runs this trip
6 Days · 5 Nights
Fully planned multi-day journey
Accommodation
Kigali Hostel
Fully guided
A guide travels with the group for the whole trip.
Wildlife & birdwatching
Six days, with one hour that costs most of the price
High Intensity
Travelers can expect 6-8 hours of challenging high-altitude trekking
Group size on request
Ages 6+ Welcome
The operator's minimum age for this trip is 6

Where this operator goes

6 days · 11 stops

Itinerary

6 days, planned by Dust & Thorn

Pickup point

Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026

Meet atKigaliKigali International Airport (KGL), Rwanda
Reporting time00:00 - 23:59
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What the price covers

Included in the price

You arrange yourself

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.

Kigali Hostel

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 1

Volcanoes NP Hostel

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Nights 2–3

Musanze Hostel

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 4

Lake Kivu Hostel

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 5

What you'll eat

5 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 5 dinners across 6 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 6.

  • DinnerServed on days 1–5
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–6
  • LunchServed on day 3

11 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

One other operator runs this tripThe same trip, at their own price, group size and refund window.Acacia Line₹4,44,999See all 2
BEFORE YOU GO · CAUTIONARY DETAILS
Stay in the vehicle
Every part of the safety of a game drive rests on this. An animal reads a jeep as one large object it knows; a person standing beside it is something else entirely. Do not step out for a photograph, not even briefly, not even when it looks calm.
Quiet is the whole technique
Voices carry further than people expect and nothing you want to see will stay for them. Phones on silent, and no calling out to move an animal into a better position.
Never feed anything
An animal that associates vehicles with food stops behaving like a wild animal, and the ones that do usually end up destroyed. It is illegal in Indian national parks and it is the single most damaging thing a visitor can do.
Dull colours, no scent
Greens, browns and greys. Bright clothing and strong perfume both announce you a long way off.
The gate times are not flexible
Indian parks run fixed morning and afternoon slots with hard entry and exit times, a daily cap on vehicles, and no movement inside after dark. Your permit is issued against a specific zone and slot.
No flash, and no drones
Flash photography at close range distresses animals and is banned in most reserves. Drones require written permission that is almost never given.

Who runs this trip

Operated by
Dust & ThornVerified

“The same reserves from camps outside the gates”

Based in Arusha Running treks since 2017
Rating
4.3(11 reviews)
Response time
—

About Dust & Thorn

Camps outside the park boundary and shared vehicles, which is most of the price difference and none of the wildlife.

View Operator Profile
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 14 days before departure

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.3/5
Based on 11 reviews
Review summary
Food
4.0/5
Guide
4.1/5
Itinerary
4.1/5
Transport
4.1/5
Accommodation
4.1/5
Tour operator
4.4/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
F
Farah Qureshi – Hyderabad2026-05-13 · Verified booking

Early starts, but that's where the wildlife is. Well run. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves. Solid operator.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.

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4
P
Priya Nair – Delhi2026-05-13 · Verified booking

Virunga & Kivu was quieter than I expected and the camp was comfortable. Would send friends their way.

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5
M
Meera Iyer – Jaipur2026-05-13 · Verified booking

Early starts, but that's where the wildlife is. Well run. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Recommended.

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4
K
Karan Shah – Indore2026-05-13 · Verified booking

Early starts, but that's where the wildlife is. Well run. Worth every rupee.

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5
N
Nikhil Joshi – Kolkata2026-05-13 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. No hesitation recommending them.

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5
D
Daniel Okafor – Singapore2025-08-18 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones. No hesitation recommending them.

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5
R
Rahul Menon – Chandigarh2025-08-18 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. No hesitation recommending them.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.

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3
H
Hannah Lindqvist – Auckland2025-08-18 · Verified booking

Sightings were thin on our dates, which is luck, but the drives felt rushed. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.

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Questions people ask

The gorilla permit alone is USD 1,500 per person, set by the Rwanda Development Board, and a tenth of it goes directly to the surrounding communities. It is the single largest line in the price and it is not negotiable or discountable by any operator.

One other operator runs this trip. See all 2 side by side →