Kigali Hostel
Hostel
Day 1
Rwanda Gorilla Short - 6 Days (Kigali, Musanze, Twin Lakes, Volcanoes NP & Bisoke)
Six days, with one hour that costs most of the price. Four days — Kigali, one gorilla trek and out — for people who cannot give a week to it.
Dust & Thorn
Runs this trip
Wildlife & birdwatching
Six days, with one hour that costs most of the price
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Kigali Genocide MemorialMore than two hundred and fifty thousand people are buried at the memorial. Virunga volcanoesRwanda is terraced to the top of nearly every hill, which is what "land of a thousand hills" actually looks like. Volcanoes National ParkOne hour with the family, no more, and no closer than seven metres.
Itinerary
More than two hundred and fifty thousand people are buried at the memorial. Going on the first day rather than the last is deliberate — nothing here makes sense without it.
KigaliHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer into the city
- 2:00 PM — the Kigali Genocide Memorial
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationKigali Hostel
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
- Genocide Memorial visit
LANDMARKS Kigali Genocide Memorial Kimironko market Start point Kigali, Kigali International Airport (KGL), Rwanda 00:00 - 23:59Rwanda is terraced to the top of nearly every hill, which is what "land of a thousand hills" actually looks like.
Kigali, Musanze, Twin LakesHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — north-west into the Virungas
- 1 hrs2:00 PM — the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationVolcanoes NP Hostel
Included Activities
- Transport
- Lodge night at Musanze
- Gorilla trek briefing
LANDMARKS Virunga volcanoes Lake Burera Lake Ruhondo Musanze One hour with the family, no more, and no closer than seven metres. The walk to find them takes anything from forty minutes to six hours.
Volcanoes NPHow the day runs
- 1 hrs5:30 AM — the park headquarters for allocation
- 6 hrs7:30 AM — into the bamboo, however long it takes
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- AccommodationVolcanoes NP Hostel
Included Activities
- Gorilla permit
- Trackers and an armed ranger escort
- Porter
- Lodge night
LANDMARKS Volcanoes National Park Mountain gorillas Bamboo zone Bisoke is six hours return through mud on a volcano at 3,711 m. The golden monkey permit is the gentler alternative and is not a lesser morning.
Volcanoes NP, BisokeHow the day runs
- 6 hrs6:00 AM — the climb to the crater lake, six hours return
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationMusanze Hostel
Included Activities
- Bisoke or golden monkey permit
- Ranger escort
- Lodge night
Optional Activities
- The Dian Fossey research site and grave, a separate half-day permit
LANDMARKS Mount Bisoke Crater lake Dian Fossey grave site Kivu has no crocodiles or hippos, which makes it one of very few African lakes people swim in freely.
Musanze, Lake KivuHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — south-west to Gisenyi
- 2 hrs3:00 PM — out to the islands
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationLake Kivu Hostel
Included Activities
- Lake boat
- Lakeside hotel night
Optional Activities
- A section of the Congo Nile Trail by bicycle
LANDMARKS Lake Kivu Gisenyi Congo Nile Trail Kigali is one of the cleanest and safest capitals in Africa, which is itself part of the story.
Lake Kivu, KigaliHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — back to the capital
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Transport to the airport
Optional Activities
- The Nyamirambo women's centre walking tour in Kigali
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 1Genocide Memorial visit
- Day 2Transport
- Day 2Lodge night at Musanze
- Day 2Gorilla trek briefing
- Day 3Gorilla permit
- Day 3Trackers and an armed ranger escort
- Day 3Porter
- Day 3Lodge night
- Day 4Bisoke or golden monkey permit
- Day 4Ranger escort
- Day 4The Dian Fossey research site and grave, a separate half-day permitCosts extra
- Day 5Lake boat
- Day 5Lakeside hotel night
- Day 5A section of the Congo Nile Trail by bicycleCosts extra
- Day 6Transport to the airport
- Day 6The Nyamirambo women's centre walking tour in KigaliCosts extra
- Day 1 · 1 nightKigali Hostel
- Day 2 · 2 nightsVolcanoes NP Hostel
- Day 4 · 1 nightMusanze Hostel
- Day 5 · 1 nightLake Kivu Hostel
- Day 1Kigali to KigaliTransfer into the city
- Day 2Kigali to Musanze9:00 AM — north-west into the Virungas
- Day 2Musanze to Twin Lakes2:00 PM — the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
- Day 3Musanze to Volcanoes NP5:30 AM — the park headquarters for allocation
- Day 5Musanze to Lake Kivu9:00 AM — south-west to Gisenyi
- Day 6Lake Kivu to Kigali9:00 AM — back to the capital
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Volcanoes NP Hostel
Hostel
Days 2, 3
Musanze Hostel
Hostel
Day 4
Lake Kivu Hostel
Hostel
Day 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
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.3/5
Based on 11 reviews
Review summary
Food4.0/5
Guide4.1/5
Itinerary4.1/5
Transport4.1/5
Accommodation4.1/5
Tour operator4.4/5
Sort by:Recommended
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
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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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
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