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Seeing mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s untamed mountain jungles is a hot adventure item finding growing popularity with intrepid travellers eying Africa for summer getaways. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, via Rwanda’s capital Kigali, bushwhacking through a seemingly boundless expanse of the thick misty jungle on the slopes of the imposing Virunga Mountains, is an experience like no other. Here, our safari specialists give you all the necessary information you need to plan your lifetime dream journey to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas.
RWANDA GORILLA SAFARI PACKAGES
These example Rwanda gorilla safari packages can be customised or tailor-made for any date, accommodation type, and duration, which determines the total price.
The Gorilla Trekking Experience
Imagine, if you will, sitting silently under a barely illuminated forest canopy with a few leaves between you and a twenty-strong family of black-furred giant apes. Imagine looking into the familiar deep brown eyes of a 200kg silverback suspicious of your every move. Imagine its quiet grunts and mysterious snufflings, and sounds of moist gnawings, the chomp of its teeth, and the heaviness of its breath a few feet away from where it can smell your fear.
Imagine the hot flood of adrenaline, that unpleasant tingling in the back of your arms.
Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is a peerless wildlife experience and one of Africa’s indisputable adventure highlights.
One moment you’ll be machete-bushwhacking through thickets of vines and bamboo, hiking up steep, rugged slopes full of sharp rocks, unyielding roots, and staggering ascents that transfer enormous amounts of strain to your pale, shaking thighs.
The next moment you scoot out of the endless cocktail party of trees, and sunlight streams through the bald canopy to illuminate a matted clump of black against a curtain of jungle green. You’ve anticipated this, and yet still, you gasp!.
Seated perhaps 10 meters (32 ft) away are some of the last roughly 1,000 mountain gorillas remaining in these dense backwoods.
Joining the daily gorilla trekking excursions in Volcanoes National Park is the only way to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
No place is better suited for a jungle adventure mix of superb gorilla trekking and conservation tourism than Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. And with an insane price tag on trekking permits at $1500, expect royal treatment throughout your whole adventure experience.
Gorilla trekking excursions in Rwanda begin at 08:00 am, irrespective of the date or weather. Expect to spend a night at a forest lodge near the visitor centre and be up before daybreak.
Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda's sanctuary for endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, an impressive number of animal and plant species, and was the base for the celebrated primatologist Dian Fossey to set the stage for gorilla tourism and conservation. Mountains gorillas get the most hype than anything else in this park.
Volcanoes National Park is a one hundred sixty square kilometer (160 km2 / 62 sq mi) rainforest covering five Virunga volcano slopes on the Rwandan side of the serene and beckoning Virunga Mountains.
Also known by its French name Parc des Volcans, the park forms part of a contiguous 433 sq km tri-frontier conservation unit protecting the entire Virunga volcanoes chain.
It also incorporates the southern portion of the Congolese Virunga National Park and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park which function separately within their national boundaries.
This immensely scenic and ecologically diverse reserve sits on a chain of steep free-standing mountains with altitudes spanning 2,400—4,507 meters, called the Virungas.
The landscape around the volcanoes ranks among the most stimulating African landscapes.
On the DRC border, the tallest of the Virunga mountains on the most westerly side of the park is the 4,507-meter Mount Karisimbi. Moving eastwards, the other prominent peaks within the national park are Bisoke on the DRC border; Sabyinyo, at the tripartite border with Uganda and the DRC; and Gahinga and Muhabura on the Ugandan border.
Trip Planning Logistics
Work with our safari specialists to help you plan a successful gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda and skip the logistical stress. Nkuringo Safaris is a trusted tour operator that has been in business since 2007 and has experts that understand local logistics to book your permits, accommodation, transport, and meals.
Planning with a local
Unlike big-city tours and overland adventures, planning a gorilla trekking safari requires Destination Management Company to help you navigate the local logistical dilemmas.
Our local safari experts will book your trekking permits, organise your transfers between places, and recommend the best accommodations from our selection of properties we have visited and trust to host our type of customer.
Working with a trusted local team ensures that you get the best recommendations on everything about travelling in remote African country for the first time.
Choosing where to stay
Forest resorts in these destinations are pristine, often with dramatic views of jungle canopies and rugged landscapes, transporting guests to idyllic enchantments.
Our selection of great safari lodges for gorilla trekking includes meals with accommodation; often all meals during your stay.
Usually, you have to book into a hotel near the airport, spend a night and dedicate the next day to travelling across to gorilla country. You'll spend a minimum of two nights in Bwindi, allowing you to save an entire day for the gorilla trekking experience.
Typical costs involved
The costs of a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda are basic, including the permit, transfers, accommodation and meals.
- Gorilla Trekking Permit ($1500 per person). It includes the trekking guide, one hour with gorillas and park entrance fees.
- Transport & Transfer Costs ($240 – $350 per day). Note that you will need the vehicle on the trekking day.
- Accommodation & Meals ($300 – $3000 per night, full board)
- Logistical Support Fees (relative)
TRAVELLING FOR A PURPOSE
Our Rwanda gorilla trekking safaris are directly rooted in community, a sustainable environment, and gorilla conservation.
How gorilla tourism sustains local communities
Gorilla conservation has proved that we can comfortably share this earth with our most feared beasts. Gorillas were almost wiped off the face of the earth by humans.
Thanks to brave souls like George Schaller and Dian Fossey who dispelled the gorillas’ public perception as brutes.
Dain and Schaller demonstrably established the deep compassion and social intelligence evident among gorillas and how closely their behavior parallels that of humans.
Much of the mountain gorilla habitats overlap with impoverished, remote communities. People depended on the rainforests long before conservation as an essential source of fuel and food.
Their historical lands are now closed off, and they would be justified to consider gorillas a threat to their living. One of the most crucial factors for effective gorilla conservation is helping the poor communities benefit from the conservation programs.
The Uganda Government, through its conservation bodies, gives back twenty per cent (20%) of every gorilla permit fee to the local communities to develop infrastructure and create alternative livelihoods.
Despite considerable limitations, gorilla conservation through the tourism model has largely been successful for years.
Revenues from selling gorilla tracking permits have powerfully impacted their long-term outlook.
Rwandan locals are employed directly in the gorilla trekking safaris as guides, rangers, porters, service providers at lodges, souvenir artists and many other employments around your successful encounter with the gorillas.
Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is developed and professionally organised for a sustainable future.
Book your Rwanda gorilla trekking safari holiday with Nkuringo Safaris Ltd, a Destination Management Company whose journeys are rooted in sustainable community programs through its multi-award-winning property, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, since 2007.
TAILOR-MADE GORILLA SAFARI PACKAGES
These example Rwanda gorilla safari packages can be customised or tailor-made for any date, accommodation type, and duration, which determines the total price.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best time for Rwanda gorilla trekking safaris, most importantly, is when you can get a gorilla trekking permit. They are like gold dust, often selling out over a year in advance in peak months. That is when you need our specialist to swoop the magical availability wand.
It rains heavily between October and November or March and May. Tourists tend to stay away during those times, but the gorillas are always there, although trekking in rain can be a very tusking.
The best weather for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is in the dry seasons, mid-December to early February, and June to September. It is during this time that trekking is more comfortable.
Rwanda gorilla trekking excursions have two distinct phases, and either can be tough or a simple walk to reach the gorillas. But toughness depends on many factors, especially the location of the mountain gorillas on the day you go.
The first phase is the hike from the closest car park to the park boundary, a 30-60-minute walk depending on the trekkers’ speed and the gorilla group’s location. This one can be relatively flat and undemanding.
The second phase is the trek into the forest, searching for the gorillas, which may take anything from 10 minutes to two hours. It is more difficult to predict because it depends on the exact location of the gorillas on the day of trekking and the steepness of the terrain en route.
Generally, trekking gorillas in Rwanda requires a bit of physical fitness. We recommend you work out or visit a gym at least two weeks before you come. And note that it happens in high altitudes of 7000 ft plus, so there may be some difficulty breathing.
A Rwanda gorilla trekking permit, including park entrance, costs $1,500 per person. The pass is strictly for trekkers above 15.
You can buy the permit in advance through our reservations office. info@nkuringosafaris.com
You can also buy the gorilla permit at last-minute travel depending on availability. However, that’s far-fetching, especially during the peak seasonal months of June to September.
The primary reason Rwanda gorilla trekking is expensive is that the conservation programme to save these great apes is very costly. The men and women involved in providing security, healthcare, and trekking services work in the remotest and most inhumane conditions. These people work many hours, days, and even weeks away from their families to ensure the gorillas get the attention to survive extinction.
Secondly, Rwanda has positioned itself as a high-end tourism destination, isolating itself from its neighbors to targeting the luxury traveler. With rich travel investors embracing the focus, Rwanda has some of the most luxurious hotels and safari lodges to serve indulgent travellers.
So yeah, seeing mountain gorillas in Rwanda is an expensive expedition reserved for high-maintenance travelers.
You should definitely hire a porter on your Rwanda gorilla trekking excursion. The trek can be quite tuff for many people. The porters can be useful in helping you navigate challenging terrain by pulling your hand, pushing you up steep slopes, and sometimes carrying you when injured.
They also hold your pack or gear, so you can walk freely.
On a responsible travel note, hiring a porter is an excellent way to support the local communities directly. These men and women look to gorilla tourism for livelihood. The 20 bucks you pay can support an entire family for almost twenty days, which is quite something for low-income families.
- Yellow fever and Covid-19 vaccination card
- Tourist visa ($50 per person, East African Visa for Kenya, Uganda, & Rwanda is $100)
- Lightweight, waterproof hiking or walking shoes
- Lightweight waterproof jacket or poncho
- Hiking trousers and a long-sleeved shirt
- Hiking gloves, sunhat or cape
- A fleece or light-wool sweater for cold mornings
- Waterproof backpack to carry drinking water, packed lunch and your gadgets
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Camera and binoculars
- Walking poles or staff; UWA provides a walking stick at the trailhead.
- At least one litre of drinking water and packed lunch (upmarket lodges provide packed lunch)
- A pair of disposable facemasks
- A basic first aid kit may come in handy: antiseptic wipes, antihistamine cream, insect repellent, plasters, painkillers, antimalarials and rehydration sachets.
Close contact with human-habituated mountain gorillas is considered safe by experts in the field. But you have to maintain a 10-meter (32 ft) distance.
Although the gorilla groups for tourism are habituated gradually to introduce them to human presence in the natural environment, researchers have developed ground rules to protect humans, gorillas and other animals in the protected reserve.
Firstly, all trekkers must stay ten metres (32 ft) from the gorillas and follow ranger guidelines during their visit to avoid any hostility and spreading of infectious diseases.
Other basic trekking rules include,- Wear a facemask and gloves when near the gorillas
- No going into the gorilla forest when you have signs of infectious illness like fever or a cold.
- Avoid staring directly into a gorilla's eyes (the lead silverback may mistake it for hostility
- Staying still, or moving and talking quietly - when a gorilla comes close
- Not eating, drinking, or excreting near the gorillas
Both countries, Uganda and Rwanda, offer excellent trekking experiences, but your choice comes down to a few options, including the terrain for physical fitness, driving distance from the airport, accommodation choices, permit pricing, and entry restrictions.
Pricing: Uganda is cheaper than Rwanda. If you have the money and want a luxury hotel treatment, come to Rwanda. Although Uganda offers an equally luxurious trip.
Access: Rwanda has an easier access to gorillas from the airport, which is about 3-hour drive. Compared to Uganda, you can drive close to 10 hours to the park or take a local flight which adds to your trip expenses.
Variety: Uganda offers a wider variety of what to see, where to stay, and safari activities than Rwanda. Uganda has 10 national parks compared to Rwanda's 4.
Gorillas: Uganda has two parks and five tracking points compared to Rwanda's single park with one trekking point. Additionally, Uganda has two populations of gorillas, with more than half of the last mountain gorillas within its borders.
Read better comparisons between Uganda and Rwanda.
Joining the daily guided Rwanda gorilla trekking excursions guarantees a 97% chance of seeing the mountain gorillas.
Almost everyone on the expedition never leaves the forest without spotting the endangered great apes.
A team of rangers goes out at dawn to find the gorillas before they leave the nest they built the previous evening. They stay with them and send back position coordinates to your lead trackers, who pinpoint their position via walkie-talkie. The lead tracker/guide will lead the tourists to where they will spend their time with the giant beasts.
Although tipping is not mandatory, please be so kind as to tip the gorilla rangers, guides and porters based on your level of satisfaction.
Here's a rough guide on how much to tip on a mountain gorilla tour;
- Transfer driver - $5
- Service staff at safari lodge/camp - $15 per couple per day
- Trackers - $15 per couple per day
- Porter - $20 per person (This is the standard hiring fee per person)
- Butler - $15 per couple per day
These are just standard rates we see with many travellers, but you can give a bigger tip if you desire.
Tips should be in small US dollar bills (dated post-2006), but most would prefer local currency. Visit the airport Forex shop or bank before going to the countryside to get local currencies and understand the exchange rate.
