Does Rwanda offer low season discounted gorilla permits?

Yes, Rwanda offers discounted gorilla permits in the low season. Rwanda discounted gorilla permits can also be referred to as Rwanda low season gorilla permits, and these are intended to make it affordable for different travelers to make it for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. The discounted gorilla permits in Rwanda are offered during the months of March to May and November. These are known to be the months of low season because of the rains that are expected in these months which usually hinder the gorilla trekking exercise.

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The idea of offering discounted gorilla permits in Rwanda was introduced in 2017 after the Rwanda Development Board increased the permit from $750 to $1500 per gorilla permit. The permit was increased to market the country as a luxurious safari destination in Africa, and so far, this venture has increased investors, with many investing in conferences and lodges. To make sure that the market base is balanced and to keep attracting tourists to Rwanda for gorilla trekking, the Rwanda Development Board announced a 30% discount on the increased price, making it $1050 per person.

How to get discounted gorilla permits in Rwanda

Discounted gorilla permits are not for everyone and if you wish to get a discount, you will be required to book a safari to Rwanda and not only visit Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking but also spend two or more nights at either Nyungwe Forest National Park or Akagera National Park. The cost of the gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $200 for East African Citizens and $500 for both foreign residents and citizens from other African countries. The discounts for the gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda include the following:

African citizens: $500

Corporates/organizations: 10% discount when permits are purchased in bulk, that is, 30 gorilla permits and above.

Families: Families get a discount of 15% on each permit purchase.

Tourists who have applied to visit Nyungwe National Park and Akagera National Park get a 30% discount on each permit purchase paying $1050 per person instead of the $1500 original cost of the gorilla permit. Contact us for more information.

Booking and purchase of gorilla permits in Rwanda

Booking and purchase of gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda is an easy process that can be done directly using the Rwanda Development Board website and through a trusted registered tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris. Some steps need to be followed when booking the gorilla trekking permit in Uganda and these are provision of the trek dates, personal information, making payments and the permit is only purchased after confirmation of payment.

Purchase of the gorilla permit: After deciding on the date, you wish to trek gorillas in Rwanda, you need to get in touch with the tour operator with your desired dates. You should come up with different dates for when the dates you want are already booked. The Rwanda Development Board is the only regulatory organization in the country that issues and prints gorilla trekking permits. After the dates have been provided, the tour operator will check for the availability of the permits on the provided dates. When the permits are available, you will be requested to make the necessary payments for the permit to be purchased.

You need to make payments for the permit as soon as possible because the permits are always in high demand. After the payments have been made, the permit will be purchased on your behalf, and thereafter, the scanned copy of the permit will be sent via email for record purposes. Upon arrival into the country, you will be handed your original gorilla permit and after the briefing, the permit will be collected from you and taken back to the RDB head offices.

Some of the personal details that are needed to print the permit include passport, date of birth, nationality and passport number. These details are used for identification purposes, especially on the trek day.

When to book for gorilla permits in Rwanda

Gorilla permits can be booked all year round but the best time is 3 to 6 months in advance for proper planning of the safari. The Mountain gorilla permits sell out fast during the dry/peak and rainy/shoulder season, and to ensure that you book your place in the trekking exercise, it has to be booked in advance through a registered tour operator or directly using the Rwanda Development Board website. When you book in advance, it helps you plan for the gorilla trekking safari on time including other services like accommodation and transport.

Rwanda usually has last-minute gorilla permits, especially during the rainy season from March to May and October to November. This is because few tourists are gorilla trekking during the rainy season. However, this shouldn’t be done often as seasons change, and you might miss out on gorilla trekking if you delay the purchase of the gorilla permits.

What happens after purchasing the gorilla permit?

After purchasing the gorilla permit, a scanned copy is sent for record purposes, and thereafter, it becomes your property till the morning of the trek. The gorilla permit will be collected by the park authorities who then take them back to the RDB Head offices. Purchasing the permit is the first step in organizing a gorilla trekking safari to Rwanda but it involves other services like transport and accommodation. You need to get in touch with the tour operator to help you decide and make the best decisions when it comes to accommodation and vehicle hire.

Cancellation of permits

When permits are canceled, some procedures are put in place before a cancellation is made. Tourists should learn more about the cancellation policy before making it. Note that the Rwanda Development Board does not offer refunds on permits and below is the policy that is followed when a cancellation is made.

• No refund is made if the permit is canceled 0 to 8 days before the trek date
• A 25% refund is made to the client if the permit is canceled 9 to 45 days before the trek date
• A 50% refund is made to the client if the permit is canceled 46 to 90 days before the trek date
• A 75% refund is made to the client if the permit is canceled 91 days or more before the trek date.

The rescheduling of permits in Rwanda

Reschedule of permits in Rwanda is solely done by the Rwanda Development Board and not operators. When rescheduling, you have to first write a formal letter to the Rwanda Development Board informing them about the reason why you need to reschedule and, if possible, make sure that you attach evidence of why you cannot make it for the trek date. Once the letter has been received, it will be reviewed, and a new date will be set, but the new date entirely depends on the availability of the permits on other dates. You need to be patient when reschedules are being made and Encounter Africa Safaris is here to help you with the reschedule and follow up on the letter. Note that Rwanda charges for every reschedule that is made, unlike Uganda, where the first two reschedules are free.

The cost of the Rwanda gorilla safari

The cost of the gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is affected by several factors and these determine if one is going to have a luxury, mid-range or budget-friendly safari. Rwanda is known to be a luxury safari destination and below are some of the factors that affect the cost of the gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda.

Accommodation: There are different accommodation categories that are used when it comes to safaris and these are budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities. The choice of facility that you choose depends on your budget and the amenities provided in each package. Talk with your tour operator to get the best choice for your comfort.

Transport: Getting to Volcanoes National Park is quite easy as the national park is just a 2 to 3-hour drive from Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. You can decide to privately hire your safari vehicle or let the guide help you with organizing transport throughout your safari. Some tourists prefer to fly to the National Park and this is a shorter time to travel but at the same time expensive. Road transport is the most commonly used mode of transport because it is cheap, and tourists get to enjoy the beautiful scenery as they drive to the National Park.

The number of people going for the safari: This depends on what the tourists want, but the larger the group of tourists traveling together, the cheaper the cost of the safari because many of the costs are shared, especially transport. Private gorilla safaris are usually expensive because all the safari costs are paid by one person.

The time of travel: Rwanda has two safari seasons including the dry/peak and the rainy/shoulder season. The dry season from June to September is an expensive time to travel to Rwanda for gorilla trekking because of the many tourists that visit the country, and this, in turn, leads to service providers increasing their fares. The rainy season, on the other hand, is a good time to travel for tourists who are on a budget because service providers offer discounts, especially accommodation.

Rwanda gorilla trekking rules and regulations

The Rwanda Development Board and other conservationists came up with gorilla trekking rules and regulations that trekkers have to follow. These rules not only keep the trekkers safe, but they also protect the endangered Mountain gorillas. Below are some of the gorilla trekking rules and regulations in Rwanda.

• Trekking groups have a maximum of an hour with the Mountain gorillas after finding them.
• No one below the age of 15 is allowed to trek gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
• Tourists have to leave a distance of 8 to 10 meters from the Mountain gorillas after locating them
• The camera flash has to be turned off always when taking photos of the Mountain gorillas. Gorillas are not used to it, and it is believed that they are scared of the flash, which is why they retreat further into the forest when it is used.
• Sick tourists will not be allowed to trek with Mountain gorillas to prevent human-to-gorilla infections that are extremely fatal to the Mountain gorillas
• Wash and sanitize your hands before the start of the trek
• All tourists have to attend the early morning briefing and failure to do so leads to being stopped from gorilla trekking.
• All human waste should be done in a hole of 30cm deep and you can ask the ranger guide to help you dig it. After you are through, you will be required to cover it up well so that the Mountain gorillas do not dig it up
• Sneezing and coughing should only be done away from the gorillas while you cover your mouth and nose.
• Minimize noise so as not to disturb the day-to-day routine of the Mountain gorillas
• Avoid touching the mountain gorillas.
• Smoking is illegal when close to the Mountain gorillas. Smoke affects the Mountain gorillas just like how it affects humans and that is why smoking is not allowed.
• Feeding the Mountain gorillas is prohibited.
• Eating and drinking close to the Mountain gorillas is not allowed.
• Spitting on the vegetation is not allowed because this is food for the gorillas, and when you spit on it, this might affect the Mountain gorillas, causing them harm.

What to bring for the gorilla safari in Rwanda

The right packing list with essentials for gorilla trekking in Rwanda includes neutral-colored clothes that include trousers and long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, scarves, waterproof rain jacket, ponchos, garden gloves, a waterproof backpack, knee-length hike boots, socks, flashlight, a camera with extra camera lenses, batteries and memory cards, binoculars, refillable water bottle, snacks, sunscreen, sunhat, insect repellent and toiletries among others. This is just a guide on what to bring, but you can still bring more; however, make sure that when you are packing, you do not pack over the weight limit.

Contact us for more information about gorilla permit discounts in Rwanda.