1 Day Golden Monkey Trekking Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park

Golden Monkey Trekking Rwanda This 1 Day Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park is a short tour that begins early in the morning from Kigali to the Park. On arrival at the park, visitors get briefing about the golden monkey trekking exercise before hiking into the forest in search of the amazing primates in Rwanda. Like mountain gorillas, golden monkeys can be tracked in both Rwanda and Uganda. In Rwanda, these monkeys are only found at the Volcanoes National Park whereas in Uganda, similar golden monkeys live in the forest of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Both parks, Volcanoes in Rwanda and Mgahinga in Uganda are two of the four mountain gorilla national parks in the Great Lakes region. Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga National Park are all part of the massive Virunga Conservation area which is shared across three countries including Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Detailed Itinerary for Rwanda Golden Monkey Trek

This safari adventure for trekking golden monkeys in Rwanda, you need to sleep in Kigali a night before the tour date. The trip involves waking up at 4:00 am, take a shower followed by breakfast and then leave the hotel at 4:30 am. The road trip from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park takes between 2 to 2:30 hours. On arrival at Kinigi, the Volcanoes park offices, you will straight away have briefing about the rules and regulations regarding the trekking of these monkeys in Rwanda. During the pre-gorilla trekking briefing, the guides also highlight on what you should expect while in the jungle. When done with the briefing, your driver guide will drop you to the hiking starting point. You will then commence the trekking excursion into the jungle in search of the shy and playful golden monkeys of the thick Volcanoes Park. The Golden Monkey tracking excursion is similar to the gorilla trekking adventure. Both are primate encounters where one visitors are required to have trekking permits booked prior to the trip. The trekking through the garden, bushes and hills into the forests to see the monkeys is also similar to gorilla escapade.

Behaviors of Golden Monkeys

Golden Monkeys are very playful animals and tend to move quite faster. In case you need to take their pictures, you must steadily act fast in order to capture the best images. The good thing with these monkeys that are trekked in the park, they are used to the presence of human beings and the likelihood of running away upon seeing visitors is very minimal.

After Trekking the Monkeys

After a tour for trekking golden monkeys, you will have lunch at Lapalme Hotel or any other accommodation in Kinigi area. Then after you will embark on the road transfer back to Kigali where you will arrive in the evening hours. While in Kigali, your driver guide will drop you to your accommodation or to the airport in case you have an evening flight out of Rwanda. This marks the end of a 1 day Golden Monkey trekking safari to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Golden Monkey Trekking Rules and Regulations

Golden monkey trekking requires participants to be at least 15 years old, maintain a 7-meter distance from the monkeys, and wear masks to prevent disease transmission. Prohibited actions include touching, feeding, smoking, making loud noises, and littering. Photography must use flash-off cameras, and visitors typically get one hour with the monkeys after locating them.

Before the Trek

Minimum Age: All trekkers must be 15 years or older.
Health: Do not participate if you are sick, particularly with a flu or cough.
Clothing: Wear long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and sturdy hiking boots to protect against scratches and terrain.
Gear: Bring a backpack for essentials like water, snacks, and your camera.
Briefing: Listen to park rangers and guides for instructions and important information.

During the Trek

Distance: Maintain a minimum distance of 7 to 8 meters (23-26 feet) from the golden monkeys.
Group Size: Stay with your designated trekking group, which may be limited to a maximum of 8 people.
Noise: Keep noise to a minimum to avoid agitating or startling the monkeys. Photography: Use a camera with the flash turned off.
No Touching: Do not attempt to touch or make physical contact with the monkeys.
No Feeding: Do not feed the golden monkeys, as it can harm their health and natural behaviors.
No Smoking: Smoking is prohibited to prevent forest fires and protect the habitat.

After the Trek

Litter: Take all your litter with you until you find a designated dustbin.
Human Waste: Dig a 30cm (1-foot) deep hole for human waste and cover it thoroughly.
Respect the Environment: Do not disturb the natural habitat by picking plants or damaging anything.

Time With Monkeys

Once the golden monkeys are located, your group will have approximately one hour to observe them.
A longer, four-hour golden monkey habituation experience is also available for a more immersive experience.

Golden Monkey Trekking Alternatives

If you do not visit these monkeys in Rwanda, you can alternatively trek them in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in south western Uganda. Mgahinga is the only tourist attraction in Uganda where golden monkeys live and trekked by visitors. In case you want to experience Uganda, you can do a 1 day golden monkey trekking in Uganda from Kigali. Such trip is also possible in case there are no permits for trekking these monkeys in Rwanda, a thing which is rare. A day trip starting from Kigali to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda is very much doable since the park in south western Uganda is very near Rwanda. Golden monkeys are some of the tourist attractions in Mgahinga National Park. It takes like 4 hours’ drive to transfer from Kigali to Mgahinga. The most convenient safari would be a 2 day golden monkey safari tour to Volcanoes Park in Rwanda. This trip gives you enough time for a smooth transfer and resting with less rushing. You may as well enjoy these primates in Rwanda combined with other activities if you book a 6 day double gorilla tours in Rwanda that includes monkeys, Dian Fossey grave hiking and Lake Kivu boat cruise.