Gorilla trekking in Africa; Gorilla trekking is an adventurous and one of the most popular activities that attracts big numbers of tourists to visit Africa. Gorilla trekking in Africa is done in three countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and it involves travelers moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated gorilla families and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda
Uganda is one of the most visited gorilla destinations and trekking is done in two national parks namely Bwindi impenetrable national park which harbors the highest number of mountain gorillas and Mgahinga gorilla national park both located in southwestern part of Uganda. Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of one habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi and Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of about 22 habituated gorilla families which are located in four sectors namely Buhoma sector in the north, Rushaga sector in the south, Ruhija sector in the east and Nkuringo sector in the south.
Uganda also offers gorilla habituation experience where the wild mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Gorilla habituation experience is only done in Rushaga sector in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park and visitors who engage in the habituation experience will get an opportunity to spend four hours with the gorillas.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is done in Volcanoes national park which is located in northwestern part of Rwanda in Musanze village. Volcanoes national park is a home of about 10 habituated gorilla families which are available for trekking daily.
Gorilla trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo
Gorilla trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo is done in two national parks that is Virunga national park which harbors the mountain gorillas and Kahuzi Biega national park which harbors the Eastern lowland gorillas. Virunga national park is a home of 8 habituated mountain gorilla families and Kahuzi Biega national park is a home of 5 habituated gorilla families which are open to tourists daily.
Gorilla trekking experience
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Volcanoes national park, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park starts very early in the morning at around 8:00am with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide. Trekking of mountain gorillas takes about 2 hours to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located and during trekking you will be able to view other wildlife species and once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, grooming young ones, take photos and record videos.
Cost of gorilla trekking permits
Gorilla trekking permits are legal cards that are issued to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit habituated gorilla families and spend one hour with them in their habitat. Cost of gorilla trekking permits in Africa vary depending on the destination you wish to visit for example gorilla trekking permits in Congo cost 400 USD per person for foreign non residents, gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost 1,500 USD per person for all nationalities and gorilla trekking permits in Uganda cost 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
How to book gorilla trekking permits in Africa
Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Rwanda Development Board (RDB) or Virunga offices by contacting the park offices on email or telephone calls. Gorilla trekking permits can also be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month, year and gorilla destination that you wish to visit. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability on your preferred dates and if the permits are available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once the payment has been made, we will be able to purchase the permits on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.
Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Africa
Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season which is also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less or little rainfall in the national parks therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes gorilla trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the trekking trails are muddy and slippery which makes gorilla trekking difficult.
What to pack for your gorilla trekking safari in Africa
When going for gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, there are a number of items that you should pack including long sleeved shirt and trouser, insect repellent, hiking shoes, garden gloves, energy snacks and drinking water, waterproof rain jacket, warm sweater, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, face masks, hat and sunscreen, walking stick, waterproof backpack among others.
Gorilla trekking is an extra ordinary activity that shouldn’t be missed during your safari in Africa. For more information, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various gorilla trekking safari packages.
