Book this 12-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Kilimanjaro Hiking Tour to climb Africa’s highest peak, then trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
This tour takes you up Mount Kilimanjaro, standing at 5,895m, through different climate zones and up to its snow-capped summit. After the climb, head into Rwanda for a close encounter with mountain gorillas, found in only three countries and best seen in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
Detailed Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Kilimanjaro Hiking Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Pick Up by Your Driver Guide
On arrival in Tanzania, your guide will meet you and transfer you to your lodge. Check in, rest, and enjoy a welcome dinner, along with a briefing ahead of your Kilimanjaro climb the next day.
Day 2: Hiking from Machame Gate (1,800m) to Machame Camp (3,000m)
Rise early for breakfast, then transfer to Machame Gate to meet your hiking guides for a briefing. You can hire a porter here if needed.
After registering, begin your hike. The trek to Machame Camp takes 4 to 5 hours, with a picnic lunch along the way. Continue until late afternoon to reach camp, with views of Kilimanjaro’s slopes. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.
Day 3: Machame Camp (3,000m) to Shira Camp (3,800m)
After breakfast, continue your climb, mostly through savanna forest and other plant zones. The trek to Shira Camp takes about 4 to 5 hours, with a picnic lunch and views of the park below. Dinner and overnight stay at Shira Camp.
Day 4: Shira Camp (3,800m) to Barranco Camp (3,950m)
After an early breakfast, set off before the day gets too hot. This section moves more slowly due to mid-glacier and sandy slopes. Lunch takes place in the afternoon, about 2 to 3 hours into the trek. Set up camp at Barranco and rest ahead of dinner.
Day 5: Barranco Camp (3,950m) to Barafu Camp (4,600m)
After breakfast in the cool mountain air, trek to Barafu Camp, meaning “ice” in Swahili, reflecting the cold conditions at this altitude. Bring heavy clothing and navigate carefully along the trail.
Enjoy a packed lunch en route, with the trek taking about 4 to 5 hours to reach Barafu Camp. Dinner and rest follow, ahead of the final push the next day.
Day 6: Barafu Camp (4,600m) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) to Mweka Camp (3,100m)
Rise early for a quick breakfast before the final hike to Uhuru Peak, the most demanding part of the trek. Reach Stella Point after about 4 to 5 hours, depending on your pace, then continue to Uhuru Peak, the highest point on the mountain.
Take photos to mark the achievement, then descend to Barafu Camp and continue down to Mweka Camp.
Day 7: Mweka Camp (3,100m) to Mweka Gate to Arusha
After a later breakfast, continue the descent to Mweka Gate, where you say goodbye to your porters and guides before transferring to your lodge in Arusha in the afternoon. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, preparing for your transfer to Rwanda the next day.
Day 8: Transfer to Kigali Airport, Rwanda
Fly from Kilimanjaro to Rwanda. Consider a city tour of Kigali, visiting local markets and trying local food, then return to your lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 9: Kigali to Kinigi, Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, join a short city tour to see sites missed the day before, including the Gisozi Genocide Memorial, souvenir shops, and other historic sites such as memorial churches, museums, and mosques.
Have lunch in the city, then head to Ruhengeri and on to Kinigi, the base for gorilla trekking in Rwanda, with stops for photos along the way through the countryside.
Day 10: Trekking the Mountain Gorillas
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters at Kinigi for a briefing on trekking rules, then head to the trailhead for your trek. Gorilla trekking usually takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on the gorillas’ location.
Once you find them, spend a full hour in their presence before returning to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, explore Lake Kivu and Gisenyi, then return to your lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 11: Second Gorilla Trekking Adventure in Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, head to the park headquarters again for a briefing and group assignment before tracking a different gorilla family.
After finding your group, spend another hour with them. Return to the park headquarters for lunch, then head back to Kigali, with an optional stop at Lakes Ruhondo and Burera along the way.
Day 12: Departure from Kigali, End of Tour
After a leisurely breakfast, shop for souvenirs and walk through the streets of Kigali. In the afternoon or evening, board your flight home, marking the end of your 12-day tour in Tanzania and Rwanda.
Book this 12-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Kilimanjaro Hiking Tour today and combine a summit climb with mountain gorilla encounters in Rwanda.
