Eventra Bespoke — East Africa — Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park is home to approximately half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. One permit. One hour in the presence of a gorilla family. An encounter that leaves no one unchanged.
The Land of a Thousand Hills
Rwanda is one of the most compelling travel destinations in Africa. Volcanoes National Park, in the country’s northwest, is home to approximately half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas — and a gorilla trekking permit grants one hour in the presence of a habituated gorilla family. The trek through the misty volcanic forest is part of the experience. What you find at the end of it requires no superlatives and leaves no one unchanged.
Beyond the gorillas, Rwanda surprises in ways that most visitors do not anticipate. Kigali is one of Africa’s cleanest, safest, and most thoughtfully developed capital cities — a story of transformation that is extraordinary by any measure. Nyungwe Forest in the south holds chimpanzees and 13 primate species. Lake Kivu, on the western border with the DRC, offers a scenically dramatic setting for an unhurried final chapter of any Rwanda journey.
What to Experience
Wildlife
Volcanoes National Park sits in the northwest of Rwanda on the slopes of the Virunga Massif — a chain of dormant and active volcanoes that straddle Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC. The park is home to ten habituated gorilla families, each visited by one group of eight permits per day. The trek varies from one to five hours through bamboo forest and dense vegetation, guided by expert trackers who know each family’s movement and daily range. When you find them, you have one hour — during which they feed, play, rest, and occasionally charge. Eventra secures gorilla permits as part of the broader Rwanda itinerary. These permits are limited and require advance planning.
Primates
Volcanoes National Park is also home to the golden monkey — a critically endangered subspecies found only in the Virunga Massif. Golden monkey tracking offers a different primate experience to the gorillas: a fast-moving, highly social group of vivid rust-and-black monkeys in the bamboo forest. Permits are less restricted than gorilla permits, and tracking can often be combined with a gorilla day or scheduled for an additional morning. For clients who want a full primate experience in Rwanda, golden monkey tracking is the natural companion to the gorilla trek.
City & Culture
Kigali consistently surprises first-time visitors. The city is extraordinarily clean, well-organised, and safe — with a quality of infrastructure and a pace of development that places it among Africa’s most forward-looking capitals. The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a profound and necessary stop for any visitor to Rwanda. The city’s restaurant and gallery circuit has developed rapidly. The Inema Arts Center and several private galleries represent a creative community that reflects the country’s broader energy. Eventra uses Kigali as the natural entry and exit point for Rwanda journeys, and it rewards a night or two in its own right.
Forest & Lake
Nyungwe Forest National Park in southern Rwanda is one of Africa’s oldest and most biodiverse rainforests — home to 13 primate species including chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, and L’Hoest’s monkeys. Chimpanzee tracking here offers a wilder experience than Rwanda’s gorillas, with troops that move faster through denser forest. The canopy walk at Uwinka is one of Central Africa’s most spectacular elevated walkways. Lake Kivu, on Rwanda’s western border, provides a scenic, unhurried counterpoint to the forests and parks — a large freshwater lake with a series of lodge options on the shore and island, ideal as the closing chapter of a Rwanda circuit.
Begin Here
Gorilla permits are strictly limited and must be booked well in advance. Tell us your dates and we will handle everything from permits to private transfers and lodge selections.
Design Your Journey
