Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari |How Book Rwanda Tour

Overview

The Rwanda gorilla trekking safaris happen in Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Park of the country. Rwanda being generally hilly country compared to the Alps of Switzerland has a lush green environment almost an entire year.

Before doing the Rwanda gorilla trekking tour, you need to book a gorilla permit from the Rwanda Development Board. Remember to reserve the necessary accommodations to use during the gorilla safari. Carry the right gorilla trekking gears recommended in order not to get disappointed when on ground. Although hiring some attires may be possible before the gorilla trek but having your own feels better.

In general, the gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is quite steep because of the so many highlands that compose the topography of Volcanoes National Park.

Where to do Gorilla Trekking Tour in Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park is the only home to the mountain gorilla safaris in Rwanda. This park is home to so far 12 gorilla trekking families that is Karisimbi, Umubano, Amahoro, Hirwa, Susa and others. Each of these Rwanda gorilla families is unique and interesting to visit. It is hard to determine which of them is the best to visit or the easiest.

Other than the mountain gorillas, Volcanoes National Park is home to other primates too including golden monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus and others.

More than 200 bird species have so far been registered as residents of pristine Volcanoes National Park. Some of the bird include Alpine Chad, Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Rwenzori Francolin and others.Mountain hiking in Volcanoes National Park is an opportunity to test your level of fitness and a guided excursion is stunning. The environment around the Volcanoes mountains is stunning some of them include Mountain Gahinga, Bisoke, Muhavura and Sabyinyo

Trending Safaris

3 day gorilla trekking in Rwanda

4 day gorilla safari in Rwanda

5 day gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda

6 day Gorilla Trekking and Game safari in Rwanda

3 day Gorilla trekking in Uganda

6 day gorilla and chimpanzee trekking Uganda

10 day gorilla, Chimpanzees and game tour in Uganda

What To Expect During Gorilla Trekking In Volcanoes National Park

During gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, expect to meet the mountain gorillas. At a glance, the look of the mountain gorillas may send a chill down your spine but donot be intimidated. In nature, the mountain gorillas are calm and shy primates though they can charge when provoked.       

Expect to find other tourists during  gorilla trekking in Rwanda  especially in the peak season that is June to October and December to February. After briefing, tourists are allocated gorilla trekking families but the criteria used is hard to determine.

On the way to find the mountain gorillas , expect the trails to get slippery and boggy from the regular rains that fall yet less sunlight is allowed through the dense forest canopy.

Expect it to rain in Volcanoes rain forest any time so carry the necessary gorillas safari gears including rai proof gears.

When you find the mountain gorillas, only one hour is allowed with the fully habituated mountain gorillas. This is a conservation measure to prevent time before the mountain gorillas.

Time To Take On Gorilla Trekking Adventure |How long Is Gorilla Safari In Rwanda

From the starting trailhead, time to take on gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is hard to determine. Some tourists have been able to locate the mountain gorillas in 2 hours while other may spend about three quarters of the day. You need to posses some level of fitness to endure the time and possible huddles on the way.

To still maintain the quest to be with the mountain gorillas that may sometimes be very far, open your mind to seeing other forest inhabitants, help the ranger guides to find the clues the gorillas leave behind. Volcanoes National Park hosts other primates, mammals, birds, reptiles and much more.

Finally when you trace the mountain gorillas, donot forget the gorilla trekking rules and wear a clean mask as recommended by the ranger guide. During the time with the mountain gorillas , observe, take photos, maintenance the recommended distance from the gorillas and much more. Sometimes the mountain gorillas’ curiosity may push them to try and reach out.

After the recommended one hour of gorilla trekking in Rwanda, get away from the family and get back to your lodge.

How Many Days to Take on Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda

Rwanda 2 days gorilla trekking is the shortest time to be on this Rwanda safari so if you are in transit you can make a stopover in Rwanda do the safari and proceed to your final destination. Rwanda has others interesting destinations you can combine with gorilla trekking that is Game safaris in Rwanda birding in Rwanda, hiking in Rwanda, chimpanzee trekking , cultural experience in Rwanda and others.

Other Rwanda safari packages      

5 day gorilla trekking and Game safari in Rwanda

6 day gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda

3 day gorilla trekking in Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda

Cost of the Gorilla Trekking safari |How Much Is Gorilla Tour in Rwanda

The cost of the gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is superseded by the Gorilla permit cost. At the moment, the cost of the Rwanda gorilla permit is $1500 for international nonresidents , $500 for foreign residents and other African and $200 for East Africans. The cost of the Rwanda gorilla permit cuts across all budgets.

Additional Rwanda gorilla safari costs may include Accommodation, transport and others Do not forget to carry some extra hard cash to exchange into local currency. In case you need a porter to help with carrying your gorilla trekking gears, do ask ho hire one before the trek starts.

We encourage our clients to generously tip those who extend s great service to you as a way to encourage them to even better their game.

Other Rwanda safari Activities To Combine with Gorilla Trekking

Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda

Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda is the chimpanzee safari haven with so far one chimpanzee community open to the public and another on the outskirts at Cyamudondo. Uwinka is the headquarters of Nyungwe National Park where most activities commence from.

After briefing, the ranger guide uses the network of trails distributed within the forest including Usamo trail, Igishigishigi trail and others. Nyungwe forest is a pre-historic forest and home to other primates including Dent Mona Monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus and others.

Nyungwe forest has other interesting features including Usamo falls, several highlands, lush green vegetation cover and much more.

Game Drives In Akagera National Park

A combo of gorilla trekking and game safari in Rwanda is exciting getting you to see some of the rich inhabitants of the wilderness. Akagera National Park is recovering from the terror of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, poaching and mass migration of wild animals due to overtime civil wars.

The African Parks a nongovernment organization in collaboration with Rwanda Development Board is registering great progress as a number of wild animals are being rehabilitated in the park. During the game drive in Akagera National Park Rwanda, you may get the chance to find the big five that is buffaloes, leopards, Rhinos, elephants and lions.

While on a game drive in Akagera National Park, you may find impalas, zebras, waterbucks, bushbucks, elephants, buffaloes and others.

Cultural Experience in Rwanda

The rich culture of the Rwandese people which they are not shy to share with the rest of the world is worth adding with a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda. The Ethnological museum in Rwanda contains some of the items used by the people of Rwanda before modernization.

A visit to the cultural villages with crafts including the designs of the Rwanda gives you an insight into the rich culture of the people of Rwanda. At Nyakarimbi, you may get the chance to find the Imigongo which is the famous cow dung painting.

When you get the chance to watch the Intore dance performances accompanied by an orchestra or long drums you may be enticed to join.

Canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park

The canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park is mesmerizing and the only one of its kind in East Africa. The Rwanda canopy walk is about 160 meters long and 70 meters above the canopy. From this suspension bridge, tourists get to see the beautiful view, undulating hills, evergreen vegetation and others.

Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park

The golden monkey trekking experience in Rwanda takes you to visit some of the endangered primates in the country. Golden monkeys are a few left in the world and even though they are first habituated, they still posses there natural characteristics. Expect to stay on your toes while searching for the golden monkeys.

Kigali city tour

A Kigali city tour combined with gorilla trekking is excellent ad you get to see the commercial center of Rwanda. Have an opportunity to taste some of the local cuisines, the sweet aroma of Rwanda coffee. Visit the Rwanda genocide memorials and others. Starting the Rwanda safari early gives you the chance to see more around the city.

Best Time To Do Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda

The best time to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the dry season that is June to September and December to February. Note that no matter the season, expect to find the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

During the peak tourism season, the chances of finding gorilla trekking permits availability at the last minute may be hard so it is best to purchase one in advance. Rwanda Development Board opens maximum 8 gorilla trekking permits to the public per day.

More tourists normally book gorilla trekking safaris in the dry season so the competition for the limited permits is over the top. Even the demand for other logistics that support Rwanda safaris is high and so even the cost is high too.

The wet season which is normally March to May and November may attract less tourists. If you wish to share the gorilla safari with less people, you may make use of this opportunity.

Safety During Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

For safety during gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, ranger guides are on ground to protect you from possible insecurity. Every tourists is recommended to stay closer to the people trekking gorillas with so that you are not lost in the dense forest.

Before starting the gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda, tourists have to attend briefing where details of this adventure are communicated.

Wear the right gorilla safari gears to protect your skin from the rough surfaces in the wilderness.

In case the mountain gorillas charge, donot panic as this may escalate the situation. Wait for the ranger guides to establish the cause of the matter and advise on what to do to control the situation.

What Are The Guidelines Of Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

In case you catch a communicable infection like flu, cough, volunteer to stay behind in order not to spread it to the highly susceptible mountain gorillas as this may lead to there massive death.

Avoid surrounding the mountain gorillas while on gorilla safaris but stay closer to one another.

Keep a distance of about 7 meters from the gorilla family so as not to open chances to spreading infections to the mountain gorillas.

Mimicking or Provoking the mountain gorillas while on safari is forbidden because you donot understand what you may be communicating

No using flash photography while on gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park. Flash photography may scare the mountain gorillas that are already suspicious of human presence in there surrounding.

Never enter the forest without an escorting ranger guide during gorilla trekking. The forest has other dwellers that are not habituated to human presence. These may hurt you.

In case you wish to smoke or drink, don it in about 200 meters away from the mountain gorillas as this may cause them to pull eats from you. Feeding the mountain gorillas is forbidden as they are wild animals that must seek there own food and not depend on humans.

Burry all fecal materials and ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you atleast 30 centimeters deep then cover well beyond recognition.

Littering the forest is forbidden as this alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas thrive. While walking in search for the mountain gorillas and you notice some litter, help and remove it from the forest. Donot spit on vegetation as this is food for the mountain gorillas.