Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is done in Volcanoes National Park which is situated in Musanze village, two hours from Kigali international airport. Volcanoes National Park borders Mgahinga National Park in south western Uganda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is also known as the oldest national park in Africa that was established in 1925. Volcanoes National Park is one of the best destinations for gorilla trekking in Africa whereby it receives big numbers of visitors.

Mountain gorillas are large primates that have a life span of 40 to 50 years, the female gorillas give birth to one infant after a period of nine-month just like human beings, breastfeed their young ones for two and a half years. Mountain Gorillas know how to climb but they prefer to live on ground where they construct nests as their shelter and live in groups of up to 3o individuals with females, juveniles, black backs and mature males the silverbacks which dominate the group. The silverback organizes daily activities of the family, offers protection, settles disputes in the family among others. Mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park feed on leaves, stems, roots, bamboo, shoots, insects like ants among others and a female gorilla can eat over 15kgs of vegetation per day, can eat over 15kgs of vegetation per day, young ones can consume over 5 to 7kgs a day and a silverback can eat over 30kgs of vegetation a day hence weighing between 180 to 220kgs. Mountain gorillas can communicate with each other using over 25 different vocal sounds which include grunts and barks sound used to trace other individuals, screams and roar sound used for warnings for example when there is a danger the silverback uses screams and roars to warn other members in the family.

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda

Gorilla trekking is a popular activity that is done in Volcanoes National Park where visitors move on foot in the jungle in search of the gorilla families. Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park allows a maximum number of eight people to trek each gorilla family and spend one hour with the habituated gorillas in their natural habitat.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is done in volcanoes national park which is a home of 10 habituated gorilla families which include Susa family the largest group in volcanoes national park with 38 members, Amahoro family with 18 members, Agashya family with 27 members, Karisimbi family with 16 members, Sabinyo family with 13 members, Hirwa family with 16 members, Bwenge family with 11 members, Kwitonda family with 18 members, Umubano family with 9 members and Ugyenda family with 11 members. Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park is an interesting and exciting activity that starts early in the morning at 7 am at the park headquarters where visitors first go for a briefing and then allocated Gorilla groups depending on their physical fitness. Volcanoes national park allows a maximum number of eight people per day to trek each gorilla family, therefore, there are about 80 gorilla trekking permits in volcanoes national park that are available on a daily basis where visitors spend one hour in the presence of the gorillas once found.

Cost of a Gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda

A gorilla trekking permit is a document that allows a visitor above the age of fifteen to participate is gorilla trekking activity in volcanoes national park and spend one hour with the gorillas in their natural environment.

Rwanda’s single Gorilla trekking permit costs $1500 for all nationalities and it’s the highest gorilla trekking permit in Africa compared to Uganda whose gorilla trekking permit costs $ 600 and Democratic Republic of Congo whose gorilla trekking permit costs $400. However the high cost of the gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda doesn’t stop visitors from going to volcanoes national park, the park still remains one of the best tourist destinations that attract big numbers of visitors for gorilla trekking.

How to get a Gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda

A Gorilla trekking permit in volcanoes national park should be acquired 3 to 6 months in advance in that the permits are competitive and normally get sold out have advisable to book in advance. A gorilla trekking permit can be booked directly through the Rwanda development board a Rwanda tourism body where you go online on their website or contact them via Email or Telephone calls.

Another option of acquiring a gorilla trekking permit in volcanoes national park is booking through a tour operator; this is the best option to use in that it saves you all the hustle of getting a gorilla trekking permit. There are many tour companies that can obtain a gorilla trekking permit for you such as Achieve Global Safaris where you can contact us with the date, month and year when you want to visit volcanoes national park for gorilla trekking activity, the company will check for availability of the gorilla permits and send the bank account where you will send the amount of the gorilla trekking permit , you will send the scanned copies of your passport which will be used to process the gorilla trekking permit, once you have made the payments your gorilla trekking permit will be purchased and we will send you a scanned copy of the permit as confirmation.

Best time to go for Gorilla trekking in Rwanda

Rwanda has great weather hence visitors can visit Volcanoes national park any time throughout the year but the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, December, January, and February. During the dry season there is a clear view of the gorillas since the vegetation is short, minimal rainfall hence good for hiking than during the rainy season. However visitors can also visit volcanoes national park during the wet season in the months of March to May and September to November because gorilla trekking can be done every day in the pack, the wet season is also known as the low season and during this months the gorilla trekking permits are not competitive and the lodges offer discounts to the visitors hence good for budget travelers.

What to wear and pack when going for Gorilla trekking in Rwanda

Rwanda experiences one long rainy season during the months of March to May and one long dry season during the months of June to mid-September. Visitors coming for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park should pack different gorilla trekking essentials which include

Camera, this is used to record videos, take photos during the one hour with the gorillas and also capture all the moments during your safari trip in Rwanda.
Waterproof rain jacket, this is used to protect you from the rain during gorilla trekking in the rain forests of volcanoes national park.
Hiking boots, the hiking boots are used to protect your feet from mud during the rainy season, thorns in the jungle and to keep your feet dry.
Garden gloves, the gloves protect you from germs, thorns, tree branches because sometimes the forest is slippery and need support from the tree branches, the gloves can, however, be removed during the one hour with the gorillas while taking photos.
Long sleeved shirts and trousers, these clothes give you warmth and protect your body from getting scars during trekking.
Energy snacks, these give you energy while trekking in the rain forest they include packed lunch which is got from the lodge, two litres of water among others.
Waterproof backpack, this is a bag that is used to carry the items for gorilla trekking such as energy snacks, camera rain jacket among others
Insect repellent, this protects you from the insects such as tsetse flies, red ants, safari ants.

Where to stay

Volcanoes national park offers luxury, midrange and budget accommodation to visitors in Rwanda which include Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Mountain Gorillas Nest Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Gorilla Solution Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, Virunga Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Village, Kinigi Guest House among others which offer comfortable shelter, prepare quality meals, cool and quiet environment for relaxation before or after a gorilla trekking activity or hiking.

Gorilla trekking activity in volcanoes national park gives you the best experience on your safari in Rwanda in that you will have some time with the gorilla family in the forest, learn about their behaviors, feeding, enjoy the juveniles entertaining the family by playing with each other in the trees among others. You can also engage in other activities while in Volcanoes national park such as bird watching, nature walks, mountain climbing, community encounters among others which give you great, interesting and exciting moments on your safari in Rwanda hence giving you unforgettable lifetime moments.