Gorillas of the Virungas: 4-Day Accessible Safari

Summary

• Destination
  Kigali, Volcanoes National Park
• Days
  4
• Duration
  4 days
• Pick up and Drop off
  Yes

4 days · Road · Kigali and Volcanoes National Park

A trek to the golden monkeys, then an hour with a mountain gorilla family on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. It suits travellers short on time who want the gorillas from a calm, clean capital, with short drives.

Who it works for

• Physical (wheelchair users and slow walkers): With support (steep, muddy slopes; porter-carried sedan chairs on request)
• Visual (blind and low vision): Yes (gorillas are close and loud, and guides describe)
• Hearing (Deaf and hard of hearing): Yes (the trek is visual; ranger rules in writing)
• Hidden (autism, fatigue, chronic illness): With support (early starts, an unknown trek length and an emotionally heavy memorial)

Your days

Day 1: Kigali

Met on arrival; rest.

Day 2: To the volcanoes

The Kigali Genocide Memorial at your own pace (optional), then about 2.5 hours to Musanze.

Day 3: Golden monkeys

A shorter morning trek in the bamboo, lunch, a gentle cultural visit, then a rest afternoon.

Day 4: The gorillas

Early briefing at Kinigi. Trek to a family and an hour with them, lunch, then about 2.5 hours back to Kigali for an evening flight.

Where you stay

• Kigali · Kigali Marriott or Park Inn by Radisson · bed and breakfast
• To the volcanoes · Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel or Mountain Gorilla View Lodge · full board

As listed or similar, subject to availability and to a measured accessible room.

Best time to go

Weather: June to September and December to February, drier on the trails. Value: March to May and October to November, fewer visitors but muddier; the Rwanda gorilla permit is USD 1,500 all year.

Good to know

• Vehicles: partner 4×4 or van; ramp vehicle to confirm with the partner before sale.
• Rooms: Kigali Marriott, Park Inn by Radisson, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge · access profiles to complete.
• Equipment and support: sedan chair and porters booked with the permit; wheelchair, shower chair and commode through the partner or carried from Nairobi; 24-hour WhatsApp support.
• Communication and senses: written trek brief; sign language interpreter on request; try-before-you-fly pack with trek photos and the rules.
• Pace: drives under three hours and two nights in Musanze. Day 4 is full: the gorilla trek, then the drive to Kigali, so Accessible Travel Kenya books an evening flight home; Day 3 keeps a rest afternoon before it.
• Limits and alternatives: trekking is from age 15. The memorial can be skipped or kept short. Or trek in Uganda’s Bwindi from Kigali over the same four days.
• New for 2027: The sedan chair is quoted at booking, and the memorial is optional with a quiet room plan.
• Route optimised for 2027: Golden monkeys moved before the gorillas so the trek is the closing moment; rest afternoon added. Road time: 5 h road → 5 h road.

On every Accessible Travel Kenya journey

• Meet-and-assist at JKIA, Wilson and Moi airports, with an adapted vehicle at the kerb
• Adapted 4×4 Land Cruisers with ramp, tie-downs and pop-up roof; accessible vans in Nairobi and Mombasa
• Wheelchairs, shower chairs, commodes and more, delivered to your first hotel
• An easy pace: at most 4 hours’ driving a day, two nights per stop, a rest afternoon every three days
• A try-before-you-fly pack: photos of every step of your journey, room videos and a call with your guide
• Carer and companion rates, and health support: partner hospitals, oxygen or dialysis on request
• Sign language interpreters on request, 24-hour WhatsApp support and written briefs on every journey

Ready to plan? Every journey can be shortened, extended or combined. Contact Accessible Travel Kenya to customise this journey or message Accessible Travel Kenya on WhatsApp.

Features

• Descriptive Guidance
• Driver-guide
• Expert Guidance
• Family-Friendly
• Mobility Support
• Room Safety & Accessibility