3 days Dian Fossey hike and Musanze caves tour is a short but amazing Rwandan tour that takes you to Volcanoes National Park, located in the northwest part of Rwanda and is a renowned conservation area famous for its diverse wildlife, stunning landscapes, and the opportunity to trek and observe mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The park is home to the final resting place of Dian Fossey, a prominent primatologist known for her extensive study of mountain gorillas. Hiking to her grave offers visitors a chance to learn about her work and dedication to gorilla conservation as she brought the poaching of Gorillas to light and was actually buried in the same cemetery as her gorilla friends. The Musanze caves are a fascinating natural attraction located near the town of Musanze in northern Rwanda. The trip will start in Kigali to Volcanoes National Park and back to Kigali.
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
You will be picked at an agreed point at 8:00am in Kigali by our driver guide from Glory Summit tours, who will also brief you on how the trip will go, and then you will start with a city tour of Kigali by visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial, an important and sobering site that commemorates the victims of the 1994 genocide. With many of the guides as survivors, the memorial provides a historical overview of the events and serves as a place for reflection with a personal touch from the guide and this will take about 2hours. When done, you will head to the Kimironko market to experience the lively atmosphere of a local market as you explore the stalls selling fresh produce, crafts, textiles, and more. Locals allover Kigali come to the market to stock up as their needs come up and it’s a great opportunity to interact with local vendors and get a sense of daily life in Kigali. After this experience you will have lunch, then set off for the Volcanoes national park which will take about 2-3hours as you enjoy the beautiful green countryside of Rwanda and arrive in the evening. You will check into your lodging and have diner then rest for the night.
Day 2: Dian Fossey and Musanze caves
After breakfast, you will head out for the Dian Fossey hike which will take about 2-3hours with a guide, between Karisimbi and Bisoke. The Karisoke research station is found where the gorilla cemetery is and Dian was buried at the same point right with her friends lost during poaching, something she brought to light in her bid to protect the already endangered mountain gorillas. The guide will give the information needed for you to understand Dian’s role in the protection of the mountain gorillas. During the hike you might see mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, elephants, buffaloes, forest hogs and birds like Rwenzori turaco, grey-chested kakamega, Rwenzori batis, strange weaver, African swamphen, narina trogon, crested barbet and more. When done with the hike, you will head back to your lodging for lunch, then head to the Musanze caves after a little resting. With a guide you will got to the caves after a briefing on what to expect and avail you with the gear needed like torches, helmets and knee protectors for safety to ensure smooth transition within the caves making for a good adventure as he will also provide you all the information and history of the formation of the caves. After the cave tour, you will head back to your lodging for a chill evening with dinner and retire when you will.
Day 3: Checkout and departure
You will checkout of your lodge, have breakfast and then plan for your exit from the national park. At 10:00am you will set off for Kigali which will take about 2-3hours, during this time you will enjoy the beautiful green scenery, rolling hills, locals for picture moments and once you get to the agreed spot, this will mark the end of your 3 day tour.
