Over half of the remaining mountain gorilla population roam in the Virunga Mountains stretching across Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC (Congo). In this area, Rwanda's Volcans National Park is the best option as Uganda's Mgahinga group frequently cross over into Rwanda anyway, and the DRC situation is not very safe at the time of writing (Oct 2007). The remaining gorillas are in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Park.
Going on a gorilla trek and watching them go about their daily business is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences and as you will read in the trip reports below, worth every cent of the high permit price.
Due to the small size of Rwanda travel logistics are relatively simple - for example the journey from the capital (Kigali) to Volcans NP is only around 110km (under 70 miles).
Other Rwanda travel ideas:
Also at Volcans NP, visit a habituated group of golden monkeys.
In Nyungwe Forest you can enjoy more primate viewing - in this case chimpanzees and 12 other species, plus almost 300 species of birds... not to mention the wide variety of trees, orchids and butterflies. Book a guided tour searching for a certain species, be it the L'Hoest monkeys with their snow white beards or the more elusive red-tailed monkey, or if you prefer you may just walk around on your own using some of the shorter trails.
If it's big game you're after, Rwanda's Akagera National Park is home to zebra, giraffe, elephant, buffalo, impala, tsessebe, eland and other antelope. Although there are some predators, Akagera is not on par with the likes of Masai Mara, Serengeti, Kruger or Etosha. What Akagera does offer is solitude. It is not unusual to spend a day without coming across any other tourists. That and the extremely beautiful landscapes make the park well worth a visit.
With a few more days to spend in scenic Rwanda travel to the massive Lake Kivu (relax, water activities, lakeside towns), hike to the top of Mount Karisimbi, and of course spend time in the capital Kigali (markets, genocide memorial). And try to spend some time with the locals - this is a nation with a terrible recent past (the genocide in 1994) yet the people are so friendly and hopeful.
= Full trip report 
= Trip summary 
