GORILLA TREKKING IN RWANDA
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda offers a unique opportunity to visitors on Rwanda safaris to see the rare and endangered mountain gorillas while in the wild. Many travelers have however described gorilla trekking in Rwanda in different ways with majority describing it as an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. Trekking with mountain gorillas entirely involves tourists exploring and experiencing more about how the daily behaviors of these apes in their natural habitat.
Where to go for gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the most famous activity and a major reason for most visits to Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills. While in Rwanda for a gorilla safari, Volcanoes National Park is undoubtedly the only place to visit to see gorillas in the wild. Volcanoes National Park lies in the Northwestern part of Rwanda and makes up part of the Virunga Conservation Area (VCA).
Mountain gorillas live only in the 4 National Parks and other than Volcanoes National Park, the rest of the Parks include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the extreme Southwestern Uganda and Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda shelters an important population of these rarest and largest living creatures. Fewer than 1063 mountain gorillas still survive in the wild and particularly within the Virunga Massifs/Region and in the lush rain-forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Gorilla families in Rwanda/Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park which is the only gorilla trekking destination in Rwanda protects over 18 gorilla family groups but only 13 groups are open for gorilla tracking. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, each of the habituated gorilla families is trekked by only 6 people and allocation of groups is done during briefing at Kinigi starting at 7:00am.
In every gorilla family, there is a leader also best known as silverback-a mature adult male gorilla in the group who is responsible in protecting the rest of the group members, find palatable areas for foraging etc. Gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park/Rwanda set for gorilla trekking include among others Karisimbi/Susa B, Amahoro, Susa A, Ugenda, Kwitonda, Agashya, Hirwa, Umubano, Bwenge, Sabinyo and Titus.
What is gorilla trekking in Rwanda like?
What to expect on gorilla trek Rwanda: A gorilla trek in Rwanda starts early morning with briefing at Kinigi at 7:00am where you get to know more about what you should expect when you get in the wild to see gorillas, gorilla trekking rules and also allocation of park guides. The actual hike to locate your gorilla group family begins at 8:00am and depending on your speed plus other factors, the entire trek may last for you 2-6 hours which covers one hour of face to face with gorillas. Treks to see mountain gorillas take visitors through a high elevation range of 2500-4000m and in case of visitors with heavy luggage, there are porters for hire to assist.
How much is a gorilla permit in Rwanda?
A gorilla permit in Rwanda is a special tool which all visitors in need to participate in gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park must have. Each of the gorilla permits in Rwanda/Volcanoes National Park costs visitors USD1500. About 10% of the fees generated from gorilla permits is always channeled towards supporting local communities living adjacent Volcanoes National Park especially in financing most of their projects to ensure there is a peaceful co-existence.
How to book for a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda/Volcanoes National Park
There are two ways to have your gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda booked. You can reach out to a ground tour operator or directly book through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). When you get in touch with a tour operator or RDB team, the date, month, year for trekking gorillas must be provided, your personal details etc. The respective team then goes to check for availability of gorilla permits and later, get back to you-where permits are available, you will be required to make a deposit for your permit.
After you have made some deposit, a copy of your passport must be scanned and sent for registration and a scanned copy of the receipt will be sent to you as confirmation. To book your permits with a ground tour operator like us makes the long process easier and saves time but we encourage all our visitors to book their permits early at least 2-6 before the actual date of tracking. This is due to the competitive demand for permits especially during the peak months of the year that is June to September, December to February.
Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Rwanda/Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is an all-year-round adventure experience. But the peak/dry season is preferred by most visitors due to its favorable weather conditions. The dry season starts from June to September then another phase begins from December to February and these the months of the year when there is low or no rain, the trails are kept drier making it easier to navigate through the forest.
The wet or rainy season attracts fewer visitors than the dry season and this is when heavy rains characterized by muddy grounds are experienced. The wet months of the year are March, April, May and October, November.
What to pack for gorilla trekking in Rwanda/Volcanoes National Park
The list of items to carry is long but the essentials for gorilla trekking in Rwanda include waterproof hiking boots/shoes, camera without flashlight, trousers, gardening gloves, daypack, rain jacket, insect repellent, snacks, bottled water, long sleeved shirts.
Where to stay
Volcanoes National Park boasts of its wide range of accommodation for visitors to stay while on gorilla safari in Rwanda. They range from budget to luxury and they include Bisate Lodge, Five Volcanoes Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Virunga Volcanoes Lodge. Other accommodation options include La Palme Hotel, Gorilla Solution Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, Villa Gorilla Lodge, Kinigi Guesthouse etc.
SOPs for gorilla trekking- Rwanda
- While on gorilla tour in Rwanda this COVID-19 times, a maximum of 8 visitors are allocated to track a gorilla family group each day.
- It is a must to keep a physical distance of at least 10m/30ft apart from mountain gorillas or chimpanzees during COVID-19 era.
- Visitors can depart for actual gorilla trek at 8:00am after being assigned to a habituated gorilla group to track.
- On briefing day, all holidaymakers must wash their hands or sanitize and also take body temperature.
- If a visitor is proves to be sick during briefing, he or she won’t be let to go for a gorilla trek.
- Wearing of a face mask is a mandatory for every holidaymaker on Rwanda gorilla safari in Volcanoes National Park.
- Always keep social distancing of 2m/6ft apart from yourselves while on a trek to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
- Hand sanitizing is mandatory for all trekkers before setting off to search a gorilla group allocated to you.
- Negative COVID-19 test certificate is a must have and tests should be taken 72 hours prior your departure for Rwanda. This applies to all international travelers on Rwanda safaris.
- All travelers must fill the Passenger Locator Form and upload COVID-19 test certificate on rbc.gov.rw/travel before your arrival at Kigali.
- All travelers interested in gorilla trekking in Rwanda must test negative for COVID-19 48 hours prior the actual date of trekking gorillas.
- All visitors on Rwanda gorilla safari should be above 15 years to be permitted to go track gorillas.
- Smoking , drinking or eating during tracking gorillas strictly prohibited.
- Flashlight photo taking is strictly prohibited during the 1 hour of magical encounter and photography.