Getting a gorilla permit in Congo
Getting a gorilla permit in Congo is very simple given the fact that you follow the right procedures and you make payments on time.
A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document that allows the traveler who is 15 years and above to trek mountain gorillas in any national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a maximum of one hour while in the presence of a gorilla group.
Gorilla trekking is an activity where visitors move with the park guides into the dense forests in search of the gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo is carried out in two national parks that is Virunga national park which harbors the mountain gorillas and Kahuzi Biega national park which harbors the Eastern lowland gorillas. Gorilla trekking is also done in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park in Uganda.
Cost of a Gorilla Trekking Permit
Gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of Congo is done in two protected areas namely Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park. A single gorilla trekking permit in Democratic Republic of Congo costs $400 for Foreign Non Residents and $150 for Democratic Republic of Congo Residents it is the cheapest gorilla permit in Africa because the one in Uganda costs $600 for Foreign Non Residents while the permit in Rwanda costs $1500 for all nationals and is the highest permit. A gorilla trekking permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo includes a park ranger or guide who will be guiding you when trekking, park entrance fee for gorilla trekking in Virunga national park or Kahuzi Biega national park and one hour with the gorilla family once found.
The gorilla trekking permit excludes the tip, transport, accommodation, porter among others. Virunga national park harbors 8 habituated gorilla families which means there are about 64 available gorilla trekking permits per day and Kahuzi Biega national park harbors 5 habituated gorilla families which mean there are only 40 gorilla trekking permits daily. Gorilla trekking activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo allows a maximum of 8 people to trek each gorilla family and spend one hour with the gorillas in their natural habitat taking photos, recording videos, learning about their behaviors, habits among others
How to book a Gorilla Trekking Permit in Congo
Visitors can book a gorilla trekking permit directly in the Democratic Republic of Congo by contacting Virunga park offices in Goma town where you can reach out to them by either email or telephone calls.
A gorilla trekking permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo can also be acquired through a trusted tour operator and in this case Achieve Global Safaris will help you get a permit faster. Contacting a tour operator is the best option in that the company will save you the hustle of going through the whole process and will also plan your safari by taking care of accommodation, transportation, meals, other activities to be done on your safari and also plan a safari to other destinations.
When you are booking a gorilla trekking permit in Democratic Republic of Congo through a tour operator
- Contact us with the date, month and year when you want to trek gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo.
- We shall check for the availability of the permit and request you to pay a deposit for the permit
- Once you deposit the money, you will send the scanned copies of your passport details which will be used to process the permit. And then the permit will be reserved for you because Democratic Republic of Congo doesn’t send scanned copies of the permit purchased.
When to book for a Gorilla Trekking Permit in Congo
A gorilla trekking permit should be acquired in advance at least 3 to 6 months before the trekking date because the gorilla trekking permits are competitive and get sold out especially in Virunga national park because it is the most visited national park more so during the peak season in the months of June, July, August, December, January and February.
Kahuzi Biega national park is however not visited a lot and therefore sometimes you can obtain a gorilla trekking permit even at the last minute by the last-minute travelers.
Discounted Gorilla Trekking Permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Discounted gorilla trekking permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo was introduced in 2018 during the low season as a marketing tool to attract more visitors and creating more awareness about the mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to civil wars in the past years, many travelers used to think that mountain gorillas are only found in Rwanda and Uganda which led to the introduction of the discounted gorilla trekking permit during the low season in the months of May to March and October to December. The discounted gorilla trekking permit costs $200 for Foreign Non Residents and allows visitors to spend one hour with the gorilla family.
Democratic Republic of Congo is the only gorilla destination in Africa that offers discounted gorilla trekking permits in the low season.
When to go for Gorilla Trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo
Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park can be visited anytime throughout the year for gorilla trekking however the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, December, January and February when there is less rain fall. The dry season is the best time in that the forest grounds will not be slippery and wet hence many activities in the park such as gorilla trekking, hiking, nature walks, birding among others will be successful.
Make your safari adventurous, breathtaking and memorable by booking a gorilla trekking permit which will allow you to visit the gorilla family for one hour in either Virunga national park or Kahuzi Biega national park through Achieve Global Safaris.
