We could not believe how amazing this trip was. It was a long drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park starting at 4:00am, but the early morning light with the mist covering the mountains was so beautiful. Our driver was very nice and quite knowledgeable about the country and it's history during our long drive. But the first thing he asked us was why didn't we stay closer to the park. Our travel agent made it quite clear that we had to stay in Kigali and I could not convince them they were wrong, so we had to waste 5 hours driving back and forth. Don't let your travel agent do the same to you! We had to be there at 7:00am to meet up with our guides and get assigned to our group. We were assigned to the oldest group but that means we got assigned to the closest troop of gorillas. It was still an hour walk from the end of the road to the beginning of the jungle, but our gorillas were only about 100 yards into the jungle. We followed them for another hour through a bamboo grove, then another hour back to the road. We got scary close to a troop of about 15 gorillas with a single silver back, Malambo, that was 18 years old. It was very clear that they were not even a little nervous around us. Even mothers carrying babies would walk about a foot from you with out looking in your direction. We were incredibly lucky throughout our trip. The mountain is about 15,000 feet and when clouds hit it, they tend to drop a lot of rain. But we never had any rain. When it rains, the gorillas hide in the bushes to get out of the rain and are really hard to find and see. The bamboo grove we found them in was very open and made it easy to get some great pictures. The rain can also make the walk up through the farm fields a muddy, slippery mess, but we missed out on that too. Even without any rain, some of the walk was not easy, especially for my wife who has a bad hip. However, at the end of the road, there is a rather large number of people available to hire as porters to help you during the trip. They are only $10 each and well worth it. Even with a couple of porters and guides to help her, my wife slipped crossing a small stream on the way down and twisted her knee. She made it down alright but was too sore to go see the golden monkeys the next day, so it cost us $500 each for the permits and then there was the driver and the guide too. Even with all of that, it was the most surreal experience of my life and I cannot recommend it highly enough! Come prepared for a rainy muddy mess but pray for sunshine. Don't be a hero, hire a porter or two. By the time you reach the jungle, you are at about 7,000 feet so altitude might be a problem, especially if you have to hike even farther up to reach your troop, which every other group had to do. Bring some cash to tip the guides that lead you and the trackers that follow the gorillas around the clock, and of course your porters. I guarantee that you will never forget this experience!

Where to start- not only is this company legit and trustworthy, they go above and beyond to accommodate every wish and need you have. They made everything EASY! The guides were beyond friendly- they were knowledgeable, fun, and (most importantly) good, good people. They treated me like family and went out of their way to ensure my comfort, safety, and enjoyment. I’m glad and grateful to have found them and will be back in Rwanda—and next time I come, I know exactly who to contact to plan for an amazing experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you! P.s. if you get Mugisha or Muhamed as your guide, consider yourself extremely lucky and please, please treat them well!

What an excellent service by Leo & Yves! for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see Silver Back Gorillas. Leo & Yves were in action helping me arrange a permit and Covid test. Leo even came to RBC to complete the PCR formalities The Gorilla Trekking experience is amazing and will never forget it. We had an amazing time with our Guide Yves and he was great throughout the trip! He was super friendly, highly knowledgeable. We totally recommend booking this Trip through 1000 Hills, and specifically asking for Yves and Leo!

We had an excellent trip to Akagara Game Drive. Yves was our guide, and he was absolutely amazing. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. We were picked up on time from Kigali and we did a full-day trip through the park. Akagara is stunningly beautiful, and we saw Hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, baboons, zebras, antelopes, elephants etc. Yves took us back to an area where the lions usually hang out. Unfortunately, we were not able to see them. Yves was a great and responsible guide, and he is very knowledgeable too. Last but not least, a big shout to Leo, the trip organizer without his help we could not complete this trip. Thank you both Leo and Yves for your warm help

My family and I spent nearly a week in Rwanda where we did the gorilla and golden monkey treks. The trip was well-organized and well thought out in terms of timing and itinerary. We made a stop to the Ellen Degeneres/Dian Fossey center, which was an added bonus. Our guide was Emmy - he was friendly, polite, professional, punctual and easygoing. He made us feel welcome and comfortable from the moment we arrived. He is very knowledgable about the country and shared many interesting things about the culture and history. His passion for his work truly shows. Having him as our guide was definitely a highlight and made our time there even more memorable.

This experience was so great, Our guide Augustin was the best and really went out of his way to make sure we had a great time. They really helped with recommendations for our stay at Lake Kivu and went out of their way to accommodate and changes that needed to be made. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity ! Thank you so much 1000 Hills Safari for making the adventure such a great one.

We took a day trip from Kigali for a safari at Akagera National Park. Our guide, Augustin, was early to pick us up at our hotel. He was kind, professional, and very knowledgeable! It was a lengthy trip, however we had the opportunity to see every animal you could ever expect to see on a safari. It was an incredible experience and we would highly recommend Augustin as a guide and 1000 Hills as a tour company.

Claude was our guide and was absolutely amazing! He was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He picked us up in Kigali and we did a full day trip through the park. Akagara is stunningly beautiful. We saw zebras, elephants, giraffes, hippos and many more. Claude even took us back to an area where the lions usually hang out and we were able to see them. Two big lions in the open. Incredible experience and I highly recommend. Bathrooms are a couple of hours between stops so use them before starting. Food was decent at the halfway mark.

Our 6 days in Rwanda included 2 days mountain gorilla trekking,1 day golden monkey trekking, a Kigali city tour,a Genocide Memorial tour, a Dian Fossey museum tour and transfers.Our guide/driver every day was Fidele.He is a world class guide and a world class man.He is really family now after all of the wonderful time we spent together.The experiences with the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys were breathtaking and transformative.Our time spent getting to know Fidele was life affirming.I cannot say enough good things about him and our magical time in Rwanda.about

Saddy drove my family around Rwanda for four days. He was amazing and made our experience great. He was a great tour guide who showed us his love for Rwanda. He was always on time, dropped us off at our desired hotels and locations, and did everything we expected and beyond. He showed us his favorite spots, which were all amazing. I would highly recommend him.

This company was terrific, especially our driver and guide Saddy. He picked us up at the airport, toured us around Kigali for 2 days, drove us to the gorilla trekking area and was our transport throughout. Saddy was so knowledgeable, personable, professional and perfect all around. he really made Rwanda so special and terrific!

Akagera is well worth it. Our guide, Augustine, picked us up at 4 am and we set off to the park. After the normal checks we were on the Ahema lake boat trip by 7 am. We were able to see hippos and elephants from the boat, the guide was an expert on how to find the animals. After, we continued on game drive with Augustine. We saw Buffalo, giraffes, zebras, and many others. Augustine was very accomodating and was knowledgeable of the park and animals. He had already organized lunch for us in the park. Things were seamless and well coordinated. We came back at 7 30 to Kigali. Do not miss the boat ride!

What an excellent service! I had less than 24 hours to book from South Africa for a once-in-a-lifetime trip for my 72 year old mom. Placide and his team sprung into action helping me arrange a permit and Covid test. My mom gave feedback that she was treated like a queen on the journey and that the experience was indescribable. Don’t hesitate. Just go.

Amazing trip to the Akagera National park! Our great guide picked us up at the hotel precisely and drove us to the park. He had very much knowledge and had a good answer to all our questions. 1000 hills safari is a serious company with good customer care. 1000 percent recommended if you are going to Rwanda.

I did the Akagera Park and the Gorilla trekking with 1000 hills and it was the best experience ever!! Totally recomended! The tour was fantastic, I had an amazing time and my guide Augustin was great! He was very friedly, knew a lot of everything and responded to all my questions! I had to change my tour a bit because I had to move my return ticket and 1000 hills helped me on everything, they even made sure I had time to get my PCR to return. I totally recommend it! It's a once in a life-time experience! Thank you to 1000 hills, to Augustin and to Leo! Emilia