火山国立公園での1日ルワンダゴリラトレッキングツアー

I can’t recommend this excursion enough. The hike itself was uphill and challenging. But the experience was unforgettable! The guide was amazing! He protected us and gave us the ultimate experience. Bravo!

So this is my honest and sincere review. I found this company on Viator. I think hands down that they do an amazing job. I was working with Emmanuel a lot in the beginning and planning this trip and I think that you’re in good hands with this company. Christian was my driver, he was really really amazing and early picking me up. Also, make sure you notify the hotel about providing you a breakfast for your morning departure. I understand that most Hotels automatically offer the service but I was staying at the Marriott and I actually had to advise them the evening before and I’m glad I did because the reception is told me if I just showed up the morning of even though they could accommodate, it probably would’ve taken more time, and we probably would’ve been departing later in the morning. So if you’re staying at the Marriott or the Four points, I would just notify the hotel when you check in that you’re going to see the gorillas and the date or notify them the evening before. Just so that they have everything ready for you when you come downstairs for your pick up…. I love the fact that this company reached out to you the evening before just to go over a pre briefing. The lunch that’s included is top notch. They take you to a really amazing restaurant in town and they have a menu full of choices. It’s vegan and vegetarian friendly for those of us who don’t eat meat. So this is a trip I’ve been planning for the last two years, and I did my research, but just so fellow travelers could know with the gorilla trekking there is an easy medium and advance trail. I didn’t know that and it wasn’t given the option to be honest, even if I didn’t know and even if I had the option, I probably would’ve chosen medium because I’m in really good shape, very active, I’m a runner and I lift weights. In fact, everybody in my small group was pretty young active and fit, but in my personal opinion, the medium trail was very difficult. Three of us struggled but overall, it was pretty challenging for everybody and please be advise the altitude can be hard. I knew that we would be hiking. I knew this would be challenging, and that we were gonna be in the forest. I just thought maybe it would’ve been a little bit more paved out. There’s a lot of heavy and huge rocks almost everywhere you step and that’s for about an hour and a half for the medium trail and then another hour and a half literally going through bushes and forest. If you were glasses, I would recommend wearing contacts if you can and something to protect your face I can’t tell you how many times the branches were hitting my face and please bring everything that they recommend. You’re gonna need everything from gaiters to gloves and a small day pack. Please bring snacks you’re gonna get hungry. One thing that I would like to clarify, because I don’t think I fully understood. And maybe there’s a slight misunderstanding on the significance of a Porter for higher again. I really didn’t think that I needed to hire a Porter especially since I had a very light backpack and I’ve done things like this before , but Christian highly recommended it and it first I didn’t want to because I thought it was just another way of spending money, but I’m glad that he insisted because not only does it help some of the former poachers, who have been educated and no longer hunt the animals, It’s supports them to provide for themselves, and they’re families. If it wasn’t for my Porter John who is amazing. I would’ve slipped and fell and struggled even more so without him and he was worth hiring. You can hire a Porter to help you to carry your light backpack as little as $10 or you can pay whatever you desire I did $15, Which brings me to my second point. I understand that where we were was in a local village I get that but at the same time, it is a very popular tourist destination where you can purchase things with debit or credit card. I didn’t have time to get the local currency. For me, which should’ve been three flights to Rwanda ended up being five flights with 12 hour layovers in between the last two. When I got to my hotel I had enough time to shower, relax and eat before waking up at three A.M. for the gorilla trekking the following day. I was supposed to arrive to Rwanda two days earlier, but because of Kenya Airways things just did not work out the way I intended, so at what point am I going to have to get Cash? I just had a little bit of currency that I was able to get from the hotel for my driver Christian, and my local range manager who guided us up the trail. I didn’t know that I was gonna have to have to tip about three other people and I don’t normally carry a lot of Cash on me to begin with so I had to borrow money from my driver, just to pay my Porter and thankfully Christian was kind enough to help me. Please know when you do this tour bring Cash for Emergencies, to tip your driver, to tip the Porter for higher, which I highly recommend after going through this experience, to tip your park ranger who’s guiding you, and also to tip the people that actually go out early ahead of the groups to locate the gorillas. All of that’s important. And these are the things that you wouldn’t know if this is your first time. I love that the $1500 that we spend goes towards the upkeep of the gorillas, their natural habitat and even the local village, but you would think it would even provide for some of these little extra expenses that you don’t really hear a lot about. So just bring some extra Cash on you. Everybody else in my group tipped with American dollars and I almost wish I would’ve brought some of those cause they were happy to receive dollars. And please know I’m not complaining. I’m just giving an honest review from somebody who has done this experience. I highly recommend this company. I think they’re absolutely wonderful and that they do amazing job. I’m just simply here to provide some clarity and a highly emphasize hiring a Porter now that I understand what that means. It’s more so than just having somebody carry your backpack but somebody who genuinely will help you if you do the medium or advance. The last thing is I’ve read in previous reviews that there were people around to help clean the gaiters and the boots. I was never offered that service. I don’t know if if that was something by coincidence or not, but many reviews said that this was something that they were able to experience, so I had that same expectation and was very disappointed that I still had to carry my dirty boots around my hotel. Christian did provide flip-flops for me to switch into during lunch and the remainder of my time, but it would’ve been nice to have that small service of having somebody help you clean your boots and your gaiters. And finally there was a place where we could stop and take photos. I forget exactly what it’s called but you see them and all of the photos. It’s like these two gorillas together and I don’t know if my driver was able to come with me to help take pictures because that would’ve been amazing. I didn’t have anybody to take my photo. Sometimes it’s nice to have photos other than selfies, and I had to ask other guides who were with their customersto take my picture so apart from that I had a great time. I’m just trying to provide sincere feedback to help the company as well as to help advise future travelers. Overall, I’m very satisfied with my experience even though this is pretty intense, I think they did a great job, and highly recommend them, so thank you for everything.

The day began at 4:30 AM when Dodos picked us up from our hotel in Kegali, we arrived at the briefing at about 7 AM where we had a nice cup of tea and were assigned our guide and group of 8 people for the day. The hike itself was more strenuous than I expected, and unfortunately, my daughter was sick so they ended up asking the local village to provide a stretcher to carry her with a rotating group of about 9 guys. It was an extra $200 but well worth it given how challenging it was to navigate the trails. A couple of guys lead with machetes, making space for us to travel about 3 miles uphill. Seeing the gorilla was incredible, it was beyond words to experience them in their natural setting for an hour. I know there are several different operators who organize these tours but I would highly recommend Universal Ventures due to their personal attention and going above and beyond when my daughter was sick. We ended up getting back to the hotel at about 8 PM, so a very long day, but one that we will never forget.

We had a fantastic experience in Rwanda with Dodos our guide and Emmanuel from the office! We had to deal with 2 cancelled flights and delayed baggage, and Emmanuel helped us reconfigure our itinerary so that we were still able to see the Genocide Memorial and go gorilla trekking. Dodos patiently waited for us at the airport even until 3am and helped us shop for clothes due to our baggage delay. He saved us quite a bit of money by bargaining with the locals. The arranged accommodations were very nice. Gorilla trekking is a lengthy hike but gratifying with the hour we had to hang out beside the family. Overall, Dodos and Emmanuel made Rwanda one of our most favorite countries we visited, even though our 5-day tour became 3 days. We highly recommend doing a tour with Universal Ventures Rwanda.

I would definitely recommend this experience in general and this operator specifically. They contacted me quickly to discuss arranging for the permit to see the gorillas (and extra fee paid directly to the Rwandan authorities). They also advised on how to prepare and answered my questions. On the day of, a really lovely driver picked me up from my hotel in Kigali on time in a luxurious jeep. He was friendly and encouraging as I was a bit anxious about the hiking which can be intense but my one wasn't that strenuous. It depends what the gorillas are up to and the park guides try to sort people loosely on fitness levels, I think. I hired a porter to carry my bag, and they also helped with uneven ground, which was not needed in this case but could have been very very essential if we had to walk through a steeper part of the park. The park staff then led my small group of tourists to see the gorillas, which was one of the most magical things I have experienced! The family of gorillas were very tolerant of us and we spent the full hour allotted with them (longer can stress them). After the walk back, Dodos, my driver, greeted me with a fancy drink and flip flops so I could get out of my hiking boots. We then had lunch at a restaurant o. The way back to Kigali. Overall, I felt very safe as a single female traveller and there were no unexpected costs.

Absolutely fantastic service from start to finish. Emmanuel is professional and knowledgeable so logistics ran smoothly. It’s luck of the draw regarding gorilla sightings on the trek itself but I got extremely lucky! Post-trek we stopped at a really cute restaurant for lunch en route back to Kigali. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this tour!

We had the best time with Mupenzi and Dodos! They made the whole trip unforgettable! There is nothing like seeing Gorillas up close in the wild!

Today was such an amazing day of adventure! Volcanoes National Park is an amazing and ethical way to see these beautiful creatures. Our trekking guide Mupenzi was so kind, fun, and knowledgeable. And our driver, Dodos was phenomenal. He is such a lovely person and incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommended!

My experience was seamless from the coordination of my pick up and drop off, to the actual excursion! Hands down one of the best experiences of my life! Christian was extremely helpful and welcoming throughout our entire trip, it would not have been the same without him. Seeing the gorillas after the trekking through the thick brush, was absolutely breathtaking! I will definitely be recommending this trip to all my friends and family!

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park was, without question, the highlight of my trip to Rwanda and one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. Seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is something that is impossible to fully describe—you simply have to experience it for yourself. From the very early pickup in Kigali to the trek itself, everything was exceptionally well organized. The scenery throughout the journey was breathtaking, and spending time with the gorilla family deep in the forest was truly unforgettable. Watching them interact with one another from just a short distance away was both humbling and awe-inspiring. A special thank you goes to my guide, Christian, who made the entire day even better. He was knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely passionate about sharing Rwanda’s wildlife and culture. He ensured that everything ran smoothly and helped make the experience stress-free and enjoyable from start to finish. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. If you are visiting Rwanda and wondering whether gorilla trekking is worth it, the answer is absolutely yes. It is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that I will remember forever.