Gorilla Trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and DRCongo
GORILLA TREKKING IN UGANDA, RWANDA & DR. CONGO
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and DR. Congo: Gorilla trekking is one of the major physical activities enjoyed by most of the travelers on a safari to 3 destinations that harbor these endangered primates in their natural habitats in Uganda, Rwanda and DRCongo. Gorilla trekking involves taking a guided walk deep into the forest on a trail to search for the gorillas and upon finding them, tourists spend an hour of their time interacting with them, recording short video clips and taking photographs and many more then exit the forest back to the lodge.
Gorilla trekking destinations/where to go for a gorilla trekking safari
Mountain gorillas inhabit only 4 destinations within East Africa, well distributed in 3 countries: Uganda, the pearl of Africa; Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills; and DRCongo.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda, the pearl of Africa: Without any doubt, Gorilla trekking is a top tourist activity done while on a Uganda safari all year round conducted in Uganda’s 2 stunning forested parks in the far southwestern part of the country and these are Bwindi forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park each of which enables travelers to spend only 1 hour in the presence of endangered mountain gorillas as they roam their habitats.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is divided into 4 sectors, including the Rushaga, Buhoma, Ruhija & Nkuringo sectors. Each of these sectors harbors a good number of habituated gorilla families for trekking on a daily basis by a maximum number of 8 trekkers per day. This offers an opportunity for trekkers to choose which sector they intend to visit depending on the availability of the gorilla trekking permits on thatparticular date of trekking.
Mgahinga gorilla national park harbors just one Nyakagezi gorilla family; thus, only 8 persons are allowed to trek gorillas in Mgahinga gorilla national park unlike Bwindi, which has several sectors and many habituated gorilla families.
In fact, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park harbors the largest population of gorillas, equating to more than 50% of the entire population of these primates in the wild.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Rwanda has only one destination for gorilla trekking and that is none other than Volcanoes national park. This is a major and top-visited park in Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. Volcanoes National Park comes as a 2nd destination in terms of the population and number of habituated gorillas after Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Gorilla trekking in DRCongo
DR Congo is yet another stunning gorilla trekking destination harboring both the Mountain gorillas and the Eastern Lowland gorillas. Mountain gorilla trekking in DRCongo takes place in Virunga National Park, while trekking to see Eastern lowland gorillas occurs in Kahuzi Beiga National Park. This region is a good destination to explore for those who wish to watch both the endangered mountain gorillas and Eastern lowland gorillas.
How much is a gorilla trekking permit?
Different countries offer different rates when it comes to gorilla trekking and these prices usually change after a particular period of time.
A permit to trek gorillas in Uganda, either in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for 2025–2026 costs $800 for Foreign Nonresidents, $700 for Foreign Residents and 300,000 UGX for East African community member states and Ugandans. The permits are issued out by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a body that is responsible for the management of all protected parks in Uganda.
A permit to track similar gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park costs $1500 per person. The permits are issued out by the Rwanda Development Board, a body responsible for the management of all protected parks in Rwanda.
A permit to trek gorillas in Virunga National Park in the DRC costs $400 and $200, respectively, during high and low seasons. However, most Congo safaris are done in packages. So it’s always crucial to consult a tour operator while planning your Congo gorilla tours.
Who is eligible for gorilla trekking?
All Persons aged 15 years and above are eligible for gorilla trekking, be it in Uganda, Rwanda or the DRC. This implies that people below 15 years of age are termed as minors and thus cannot participate in this breathtaking and lifetime gorilla trekking adventure.
However, being a full-day adventure, a gorilla trekking safari requires abit of physical fitness to endure the terrains in the habitat of gorillas this as well contributes to the reason as to why children aren’t allowed to trek gorillas. Children also are difficult to control in case the gorilla charges, unlike the adults, who will strictly follow the gorilla trekking rules and regulations.
What is the best time for Gorilla trekking?
Gorilla trekking is enjoyed all year round; thus, any time of the year is good for travelers to enjoy a breathtaking gorilla trekking safari. However, due to the nature of terrains, dry months are always preferred due to the fact that the walking trails in the forest are passable and dry.
This, however, is quite challenging, as Gorillas tend to move further into the forest in search of food, thus taking much time to walk in the forest as you search for these endangered primates, unlike in wet months when the gorillas are residing nearer, thus taking less time to find them.
Packing list for gorilla trekking
Here is a list of the crucial items you need while on your gorilla trekking safari and they include
- A Mountain gorilla permit
- A pair of waterproof boots
- A pair of stockings
- A pair of Garden gloves
- A rain Jacket
- Both warm and light clothes
- A pair of sunglasses
- A hiking stick
- A cap
- Sunscreen
The best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda is during a safari.
Gorilla trekking is among the vital reasons why most of the tourists visit Uganda on a safari. Travelers experience gorilla trekking deep in the tropical rainforests while on foot with the presence of a well-experienced and professional park guide while following the perfect gorilla trekking trails searching for the mountain gorillas. When the gorillas are found, the tourists are given one hour to be in the presence of the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats.
In Uganda there are two main gorilla trekking destinations where the travelers can enjoy gorilla trekking: Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park. Also, there are various other destinations in East Africa where gorilla trekking takes place, such as Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park and Kahuzi-Biega national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Travelers should consider the best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda to have the best gorilla trekking experience. Most of the time this is the highest priority question that most of the tourists should always think about whenever they think of a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda. And here is the best answer for you, explaining to you the best time to carry out gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking experience in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in the morning and starts with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow while carrying out the gorilla trekking safari at the park headquarters. After the briefing you can be grouped in a group of 8 members and each will be allocated differently from the other, with the presence of 2 experienced guides per group.
Gorilla trekking takes a period of 30 minutes to 5 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas, as they keep moving in the different parts of the parks while looking for food, as during that process, the travelers can spot the various animal species, birds, plants, and primates, among others.
And if the mountain gorillas are found the travelers are given one hour to be in the presence of the gorillas in their natural habitats as the travelers are learning about the gorillas like their behaviors, characters, and lifestyle, watching them play, feeding, grooming young ones, and taking pictures and videos (though using cameras with less flash to take and show people home after a safari), among other things.
Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda can occur at any time of the year, as gorillas are not affected by seasonal changes. In Uganda there are two seasons; there is the peak or high season that includes months like June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. Another season is the rainy season, or the low season, in the months of March to May and October to November.
Gorilla trekking during the dry or the peak season.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is mostly recommended to be done during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February. That is the season when there are lesser amounts of rainfall in the gorilla destinations because there can be clear access to the roads leading you to the destinations where the gorilla trekking takes place. That’s the period when the gorilla trekking trails cannot be slippery and muddy to disrupt the activity.
Dry season is the best period of time for the travelers to carry out the perfect gorilla trekking in Uganda; that’s when the vegetation in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park can be thin, making it easy for spotting the mountain gorillas and taking clear and good photos can be a must.
Peak season has got only a single divert; that is, during that period,competition for the gorilla trekking permits can be high; hence, this needs you to book in advance and in case you book at the last minute, you can be disappointed with gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking during the rainy or low season.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda can alsobe pushed and be done during the rainy season in the months of March to May and October to November during that period of time,the travelers can be few in the gorilla trekking destinations for the travelers who do not like over-crowdedness in the parks.
During the rainy season is when the gorilla trekkers feel independent in the parks; during the low season is when the accommodation facilities offer discounts as the best way to attract travelers. And again, that time is when the gorilla trekking permits are not in high demand compared to the high season, in that even the last-minute travelers can be able to grab themselves the gorilla trekking permit immediately.
On the other hand, gorilla trekking safaris during the low season are disrupted, as the activity can be done in the tropical rain forest; therefore, rain can interrupt you at any time of the day, which makes the place muddy and slippery. Therefore, you are reminded to carry the waterproof jacket/sweater among the essential ones to carry out proper gorilla trekking in Uganda during the rainy season.
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