Home » Best Gorilla Trekking Tours in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Best Gorilla Trekking Tours in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Planning for gorilla trekking Rwanda tours to Volcanoes National Park? Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is quite unique due to its mountainous and bamboo terrain. Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is located in the Musanze District of Rwanda. It boasts being the home to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and five of the eight Virunga Volcanic Mountains. It is situated within the Albertine Rift Valley, which is part of the Great East African Rift Valley.
The park is bordered by Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in Congo; the other two homes to the enchanting mountain gorillas, monkeys, forest elephants, and many other primates of the Virunga Conservation Area. Covering an area of 160 square kilometers, Volcanoes National Park is one of the best gorilla trekking destinations in the world.
The trek can be easy or difficult depending on the location of the gorilla family you are trekking, as some families are easy to find while others are hard to trek because they live on higher elevations.
Weather in gorilla national parks can sometimes be unpredictable. The trekking can become hard if it rains during gorilla trekking. You have to pass through tough terrain and thick jungles. You will need long-sleeved clothes to protect you from biting insects and raincoats in case it rains while trekking.
Mountain gorillas live on higher elevations, which require a certain level of physical fitness to conquer. You might get very tired and slow the pace of other hikers if you are not physically fit. It’s advisable for you to engage in some exercises before the actual trekking date. Mountain gorilla trekking also becomes difficult when it rains because the trekking trails get very muddy and slippery, making it hard to trek gorillas. The best option is visiting during the dry season of June to September and December to February.
Best time to visit Rwanda gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Gorilla trekking can be done all year round in Rwanda, but some months are better than the rest. The best time to visit Rwanda is during the short dry season of December to early February and the long dry months of June to September. Visiting mountain gorillas during the wet season will be difficult as the roads to the park become impassable, and the trekking trails are muddy and slippery.
Temperatures average around 22°C in Rwanda and can drop to 12°C at night. The level of rainfall received ranges from 1000-2000 mm per annum. Visiting Rwanda for gorilla trekking during the peak season means you will need to acquire your gorilla permits three months in advance of the actual trekking date because during this time gorilla permits are in high demand.
Dian Fossey – The Pioneer of Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda & Africa
Dian Fossey – The Pioneer of Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda & Africa
Dian Fossey was born in January 1932 in San Francisco, California, and became one of the foremost primatologists in the world. She dedicated her life to the conservation and study of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Africa. Dian Fossey was also a member of Trimates, which was formed by Leakey to study apes in their natural environments. Each of them was given a task: Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees, Dian Fossey studied mountain gorillas, and Birute Galdikas studied Orangutans.
Dian Fossey founded her Karisoke Research Institute in September 1967, deriving the name from Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. Dian Fossey spent most of her time at the mountain tops and later became known as Nyiramachabelli by the locals, which means “The woman who lives alone on the mountain.”
During this time, gorilla poaching was illegal, but the efforts were not reinforced as Dian Fossey always witnessed the death of gorillas. Infants would be captured, and their mothers killed, and the silverbacks would also die trying to defend the group.
In 1979, Dian Fossey financed patrols to destroy poacher’s traps within the park, and within four months, 987 poacher traps were destroyed. Fossey also prevented the transfer of two infant gorillas from Rwanda to a zoo in Germany. Dian Fossey strongly opposed poaching, but in 1977 on New Year’s Eve, her favorite gorilla, Digit, was killed by poachers. Digit got wounded severely but killed one poacher and their dogs, allowing the rest of its group to escape.
The death of her favorite gorilla made her establish the Digit Fund to raise money for anti-poaching patrols. Fossey became so intense in protecting mountain gorillas that they managed to cut traps as soon as they were set with her team. She even captured and tortured some poachers.
In December 1985, Fossey was brutally murdered in her cabin in the Virunga Mountains. The last entry in her diary read, “When you realize the value of life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate on the preservation of the future.” She was buried at Karisoke near her gorilla friends. Dian Fossey greatly contributed to the conservation of gorillas that were almost extinct at that time.
Comparing Uganda vs Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Experiences
View of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has the highest number of gorillas and gorilla families compared to Rwanda and Congo. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is also an ideal place for viewing other primates, as it has a very high concentration of primates.
Budget travelers would rather trek mountain gorillas in Uganda than in Rwanda because gorilla permits in Uganda are less costly compared to Rwanda. Gorilla permits cost $700 each in Uganda, compared to $1500 each in Rwanda.
Rwanda has the advantage of the short distance from Kigali International Airport (the main entry-point into Rwanda) to Volcanoes National Park. The park is only a few hours away from Kigali City.
Rwanda gorilla permits are documents issued to grant clients access to the gorillas. Clients present this document at the park headquarters and they are allocated a random gorilla group for their Rwanda gorilla trekking experience.
The Rwanda gorilla permit cost is the highest at $1500 each. This has made Rwanda a luxury gorilla trekking destination, as a permit goes for $1500 compared to Uganda and Congo, where a gorilla permit costs $700 and $400, respectively.
The cost of gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda doubled in 2017, from $750 each to $1500 each.
Permits in Rwanda should be bought in advance, like three months before the actual day of trekking because they are in high demand and sold on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Rwanda gorilla permits can be obtained through a trusted travel agency or from the Rwanda Development Board. 50% of the gorilla trekking fee will be refunded to tourists in case they show any sign of illness before their trekking experience.
Sick people are not allowed to visit gorillas because gorillas can easily get infected by human infectious diseases, which are a big threat to them as they lack the necessary immunity to fight diseases.
The Rules & Regulations of Trekking with Gorillas
Just like every other activity, gorilla trekking also has rules that ought to be followed to allow a smooth and cautious experience with the mountain gorillas in the wild. Some of these general rules are as follows.
A maximum of only eight people is allowed to visit a habituated gorilla family in a day. This lowers the risk of behavioral disturbances to the gorillas.
You are not supposed to litter the park or forest. Whatever you bring with you to the forest should go back with you, however small it may be.
While trekking mountain gorillas, your voices are supposed to be low. You’re not expected to shout or make noise during trekking.
A distance of 7 meters must be kept while observing gorillas. This makes the group more relaxed and not disrupted. However, if gorillas come close to you, you can play with them freely.
Tourists must stay close to each other while observing gorillas. You will not be allowed to be scattered all over.
Always wash your hands thoroughly when heading to trek mountain gorillas.
Do not smoke, eat, or drink in the presence of mountain gorillas. This could increase their risk of diseases because of the falling droplets or passive smoking.
If a gorilla charges, you should endeavor to follow the guides’ instructions like not looking at gorillas straight in the eyes. Crouch down slowly and never attempt to run away.
When photographing gorillas, tourists should move slowly and carefully. Flash cameras should strictly be off, as they scare gorillas.
Visitors are not allowed to touch gorillas. These are wild animals.
After finding and observing the gorilla group, you are supposed to keep your voices down until you are about 200 meters away from the group.
The maximum time you can spend with mountain gorillas is 1 hour, but if gorillas feel disturbed, the guide might tell you to end the visit early. For gorilla habituation, you will spend up to 4 hours.
If you are carrying a contagious disease, you will not be allowed to visit mountain gorillas. If the warden doesn’t notice your disease, please volunteer and stay behind to avoid transmitting diseases to gorillas. Gorillas do not have the necessary immunity to fight diseases, hence, if one gorilla falls sick, the sickness could wipe out the entire gorilla family.
If you get the urge to ease yourself while in the forest, the guide will dig for you a hole that is at least 30cm deep. You have to cover this hole when you’re done easing yourself.
If you feel like sneezing or coughing while with mountain gorillas, you need to turn your head far away from their direction. This also helps reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Children under the age of fifteen years will not be allowed to trek mountain gorillas.
Gorilla Filming in Volcanoes National Park
Mountain gorilla filming was introduced to promote mountain gorilla conservation and increase awareness of mountain gorillas worldwide.
This experience can only be done in the wilderness because mountain gorillas cannot survive for long in zoos.
The maximum number of people allowed to film a mountain gorilla family is only 8 people. All participants in gorilla filming must fill in the forms and submit them before embarking on gorilla trekking.
It’s also advisable to always send in your filming requests to the responsible authorities or the tour operator helping in getting permits in advance of 3-6 months before arriving in the country.
Gorilla filming permits in Rwanda can be obtained at $5000 per person per hour, and on top of that, each individual in the group must pay $1500 for normal gorilla trekking.
The filming crew will also need to deposit $2000 to the Rwanda Development Board, and this money will be refunded once you give them a copy of your CD after filming.
The filming must also prove that it was for promoting mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
The gorilla filming permits can be bought from the Rwanda Development Board or with the help of a trusted tour company.
Gorilla Photography in Rwanda
Rwanda offers the most thrilling gorilla photographing experience in Africa. Given that the mountain gorilla habitat in Rwanda is more of bamboo, you can take clear and better photos of these great apes in a clearing, as opposed to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where vegetation can be very thick, especially in the wet season.
All tourists who come to trek mountain gorillas in Africa want to capture memories to take back home for remembrance or show their friends and family. Gorilla photographing tours must be well planned before arriving in the country.
Is there gorilla habituation in Rwanda?
Gorilla habituation is a process of training mountain gorillas to get used to human presence. This is normally done for a period of 2-3 years by researchers, conservationists, scientists, and rangers who keep monitoring and studying each individual in the group and later give names according to the behaviors and personality of each individual.
Before mountain gorillas can be trekked, they have to undergo a habituation exercise, and if they pass, they will be ready for trekking.
Rwanda only offers gorilla trekking and not gorilla habituation. The fascinating gorilla habituation experience can only be done in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
Popular Gorilla Families in Volcanoes National Park
Below are the most popular gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda.
Bwenge Gorilla Family. Bwenge gorilla family derives its name from a local word meaning wisdom. This is the group that featured in the movie “Gorillas in the Mist.” Bwenge gorilla family was formed when the dominating silverback, Bwenge, broke away from his family in 2007 to form his group. Bwenge can be trekked from the slopes of Karisoke, between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke.
Ugyenda Gorilla Family. The Ugyenda gorilla family derives its name from a local word meaning “on the move” because this family is always moving from place to place, making it even harder to trek. The group wanders around Karisimbi slopes and is composed of 11 members, including two silverbacks.
Hirwa Gorilla Family. Hirwa gorilla family was formed by a combination of members who split off from the Sabyinyo gorilla family and Agashya gorilla family. This is one of the lucky gorilla families with a set of twins born in 2011.
Kwitonda Gorilla Family. Kwitonda gorilla family can be trekked on the mountain slopes of Mount Muhabura. The group derives its name from the dominating silverback called Kwitonda, which means “Humble One.” The group is said to have migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Agashya Gorilla Family. Agashya gorilla family, also known as Group 13, is dominated by Agashya, the silverback who took over leadership from Nyakarima silverback. The group can be trekked around Mount Sabinyo. Agashya is known for taking his family into higher slopes when he senses danger.
Sabyinyo Gorilla Family. The name Sabyinyo means “old worn out teeth” in the local language. The group derives its name from Mount Sabyinyo, one of the Virunga ranges. Sabyinyo gorilla family is dominated by Guhonda, the famous reigning silverback and the heaviest silverback in Volcanoes National Park. The group inhabits the slopes of Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga, and it’s one of the easiest gorilla families to trek in Volcanoes National Park.
Umubano Gorilla Family. Umubano gorilla family was formed when Charles broke away from his natal group after several fights with Ubumwe, who dominated the group. This group derives its name from a local word meaning “Living Together” and is composed of 13 members, including two silverbacks.
Amahoro Gorilla Family. Amahoro gorilla family can be trekked from the slopes of Mount Bisoke. The group derives its name from a local word meaning “peace.” The group is one of the most peaceful families in Volcanoes. They even lost some of their members to the Umubano gorilla family.
Karisimbi Gorilla Family. Karisimbi gorilla family, also known as Susa B family, broke away from Susa A mountain gorilla family in 2008. This is the hardest family to trek in Rwanda, inhabiting the higher slopes of Mount Karisimbi. The group is composed of 16 members with 2 silverbacks.
Susa A Gorilla Family. The Susa A gorilla family was one of the most interesting gorilla families in Rwanda, with 42 members at the time of habituation before the group separated. This group was also thoroughly studied by Dian Fossey and was one of the lucky families to have twins Impano and Bwishimo. The group can be trekked around Susa River in their home range on the mountain slopes of River Karisimbi.
Titus Gorilla Family. The Titus gorilla family is one of the groups that was researched by Dian Fossey. The dominating silverback lost his family, including his father, to poachers. Dian Fossey indicated that he had difficulties in breathing and seemed underdeveloped but overcame all that. The group derives its name from the silverback Titus.
Why Is Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda So Expensive?
In 2017, Rwanda doubled the price of gorilla permits from $750 to $1500 each. This increase was for a specific purpose. Mountain gorillas were almost on the brink of extinction in the 19th century, but due to the conservation efforts of Dian Fossey, an American primatologist who dedicated her life to the conservation and study of mountain gorillas, their numbers have increased.
These conservation efforts continue today, and a significant amount of money is needed for conservation. This funding comes from gorilla permits. Besides the communities surrounding gorilla parks, workers like guides and park rangers also benefit from this funding.
Recommended Training & Fitness Exercises
Mountain gorillas live in sub-tropical and tropical rain-forests in mountainous areas. They live in social family groups scattered in different locations, so different gorilla families require different fitness levels. Some mountain gorilla families are easy to trek, while others are harder.
Nevertheless, gorilla trekking will require travelers to engage in training and workouts before coming for gorilla trekking. Preparing for the trek helps you familiarize yourself with the landscape you will encounter. Sometimes the climb can become steep, slippery, and muddy, and it can take 3-6 hours to reach a gorilla family.
Sometimes you might be allocated to the nearest gorilla family to trek, but nature can be unpredictable. Gorillas are wild animals, and they can move, so you may trek for more hours than expected. Whether you’re trekking the easiest family or the hardest, you need to be in good shape.
Most tourists who have enjoyed gorilla trekking always say they got involved in some exercise back home, and this made trekking gorillas easier. You can attend fitness classes, do jogging, walk for long distances, or do any exercise that makes you fit enough to enjoy gorilla trekking.
How Long Is the Trek Itself?
Trekking mountain gorillas can take from 30 minutes to 7 hours, depending on the physical fitness and ability of the group. They adjust to the slowest person in the group while trekking mountain gorillas.
Training before embarking on a gorilla safari is always recommended as gorillas live in higher elevations of rain-forests that require hiking.
Some mountain gorilla families live near the park headquarters, where you start your gorilla trekking, or near the lodges within the park
Always book your gorilla permits well in advance. You can book through a trusted agency like us or directly through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
Pack some raincoats, warm clothes, waterproof hiking boots, jackets, and garden gloves for your hike. You will need them in higher elevations.
Always book your trek during the dry season. It’s easier to navigate the terrain when it’s dry.
Always book accommodation closer to the park so that you do not need to drive for long hours to access the headquarters.
People with disabilities should inform the park headquarters in advance or a tour operator about the situation to make it easier to book sedan seats or bamboo stretchers in advance and allocate a nearby gorilla family for you.
Always follow the gorilla trekking rules and regulations as briefed.
Engage in a lot of physical fitness exercises months before your trek. This gets you in shape for hiking to the gorillas.
Is Gorilla Trekking Worth the Price?
The money generated from gorilla permits is used for the conservation efforts of these great apes. These conservation efforts will enable future generations to also see mountain gorillas, so everyone who treks mountain gorillas contributes to conservation.
Local communities also benefit from gorilla trekking. Uganda allocates 20% of the gorilla trekking fee to the locals, and Rwanda allocates 10%. This has also led to the creation of awareness about the importance of mountain gorillas, and locals no longer have to poach mountain gorillas for bush meat because they are content with the money given to them.
Visiting the Gorilla Guardians Village after your trek
The Gorilla Guardians Village is located near Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The inhabitants of this village used to live and survive in the park through hunting and fruit gathering. Since they were relocated, they now live in the surrounding villages, including Iby’Iwacu.
The people at the center were former hunters and poachers of the forest who have now reformed to become cultural performers, craftsmen, and engage in many other tourist activities.
Cultural performances at Gorilla Guardians Village
Rwanda has unique and authentic cultural activities to offer from the locals, besides gorilla trekking. You can enjoy traditional dances and songs from the energetic African dancers under the stars. In addition to cultural performances, you can learn how to weave baskets and participate in many other traditional activities.
Engage in a traditional wedding ceremony
While at the Gorilla Guardians Village, tourists can engage in a traditional marriage ceremony and act like a Rwandan King and Queen. This is one of the most thrilling traditional activities in Africa, as the locals cheer you on during your engagement and marriage. There are also many locally handmade crafts at the center that you can buy as souvenirs to take back home for remembrance or give as gifts. You can also taste Rwanda’s staple food and learn how it’s made.
Where to Stay When Trekking Gorillas in Rwanda
Bisate Lodge, Rwanda
Rwanda offers various accommodation options that cater to different preferences and budgets. Choosing the right accommodation is crucial if you are to have a really comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Here are some Rwanda safari accommodation options to consider when deciding where to stay while trekking gorillas in Rwanda:
The best luxury options include Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Bisate Lodge, One&Only Gorillas Nest and Virunga Lodge among the rest.
The best budget-friendly options include Kinigi Guest House and Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel, where as the best community-based lodges are Amakoro Songa Lodge and Muhabura Hotel.
