Overview
The shortest sensible way to stand an hour from a family of mountain gorillas. Land in Kigali, drive north through terraced hills to the Virungas, trek at dawn, and fly home the next day with the single most affecting wildlife encounter in Africa behind you.
Why this safari
3 days, 1 base, one private vehicle and guide — and the option to fly the long legs.
2 nights in one place, unpacked once
Staying put in Volcanoes National Park buys you the early mornings and late evenings day-trippers never get, and no hours lost to transfers.
A tight, purposeful route with no wasted days
Every move is planned around game movements and light, so short days still deliver full game-viewing mornings.
Your own 4x4 Land Cruiser and private guide
No shared vehicles and no fixed departure times — you decide when to leave camp, how long to sit with a sighting, and where to have breakfast.
Flown, not driven — included at Ultra-Luxury
Private charters between Volcanoes National Park save roughly 2 hours of road time and are included in the Ultra-Luxury price.
Ultra-Luxury is genuinely all-inclusive
All meals, premium drinks, laundry, park and conservancy fees, private guiding and the charter flights are in the price. You should not need your wallet until you tip.
Priced honestly, with fees shown up front
Park and conservation fees, taxes and levies are itemised on your proforma invoice — 50% confirms the booking and the balance is due before travel.
Flying package
Private Cessna Caravan or Grand Caravan charter, meet-and-greet planeside. 15kg per person in soft bags on charter sectors — extra seats can be blocked for luggage.
Pick the legs you'd like to fly — the rest stay on the road in your 4x4.
Saves about 2 hours on the road — time you spend in camp instead.
No flights added yet — every transfer is by road.
At a glance
Jun – Oct (dry season, peak game viewing) · Jan – Feb (calving, fewer vehicles)
Relaxed — long stays, few moves · Easy — suitable for all ages
Private departure — 2 to 6 guests per vehicle
6–8 hours of guided game viewing across 1 active day
Volcanoes National Park
Families with children · Private departures for 2–6 guests
Day by day
Every day is planned to the hour, with the flexibility to change anything before you confirm.
Volcanoes National Park
Days 1–2–3 · 2 nights
Volcanoes National Park
Met at Kigali International, a short city orientation, then the scenic drive north to Musanze. Afternoon at leisure with the volcanoes on your doorstep and a trek briefing over dinner.
Arrival, immigration assistance and meet-and-greet by your Perch Africa representative
Transfer, luggage re-pack for light aircraft, and a full trip briefing with your guide
Welcome dinner and route walkthrough with your safari specialist
Highlights
Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
Lunch, Dinner
Private airport transfer
Visa/e-TA must be approved before departure — we send the checklist on booking
Standard park/reserve fees apply
Best accessed via light aircraft or 4x4 transfer
Neutral greens and browns for game drives — avoid blue and black (tsetse flies)
Volcanoes National Park
Dawn briefing at Kinigi headquarters, then into the bamboo forest with trackers to spend a permitted hour with a habituated gorilla family. Afternoon free for a village walk or the twin-lakes drive.
Dawn departure with coffee in the vehicle — cultural & community visits
Siesta through the heat, then birdwatching & photography
Sundowners at a viewpoint, then a bush dinner under the stars
Highlights
Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
All inclusive
Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-top roof and window seat guaranteed
Approx. 1.5 h on the road
Standard park/reserve fees apply
Best accessed via light aircraft or 4x4 transfer
Soft-sided bag of 15 kg maximum per person on light-aircraft transfers
Volcanoes National Park
Unhurried breakfast, drive back to Kigali with a craft-cooperative stop, and transfer to your departure flight.
Final sunrise game drive or a slow breakfast, then check-out and pack
Scheduled light-aircraft flight
Assisted check-in for your international flight home
Highlights
Accommodation confirmed on booking
Breakfast
Light aircraft + 4x4 game-drive vehicle on landing
Scheduled light-aircraft flight
Light-aircraft baggage limit: 15 kg per person in a soft bag, including hand luggage
Standard park/reserve fees apply
Best accessed via light aircraft or 4x4 transfer
Bring binoculars; one pair per person changes the whole safari
You leave Volcanoes National Park with the sound of the plains still in your ears — and a standing invitation to come back for the season you missed.
Transparent pricing
| Destination | Type | Per adult / day | Days | Per adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volcanoes National Park | Park entry fee | $100 | 2 | $200 |
| Total statutory fees per adult | $200 | |||
Children under 12 pay 50% and infants under 3 are free. Your proforma invoice itemises 16% VAT, the 2% catering levy and the 2% service charge separately.
Guest reviews & credentials
“Our guide read the plains like a book — we were the only vehicle at a leopard sighting twice. Every transfer, camp and park fee was exactly as quoted.”
“Travelling with a 6-year-old and grandparents could have been chaos. Perch planned the driving days around nap times and picked family tents with connecting rooms.”
“The migration timing advice was spot on. When one camp went full they moved us to a better one in the same conservancy at no extra cost, same day.”
KPSGA silver & gold guides
Every driver-guide is Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association certified, with 8+ years in the parks on your route.
Licensed tour operator
Registered with the Tourism Regulatory Authority (Kenya) and TALA-licensed operations in Tanzania.
AMREF Flying Doctors cover
Air-evacuation cover for every guest for the full duration of the safari, included in your rate.
Vehicle & safety standards
Serviced 4x4 Land Cruisers with pop-up roofs, first-aid kits, satellite comms and daily driver check-ins.
Transparent proforma pricing
Park fees, conservancy levies, 16% VAT, 2% catering levy and 2% service charge itemised before you pay.
4.9 / 5 guest rating
Across 380+ reviewed departures, with a 62% repeat-and-referral rate from past travellers.
Good to know
Or explore
Not quite what you had in mind? Browse related journeys or let us craft a custom itinerary just for you.
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Bespoke
Every Perch Africa Safaris journey can be customised — combine destinations, swap accommodations, add private guides, extend with a beach. Tell us your dream.
Customise My SafariNot every safari company. The safari company.
Anyone can send you a brochure. We build your journey with named stays, verified availability and every cost shown before you commit — then save the finest sighting for your final golden hour.
01
Your dates, pace, interests and budget shape the route. We order every stop logically and keep the strongest experience for the finish.
02
Your safari is not a shared departure. Leave when you are ready, stay longer at a sighting and adjust each day with your guide.
03
You see the proposed camps, transfers, flights, park fees, inclusions and exclusions before you decide—not just a headline price.
04
Suggested stays remain suggestions until checked. We verify the space for your dates before issuing the booking offer.
05
Change the route, number of nights, camp level or transport until the journey fits. Nothing is booked until you approve it.
06
The itinerary, quote and booking details stay aligned. A 50% deposit secures the approved trip, with the balance paid closer to travel.
