A Guide to Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

A Guide to Gorilla Trekking

A Guide to Gorilla Trekking gives you everything to prep for your gorilla experience in Africa. When one visits Africa, the first thing that comes to mind is the unforgettable gorilla trekking adventure into Volcanoes National Park’s mountain jungles to find the mysterious mountain gorillas. Uncountable travelers have said great things about the experience, but one that strikes a lasting note is that it is impossible not to be dumb-struck by the humanoid nature of mountain gorillas. Sitting in a cold Rwanda forest and staring into a beast’s eyes that share 98% of our DNA is like looking into a mirror, and the beast impassively stares back. No experience in any jungle can beat that.

Humans are intrinsically attracted to rarity and wonder at things that seem out of this world. Thousands of years ago, mountain gorillas occupied much of the east and central African rainforest, freely roaming the rift valley and volcanic slopes. Their range slowly dissipated with human development, repelling them into higher grounds and reducing their number nearly to extinction.

Today, mountain gorillas are endangered, with numbers merely above 1000 individuals. However, governments, NGOs, tour companies, and individuals at the forefront of gorilla tourism are committed to steadily raising those numbers. Gorilla trekking is one of the primary sources for funding gorilla tourism, and it’s successfully creating waves in the conservation news.

Rwanda has well-positioned itself to excel in conservation tourism, attracting thousands of travelers to come and get a piece of the trekking adventure in its one and only gorilla forest reserve, Volcanoes National Park. They’ve habituated twelve gorilla groups to human visits and a few others for primate research purposes.

Everybody is invited, and that’s why we’re writing this guide to gorilla trekking in volcanoes National Park to help you plan your adventure in Rwanda with fingertip information.

What to Expect On the Gorilla Trekking Experience

Volcanoes National Park protects Rwanda’s side of the Virunga Volcanoes chain straddling Uganda, DRC, and Rwanda’s borders in Rwanda’s northwestern region. About half of the world’s mountain gorilla population roam the Virunga mountain slopes between the three countries. The other half is entirely within the Ugandan side in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Jetting into the country through Kigali International Airport, expect to drive on the 100-kilometer well-surfaced road for two hours to reach the base town, Kiningi, where you’ll spend the night before your gorilla trekking adventure up the slopes of Volcanoes National Park the following morning.

The morning of your gorilla trekking experience, your driver will take you to the park headquarters briefing point, which is usually within a radius of a 45-minute drive of your lodge at the base of the park. There, you’ll get a briefing on what the trek expects of you, what you should expect and which gorilla group you will encounter. After the briefing, you’ll be split into small restricted groups, with a local expert tracker guide and two armed rangers (for security against jungle uncertainties) and transported to the trailhead into the jungle.

Rwanda gorillas live up the steep slopes, so expect to hike up uneven terrain into the thick misty jungle with unmarked trails to find the gorillas. Your physical fitness should be at least moderate to pull off this adventure; otherwise, we recommend that you hit the gym a few weeks before your trip.

Fortunately, you can hire a local porter to help you navigate the steep hike if you don’t trust your physical fitness—besides, it’s a great way to support the communities that live around the park directly. Porters come from villages around Volcanoes National Park that used to depend on the forest for livelihood entirely. Now that the forest is off-limits, they turn to gorilla tourism to earn a buck. Consider hiring one at about $20; they’re worth the price.

Wading your way through the thick forest, following the tracker’s footsteps, you may take about 30 minutes to 4 hours to find the gorilla family. The time is undetermined because gorillas move freely in the forest and are restricted only by the park boundaries. So it’s not easy to determine where they’ll be when you get them, although a team of rangers stays with them throughout the day and will be guiding your tracking team on their bearings to make it simpler for you to find them.

When you find the gorilla family, expect to spend at least an hour watching the gorillas eat, groom, socialize and ignore your presence. Your consciousness determines the quality of experience when staying with the gorillas for one hour; try to keep your attention to photography to minimal. However, your guide will furnish you with stories and information throughout your stay and will announce when you’ve used up your time.

Major gorilla trekking rules in Volcanoes National Park include keeping at least 10 meters (32 ft) away from the gorillas, wearing a facemask, avoiding contact with the gorillas at all times, no flash photography, and no snacking around the gorillas. Observe these and follow the guide’s instructions, and your gorilla trekking experience will be as memorable as you expect.

What is the Cost of Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda?

The cost of gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes is still the highest in the region, primarily determined by the gorilla permit price. Rwanda’s gorilla permit costs $1,500 per person per trek, yet, you must consider other gorilla safari elements like accommodation, meals, and transfers.

The Rwanda Development Board sells gorilla permits. However, there’s a limited number of fewer than 100 permits available in Rwanda per day, making them scarce and in high demand. Still, a licensed local safari operator, like Encounter Africa Safaris, can purchase one on your behalf at the most challenging times. Although, you should endeavor to book yours in advance, at least three months earlier.

Because of the high cost of the gorilla permit, almost all safari lodges around Volcanoes National Park do not include the permit on their all-inclusive offers. When you book lodging, expect to pay for the permit separately, but the lodge will offer bed, meals, lodge activities, and sometimes, transfers to the gorilla point.

An all-inclusive room per night may cost less than $300 for budget, $300-$450 for midrange, and above $700 for an exclusive luxury lodge. Depending on the provider, transfers may cost about $80 – $300 per day, including the driver and gas/fuel.

Rwanda has positioned itself as a high-end destination; therefore, the cost of gorilla trekking triples that of Uganda and DRC. However, our consultants can help you determine an accurate price for your trip within the shortest possible time. Request a quote at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com

Best Time to go for the trek in Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park is elevated at 2,500 meters, surrounded by tropical weather and vegetation. It can rain anytime, and the heavier rains can disrupt your gorilla trekking experience. Avoid visiting Volcanoes during the heavy rains of March to April when roads are impassable, and trails become slippery.

The best time for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes is during the dry seasons between June and September. During the dry seasons, there’s less rain to disrupt the trek. Roads are navigable, and it’s easier to walk under the forest canopy; you can include other activities on your itinerary like nature hiking, birding, and a walk to legendary Diane Fossey’s grave.

Although the dry season is the peak travel season in the country, the park doesn’t feel overcrowded because the number of trekkers is highly restricted. However, if you want to take advantage of the low season pricing, book your trip for the wet seasons. During the rains, most lodges offer high discounts to harvest on the low number of travelers.

Necessities for the Gorilla Trek

It’s cold and damp out there in the mountain, and you have to keep warm and dry during your stay. Your packing list should include a lightweight rain jacket, a sweater for the evenings at the lodge, a pair of warm socks, and maybe a scarf.

For trekking, you should pack a pair of lightweight, waterproof hiking shoes, gaiters, trousers, and long sleeve shirt to avoid prickly plants pocking your skin, a waterproof backpack to keep your gadgets dry, and maybe a hut to protect your head. These should all be lightweight; otherwise, you’ll be sweating with the challenging hike up the slopes.

Find this link for a detailed packing list.

How to Get To Volcanoes National Park

Rwanda welcomes most visitors through Kigali International Airport (KGL), about 10km/6mi from the capital, Kigali. Volcanoes National Park is about 100 kilometers and 2 hours on the surfaced road. There are no scheduled domestic flights to the park. You’ll most probably use a 4×4 car to transfer across the country from the Airport.

The gorilla trekking activity in Volcanoes starts before 08:00, and all trekkers must report to the park headquarters in Kinigi by 07:00. Therefore, it is recommended to stay close to the park or in nearby Musanze.

Where to Stay on the trek

After booking your gorilla permit, where to stay looms high on planning your gorilla safari in Rwanda. Fortunately, accommodation in the Volcanoes National Park does not reflect the high price of the permit. Still, it ranges from exclusive safari lodges to comfortable boutique lodges and hotels that suit all tastes, budgets, and travel styles. Here’s a list of our best picks of where to stay in volcanoes for an excellent gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda.

Budget (less $300)

Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge

Villa Gorilla

Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Ruzizi Tented Planning Camp

Comfortable, mid-range ($300 – $700)

Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel

Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Luxury, high-end ($700 over)

Bisate Lodge

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

One&Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge

Virunga Lodge

Singita Kwitonda Lodge

You Gorilla Trekking Safari in Volcanoes, Rwanda

Planning a gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda’s premier attraction, should not be likened to planning a big city tour; neither should any East African safari. The challenging African travel logistics of getting gorilla permits, finding suitable accommodation with meals, and booking your transfers require a knowledgeable local operator.

With help from a local operator like Nextgen Safaris, you plan your trip based on your preferences and budget and yet still get to enjoy your trip knowing that everything is taken care of by our experts with the local experience.

Plan your Rwanda gorilla safari with Nextgen Safaris. We’re local and have a sizeable sustainable travel footprint you can trust.

Send us an email at info@nextgensafaris.com

Whatssap Inquiry: +4915754442208 for a quick response

A Guide to Gorilla Trekking

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

A Guide to Gorilla Trekking in Uganda, Rwanda or Congo, all visitors must have a valid passport with at least 4 consecutive blanks pages. Any applicable visa and/or relevant documentation are the responsibility of the traveller. For further information on Visa requirements visitors are advised to contact their nearest East African Embassy or Consulate. Apply Visa online here

LANGUAGE:

English

TIME:

GMT +3

VOLTAGE:

220 Volts/AC50Hz. Sockets are UK style, 3 pin square plugs. Power is from the UMEME in the city/major towns and generator with inverter back up in the Safari Lodges and Camps.

CURRENCY:

Foreign currency must be changed at the Bank, Bureau de Change, and Hotel/Safari lodge/Camp/Resort. Major Credit Cards, Master card, Visa, American Express, are usually accepted throughout the country. Where credit cards are accepted, the payment will normally be recorded in US$ regardless of the card’s default currency.

CLOTHING:

Dress is mainly informal and should be comfortable as well as practical. Something warm should be brought along for early morning and evenings. Safari clothes are available from hotels/lodges/camps.

BAGGAGE:

Where possible, travel light. Baggage space on safari is limited to medium suitcase or soft bag per person plus reasonable amount of hand luggage. There is 15 Kilogram per person limit on all flights to the wildlife sanctuaries. Excess luggage must be stored in your arrival hotel.

WATER:

You will find many different of opinion of what is safe and what is not. We recommend for peace of mind, to drink local Bottled Mineral water. It is important to drink plenty of water especially during the hotter months. We would recommend that guests drink at least 2 to 3 liters of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration.

HEALTH;

East Africa is a safe and secure destination; however, it is a good idea to take a few precautions. Kindly consult your GP or local doctor at least 6 weeks before you travel, with regards:

Malaria prophylactics. East Africa is a known malaria area and preventive measures are essential. You are advised to take one of the recommended anti-malarial drugs. Be sure to wear long sleeved shorts and trousers after sunset and spray the exposed parts of your body with a mosquito repellent spray

Remember to protect yourself from direct sun rays with sunscreen cream or safari hat.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:

For those guests with specific dietary requirement, please ensure we are notified prior to travel

GRATUITIES:

As a guideline and dependent on how happy you are, we would suggest the following:

The General Hotel/Lodge/Camp Staff – Approximately U$ 10.00 per person per day

Driver Guides – Approximately US$ 15.00 to US$ 20.00 per person per day

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Please be careful when photographing public buildings, airports, bridges, the national flag and people in uniform. Ensure that you have sought permission before photographing local people and their villages. If in doubt, please check with your guide.

Book a Customized Safari

Read about

10 Things you Should NOT DO on an African Safari.

What to expect on a safari in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

How to Choose the Best Tour Operate for Your Safari in Africa

Lake Mburo National Park

12-Day Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi

Some of our African Safaris

1 Day Jinja Ultimate tour Experience

1 Day White Water Rafting in Jinja

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Habituation via Rwanda