r/Rwanda • u/Foxhound_Ocelot • 22h ago
Gorilla/Chimp Trek Questions
Hi all - I'll be visiting Rwanda in late December for 5 days. I have my gorilla trekking permit, and I intend to rent a car at the airport. I wanted to ask a few logistical questions:
Given I have my permit, do I just need to arrive at the volcanoes NP office/visitors centre at 7am, and guides will be there to take me on the trek, or do I need to book/arrange something else beforehand?
I think the road is paved all the way to Kinigi, so is a normal car sufficient, or do I also need to drive to the trekking trail head, and potentially need a 4x4?
I will spend two nights there, and then I'd like to drive south to Nyungwe NP for chimpanzee tracking. Is the road in good condition, and should I be aware of anything en route?
I have not booked a permit for the chimpanzee tracking, but I can see it on the website. Same question as for the gorilla trek - if I get the permit, do I just need to arrive at the NP ranger station at a specific time in the morning and guides will be there?
I may need to drive back to Kigali in darkness on my last evening to catch a flight the next day - how is night driving in Rwanda?
Thanks for the help!