Start your day with an early breakfast before heading to the National Park headquarters in Kinigi, where you’ll meet your guides for the day. After completing park formalities, you’ll embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience: tracking mountain gorillas. When you finally spot these magnificent creatures, you’ll have the unique opportunity to spend an hour observing them up close. This is one of the most breathtaking wildlife encounters on earth. You’ll be within metres of these gentle giants, staring at each other in awe. The experience of trekking through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga to find them is nothing short of magical. With fewer than 700 mountain gorillas remaining in the world, this encounter is truly a rare privilege. The trek can be challenging, lasting up to six hours or more at a relatively high altitude. To ensure you enjoy the experience fully, it’s important to be fit and healthy. If you’re concerned about the trek’s difficulty, ask your driver-guide to request a shorter route for you (People as old as 70 have successfully completed gorilla tracking, so don’t worry!). Be sure to bring good hiking boots, long trousers, gloves for protection against stinging nettles, snacks and sweets (for yourself, not the gorillas), and plenty of water, as the rainforest can get hot and humid during the day. After your unforgettable hour with the gorillas, you’ll return to your hotel for lunch, followed by dinner and an overnight stay. Driving distance: 15 minutes. Overnight at Virunga Lodge (FB).