Trekking gorillas in Rwanda
Trekking gorillas in Rwanda is a great choice however much Rwanda is not the only destination where one can engage in mountain gorilla trekking. There are other two countries that offer this magical encounter with the mountain gorillas and these are Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo.
The mountain gorillas of Rwanda are located within the Virunga Conservation area where also the Mgahinga gorilla national park of Uganda and the Virunga national park of the Democratic republic of Congo lie. These are the other national parks where you can do mountain gorilla trekking. There are four sub species of the gorillas and these are the cross-river gorillas, the western lowland gorillas, the eastern lowland gorillas and the mountain gorillas.
The mountain gorillas are considered endangered animals on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list. There are about 1,060 mountain gorillas estimated to be living on earth and can only be found in the wild in the above mentioned countries however there have been great conservation efforts that have seen a number of births ever since the last census in 2019 so the numbers have surely increased.
The mountain gorillas in Rwanda can be trekked on a Rwanda safari visiting the Volcanoes national park and these are protected by Rwanda Development board along with the other stakeholders such as the rangers, police and the community living around the park. A mountain gorilla trekking experience can be done after purchasing a mountain gorilla trekking permit and that of Rwanda goes for 1,500 USD per permit per person.
This gorilla permit is the most priced of all the destinations however there is so much reason as to why you would opt for this permit and the biggest of them all is to contribute to the conservation story of this country as it has had one of the greatest. Also 10% of the revenue collected from the gorilla trekking permit goes back to the community and the conservation of this luxury destination.
Trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda
Trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda is a luxury experience however all guests are welcomed as there are luxury to budget accommodations available for booking and this makes the Volcanoes national park undoubtedly the best destination for mountain gorilla trekking. The Volcanoes national park of Rwanda is located in the Northern Province of the country which is a 2 hour road transfer from Kigali city, the capital city of Rwanda on a traffic free day.
Once you have booked your mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you may go ahead and process your visa if you do not want to get one on arrival. The Rwanda 30 day single entry visa goes for 70 USD, be sure to confirm with the Rwanda immigration, and then book your flight into Rwanda. Once your dates for your Rwanda safari are set, you may start to confirm your bookings with your trusted tour operator.
The home of the mountain gorillas in Rwanda was previously the study center of the much celebrated but fallen primatologist Dian Fossey who was the major enforcer of ending poaching in this park which may have cost her her life. On a visit to the Volcanoes national park for mountain gorilla trekking, you may also take off sometime to either hike to her tomb, her research center or visit the Dian Fossey gorilla fund museum that has much of her work that she left behind.
The Volcanoes national park has 12 habituated gorilla families that are available for visit on a daily and each of these families welcomes 8 guests putting the available gorilla permits per day at 96 permits so be sure to book yours early enough to avoid disappointment. The seasons of the country can guide on when best to visit and these are two, the dry season running from June to September and later from December to February and the rainy season which runs from the month of March to May and October to mid-December.
For guests trekking the mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes national park, they will testify on how the experience differs such as the activity is less strenuous and the mountain gorillas are met within the 2 hours on most cases. The vegetation of the Volcanoes national park is majorly bamboo trees which gives guests a brighter and clearer view of the gorillas for the perfect viewing and photos. The altitudes may be high but it will be worthy once you meet the gorillas.
Being a rain forest, rain is expected any day of the year so be sure to be dressed appropriately with waterproof jackets and trousers as well as a backpack if any to protect the gadgets in case of a rain shower. Do not forget to plan for your great pair of hiking shoes and cameras to capture the moment. Get in touch and let us talk about your mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda. The Volcanoes national park can be visited before or after a visit to the Virunga national park too, check out these safari packages.
