Main Info
The Giant Lobelia Route is an unforgettable experience for you and your friends. Spectacular views of the Great Rift Valley and the peaks of the Virungas lying on the tri-country border of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are simply breathtaking. During this tour, you will enter Mgahinga National Park and trek the rare Mountain Gorillas of this protected environment. The guides will be able to teach you a lot about wildlife and the environment of this unique region. With us, you will see playful golden monkeys which are endemic to the region. In the second half of our journey, we dedicate ourselves to learn more about the Rwandan culture and the history of the region. Like on our other trips, too, we pay much attention to supporting the local communities. Therefore, we will try to promote community activities such as community walks in villages alongside the forest, nature walks, and cultural performances as your contribution to conservation of cultural heritage and the development of the region!
Key Destinations:
- Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city
- Mgahinga National Park & the Virunga massif
Key Activities:
- Trekking the rare mountain gorillas
- Climb Mt. Muhavura, the tallest of the Virungas
- Track the golden monkeys at the slopes of Mt. Muhavura
- Explore Kigali, the Banyarwanda culture and people
Tour Itinerary: 5 Days, 4 Nights
Day 1: We will start our trip by picking you up from Kanombe International Airport in Kigali, Rwanda. Immediately, we will be headed north to pass the Ugandan border and reach Kisoro. Kisoro is a small town placed at the foot of the Mt. Muhavura, the tallest of the Virunga volcanoes. The town has a population of roughly thirty thousand and is considered an important trading hub between the three countries DR Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. Our first night will be spent in a lovely hotel here.
Day 2: After an early breakfast, you will get the chance to track the endangered mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park. Gorilla trekking can be an all day experience because the families move freely inside the park and have to be found by the trackers every day again.
Day 3: Today, you have the choice of either setting off for a hike and climb the top of Mt. Muhavura, or You can choose to track the golden monkeys in the bamboo forest. Golden monkey tracking as an activity is found in Mgahinga National Park, only. Lake Mutanda in the north offers a great way of enjoying the nature settings of the hilly Kigezi area. If time allows, we will go on a canoe trip and visit various islands together.
Day 4: After another night in Kisoro, and after sharing our most exciting stories about the last two days, we return to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city. The rest of the day is for you to explore this aspiring city and learn about the country’s history. We will spend our last night at a hotel in the heart of Kigali. Depending on your time of departure on day five, we can travel south and go for a canopy walk 90 feet above the forest in Nyungwe Forest.
Day 5: Day five marks the last day of our journey. After breakfast, we take you to Kanombe International Airport to meet your flight schedule back home. If your flight is scheduled to leave in the evening, we can arrange to visit the genocide memorial and also Dian Fossey’s grave.