How much will it cost to see gorillas and chimps in Rwanda in 2024-25?

How much does seeing gorillas and chimps in Rwanda cost in 2024-25? The cost of the gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda starts with securing the permits. Rwanda Development Board is responsible for selling and regulating gorilla and chimpanzee permits in Rwanda. At the moment, the cost of gorilla and chimpanzee permits in Rwanda is:

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

Rwanda's current chimpanzee permit cost is $100 per person per trek.

The cost of accommodations during gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda ranges from luxury to mid-range to budget. It is best to spend the night before the gorilla or chimpanzee trek within or closer to Volcanoes National Park or Nyungwe National Park, respectively. This allows you to walk to the briefing quickly before these adventures.

You need to consider the transportation cost to Rwanda's gorilla and chimpanzee trekking destinations. This includes vehicle hire, driver guide fee, gas, and other transport costs. 

The cost of gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda is determined by the number of days you spend on the safari, the number of people traveling with you for the gorilla and chimpanzee safari, the time of booking this primate safari, and others.

Where to do gorilla safari in Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park in the southwestern sector of Rwanda is the only home to mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park is watched by five of the six Virunga Volcanoes that is Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Bisoke, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Karisimbi. The mountain gorillas sometimes spend part of their day along the slopes of these highlands, so you need to hike, too.

About 15 gorilla trekking families are currently open for public booking in Rwanda. Some Rwanda gorilla families include Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Umubano, Susa, Hirwa, and others.

Other inhabitants of Volcanoes National Park include golden monkeys, over 300 bird species, including Albertine rift endemics, other primates, and so much more. While in Volcanoes National Park, you can hike to Diane Fossey's grave, where the remains of the mountain gorilla hero were finally rested.

Where to do chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda?

Nyungwe National Park is the only home to Rwanda chimpanzees. The Gisaku reception center is where chimpanzee trekking briefings occur before tourists are allocated the chimpanzee troops to trek. While searching for chimpanzees in Rwanda, you follow different trails constructed by regular visitors of Nyungwe National Park.

On the outskirts of Nyungwe National Park is a community of chimpanzees at Cyamudondo. Although these chimpanzees are semi-habituated, they are quicker to find because their habitat is not vast. Two chimpanzee safari sessions happen each day in the morning and afternoon.

While in Nyungwe National Park, you can also participate in a canopy walk over the rainforest and spot other primates like blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, and others.

What is the Cost of Gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda?

At Encounter Africa safaris, we cost our gorilla and chimpanzee safaris according to luxury, mid-range, and basic packages. The gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permit is the common cost among all packages.

The cost of the Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee safari is determined by:

Number of days on gorilla and chimpanzee safari

Two days gorilla safari or chimpanzee safari is the least number of days you can be on Rwanda gorilla safari with day one arrival day into Volcanoes National Park or Nyungwe National Park and second of Gorilla trekking plus departure day. The more days you are on gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda, the higher the safari cost.

Most safari service providers, like accommodations, driver guides, and car hire, charge per-day costs. The higher the safari cost, the more days on gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda.

Time of booking the Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee safari 

During the peak tourism seasons in Rwanda, the cost of logistics that support this primate safari is high due to high demand worldwide. The increased tourism period in Rwanda is June, July, August, September, December, and January. Most service providers in Rwanda, like accommodation, vehicle hire, and driver guides, charge gross prices and cannot discount them.

The low tourism season may come with discounted gorilla and chimpanzee safaris. The gross cost of a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is $1500 per person, but during the low season, this Rwanda permit is discounted by 10%, which is $1050 per person. This Rwanda gorilla permit discount is only applicable as long as you have at least two nights in Nyungwe National Park or Akagera National Park. 

Last-minute gorilla and chimpanzee permits for Rwanda are hard to find at the last minute, so booking is required. A maximum of 8 gorilla permits are opened to the public each day to book per gorilla family.

The number of people travelling for gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda

Each eligible person must pay for the permit when traveling with other people for the gorilla and chimpanzee safari. The age limit for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is 15 years and over, while the age limit for chimpanzee trekking is 15 years and over.

Suppose you have company during the gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda. In that case, you get to share expenses like vehicle hire, fuel, accommodation costs in case you are booked in twin or double rooms, driver guide fee, and others.

Accommodation cost on gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda

The cost of accommodations to use during gorilla and chimpanzee safaris is categorized into Upmarket, Mid-range, and Basic. You need to know the service plan of each accommodation cost because some facilities offer an entire board, Half Board, Bed and breakfast, and Bed only. This helps with better planning for your expenditure during Rwanda's gorilla and chimpanzee safari.

Most safari accommodations in Rwanda charge per-day costs.

Volcanoes accommodations: Gorilla Nest, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Hotel Muhavura, Kinigi Guest House

Nyungwe accommodations: Gisaku Guest House, Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Nyungwe House, Gisaku Family Hostel

Cost of Other Rwanda safari activities to Combine with Gorilla and chimpanzee safari

Other than gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, you can also engage in Rwanda's cultural experience to learn about the Rwandese's behavior. You may participate in weaving, pottery, or a geometric array of neutral and bright color paintings. Nyakarimbi is where you can do such exciting artwork. 

Taking a game drive and boat ride in Akagera National Park allows you to see some of Rwanda's wild animals, like elephants, waterbucks, herds of elephants, zebras, cape buffaloes, and others.

 The cost of participating in Rwanda's arts and crafts activities depends on what you do.

Do a Kigali city tour where you may visit the Kandt house, Rwanda commercial centers, genocide, and coffee shops to taste the aromas of Rwanda coffee brewed to the best.

The canopy walk over Nyungwe National Park on the suspension bridge is a one-of-a-kind experience. You get to enjoy the view of the evergreen Nyungwe forest and the beautiful features that form its topography.

Doing golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park gets you closer to some of the other endangered primates of Rwanda. Golden monkeys are a special monkey species that is charming to watch while carrying out their daily activities in the wilderness. You must secure a gorilla permit to do golden monkey trekking in Rwanda.

Cost of Transport to Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park

Hiring a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle is most comfortable for navigating the different gorilla and chimpanzee safaris during the Rwanda safari. 

The transport cost includes fuel costs, driver guide fees, and other transport-related expenses. The drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park is about 3 hours. Public transport stops in Musanze. If you are traveling by public means, you have to hire a transfer vehicle.

Charter flights are available from Kigali airport to Volcanoes National Park or Nyungwe National Park, but booking is required to make all necessary air clearances in time.

Make plans to carry hard cash for gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda.

You must carry hard cash for your gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda. Using a credit card in Rwanda is not a common means of exchange because obtaining money from them is lengthy. In Rwanda, it may be challenging to use credit card machines because not so many people are trained to use them.

When you arrive in Rwanda, you can exchange the cash for Rwandese Franks, which you may use to make personal purchases like obtaining souvenirs, tipping, paying for drinks, and other personal expenses.

Budget for the gear to pack for the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris require special gear like safari boots, a hat, a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, insect repellant, garden gloves, rainproof gear, and a camera. The colors you use during the gorilla safari must be wilderness friendly, like tan and Khaki, and avoid colors like white, black, and blue as these may attract stinging insects like tsetse flies.

There is no need to over-pack, but carry what is relevant for your gorilla and chimpanzee trekking Rwanda safari. Carrying a lot in your bags for the gorilla and chimpanzee safari may cause you to be uncomfortable while traveling since you need enough legroom.

You must hire a porter to carry some of your belongings during the gorilla and chimpanzee trek. This is because the terrain of Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park is quite steep for you to walk with your backpack. A porter is a person who helps you carry your belongings while you search to find mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. The porter may also push you when you are tired while searching for the mountain gorillas.

How safe are Gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda?

Rwanda's gorilla and chimpanzee safaris are safe because the Rwanda Development Board uses well-trained ranger guides to support these activities. Each day, a team of ranger guides patrols Volcanoes or Nyungwe National Park to establish the forest condition before tourists can walk in the forest.

Before the gorilla and chimpanzee trek, tourists are taken through briefing sessions to be equipped with the rules and guidelines of this primate adventure in Rwanda. At least each tourist group is escorted by two ranger guides, one holding a machete and another carrying a rifle for emergencies.

The ranger guides also coordinate security matters of Nyungwe and Volcanoes forest with other security forces of Rwanda to maintain Law and order in this park.

On an individual basis, only enter the forest with an escorting ranger guide because you may encounter unhabituated forest dwellers.

What are to pack for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda

• Sunscreen to wear while sunbathing and relaxing at the pool of your hotel or lodge
• Wear warm clothes because Rwanda is generally cold all day, and the morning hours are extremely cold.
• Tracking boots in case you are doing gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking because the jungle is boggy and rough
• Sleeveless to wear during game drives, especially when the temperatures are high.
• Garden gloves to wear during the gorilla trekking experience because the trails you follow have overgrown creepers you can get hold of for a tighter grip.
• Energy snacks to munch on during different activities in Rwanda.
• A camera to take photos of your gorilla and chimpanzee experience in Rwanda
• Light waterproof bag from which to carry your belongings while you go about your activities on honeymoon in Rwanda
• Another camera battery to exchange with when one runs low 
• Rainproof gear for emergency downfalls, especially during trekking activities like forest walks, gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and others 
• Use insect repellant to smear your body while in the wilderness. The jungle has stinging insects that may bite you.

Contact us to plan your safari to see the gorillas and chimps in Rwanda, and please check out ourtrip advisorfor reviews.