Combo Of Gorilla Trekking Rwanda And Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda

To do gorilla trekking in Rwanda and gorilla habituation in Uganda is a double adventure that gives you more time with the only few living mountain gorillas there are in the world. If you wish to get the difference between gorilla safaris in Rwanda and Uganda, you can get this with this adventure.

Gorilla trekking takes you to the fully habituated gorilla families in Rwanda but only one hour is allowed with them. Gorilla habituation experience is an adventure that takes you to have four hours with semi-habituated wild gorillas. The mountain gorillas under habituation process don’t loose their natural characteristics.

In Rwanda, the mountain gorillas are living only in Volcanoes National park while gorilla habituation adventures in Uganda are in the southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Maximum 8 tourists are allowed to visit each gorilla family per day for gorilla trekking. Maximum 4 tourists are allowed to visit a gorilla family for gorilla habituation experience.

To cross from Rwanda into Uganda or vice versa is via Cyanika or Gatuna border. It is best to apply for a visa in advance to avoid the usually long ques at immigration.

Highlights of Gorilla trekking and Gorilla habituation safari

Day 1 Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda

Day 2 Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi

Day 3 Transfer to Volcanoes National park in Rwanda

Day 4 Gorilla Trekking in volcanoes National Park Rwanda

Day 6 Departure

Details of Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda and Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda

Day 1 Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda

Wake up early morning to drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is an ancient rain forest believed to have survived the ice age era. Bwindi forest is believed to be over 25,000 years old and a safe haven for almost half the total number of mountain gorillas there are in the world.

For gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable National park, so far four gorilla families are open for this adventure and maximum four tourists are accepted to visit these gorillas per day. This is to minimize chances of causing suspensions about human presence in their territory.

The time to take on the drive to Bwindi forest from Kampala or Entebbe is about 8 hours to 9 hours.

Check into your lodge

Day 2 Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi

Rise up for breakfast and report to the ranger guide for briefing before gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi. The trail heading where the gorilla family allocated to you is situated has dense undergrowth that may obstruct your way. The ranger guide with a machete uses it trim and create a path to find the mountain gorillas.

Finally, when you find the gorilla family, expect them to act quite odd because they are still under habituation process. Strictly adhere to the guidelines of gorilla habituation process as explained in details by the ranger guides at briefing.

Some of the gorillas in the gorilla habituation Experience family still present unwelcoming gestures. Once you finally locate the mountain gorillas enjoy their presence and watch every moment as it unfolds. Take photos and film the mountain gorillas go about their day activities and so much more.

Get back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 Transfer to Volcanoes National park in Rwanda

Get ready to drive to Rwanda for another gorilla safari experience. Cross into Rwanda at Gatuna or Cyanika border and make necessary clearances. This route is very scenic and unique with several highlands and roads are winding as they seem to have been curved on the bottoms of these features.

Ad you draw closer to volcanoes forest, you feel a shift is altitude as it drops and temperatures drop too. From a far, you notice the dense lush green forest cover that seems like an endless wilderness. Several stunning highlands form the landscape of Volcanoes National Park inclusive of five of the six famous volcanoes.

Check into your lodge and relax as you wait for your dinner and overnight.

Day 4 Gorilla Trekking in volcanoes National Park Rwanda

After breakfast move to the ranger station for briefing where the most recent communication about the mountain gorillas is provided. On ground, you get to meet other tourists with whom you may share the search and moments with the mountain gorillas.

Do not forget to carry a back pack where you can protect your belongings from scattering while in the wilderness. You can handover the back pack to a porter who will off load the burden of bearing the weight of this baggage while on a hike to find the gorilla trekking family.

Even though time of finding the mountain gorillas is uncertain, focus on other interesting forest inhabitants including black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, olive baboons and more. Ornithologists have the opportunity of spotting some of the over 350 bird species of Bwindi forest.

When you finally locate the mountain gorillas, move forward to face them while maintaining a distance of 8 meters away although the sneaky and curious gorillas sometimes bridge it.

After an hour, return to the main land and your lodge to relax after this exciting and tiring African safari adventure.

Day 6 Departure

Gorilla trekking and Gorilla habituation Experience is a magical African safari worth taking but you have to depart too. On this day, carry your bags and head to Kigali International Airport to catch up with your departure flight.

Essential Notes about Gorilla Trekking or Gorilla Habituation Safari

• Book a gorilla permit for either countries that is Uganda and Rwanda
• Time of to take on gorilla safari is still hard to determine as this depends on factors prevailing in the forest and level of fitness.
• Maximum 8 tourists are allowed to do gorilla trekking and maximum 4 tourists are allowed for gorilla habituation experience.
• Gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience are done on foot as there are no means to get you to the location of the mountain gorillas. In case of physical challenged persons, sedan chair or stretcher services are available.
• Wear necessary gorilla safari gears inclusive of safari hat, safari boots, insect repellant and more.
• Age limit for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is 15 years and beyond while that of Uganda is 12 years and beyond. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is quite steep because of the general nature of the topography of Volcanoes forest.
• No toilet structures in the wilderness during gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience so plan accordingly.
• Even though Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda has a variety of accommodations situated in the four areas it is composed of book accommodation within or closer to the southern part of the park.

What is the cost of gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda and Gorilla habituation experience permit for Uganda

The cost of the gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda is currently $1500 per person per trek. This price is inclusive of one hour of gorilla trekking, ranger guide fees, security and more.

Gorilla habituation experience permit cost for Uganda is currently $1500 per person per trek. The cost of gorilla habituation experience permit is inclusive of four hours with semi-habituated gorilla family, escorting ranger guides and researchers, security and many more.

The full gorilla safari package cost is inclusive of accommodation cost, transport costs and more expenses as per your preference.

How Safe Is Gorilla Trekking Or Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari

Gorilla trekking Rwanda and gorilla habituation experience safari in Uganda are safe African safari adventures conducted under the supervision of professional ranger guides. In Rwanda, the Rwanda Development Board have the mandate to protect wildlife sanctuaries in the country and visitors on ground.

Uganda Wildlife Authority ( UWA) in Uganda has ranger guides who protect, defend and guard conservation areas in the country.

Before gorilla habituation or gorilla trekking, tourists for the day must gather at the ranger station for briefing where the most recent information about these primates is communicated in detail. Even the uncertainties that tourists are likely to find in the jungle are pre-emptied for you to take caution.

Tourists are encouraged to remain in tight groups while on the search for the mountain gorillas so that none is forgotten in the dense jungle. even when you need to step a side for toilet breaks, the ranger guide has to be notified.

As a tourists on gorilla safari, security starts with you so desist from provoking the mountain gorillas because they can charge when upset.

What Is Return Time From Gorilla Trekking Or Gorilla Habituation Experience

From the starting point of the gorilla search, it may take 30 minutes and more to find the mountain gorillas. The location of the gorilla family depends on factors prevailing in the wilderness including mood of the gorilla family, food location, weather condition of the day and more.

Some tourists have reported returning from gorilla trekking in 2 hours while other spend almost three quarters of the day in the jungle. The mountain gorillas are very mobile primates with no restrictions to stop their movements but tourists are encouraged to keep positive as seeing them is guaranteed.

On the way to find the mountain gorillas, there is so much to spot in the forest including other primates, different bird species, endangered plant species and more.

Best Time To Do A Combo Of Gorilla Trekking Rwanda And Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda

The dry season is best time preferred to do gorilla trekking Rwanda and gorilla habituation experience in Uganda. The dry season which is normally June through to September and December to January is favorite season to do gorilla safaris.

Even though Volcanoes forest and Bwindi forest are known to be wet most part of the year, the dry season presents a better ambiance with slightly lesser precipitation and more sun rays sipping through. Rivers and streams of these forest flow at normal course.

The gorillas spend most of the day closer to the ground in search for food supplies in this season providing better chances for tourists to catch up with them and enjoy the moments just from a closer range.

The wet season which is normally March, April and May shouldn’t scare you to participate in the gorilla safari. The presence of mountain gorillas has no seasonal limits as they are present in the forest all year.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas In Rwanda or Uganda

Seeing mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda is a must as these are permanent residents of the jungle where they survive.

The ranger guides daily locate the last point where the gorilla family is last seen and early morning a team follows up where they nested. Some of this information is what ranger guide with tourists use to get to the gorilla family.

Tourists are encouraged to be very observant of the fresh residues the mountain gorillas might leave behind along the way like foot prints, leftover foliage, hairs, fallen grass which seem to be their resting spot and more. Some of these clues help tourists get where the gorilla family may spend the day. 

Mountain gorillas stage their feeding spot at a particular location for sometime until they agree that it is no longer sufficient for the entire family then they move. Even when the gorilla family moves, they do not go far from the previous location.

Why choose to combine gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda

If you wish to have extra time with the endangered mountain gorillas and know the difference between the two African safaris, this is the safari you need to book. Gorilla trekking lasts one hours and gorilla habituation experience 4 hours are allowed with the gorilla family.

World over mountain gorillas are living in only three countries of which Uganda and Rwanda are part so you get to visit two of the only three homes of these endangered primates.

Gorilla trekking takes you to the fully habituated gorilla family while gorilla habituation is with semi-habituated gorillas so you enjoy the experience of both characters of the mountain gorillas. Beyond gorilla safaris in Rwanda and Uganda, you may combine with other safari activities in either countries including game safaris, birding, water activities, chimpanzee safaris, mountaineering and more.

Rwanda Gorilla Safari