Journeys · Rwanda
Gorillas & the Gary Player
The most humbling hour in travel, bookended by the only Gary Player golf course in East Africa — short, intense, unforgettable.
Highlights
- A mountain gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park
- Two rounds at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas — Gary Player's only East African design
- Kigali's moving Genocide Memorial and vibrant craft quarters
- An optional golden monkey trek in the bamboo forest
Best months
Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Dec · Jan · Feb
A silverback at arm's length in the misted bamboo — and the strange calm of a quiet round the next afternoon.
What's on the card — and where you'll sleep
The golf on this journey
- Kigali Golf Resort & Villas (round 1)
- Kigali Golf Resort & Villas (round 2)
Where you'll stay
- The Retreat by Heaven, Kigali — Kigali, 2 nights
- One&Only Gorilla's Nest, Volcanoes NP — Volcanoes National Park, 3 nights
- The Retreat by Heaven, Kigali — Kigali, 1 night
Every property is hand-picked from our register of fifty-two — none paid for, none reciprocated. See the options for this region →
Where you go, and why
Kigali
Rwanda's capital will upend every preconception: immaculate, green, safe and humming with energy — many call it the most inspiring city in Africa. Land softly with a first round at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, the Gary Player Signature course opened in 2021, shaped like an amphitheatre with views across the famous thousand hills. Pay your respects at the Genocide Memorial — moving, essential — then dinner in a restaurant scene the world is only just discovering.
STAY The Retreat by Heaven, Kigali
Volcanoes National Park
Drive three hours into the Virunga volcanoes, where the world's last mountain gorillas — barely a thousand remain — live in the misted bamboo forest. The trek itself takes from forty minutes to a few hours, porters carry everything, and then comes the hour: a family of gorillas going about their morning, a silverback the size of a sofa watching you with calm, intelligent eyes, an arm's length away. Guests struggle to describe it afterwards. We just call it the most humbling hour in travel. Add a golden monkey trek or a visit to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's research campus the next day.
STAY One&Only Gorilla's Nest, Volcanoes NP
Kigali
One last round in the amphitheatre of hills — strangely serene after what you've seen — then home, changed.
STAY The Retreat by Heaven, Kigali
Every journey is a starting shape, not a fixed product — add nights, swap lodges, bring the Gallery. Guide price per person sharing, excluding international flights; confirmed precisely in writing before you commit.
Asked before you booked
How much does Gorillas & the Gary Player cost?
Guide price is from US$8,950 per person sharing, excluding international flights. For an exact figure, use the Price a Private Version tool — adjust the nights, rounds and experiences and our quoting engine returns your private price, checked by a specialist, usually within one working day.
How many rounds of golf are on this journey?
2 rounds are built in — Kigali Golf Resort & Villas (round 1), Kigali Golf Resort & Villas (round 2). Every round can be kept, swapped or dropped when you price your private version.
Can my non-golfing partner come?
Absolutely — this is the heart of how we design. While the golfers play, the Gallery programme runs parallel experiences (game drives, spas, wine, walks, markets), and everyone reunites for lunch or sundowners. Non-golfers never sit out a day.
When is the best time to take this journey?
Best months are Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Dec · Jan · Feb. We will be honest about the trade-offs of any month you are considering — every season has its version of this trip.
Where will we stay?
Exact, named properties at every stop — on this journey: The Retreat by Heaven, Kigali, One&Only Gorilla's Nest, Volcanoes NP. Every property is hand-picked from our register; none paid for, none reciprocated.
How much is a gorilla permit and is it included?
Rwanda's gorilla trekking permit costs US$1,500 per person per trek and is included in all our Rwanda journey prices. Permits are limited to 96 per day across the whole park, so booking early genuinely matters.
Is Rwanda safe?
Rwanda is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in Africa — Kigali is immaculate, orderly and welcoming. Guests consistently tell us it upended every expectation they arrived with.
Do I need a visa for Rwanda?
Rwanda grants a visa on arrival to citizens of every country in the world — one of the easiest entries in Africa. A 30-day tourist visa is issued at the airport.
Tell us how you want to feel when you come home.
We'll build the wild, and the golf, around that — and nothing else.
Design your safari Speak to us