What You Must know Before Rwanda gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari

Rwanda gorilla trekking is the gem safari activity of the country and so you must follow religiously the rules of this adventure. Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda happens in only Volcanoes National Park in the North western part of the country.

For chimpanzee trekking adventure in Rwanda, is the Nyungwe National Par in the country where this safari adventure happens with its headquarters at Uwinka. Cyamudondo at the periphery of this park is another point where chimpanzee trekking is happening in Rwanda.

For both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda you must have a permit. Booking a gorilla and chimpanzee is top priority before gaining access to this Rwanda tour adventure. The Rwanda Development Board has the mandate to sell and regulate all gorillas permits in the country.

Before booking the gorilla or chimpanzee trekking permit of Rwanda, you must be of age that is 15 and 12 years and over respectively.  

It is best to book in advance your Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits especially if you hope to travel in the peat season which is June, july, August, September, December , January . Demand for both gorilla and chimpanzee permits is high yet supply is restricted for conservation reasons.

How To Book Gorilla and Chimpanzee permits of Rwanda?

Rwanda Development Board has the authority to sell and regulate the gorilla and chimpanzee permits but you can use the assistance of a tour operator to do all the background work for you. 

At Arch Safaris and Tours we help our clients to book gorilla and chimpanzee permits plus other supporting logistics like accommodations, transport and others.

When you enquire from us about wishing to go gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda. Our safari consultant checks availability of these Rwanda permits from the list according to the date you provide and the number of people travelling with.

The consultants gets back to you as soon as gorilla and chimpanzee permits availability is acquired. We advise our clients to secure their gorilla and chimpanzee permits as soon as they can because first come first served basis is used to reserve these permits.

No gorilla or chimpanzee permit is booked without payment. You can purchase the Rwanda gorilla or chimpanzee permit fully or in instalments terms and conditions apply. Most people hoping to do gorilla or chimpanzee trekking in the peak season reserve there permits at least 6 months to a year upfront. This saves you from last minute disappointments when the permits sell out.

How much is the cost of Rwanda Gorilla and chimpanzee Trekking Permit?

At the moment, the cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking Permit is $1500 for international nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents and African residents, East Africa and Rwandese natives $200.

The current cost of Rwanda chimpanzee trekking permits for Rwanda is $ 250 for international nonresidents, $75 for foreign residents and $25 for East Africans.

Can I purchase Rwanda Gorilla and chimpanzee Permits in instalments?

You can purchase the Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzees permits in instalments but best if you fully book these permits.

To qualify to book the Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee permits in installment, you must purchase them atleast before 90 days to trekking date that is 30% and 70 % respectively. Remember to top up these permits before 90 days to trekking date.

Failure to fulfill the dates for which the gorilla and chimpanzee permits are booked opens them back to the public. To be on the safe side, purchase the Rwanda gorilla or chimpanzee permit in full.

Which Is The Best And Easiest Rwanda Gorilla Family To Trek?

Rwanda has about 12 gorilla trekking families but all differ in character and each has its unique traits that make it special from another.

It is quite hard to determine the easiest or the most difficult Rwanda gorilla family to trek because there day’s locate is influenced by factors prevailing in the forest. Note that Rwanda being generally mountainous, walking in the jungle is quite challenging especially of you are traversing the steep slopes.

Finding the Rwanda mountain gorillas depends on factors like the location of there food source, in case of a fight with another gorilla family, death of a family member, pace of follow tourists and others.

Some of the Rwanda Gorilla families include

Umubano, Amahoro , Hirwa, Susa, Agashya, Sabyinyo, karisimbi, Muhoza and others.

After starting the gorilla trekking safari, you need to move quite faster because you are not sure when you are to locate these gorillas. For you not to get bored in case you are delayed to find the mountain gorillas open your mind to seeing other forest occupants like the monkeys, birds, different tree species and others.

How Long Is The Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking Safari In Rwanda

The time taken on gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda is quite hard to determine. The mountain gorillas and chimpanzees keep moving as they search for food to take them through the day and night.

In order not to lose the morale of both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari, keep your mind focused on other interesting features in the forest and before you know it time with flash away till you locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees.

When finally you locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees only one hour is allowed with them for conservation reasons.

Are Rwanda mountain gorillas or chimpanzees dangerous during gorilla or chimpanzee trek?

The mountain gorillas or chimpanzees of Rwanda are not dangerous even though they are wild animal living in the wilderness.

Before opening these primates to the public, they are first habituated to get used to the presence of different people without altering there nature.

In nature, the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees are quite calm and serene so when agitated may walk into hiding. These primates are shy that is why you must never stare into there shy eyes.

Even though the chimpanzees and gorillas are calm, they also get agitated when disturbed. When angry they pull grass around them, hoot, the gorillas thump there chests and much more.

When Is The Best Time To Do Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking Tour In Rwanda

The gorilla and chimpanzee trekking tours of Rwanda are best done in June, July, August, September, December and January. This is the dry season when there is less precipitation in the forest. Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park are tropical rain forests that receive untimely rains.  

The mountain gorillas and chimpanzees move freely in the wilderness and the forest is full of life most of the times during this season.

This too is the peak tourism season where demand for Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee permits is over the top. There are limited gorilla and chimpanzee permits open to the public and yet demand for them is overwhelmingly high in the peak season.

During the peak season, even the cost of logistics that support gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda is high due to the ever increasing demand for them as season unfolds. It is best to book accommodation, transport, driver guides in advance to avoid last minute disappointments.

Both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experience can still happen in the wet season that is March, April, May and November. Mountain gorillas and chimpanzees sometimes keep in deeper ends of the forest during this time but be sure to see them no matter the season.

Demand for gorilla and chimpanzee permits for Rwanda during the low season so chances of getting a permit at the last minute may be more open.

Is Gorilla or chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda safe?

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is safe even though these a totally jungle activities. Before starting every trek all tourists must attend briefing where detail of how to behave, how to treat the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees are given. There are aimed at not causing the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees any stress that can stimulate them to charge.

The ground where the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees live is quite slippery and soggy at times but you need to wear safety gears like waterproof safari shoes, carry rain proof gears and others.

Every gorilla or chimpanzee trek must be in the company of a ranger guide just in case you encounter some unhabituated forest occupants.

Other Rwanda security agencies are on ground to coordinate security matters with the ranger guide of Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park

Is Rwanda Gorilla or chimpanzee Trekking easy or difficult?

Whether doing gorilla trekking in chimpanzee trekking in the wildernesses of Rwanda, the experience of being in the jungle has its challenges. In general, Rwanda is a land of a thousand hills and sometimes the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees spend time on the slopes so you have to hike to get to them.

The joy of standing just a few meters away from the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees is unforgettable and a dream come true. The vegetation where the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees live is tangled and has accumulated over time with creepers draping down the plateaus and ridges. The natural tall trees form a dense canopy that doesn’t allow more sunlight to the ground.

The less sunray penetration to the ground through the dense canopy of either forests causes the conditions in Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park to remain wet most of the times. The ground becomes soggy and slippery making it a challenge to move fast.

When Do You Return from The Rwanda Gorilla or Chimpanzee Trekking safari?

Sometimes finding the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees in Rwanda may take 2 hours or more depending on factors prevailing in the forest. To locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees in Rwanda some of the factors that influence this may include death of a troop member, food proximity, weather conditions prevailing in the day and others.

No matter when you locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees. Open your mind to seeing other forest occupants like other primates, birds, different tree species, waterfalls and others. Finally, when you locate the mountain gorillas only one hour is allowed the them. These gorillas are habituated to be in human presence for just this time.

What to Pack For Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda

No feeding the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees when you locate them because they are wild animals that must search for there own food, the forest must be there sole provider and not depend on humans.

In case you have a communicable infection like flue, covid-19 and others, volunteer to stay behind. Mountain gorillas or chimpanzees   are highly susceptible to human infections.

Keep a distance of about 7 meters from the mountain gorillas or chimpanzee when you locate them to avoid chances of passing an infection to them.

Donot dump garbage in the forest when you are searching for the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees  because this changes the nature of there environment.

Only one  hours are allowed with the mountain gorilla or chimpanzees during gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking experience so that they can be left alone to carry on with there day today activities.

Maximum eight tourists are allowed to do gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experience per day per family.

Donot provoke the mountain gorillas or chimpanzee trekking mimic them as you may not known what you are communicating. The mountain gorillas and chimpanzees are very sensitive especially with intruders in there vicinity.

In case you wish to defecate ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you about 30 centimeters deep and cover we beyond recognition. This is used to maintain the forest hygiene and also protect these primates for acquiring human infections.

Never enter the forest without a ranger guide as the wilderness has some forest inhabitants that are not habituated to be in the presence of humans. You need to walk in company of the ranger guide because they know best some of the traits of the forest occupants. Using flash photography is forbidden as this scares the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees. These primates can get agitated fast Book Now