Gorilla Trekking In Uganda, Rwanda Gorilla Safari, Tour

Gorilla Trekking Safari Experience in Uganda & Rwanda

Is your plan going gorilla trekking in Africa specifically Rwanda or Uganda or both no worries, we have the best details about gorilla safari experience for both countries. These can stand as a base for you to select which is the best gorilla trekking destination of Uganda and Rwanda.

Expect to hike because this the topography of the Virunga area of which Uganda and Rwanda are part is volcanic. The area is jagged with Mountains, plateaus, ridge and deep valleys.

5 day gorilla and Wildlife Safari

6 day Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking

7 Day gorilla, chimpanzee and wildlife Safari

8 day gorilla, chimpanzee, and wildlife Safari

10 day gorilla, chimpanzee and wildlife Safari

Sometimes the mountain gorillas spend the day on the slopes or in the valley so you have to trek and locate them. This is one reason why some level of fitness is necessary to succeed in gorilla trekking. Sedan chairs are available for the physically impaired tourists on gorilla trekking safari.

That moment when you stand before the mountain giant mountain gorillas is unforgettable. It is hard to depart the mountain gorilla habitat without feeling unfathomable connection. Going gorilla trekking is cryptic as they are some of the closet human relatives in the animal kingdom have about 96% human DNA.

Watching mountain gorilla families is undeniably impressive because of there intelligence and somehow mimic human nature. Going gorilla trekking has been a life changing African adventure to many tourists just knowing you are one lucky person standing before the only left over mountain gorillas in the world.

What Are The Requirements For Gorilla Trekking Safari?

A gorilla Trekking Permit

Whether going on gorilla safari in Uganda or Rwanda, you must obtain a gorilla trekking permits.

A gorilla permit is a document or card that allows you entry in to the habitats of the mountain gorillas. The  current cost of gorilla permit in uganda is $700 per person per trek and Rwanda gorilla permit is $1500 per person per trek. Enquire About Gorilla Permits

What is Included in the gorilla permit costs?

The costs of the gorilla permit includes park fees, ranger guide fees, security, local community support, gorilla conservation fund support, one hour with the mountain gorillas.

The gorilla permit costs excludes tips, transport to the destination, drinks, packed lunch, energy bites, gorilla trekking gears, porters and any other items of personal nature.

How To Book Gorilla Trekking Permits In Uganda And Rwanda

Procedure For Booking Gorilla Trekking permits

Select a date when you wish to do gorilla trekking and the number of permits you wish to purchase. You can do double or more gorilla trekking times but each gorilla permit is valid for only one day.

You need to check for availability per your dates of gorilla permits from Uganda wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board. You can contact a Tour operator like Arch Safaris and Tours. We put off the burden of searching to locate gorilla permits from our client’s shoulders. We also arrange other safari amenities necessary for the package chosen like transport, guide driver hire, accommodation and others.

In case there is gorilla permit availability, we request our clients to purchase theirs as soon as possible to prevent the possibility of getting sold off. First come first served basis is used when reserving these gorilla permits and so none can be secured without payment.

You need to provide some personal details like your name as indicated in the passport, date of birth, Nationality, passport expiry date and others. this information is for record purposes, statistics and some is added to the certificate after completing the gorilla trek.

Can I pay For a Gorilla Permit In Instalment?

Paying in instalment is allowed just in case you book your gorilla permit atleast before 90 days to the date of gorilla trekking buy be disciplined to fully pay fully steal before 90 days to the trekking date. You are allowed to pay 30% of the total gorilla permit cost  and 70 % of the total gorilla permit cost.

Your partially paid for gorilla permit is deemed null and void when you fail to top it up. It is then reopened for the public to rebook. You lose the gorilla permit completely.

Where Can I Do Gorilla Trekking Safari ?

In Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National park

This is Park lies in the southern part of Uganda and is home to almost half the total of mountain gorillas in the world. The word Bwindi means impenetrable and indeed this double pronouncement is fit for its nature. Bwindi forest is thick with tangled vegetation that has accumulate over the years as the forest is believed to be more than 25000 years.

Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National park co-exist with other primates like olive baboons, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, black and white, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and others.

Bwindi forest is a birding haven too in Uganda with over 350 bird species so far recorded by ornithologists. It is also home to about 7 species on the IUCN red list.

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts so far 18 gorilla families living in four areas. The gorilla permits for Bwindi impenetrable National park are reserved according to area and these four areas include Buhoma area, Ruhijah area, Rushaga area and Nkuringo area. Before securing accommodation to use fir your gorilla trekking safari, you must note where the gorilla permit is booked. This is to avoid rising up very early to catch up with briefing in another area.

Mgahinga National park

Mgahinga National park in uganda is one of the habitats of mountain gorillas covering about 33.7 square kilometers of land. This park only hosts so far one gorilla family called Nyakagezi.

This family was known for being mobile in the past when it used to wonder into Rwanda. Its being unstable made pre-booking of its gorilla permits hard so booking was done on ground and upon availability of the mountain gorillas. Of late, the Nyakagezi family members have settled fully in Uganda and pre-booking of its gorilla permit is allowed.

Apart from gorilla trekking, tourists can do a day’s return hike on the three distinctive mountains in this park. these mountains include Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura and Mountain Sabyinyo. It takes about 8 hours to get to the top and return to the lower ground.

Birding experience in virgin Mgahinga National park is fantastic because of  different vegetation zones that form favorable habitats.  Mgahinga forest is believed to be hosting about 115 bird species including Albertine endemics.

Mgahinga National park is home to other primates like olive baboons, golden monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and others.

In Rwanda

Volcanoes National park

Volcanoes National park is the only home for the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. A the moment about 12 gorilla families have been fully habituated and opened for tourism in Rwanda.  Some of the Rwanda gorilla families opened for tourism include Karisimbi family, Susa family, Amahoro family Agashu family, Sabyinyo family and others.

The park is home to over 200 bird species including Albertine rift endemics. Some of these include Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Rwenzori Turaco, Alpine Chat, Malachite Sunbird, Kivu Ground Thrush

A number of other primates also share Volcanoes National park wish the mountain gorillas and these include golden monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys and others.

The Dian fossey trek takes you through the last steps of an American primatologist who dedicated her life to the survival of the mountain gorillas. Here heroic work was ended in a brutal murder in 1985 by unknown assassinators. Her remains were laid to rest amongst the mountain gorillas.

What accommodation To Book For Gorilla Trekking In Uganda and Rwanda

The accommodations to book for gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda are graded according to Luxury facilities, Mid-range facilities and Budget accommodation facilities.

Accommodations for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Gorilla Forest Camp, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Clouds lodge, Gorilla Resort, Mahogany Springs, Engage Lodge, Lake Kitandara Tented Camp, Broad bill Camp and others

Accommodations For Mgahinga National park: Gahinga Lodge and others in Kisoro Town

Accommodations For Volcanoes National Park: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Lebambou, Hotel La Palme , Hotel Mille Collines

Which Is the Best Country For Gorilla Trekking On Uganda and Rwanda?

The feeling you get when standing before the mountain gorillas makes many forget what they may have gone through to do gorilla trekking. Just a few points may stand out to create the difference in gorilla trekking experience per country.

Time Taken To Get To The Gorilla Trekking Destinations

The drive form Kigali Airport in Rwanda to Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours driving through winding roads where as the drive from Entebbe Airport in Uganda to Bwindi Impenetrable national Park is about 8 hours to 9 hours.

For tourists on an African safari and just want to take a stopover to do gorilla trekking, Rwanda is the ideal destination.

The Number of Gorilla families Open For Tourism

Uganda has about 19 gorilla families open for tourism while Rwanda has so far 12 gorilla families open for tourism. This gives Uganda about 152 gorilla permits available for booking while Rwanda has about 96 gorilla permits

Cost Of Gorilla Trekking Permits

The Uganda gorilla trekking permit costs $700 per person per trek while the Rwanda Gorilla permit costs $1500 per person per trek. With the Uganda gorilla permit purchase, you have something to preserve and carter for other expenses.

Additional activities to combine with gorilla trekking

Uganda has a number of other activities one can combine with gorilla trekking. Some of them include chimpanzee trekking, game drives, launch trips, visit course of River Nile, cultural experiences, white water rafting in River Nile, Quad biking and others

Rwanda is limited with optional activities that can be combined with gorilla trekking. The country has to maximize the limited safari destinations when clients visit Rwanda. A few of its optional Rwanda safari activities include game drives in Akagera National Park, chimpanzee trekking, visit genocide memorials, Rwanda cultural experience and others.

Is Gorilla Trekking In Uganda And Rwanda Worth?

Doing gorilla trekking is not only a lifetime Africa Safari Adventure but chance to contribute to the survival of some of the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world.

Every penny you spend in gorilla trekking safari supports the mountain gorilla conservation program which aims at protecting these endangered primates.

The mountain gorillas are habituated to be in presence of humans for just one hour and this is for conservation reasons.

How Dangerous Is gorilla Trekking In Uganda and Rwanda?

Gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda and Rwanda are safe for touring but ensure you pay attention to personal safety too.

Ranges and other security agencies in either Uganda and Rwanda work hand in had to keep law and order in these destinations.

You also have to pay attention to personal security by not entering the forest without an escorting ranger guide. The forests have other dwellers that are not habituated for human presence. You need an armed ranger guide to escort you on any forest activity.

Do not count money in public during gorilla trekking safari because you may attract the wrong people.

Carry the right gorilla trekking gears that you can use while on safari to avoid looking for some to rent while on ground or walking in the forest without them.

What To Pack For Gorilla Trekking In Uganda and Rwanda?

Packing light but relevantly during gorilla trekking is necessary so that you are not inconvenienced from having a lot of bags.

Safari boots to wear in the jungle.

Safari attire in colors that are wilderness friendly like Khaki and tan.

Garden gloves to protect your palms.

Insect repellent to keep away stinging insects,

Pajamas to wear in the night.

A torch to use in case lights go out in the night.

Bug spray in case your room is invaded.

Extra batteries in case one runs low.

Safari hat to protect your hair from dripping water off the trees.

Waterproof backpack to use for carrying your gears in case you hire a porter.

A pair of binoculars to view far ranging items.

A camera to protect memories of your gorilla trekking experience.

Flip flops

Extra clothes to change into after gorilla trekking

Shoe bag to keep in your shoes in case you get no time to clean them.

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