1 Day Golden Monkey Trekking Safari

A golden monkey experience leads you to the Virunga ranges in the national parks of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo though in Virunga National Park the activity is not fully developed due to political instabilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this case, this 1-day safari will bring us through the beautiful city of Kigali to an evergreen and bamboo forest of Volcanoes National Park, the home of the golden monkeys as well as the mountain gorillas located in Northwestern Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills.

Itinerary overview

Transfer to Volcanoes National Park, golden monkey trekking then transfer to Kigali

Detailed Itinerary

Pick up from Kigali by a professional English-speaking driver guide at 4:30 am and set off for a 4-hour drive to Volcanoes National Park with a drive through the clean, organized streets of Kigali and the scenic view as you approach the national park. On arrival in the park, you will have a taste of the authentic Rwandan coffee, and after head to the park headquarters at Kinigi for a briefing starting at 7:30 am on the code of conduct while golden monkey trekking as well as what to expect.

Golden monkeys are a subsequence of the blue monkeys and live in groups of up to 60 individuals and physically possess golden fur spread all over their bodies. They live at the bottom of the volcano mountains in the evergreen bamboo vegetation feeding on fruits and small insects and hence can easily be found during a trek. Some are even seen in the gardens around the park digging, cleaning, and feeding on the potatoes. Unlike gorilla trekking which has an age limit of 15 years and above, golden monkey trekking is open to all ages and the activity costs 60USD.

After the briefing, with a ranger guide in groups 8, you will head to the starting point of the trek and then proceed into the forest in search of the golden monkeys. The golden monkeys are tracked by spotting fresh leftovers of bamboo and it takes about 1 hour to locate them. Upon locating them you are allowed 1 hour in the presence of the beautiful and rare species of monkeys observing them swinging from one tree branch to another though some will be seen moving on the ground.

Since this activity does not take a lot of time, you can opt for other additional activities within the park such as hiking, a visit to the Dian Fossey tomb, a cultural experience, and birding among others.

After this activity, you will embark on your journey back to Kigali with a brief stopover around the national park for crafts shopping before proceeding to Kigali. In case you are early you can have a short city tour in Kigali before departure.

Inclusions

• Golden monkey permits
• 4×4 safari vehicle
• A professional English-speaking driver guide
• Bottled water

Exclusions

• Tips
• Porters
• Drinks and Cigarettes
• Visas and International flights
• Extra activities