Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safaris, Rwanda Gorilla Tours and Trips

Rwanda Gorilla trekking tour adventures are an incredible Africa safari exploration that will take you to encounter the beautiful endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

To see the Rwanda Gorillas, your Africa safaris will lead you to Volcanoes National Park, the only destination with Mountain Gorillas in the country.

Gorilla trekking Volcanoes National Park protects about 14 habituated gorilla groups, and by visiting them, you will get to meet one of these gorilla families in their natural habitat.

Watch them go about their day as they play, feed, groom, and lay their nests, in the stinging nettles and bamboo covered slopes among others.

Other than trekking with gorillas in Rwanda, the country is also a remarkable place to discover other adventures, for example, game drives, birding, boat cruises, chimpanzee trekking, trekking golden monkeys/golden monkey trekking, and nature walks, among others.

Discover the beautiful experiences of meeting these amazing primates in their natural habitat by booking your Rwanda safari trip with us today!

Book your African safaris today to Rwanda and its neighboring countries like Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, among others.

Where Can I See Gorillas in Rwanda?

There is only one place in Rwanda to trek the endangered mountain gorilla population, and that is Volcanoes National Park.

Volcanoes National Park Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari Experiences

Volcanoes National Park is the only destination for gorilla trekking in Rwanda, with the highest number of mountain gorillas among the national parks in the Virunga Conservation Area/Virunga Mountains.

Volcanoes National Park offers the very best gorilla experiences for travelers. The park has about 14 habituated gorilla families that you can trek while for your Gorilla tours in Rwanda.

Below are some of the Rwanda Gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park

1. Susa A Group
2. Karisimbi Group (Susa B)
3. Amahoro Group
4. Umubano Group
5. Sabyinyo Group
6. Agashya Group
7. Kwitonda Group
8. Hirwa Group
9. Ugenda Family
10. Bwenge Family

To meet one of the gorilla families, you will head to the headquarters with your gorilla permit early in the morning on your gorilla tracking day.

Your park ranger will lead you through a short briefing before guiding you in the forest in the beautiful wild to meet a Gorilla family.

When you finally meet a family, you will spend a maximum of one hour with them as you watch them go about their day.

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Cost: Rwanda Gorilla Permit Cost

The Gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda costs $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents and $200 for East African Citizens. Travelers can purchase the gorilla permits from the Rwanda Development Board or, alternatively, from your best Rwanda tour operator.

Gorilla Trekking Rules in Volcanoes National Park to Follow

The gorilla trekking rules are important for keeping the primates and travelers safe.

Below are the important rules and regulations for your Gorilla trekking safaris and tours.

For example,

1. It is advised to present your permit at the park headquarters as proof of payment.
2. You are also advised to wash your hands before you begin your trekking Gorillas in Rwanda.
3. Only 8 people are allowed to go trek the primates i.e. one gorilla group.
4. Always ensure that you follow the instructions of your park rangers while in the forest.
5. Only travelers who are 15 years of age and older are allowed to go gorilla tracking Rwanda.
6. Maintain silence while with the primates in their natural habitat.
7. Keep the forest away from litter by keeping all the litter in your back bag to be disposed of after your experience. There are designated dustbins to throw the trash into.
8. Eating, smoking, and drinking near the primates are not allowed.
9. You are not allowed to feed the gorillas.
10. You are advised not to participate in the gorilla trek in case you have or suspect to have an infectious disease.
11. Do not imitate the mountain gorillas, as you do not know what you are communicating to them.
12. There should be a safe distance of at least 7 meters from the primates when you meet them.
13. When you meet the gorillas, you can only spend one hour with them.
14. Do not use flash lights while taking photos of the gorillas. This may scare them away.

Best Time to Visit Gorillas in Rwanda.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be done year-round. However, the best time to visit is in the dry season, when the tracks in the bushes are much easier to pass through.

These are from the months December all through February and from around June to September.

On the other hand, the wet season is also good for your Gorilla tours, especially for budget travelers. This is because many accommodation facilities give out discounted costs in the low season, which is the wet season from around March to May and October to December.

Gorilla Trekking Packing List in Rwanda, Africa: What to Pack for Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda?

To have a marvelous trip, you need some important items to pack including,

1. Travel documents like the passport, yellow fever card, etc
2. Insect repellent
3. Sunscreen lotion
4. Hat/Cap
5. Raincoat/Poncho
6. Bag pack
7. Snacks
8. A bottle of drinking water

The Best Rwanda Gorilla Trekking What to Wear

What to wear are an important part of a safari and below are the most important clothes to wear on your trip.

1. Long shirts and trousers
2. Comfortable, sturdy shoes
3. Hat/Cape
4. Garden gloves
5. Jacket or sweater

Other Tourist Activities in Rwanda to Do During Your Rwanda Gorilla Safari

As a remarkable tourist destination, there are other thrilling safari activities apart from Gorilla trekking Rwanda. These include the following:

Wildlife Viewing in Akagera National Park 

Wildlife viewing, especially at Akagera National Park, is another of the most amazing Rwanda safari experiences in Rwanda. This is especially common with game viewing experiences.

Get to experience the big five animals (lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, and rhinos) at Akagera Park during your game drives.

Additionally, you may also have the chance for memorable wildlife encounters as you have game viewing experiences of other animals in the national parks, for example, impalas, giraffes, topis, zebras, bushbucks, oribis, and duikers, among others.

Tracking Chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda.

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the top activities in Rwanda, taking you to meet the endangered Chimpanzees primates in their natural habitat.

The forest protects the highest number of Rwandan chimpanzees, that is, about 60 habituated individuals and other wild chimpanzees.

The activity starts at the Kitabi or Gisakura Park headquarters with a briefing, and it takes about 2 to 6 hours to trek, find, and spend time with these wildlife when you go primate tracking.

Cultural Encounters and Vising Local Communities

Rwanda is one of the rich cultural destinations to visit in the world with three major beautiful unique cultures. These are the Hutu, Tutsi and Batwa people.

Visiting the local people will give you the opportunity to interact with them as you learn of their ways like cooking, singing, and dancing, among others.

Visiting the Grave of Dian Fossey & Supporting the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Dian Fossey is the legendary primatologist and conservationist who protected, studied, and habituated the Susa Gorilla family in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

She is suspected to have died at the hands of poachers who were against her advocating for the protection of wildlife.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Karisoke Research Center preserve her legacy, and her grave is inside Volcanoes National Park. Visiting it will allow you to experience and learn more about her heroic act.

Today, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund encourages gorilla research to continue the conservation of these wildlife as you visit Rwanda.

Kigali City Tour

Kigali City offers an amazing opportunity to experience life in this beautiful city. The various attractions and things to do in Kigali City include having scenic views of the panoramic Mt Kigali, visiting the Kigali genocide memorial sites, and visiting Kimironko Market, among others.

Other amazing safari activities to enjoy during your Rwanda safari on your visit include 

• Tracking golden monkeys/endangered golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park
• Volcano hiking of the Virunga Mountains
• Other primate tracking adventures and Forest canopy walking in Nyungwe National Park
• Canoeing on Lake Kivu
• Taking a boat cruise on Lake Ihema
• Bird watching. Bird watching in Rwanda offers you a chance to spot most Albertine birds

Lodges in Rwanda to Use While on Rwanda Gorilla Trip

Rwanda offers amazing safari lodges that range from luxury to mid range and budget safaris.

Some of the best Rwanda safari lodges include

Luxury: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Camp, Bisate Lodge, and Amakoro Songa Lodge, etc.

Mid range: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, etc.

Budget: Karenga Bush Camp, Kinigi Guesthouse, and Hotel Muhabura, among others.

Other Areas for Gorilla Tours in Africa

Apart from Rwanda, Africa also has two other main destinations for gorilla trekking: Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in East Africa.

Let us look at these Gorilla trekking destinations of the world below.

Gorilla Safari in Uganda

Uganda Gorilla safaris occur in only two national parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the most famous destination with over half of mountain gorillas in the world, not just in Uganda but also in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The activity is an enthralling experience that will let you explore the beautiful creatures, especially the Mountain Gorillas.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda costs $800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents and $300,000 for East African citizens.

Gorilla Trekking Congo

Congo Gorilla Trekking introduces remarkable safari experiences to trek 2 species: mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park and Eastern Lowland gorillas at Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Thus, this allows enthusiastic travellers to experience one or both of the species in their natural habitat.

Gorilla trekking in the Congo costs $400 for foreign nonresidents and $200 for foreign residents.

Gorilla Trekking: Rwanda Vs Uganda and Congo | Which one is better for gorilla safaris in Africa?

Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo all offer remarkable trekking experiences. However, travelers may choose their most preferred country to trek wildlife due to the uniqueness that each country offers.

Below are the unique aspects that each country offers for the mountain gorilla trekking experience.

1. Rwanda:
2. Rwanda has the best infrastructural experience compared to Uganda and Rwanda, i.e., accommodation and roads.
3. The distances in Rwanda are shorter due to the small size of the country and the good level of infrastructure.
4. Uganda:
5. Uganda offers more safari activities compared to Rwanda and Congo to add to their trekking destinations.
6. Compared to Rwanda, which sells permits at $1500, Uganda’s permits are sold for $800 per foreign nonresident.
7. Uganda has two Mountain Gorilla trekking destinations.
8. The Democratic Republic of Congo:
9. Congo sells the cheapest Mountain Gorilla trekking permits, which are $400 per foreign nonresident.
10. The Democratic Republic of Congo also has two Gorilla species: mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas. The lowland species are only found in Congo, thus giving visitors the chance to see the two kinds of animals.

FAQs About Gorilla Tours in Rwanda

1. How Hard is gorilla trekking in Rwanda?

Since Volcanoes National Park is found in the Virunga Conservation Area, the gorilla tracking experience may be a bit strenuous for visitors who are not physically fit.

2. What is Rwanda Gorilla Tours Cost?: How Much is Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda?

These tour costs are determined by various factors, and these include, among others:

1. Length of stay on the safari
2. Number of safari activities to do alongside tracking Gorillas
3. Types of safaris, i.e. luxury, midrange or budget

3. Is Gorilla Trekking Worth it in Rwanda? : Is Gorilla Trekking Worth the money?

The Rwanda gorilla trekking tours experience in Rwanda is worth the adventure, as you get to contribute to the conservation of these gentle giants by visiting them.

4. Is it Safe to go Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda?

Gorilla tracking in Rwanda are totally safe to visit during your trip, as the country is ranked among the safest countries in Africa.

5. How Many days are there for Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda?

The best gorilla trekking experiences in the country take about two days for an itinerary that includes arrival, trekking, and departure.

6. Why is Gorilla trekking so Expensive?

This safari activity is quite expensive as it demands a lot for the conservation of the giant apes. The money collected is used to preserve the natural habitats, pay workers, and contribute to community projects

In conclusion, therefore, gorilla trekking in Rwanda offer enthralling encounters with the gorillas. However, your trekking adventure can also be combined with other safari activities like game drives, boat cruises, birding, and cultural encounters, among others. Discover other adventures in Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Kenya and other neighboring African countries.

Inquire and book with us, one of the best tour operators for gorilla trekking experiences, for the ultimate Africa memories for solo travelers, small groups and large groups.