What travellers ask before booking

Rwanda is a year-round destination thanks to its high-altitude climate. The two dry seasons (June to September and December to February) offer the easiest gorilla trekking conditions and clearest skies, but the green seasons reward travellers with fewer crowds, lush landscapes and excellent birdlife.

Most travellers can obtain a 30-day visa on arrival at Kigali International Airport, or apply online through the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration. Citizens of African Union, Commonwealth and Francophonie member states benefit from visa-free entry. We will confirm the exact requirements for your nationality once we know who is travelling.

Only one vaccination is legally required, and only in some cases: a yellow fever certificate, mandatory if you are arriving from a country listed by the WHO as having a risk of yellow fever transmission. Travellers flying directly from Europe, North America, Asia or Australia do not need it. Beyond that, the most common recommendations are hepatitis A and malaria prophylaxis. Some travellers also add typhoid. Despite older perceptions about travelling in Africa, Rwanda has invested heavily in public health and sanitation since 2000: Kigali is consistently ranked among the cleanest cities on the continent, the water supply is well managed, and visitors very rarely run into health issues. A short call with a travel doctor four to six weeks before departure will confirm what makes sense for your specific case.

A gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes National Park is US$1,500 per person, set by the Rwanda Development Board. The permit is mandatory and tightly regulated: only eight visitors are allowed per gorilla family per day. We take care of the booking for you as part of the package, so once your dates are confirmed the permit is locked in.

Gorilla trekking permits are limited to 96 visitors per day across Volcanoes National Park, and they regularly sell out for the high seasons. We recommend confirming your dates six months in advance for travel between June and September or between December and February, and three months for the rest of the year. Once your travel window is set, we secure the permits as part of the package, so you do not need to handle the booking yourself.

The minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15, a strict rule set by the Rwanda Development Board with no exceptions, and it applies equally to chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest. Photo ID is checked at the morning briefing, so younger travellers cannot join even if accompanied by a parent. Children under 15 are still very welcome on the rest of the journey: there is no minimum age for golden monkey tracking, the Akagera safari, the boat trip on Lake Ihema, the canopy walk in Nyungwe, or our days at the lake in Karongi. We are happy to design a family-friendly version of the itinerary around what your children can comfortably enjoy.

It can be. Treks last anywhere from one to six hours through bamboo forest and steep volcanic terrain at altitudes between 2,500 and 4,000 metres. Rangers assign families based on your fitness, so there is almost always a family within reach for travellers in average shape. Porters are available to carry bags and lend a hand on the climb.

Once your guide locates the gorilla family, you spend exactly one hour with them. The limit is set by the Rwanda Development Board to protect the gorillas from prolonged human contact and disease transmission, and it applies to every group, every day. The walk to find the family can take anywhere from one to six hours, but the hour spent watching them feed, play and rest is what travellers consistently call the most extraordinary experience of the trip.

Gorilla and chimpanzee treks call for specific gear. Wear long sleeves and long trousers in neutral colours (greens, browns, greys rather than bright tones), bring gardening or thin leather gloves to protect against stinging nettles on the trail, and pack comfortable hiking boots already broken in. A light waterproof jacket is essential, since rain is possible year-round in the rainforest, and a fleece or thin layer is useful for the cool morning briefing before you climb. Add sun protection, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle, a daypack and your camera. For the rest of the trip, regular travel clothing is fine; we share a more detailed packing list once your booking is confirmed.

Rwanda is consistently ranked among the safest countries in Africa. Kigali is clean, calm and walkable; rural areas are equally welcoming. You travel with a private guide and a 4×4 throughout, which means you are never on your own in unfamiliar places.

Always. The 14- and 21-day journeys are starting points; every trip is private and shaped around your interests, pace, comfort level and budget. Tell us what matters to you and we adapt: more days at the lake, less time in the city, a focus on birding, gentler hikes, or anything else.

Our packages are quoted in US dollars and we accept Visa, so you can pay from your home currency without any conversion hassle. We also accept Rwandan Francs (RWF) directly if you prefer a local payment method like Mobile Money (MoMo). Once you arrive, every payment that is part of the tour is handled by us. For personal extras such as art, restaurant meals or tips, many places now accept Visa, and if you need a little RWF cash on hand we will arrange it.