Why Rwanda Is One of the Best Places for Gorilla Trekking in Africa

Here is Why Rwanda Is One of the Best Places for Gorilla Trekking in Africa. Rwanda is widely regarded as one of the best destinations for gorilla trekking in Africa, primarily because of its exceptional accessibility, high success rate of sightings, and well managed conservation systems centered in Volcanoes National Park, where visitors can encounter the endangered mountain gorilla in their natural habitat within just a few hours of arriving in Kigali unlike many other trekking locations.

Why Rwanda Is One of the Best Places for Gorilla Trekking in Africa, Rwanda offers relatively shorter hiking distances due to the park’s terrain and strategic gorilla family allocations, making it ideal for a wide range of travelers including seniors, photographers, and first-time trekkers, while its strict permit system, professional ranger guides, and strong anti-poaching efforts ensure both a safe and deeply immersive experience that directly contributes to conservation and local community development, further enhanced by Rwanda’s clean infrastructure, luxury and mid-range eco-lodges, and the opportunity to combine gorilla trekking with other unique experiences such as golden monkey tracking and cultural visits, positioning the country as a premium yet highly rewarding destination for primate tourism in Africa.

The magical hour with the gorillas is relatively expensive and this can be achieved by securing a gorilla permit for this experience. The hike up to the mountain gorillas’ preferred habitat of bamboo forest involves a combination of steep slopes, dense vegetation, slippery underfoot conditions after rain and high altitude.

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is also known as Parc Des Vulcan’s in French and Pariki Yigihugu yibirungu in Kinyarwanda (Local language) which is found in North-Eastern in a small town called Musanze, Rwanda in East Africa. Volcanoes National park is one of the major national parks in Rwanda and East Africa and one of the oldest parks in Africa, it is a home to the endangered apes and primates that include the Mountain Gorillas and golden Monkeys, there also many species of birds, Monkeys, trees, forest hogs, bushbucks among others in the forest as well as the unique culture.  Volcanoes national park is part of the Virunga Conservation Area including five extinct volcanoes namely; Mountain Muhabura, Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Karisimbi and Mountain Bisoke. Gorilla tourism in Volcanoes National park has earned Rwanda economic development as it has attracted more visitors every year. Gorilla trekking is a life time experience of seeing the endangered gorillas in their natural environment and half of the population of the remaining gorillas is found in East Africa.

How many gorilla permits are available in Volcanoes National Park per day?

Gorilla trekking is an activity that involves visiting the habituated endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environment, as you view the way they feed, move, rest and live in harmony. Volcanoes National Park has 10 habituated gorilla families for trekking every day, only 8 visitors per gorilla family are allowed to trek every day. That means there are 80 permits available each day for trekking, the chances of seeing the mountain gorillas are 99% as you are guided by trackers, guides, and park rangers. Gorilla trekking starts every day in Kinigi at 7:00am with a briefing on guidelines to follow while on the trek, even though the gorillas have 99% DNA as humans, they still remain wild and you are advised to follow the dos and don’ts from the guides. The gorilla trek can take 30 minutes to more hours depending on the movement and location of the gorillas in the forest.

What is the cost of Rwanda Gorilla permit?

For one to be allowed to do a gorilla trek in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, one must have a Rwanda gorilla permit for a particular date secured from the Rwanda development board. The gorilla permit costs USD1500 for all nationals and you are allowed one hour of viewing the gorillas and taking photography. Booking a gorilla trek to volcanoes National Park is a lifetime experience to complete your bucket list, Eco Adventure Safaris will help you book and tailor a gorilla trek tour that is affordable and memorable.

How to Book Rwanda Gorilla permit?

When you contact us at Eco Adventure Safaris about your planned trek and desired dates, we shall check the availability of permits an online system of the Rwanda development board and if permits are available, we shall send you an invoice to make payment for the permits as they are top priority and if they are not available, you will choose other dates that have availability of permits (We advise you book months in advance to get you the exact date). Once we receive payment, we shall book and secure your permits and send you copy of the receipt with booking ID to confirm your trek. The process of acquiring the gorilla permits is easy and transparent, you will surely give you a lifetime experience with the gorillas.

The gorilla trekking permits normally sell out so very quickly during the high season (January, February, July, August, September, and December every year. Booking the permits in advance is ideal for your gorilla trek.

Last-minute Booking Rwanda Gorilla permit

We as well organize last minute booking of Volcanoes Mountain gorilla permits in Rwanda for travelers, you may visit Rwanda for a conference, Seminar or you may have a change of program while in Rwanda/East African countries/ Africa and you instead opt to do a gorilla trek on a weekend or any day you are free, once you contact, we shall try our best to get you a gorilla permit from either Rwanda development board or from those reselling the gorilla permits for you not to miss out. Booking the gorilla permits will require you to make payment for the permit to secure a spot for trekking. Once you contact us, we shall send you a quote for the number of days as you require, and then you fix dates which we shall consider when booking you’re your permits and accommodation as they are key priorities. Once you make payment, we shall pay off all your services as per the travel plan and ensure all is in order for your gorilla safari.

Why book with us Rwanda Gorilla Permit?

Eco Adventure safaris is one of the best local tour operators to help you in Booking Rwanda Gorilla permits, we also offer amazing gorilla safari experiences to Uganda and Rwanda.  Contact us for our discounted packages and also tailor-made trips to Rwanda. Our magic in organizing authentic experience stems from the fact that we have over time assembled a team mixed with young and energetic staff guided by well-experienced mature managers and directors who are Ugandans and passionate about what they do. We are highly rated and reviewed on trip Advisor to help you learn on the experiences of the other travelers who have traveled with us and Why Rwanda Is One of the Best Places for Gorilla Trekking in Africa.