Booking Rwanda Volcanoes National Park gorilla permits during the high season

Booking Rwanda Volcanoes National Park gorilla permits during high season requires you to have clocked 15 years and beyond. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda happens in Volcanoes National Park, the country's Northwestern part. During gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you must have a gorilla permit as an entry ticket to access these gentle giants.

Rwanda's peak gorilla trekking safari season is June, July, August, September, December, and January. Currently, Rwanda has 15 gorilla families open to public booking and 96 gorilla trekking permits per day. Only a maximum of 8 tourists are allowed to visit each gorilla family.

Most Popular Safaris

3 day Uganda gorilla tracking

3 day chimp habituation in Kibale

3 day fly in gorilla habituation

5 days chimp and gorilla habituation

3 days Rwanda gorilla tracking

4 days gorillas and golden monkeys

5 day Uganda gorillas and wildlife

5 day gorilla habituation and chimps

5 days gorillas and game safari

5 days gorilla trekking Rwanda

Rwanda Development Board regulates and sells gorilla permits for all gorilla trekking adventures.

The Rwanda gorilla permit is a paper document you present on briefing day to help allocate you a gorilla family after the briefing. There is no specific format used when allocating the gorilla families in Rwanda.

How To Book Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permits?

Rwanda Development Board issues the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit, as mentioned before. Contact them directly or use a credible tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris.

When you enquire from us about your desire to do gorilla trekking, you must have a confirmed or tentative date. The Rwanda gorilla permits are sold per day of the year. Identify the number of gorilla permits you wish to book according to the people you hope to travel with. If you wish to close off a gorilla family for exclusive gorilla trekking, mention this in advance so that it is considered where applicable.

Our safari consultant checks availability from the Rwanda Development Board listing as Encounter Africa Safaris is one of the few accredited companies with permission to access this list.

If availability is positive, we recommend that tourists purchase their gorilla permits as soon as possible. For the sake of the peak season, gorilla permits get scarce as the season unfolds because they are sold off in advance.

Chances of last-minute gorilla permits or having a gorilla family with no one booked on and can be closed off for exclusive gorilla trekking safari are more open in the low season. The low Rwanda gorilla trekking safari season usually is March, April, May, and November.

Forward passport details like your full name as indicated on the passport, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date. 

Some of these details are for record and marketing purposes.

Note:

Rwanda sometimes offers discounted gorilla trekking permits, especially in the low season, but they are not guaranteed yearly. Rwanda Development aboard and usually conditional first confirms the discounted Rwanda gorilla permits.

What Is The Cost Of Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permit?

The Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents, and $300 for East African residents. 

The cost of Rwanda's discounted gorilla trekking permit varies and is set by only Rwanda Development Board, so it is hard to predict.

What is included in the cost of the Rwanda Gorilla Permit?

The Rwanda gorilla permit includes security on gorilla trekking day, Park entrance fees, cost of ranger guide services, local community support to make up for their property destroyed by straying mountain gorillas, mountain gorilla conservation support, one hour with the mountain gorillas, certificate after gorilla trekking.

What is excluded from the cost of the gorilla permit?

The gorilla permit cost excludes transport, tips, accommodation, porters, drinking water, and any other items of personal nature.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can assist in planning your gorilla safari in Rwanda and book gorilla permits, accommodation, vehicle hire, and other safaris amenities according to your budget. Customer satisfaction is our priority. As a happy customer, our pride

We understand the hassle you go through to plan and save for the gorilla trekking safari as it is one of the sought dream safaris of most adventure seekers in Africa safari.

When is the best time to book a Rwanda gorilla permit for the peak season?

Since the peak season for Rwanda, safaris usually commence June through September, December, and January, booking your gorilla permit for the peak season is best 6 months to a year in advance. You may secure gorilla permits 3 months before the trekking date, but chances of not finding availability, especially in the peak season.

Demand for gorilla permits in Rwanda is high, yet supply is limited to a maximum of 8 permits per day for every gorilla family in Rwanda. 

 When securing the gorilla trekking for Rwanda first come, first served basis is used, and none of the gorilla permits is preserved without payment.

Can I purchase the Rwanda gorilla permit in Instalments?

Although purchasing the gorilla trekking permit in full is the best idea, Rwanda Development Board accepts installment purchases of 30% and 70%, respectively.

This only applies to those who purchase their gorilla permits 90 days before the gorilla trekking date and remember to top up 90 days before the gorilla trekking date or face a penalty.

Does Rwanda Development Board Accept Gorilla Trekking Permit Reschedule?

You can reschedule your gorilla permit for Rwanda if you wish to push it to a future date, but you must follow the procedure below.

Write to the Rwanda Development Board requesting to reschedule your gorilla permit to a future date. Attach some evidence in case you have any as a backup.

When approved, your gorilla permit is moved to the new date of your preference according to the prevailing availability status.

Rwanda Development Board charges gorilla permit reschedule Services.

Is The Cost Of a Rwanda Gorilla Permit Worth?

A Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person per trek, which may sound exorbitant for an activity permit; however, every penny is worth it.

To support the conservation of endangered mountain gorillas, some funds are required, and one of the ways to acquire them is through the sale of gorilla permits.

When you purchase the gorilla permit, you get some exclusive time with the mountain gorillas in the company of 7 more trekkers. Gorilla trekking is on the top list of the to-do activities of most African adventure seekers, but the limited number of permits closes off most of them.

The feeling you get when standing before the mountain gorillas is unmatched as most trekkers return feeling a deeper connection with these gentle giants, knowing they are peaceful. 

What Is The Cost Of Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari?

The cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking safaris varies with the safari package you choose, whether it is luxury, mid-range, or budget. The Rwanda gorilla trekking permit cost, is included in all these packages; however, you need to book your permit as soon as possible because a first come, first served basis is used when purchasing these permits.

When calculating gorilla safari quotations, some of the factors we consider include the following:

The number of people you travel with for gorilla trekking.

The more people included in the gorilla trekking group, the less the per-person cost. As a solo traveler, you incur all the safari costs alone. 

Time to book your Rwanda gorilla safari

During the peak season, the service prices are high, while during the low season, the chances of discounted prices are high.

Number of days on Rwanda gorilla safari

The higher the safari cost, the more days on the Rwanda gorilla safari.

The Rwanda gorilla package you select

When you select a luxury, mid-range, or budget gorilla safari package for Rwanda, each has differing inclusions and exclusions. The more inclusions in the package, the higher the Rwanda safari.

Is Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda Difficult?

The nature of the topography of Volcanoes national park is generally volcanic, with steep slopes and deep valleys. This park comprises 5 volcanic mountains: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Karisimbi, and Mountain Bisoke.

As the mountain gorillas go on with their day-to-day activities, they may hike to the slopes of these mountains, so you have to follow them there. This makes gorilla trekking in Rwanda more challenging than her counterparts.

By having some level of fitness, you can hike to where the mountain gorillas reside. 

As you start the gorilla trek, expect to walk through some soggy surfaces from the rains that fall regularly, yet limited sunray penetration is let in through the dense canopy. Sometimes matter decomposes, creating a slippery ground you must walk through. 

One of the escorting ranger guides carries a machete, which they use to trim the creepers that may obstruct your way to the mountain gorillas.

What Time Do You Locate Mountain Gorillas In Rwanda Volcanoes National Park

• Locating mountain gorillas in Rwanda varies with where they are spending the day. Some tourists have been lucky to come across the mountain gorillas just two hours after starting the gorilla trek, while others may take three-quarters of the day.
• It is hard to select which gorilla family is easy to trek in Rwanda because mountain gorillas are mobile primates that freely move in the wilderness.
• Locating the mountain gorillas depends on the proximity of their food. Mountain gorillas feed from a particular area for some time and relocate when food is exhausted. If the gorilla family you are allocated to moves to a new feeding ground, tracking its new location may take some time.
• In case the dominant silverback is adventurous, the rest of the family members are enticed to follow his hobbies, prolonging the trek.
• If the people you are trekking mountain gorillas with are slow, they may prolong the time you locate them.
• During the severe rainy season, the trek to find the mountain gorillas may be more challenging because you have to hike the slippery slopes if the mountain gorillas are lounging or feeding here.

What Are The Guidelines For Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda?

• Spitting on vegetation is forbidden because it contaminates the food for the mountain gorillas. They are generally vegetarian that depend on foliage like bamboo, soft leaves, fruits, stems, and others to survive.
• Littering in the forest is forbidden to leave the natural habitat to thrive and provide food for the mountain gorillas; when you dump items like plastic, they do not decompose, which alters the nature of the forest, which is a habitat for the mountain gorillas. 
• Stay in a tight group during gorilla trekking because surrounding the mountain gorillas when you locate them causes them to feel insecure and agitated. This may lead them to retreat into the deeper ends of the park.
• Using flash photography is not allowed because mountain gorillas are scared of new occurrences in their environment.
• If you catch any communicable infection like cholera, flu, or cough, Corona Virus, volunteer to stay behind so that you don't pass it to the gorillas. They are highly susceptible to human infections. The extent to which they may be affected may cause the so far conservation work done to go back to highly endangered.
• Eating or smoking 300 meters closer to the mountain gorillas is forbidden to prevent the chances of the gorillas grabbing it from you. Wild animals must search for their own food and not depend on human provision.
•  Burry all fecal materials beyond recognition so the animals in the forest cannot exhume them. Ask the ranger to dig a hole for you about 30 cm and cover it well.
• Avoid the mountain gorillas and use your handkerchief or elbow if you wish to sneeze or cough.
• Try not to talk loudly or make noise when going on a gorilla trekking because you may also scare the other forest dwellers that may be interesting to see.
•  Wearing a clean mask before meeting the mountain gorillas is an added rule for trekking after the Corona Virus Lockdown.
• The age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years and above because children below this age may not withstand the conditions in the forest. The time for locating the mountain gorillas has yet to be discovered. A child below this age may not withstand
• When you locate the mountain gorillas, only one hour is allowed with them. This is to let the gorillas go about there day to day activities. They have been habituated to be in the presence of humans for just that hour.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them. This reduces the chances of passing an infection to the mountain gorillas. 
• Provoking the mountain gorillas is unacceptable because you must know how this will treat them. They are very sensitive to anything that happens to them.

Contact us for more information.