Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is one of the notable activities you can undertake during your primate safari in Rwanda. The experience will lead you to the endangered mountain gorillas in Africa. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda will lead you to Volcanoes National Park, second only to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park among the national parks with the highest number of gorillas in the world, making it a famous destination for gorilla trekking in Africa.
For your gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda, you will have to obtain a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda, which can be obtained through a trusted operator who will then obtain it from the Rwanda development board, and this will give you the chance to spend an hour with a gorilla family. With gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, after obtaining the permit and getting to the park, you will participate in a briefing session for gorilla trekking at the park headquarters at Kinigi, where you will have a briefing session about the rules and regulations to follow for your safari experience in Rwanda. After the briefing session, you will head out to hike the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda, which include Mount Muhabura, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Bisoke, where you will access the habituated gorilla families in Rwanda.
Hiking through the forests will give you access to several attractions like the different primates, such as the dent’s monkey, golden monkeys, mona monkeys, silver monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys. You will watch several bird species like the Rwenzori batis, blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, coqui Francolin, long-tailed cisticola, bubbling cisticola, Miombo wren warbler, Chubb’s cisticola and many other rewarding species
When you get to the habituated gorilla family, you will spend an hour with them watching their rewarding features in their natural habitat. Among the notable features you will watch include the fact that the dominant silverback has all the mating rights with the females in the group, and you will also understand the fact that the species constructs new nests daily. Interesting about your safari experience, you will get to take pictures of the species and observe how they go about their daily activities in the wild and also have the chance to.
How to obtain a gorilla trekking permit
A gorilla trekking permit can be obtained from a trusted tour operator in Rwanda, who will then book a permit through the Rwanda development board, which will then secure your gorilla permit, which will give you access to the species for one hour. The permit is only valid for your gorilla trekking date as indicated on the permit. It should also be noted that the permit is non-refundable, but rescheduling can be done at your convenience of your time.
Best time for gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be carried out at any given time of the year, but the best time would be during the dry seasons of mid-December to early February and June to September. However, the activity can be carried out during the wet season, when food is readily available, which limits the movement of gorillas, hence making them easily accessible.
Packing list for gorilla trekking
For a memorable safari experience in Rwanda, some of the items you should pack to ensure that you have a rewarding gorilla trekking experience include;
- A camera to take pictures of the species
- Hiking boots to hike through the trails
- Insect repellent to avoid bugs
- You should carry a rain jacket in case it rains in the park
- Sunscreen can also be carried during the dry season to avoid sunburns
- A walking stick should also be packed to manoeuvre through the thick vegetation
- Binoculars can be carried because the park is home to several bird species that can be seen during your safari experience
For a rewarding Rwanda safari experience, let us make your safari experience quite rewarding and affordable by booking with us as we lead you to the gorillas in the mist.
