1 Tag Gorilla Trekking Ruanda

Katana Tours was extremely helpful & communicative every step of the way. On short notice they were able to secure my gorilla permit, provide me with round trip transfer from Kigali, and even provided lunch on the return trip. The driver was professional, safe, and friendly. Katana Tours makes the entire process seamless and easy so you don’t need to worry about a thing. I had several questions along the way, and always received a timeless helpful response. They check in to make sure all your documents are in order, that your pickup location & time are confirmed, and followed up to ensure you enjoyed your trip and all went smoothly. I would recommend this for anyone looking for an easy way to see the gorillas (or any other tour Katana offers). Helpful note: as of January 2023, Volcanos National Park requires a negative PCR test within 72 hours of your visit. While this is not required anywhere else in Rwanda, it is for visiting the national parks and the gorillas. Policies continue to change, but keep this in mind when planning your visit. Katana can update you if this policy changes. There was only one place in Kigali that does these tests. The entire process was very fast, it cost $50 USD or 50,000 RWF. You can access your results usually within 12 to 24 hours on their website. Print a copy of the results and a copy of your passport to give to your driver who will submit it to the park the day of the tour. Pickup from Kigali is early (4:30a) to ensure you get to the park on time. At the park the rangers will split everyone into groups of 7 to be paired with guides and trackers to find your assigned gorilla family. Your driver will bring you to the hike starting point, and will pick you up from the hike end point. The vehicle was very comfortable and clean. I did the 1 day trek, and I was back at my hotel by 4:30pm, a total of 12 hours. Timing can vary depending how long it takes to locate the gorilla family (and if you experience traffic, but there are very few vehicles on the road between the 2 points). There are many operators offering this service, but Katana came with a lot of positive reviews and offered the one day trek. They provided exactly what I needed and I recommend them to anyone.

I was travelling to Kigali for work, but I also wanted to experience the country. Upon doing my research, I stumbled across Katona tours and travel. When doing the booking, I would recommend every at least European person to just trust the process. Pretty much everything was handled on WhatsApp, which made the contact really easy. The journey itself was wonderful and I had such an amazing experience, which I will always remember. My drivers, Adam and Daniel were extremely kind, happy and cool. I would recommend this journey to everyone looking for an authentic, but super impressive experience. Thank you for giving me this exclusive memory!!! *Please just wear hiking equipment, other than sneakers and jeans. Quite an easy fix actually...

I had an awesome experience with Katona Tours for a one day gorilla trek in Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park and one day safari in Akagera National Park. Jackie was so quick to respond and helpful with all my questions and Kenneth my guide was really great and knowledgeable. Kenneth previously worked as a park ranger with gorillas in Uganda so you likely won’t find a better guide for gorilla trekking anywhere. He provided me with a ton of knowledge about gorillas, Rwanda, and East Africa both before and after my trek. I tracked the Kwitonda gorilla group at Kenneth’s recommendation and they were a unique and rewarding group to track that offered just the right amount of challenge to get to. I had an amazing time viewing the gorillas as the pictures show. Then the next day we went to the other end of Rwanda to see Akagera National Park where I saw lots of elephants, giraffes, zebra, and much more. It was a truly unforgettable experience throughout both of my tours with Katona.