Mountain Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda

Gorilla Safari Tour in Rwanda

This exciting tour takes you into the hills and heart of the Virunga mountains to visit the incredible mountain Mountain Gorilla in their natural habitat, as they forage for food. Once your trackers and you have located the gorilla family that you are visiting, you will get to spend 1 hour watching them as they move around in the forest. If you budget and time allows, you can track them two days in a row and then go and see another family group.

The Mountain Gorilla are tracked from the Parc National des Volcans whichcurrently has 7 groups and thus 56 permits available per day.The gorilla families here are those of Group 13, Sabinyo (which also has the largest of all the silver backs, Kahunga), Amahoro, Umubano, Susa, Kwitonda which has crossed from Djomba in the DRC and Hirwa which has recently formed from different habituated families. The Susa group is the largest and thus the best for photographic purposes.

RWANDA GORILLA SAFARI OVERVIEW

Day-1: Arrival at Kigali and drive to Kinigi

Day-2: Morning Gorilla tracking and return to Kigali

Day-3: Depart

RWANDA GORILLA SAFARI ITINERARY

Day One:

Arrival at Kigali airport for your gorilla safari tour, meet and greet . Time allowing, we will visit Gisozi'ss Genocide Memorial, and the crafts village. After lunch we will proceed to Ruhengeri and Kinigi, the HQ of Volcanoes NP, home of the endangered mountain gorilla. It is a 2 ½ -hour drive through a stunning scenary of lush green hills and valleys (Rwanda is known as 'Land of a Thousand Hills') until we reach the base of Sabinyo mountain, home to the Mountain Gorilla. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla'ss Nest or Asoferwa Kinigi Guest House.

Day Two:

After an early morning breakfast, we will be transferred to the national park headquarters to be briefed by the park rangers before departing for the trek in search for the Great Mountain Gorillas. The excursion in a thick rainforest and the interaction with the mountain gorilla/ape, is a wonderful lifetime experience. We will have lunch after returning from the hike to the hotel. In the afternoon we will depart to Kigali . Dinner at the hotel or a restaurant. Overnight at Hotel des Collines (room facing pool) or Hotel Chez Lando.

Day Three:

Breakfast before being transferred to the airport for your departure flight at the end of your Gorilla Tracking Tour. Note: Time permitting (in case it was not possible on day of arrival), we will visit Gisozi'ss Genocide Memorial, and the crafts village. Depart on your international flight, or

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Mountain Gorilla Permits

Gorilla tracking permits are limited to 8 permits per gorilla family per day. In Rwanda, 56 permits are available per day and in Uganda, 32. Mgahinga has 8 per day.

Permits cannot be reserved and as such, have to be bought and paid in full on date of booking. As such, there may be 24 permits available for a specific date when you make an enquiry and the next day, all permits may be sold.

As such, once you have decided on your date of tracking, if permits are available we will request full payment for the permit. If by the time the funds are cleared the permits have been sold out, we will give a full refund. Once the permit is bought and secured, there is a 100% cancellation penalty.

Gorilla Trekking: Frequently Asked Questions

How many mountain gorillas are there?

Since mountain gorillas are critically endangered and their numbers are small, it's important to know just how many there are and how well their populations are doing. For that reason, every few years conservation groups and park authorities working in mountain gorilla habitat conduct a census.

According to Reuters news,the 2018 census estimates the number of mountain gorillas at 1004 in total (Virunga and Bwindi combined).

Is gorilla trekking safe?

Compared to other wildlife encounters such as rhino trekking and some safari activities, gorilla trekking is one of the safest there is. There are however rules that apply which trekkers must, in turn, follow while with the gorillas. They are not aggressive or prone to be angered by tourists under most circumstances

Are there any age limit restrictions?

There is a minimum age of 15 years for anyone obtaining a permit to track Mountain Gorillas which Park Authorities will check against the date of birth in your passport.

How much do gorilla permits cost?

A Uganda gorilla permit is currently at $600 whereas in Rwanda the price is a much higher at $1500

Where will we see the mountain gorilla?

Gorilla are tracked from the Parc National des Volcans which currently has 7 groups and thus 56 permits available per day. The gorilla families here are those of Group 13, Sabinyo (which also has the largest of all the silver backs, Kahunga), Amahoro, Umubano, Susa, Kwitonda which has crossed from Djomba in the DRC and Hirwa which has recently formed from different habituated families. The Susa group is the largest and thus the best for photographic purposes.