In the entire world, mountain gorillas can be found in volcanoes national park Rwanda, Mgahinga national park and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park of Uganda, and Virunga national park of DR Congo. Volcanoes national park has a total of 10 fully habituated mountain gorilla families that are open for 8 tourists to trek every day. With 10 fully habituated mountain gorilla families, it means that 80 permits are available at Rwanda Development Board every day.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes you to volcanoes national park located in the northwestern side of the country where you meet the endangered apes on the slopes of Virunga mountains. The national park can be accessed using road transport or air transport by Akagera aviation. Volcanoes can be visited for mountain gorilla trekking at any time of the year although the best times are the dry seasons which occur from December to February and June to October.
Where to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda?
Mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda can only be done in volcanoes national park that is located on the northwestern side of the country. The national park is made up of tropical rainforests where mountain gorillas have found their homes most especially in the slopes of Virunga mountains like Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Karisimbi, Muhabura, and Bisoke.
Mountain gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park is done among 10 gorilla families – Karisimbi, Agashya, Susa, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Ugenda, Hirwa, Kwitonda, Umubano, and Bwenge. These families can be trekked every day by only 8 people and all these must be aged 15 and above with valid gorilla trekking permits. For those interested in trekking mountain gorillas of Volcanoes national park, you will have to book the gorilla trekking permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid last-minute book disappointments.
Gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda?
Gorilla trekking is a once in a lifetime experience for most travelers across the world. The gorilla trekking activity in volcanoes national park starts with a briefing for trekkers to understand the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity. Later grouping is done and each group is assigned armed ranger guides to lead them through different trekking trails as they protect the trekkers from dangerous wild animals.
As armed ranger guides lead the trekkers in the jungle, they are able to spot different park animals such as bush pigs, giant forest hogs, spotted hyenas, forest elephants, bushbucks, buffaloes, monkeys, birds, and different vegetation covers. After 2-6 hours of searching, when the trekkers meet the gorilla family they have been looking for, they will be given 1 hour to be around it, watch them do daily activities such as hunting, nesting, breastfeeding, silverbacks patrolling, and much more. You will e able to learn about their habits and take photos with flash-less cameras.
How much is a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda?
Travelers coming to Rwanda for gorilla trekking safaris need to know for one to be part f the gorilla trekking activity, they need a gorilla trekking permit and this a card got from Rwanda Development Board to allow a traveler to trek mountain gorillas and be around them for 1 hour. The Gorilla trekking permit costs $1500 per person per trek and it’s sold to people above the age of 15 years.
Booking a gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda
Booking a gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda can be done by Africa Adventure Vacations a local tour company in East Africa. To book a gorilla permit, you will have to send us an email containing the dates you want to travel and using these dates, we shall check for the availability of the permits with the Rwanda Development Board. If we find the permits available, we shall ask you to send us the money for permits and once we have received it, we shall book the permits for you. This should be done 3-4 months in advance most especially if you are intending to visit the park in the dry season to avoid inconveniences.
When to go for Rwanda gorilla trekking safari experience?
Tourists from different places of the world can visit Rwanda at any time of the year but there are months that are better than the rest. The drier months are the best to have a gorilla trekking safari experience in Rwanda and they occur from June to September and December to February. These months are characterized by little or no rainfall and this leaves the trekking trails dry, the vegetation short with unclear views of apes, and the roads leading to the park are passable.
Permits for gorilla trekking in Rwanda
There are 10 mountain gorilla families in volcanoes national park that are up for trekking and this implies that 80 permits are available every day at the Rwanda Development Board. Each gorilla permit for volcanoes national park costs $1500 per person per trek and it allows a trekker to be around mountain gorillas for 1 hour.
Travelers should know that securing a permit in the dry season is not easy and therefore they need to talk with their tour operators to book their permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences. The gorilla permits for volcanoes national park are few compared to the number of people that want to trek these apes that’s why
What to park for Rwanda gorilla trekking safari experience?
There are so many this you need to have in order to have a successful gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda and some of them include waterproof hiking shoes, a pair of gaiters, a camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, long-sleeved clothes, a pair of binoculars, a rain jacket, backpack, a hat, sunscreen, gardening gloves, toiletries, energy-giving snacks, drinking water bottle, face mask and sanitizers.
Accommodation on a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda
There are so many accommodation facilities that travelers coming to volcanoes national park and wanting to spend a night or more can stay. These accommodation facilities are spread in different places and ranger from budget to mid-range to luxury options such as Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, One $ Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Camp, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Volcanoes Hotel, Villa Gorilla, and Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel among others.
