Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris

Gorilla trekking tours and safaris offer an incredible opportunity to observe mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. These tours are available in a few key regions in East and Central Africa, where gorilla families are protected within national parks. Here’s a breakdown of popular destinations, key highlights, and logistics:

Destinations for Gorilla Trekking | Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris

1. Rwanda – Volcanoes National Park:
   • Highlights: The most accessible destination for gorilla trekking with a well-developed tourism infrastructure. Located in the Virunga Mountains, Volcanoes National Park offers a great opportunity to visit multiple habituated gorilla families.
   • Best for: Short gorilla safaris, quick access from Kigali, luxury experiences.
2. Uganda – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Mgahinga Gorilla National Park:
   • Highlights: Bwindi is home to over half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Trekking here is more challenging due to dense vegetation and hilly terrain. Mgahinga also offers gorilla trekking, though on a smaller scale.
   • Best for: Variety in trekking locations, additional activities (e.g., Batwa cultural experiences, bird watching, Lake Bunyonyi relaxation).
3. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – Virunga National Park & Kahuzi Biega National Park:
   • Highlights: A lesser-visited destination with fewer crowds, offering a more adventurous trek. Virunga is the only park with both mountain gorillas, Eastern Lowland gorillas and Nyiragongo Volcano.
   • Best for: Experienced trekkers looking for unique adventures and volcano trekking.

Key Highlights of Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris

• Gorilla Trekking Permits:
  • Rwanda: $1,500 per person.
  • Uganda: $800 per person (for standard treks); $1,500 for a 4-hour gorilla habituation experience.
  • DRC: Approximately $400 per person, making it the most affordable option.
• Trekking Experience: Treks range from 1 to 6 hours, depending on the gorilla family’s location. They are conducted in groups of up to 8 visitors per gorilla family, and an hour of interaction is allowed once the gorillas are found.
• Gorilla Habituation Experience (Uganda): A unique experience available only in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This allows visitors to spend up to 4 hours with semi-habituated gorillas, observing their behavior more closely.
• Golden Monkey Trekking: Offered in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Mgahinga National Park (Uganda) for a unique extension to gorilla safaris.

Itinerary Examples

1. Rwanda: 3-Day Gorilla Trekking Tour
   • Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
   • Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
   • Day 3: Return to Kigali for departure.
2. Uganda: 5-Day Bwindi Gorilla & Lake Bunyonyi Tour
   • Day 1: Arrive in Kigali and transfer to Bwindi.
   • Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
   • Day 3: Optional gorilla habituation experience or Batwa cultural visit.
   • Day 4: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation and canoeing.
   • Day 5: Return to Kigali for departure.
3. Congo & Rwanda: 7-Day Tour with Gorilla Trekking & Nyiragongo Hike
   • Day 1-2: Arrive in Kigali, transfer to Goma, and hike Nyiragongo Volcano.
   • Day 3: Descend from Nyiragongo and rest.
   • Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park.
   • Day 5-6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey trekking or second gorilla trek.
   • Day 7: Return to Kigali.

Logistics & Considerations

• Best Time to Visit: The dry seasons (June to September and December to February) are ideal for gorilla trekking, as trails are less muddy.
• Fitness Level: A moderate to high level of physical fitness is recommended due to the steep and sometimes challenging terrain.
• Clothing and Gear: Sturdy hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts, waterproof jackets, and gaiters are essential. Trekking poles and gloves can also be helpful.

Where to go Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris – Comparison between Uganda Rwanda and Congo

Gorilla trekking in Uganda Compared to Rwanda and Congo, are you planning to visit Africa for Gorilla Trekking, Gorilla Trekking in Africa is only done in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo which host the four national parks that are home the only remaining mountain gorillas. In Congo you as well have an opportunity to see the Eastern Lowland gorillas which are found in Kahuzi Beiga National Park. Gorilla Trekking in Africa is one of the once in a lifetime experience that attracts many travelers to do during their visit to Africa. Despite the high costs, time and discomfort from booking to doing the hike through the forest to search for these endangered apes watching gorillas in their natural habitat in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo is one of the best wildlife experiences every traveler would do on his/her safari.

The whole truth is that Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo have gorillas and there is no big difference when it comes to the experience obtained at the end of your trek. However, there are many things you can base on to compare gorilla trekking between these countries gorilla trekking in Uganda Compared to Rwanda and Congo for you to choose where to book and go for your gorilla trekking and these include the following;

Comparing the cost for Gorilla Trekking permits in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo; Gorilla trekking is much cheaper in Congo compared to Uganda and Rwanda. This issue of price difference is basically out of policy difference between these three countries Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. Rwanda wants to promote itself as a Luxury destination while Uganda wants to market itself as an affordable destination. Congo is trying to promote its gorilla tourism to attract more travelers after a long turmoil in the region that caused a lot of insecurity.  Whereas Uganda is promoting it’s self as the preferred best affordable destination for gorilla trekking among the 3. The experience and duration spent with gorillas is still the same in the all the 3 countries? Gorilla trekking in Uganda Compared to Rwanda and Congo

The Gorilla permit in Uganda Costs $800 Per person per trek for the Foreign non residents, $700 Per person for residents and $77 (Ugx 300,000) for East African Citizens (Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan), this gives you an opportunity to spend one-hour encounter with the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

The Gorilla permit in Rwanda Costs $1500 Per person per trek for the Foreign non residents, $500 Per person for foreign residents and $200 for East African Citizens (Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan), this gives you an opportunity to spend one hour encounter with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

A gorilla permit in Congo costs $400 per person per trek for the high season months of Mid-December to mid-march then June to October and then $200 for the low season months of mid-march to mid-May and then mid-October to mid-December every year. A gorilla permit in Kahuzi Beiga National Park costs $400 for foreign non residents, $200 for East Africa Residents and $20 national resident. Lowland Gorilla trekking permit price in Congo Kahuzi Biega National Park costs USD400 for Non Residents, East African Residents-USD200 and National Citizens of Congo-USD20

In terms of accessibility, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is a better option than Uganda and DR Congo. Reasons to support this is that Volcanoes National Park is a 2-3 hours drive from Kigali, that Gorillas are easily seen with a short drive time possible even in one day. This is indeed very true and no one can run away from it. People used to avoid gorilla trekking in Bwindi because of the 9-10 hours drive from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi but now we arrange tours to Bwindi via Kigali which then becomes 4-5 hours drive only. With this, you land in Kigali, use the East African Tourist Visa (which allows you to visit both countries at ago) and then trek gorillas in Uganda at an affordable price. Because of this, even Rwanda tour operators are selling Bwindi instead of their country.

In terms of Lodges, Both Countries have Budget, Mid Range and Upmarket Lodges where you could choose to stay during your trek. Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is the best place for gorilla trekking for those interested in staying in super luxury lodges on international standards compared to Bwindi. These lodges offer great and luxury services some are ranked among the best in Africa and the country at large for example Bisate Lodge and Singita Kwitonda Lodge in Volcanoes National Park. However for those looking for much budget offers then Uganda and Congo is best option for you given the fact there are many options to choose from where to stay ranging from $30 to $100 as per your booked package.

In terms of Gorilla families, Uganda has more gorilla families open for trekking than Volcanoes National Park. Bwindi has 20 habituated gorilla family groups this means 160 Gorilla permits are available every day for gorilla trekking in Bwindi. Volcanoes National Park has 12 Gorilla families hence 96 Gorilla permits are available each day for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Congo has 10 gorilla families that is 8 in Virunga National Park and 2 in Kahuzi Beiga National Park. This makes it more flexible to get gorilla trekking permits in Uganda compared to Rwanda and Congo especially during the peak season months.

In terms of the best gorilla trekking experience, the whole truth is that Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo have gorillas and there is no big difference when it comes to the experience obtained at the end of your trek. Chances of seeing gorillas in all countries are 98% so which ever country you visit you will be able to see these great apes in their natural environment. However Uganda is unique given the fact you an option to spend more time with the mountain gorillas through Gorilla habituation experience which is only done in Bwindi forest, a gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 per person giving you an opportunity to spend 4 hours encounter with the semi habituated mountain gorillas under the guidance of trackers and researchers as opposed to one hour for the normal trekking. Congo as well gives you a unique opportunity to see the Eastern Lowland gorillas which are found in Kahuzi Beiga National Park.

In terms of distance to see Gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo, The issue of walking longer or short distance depends on the given gorilla family allocated to you on the day of trekking at of the national park in the country you choose to go for gorilla trekking. In all the 3 countries gorilla families are allocated depending on the interest and physical fitness of given individual. If for example, you want a shorter trek, you will have to inform the park authorities on the very day of trekking so that you are allocated such family. If you want a medium or longer trek, then you do the same. It should be noted that while they will try to give you a family that requires shorter walks, the behavior of gorillas might affect the experience if for example gorillas decide to move further as you look for them you will need to move a longer distance still.

Why Book Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris Through Eco Adventure Safaris?

Eco Adventure Safaris takes pride in customizing tailor-made gorilla trekking safaris. It has a very diligent and trust worthy team. Your queries are answered within 30 minutes by our team of professional tour consultants. These consultants will make you a travel plan for you, answer to all your questions and make sure all your services are booked in advance for you to avoid inconveniences. Feel free to contact us for more information about Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris.