Planning Rwanda gorilla trekking safari from Arusha, Tanzania

Planning a Rwanda gorilla trekking safari from Arusha, Tanzania. Suppose you plan to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda from Arusha, Tanzania. In that case, you must obtain a Rwanda gorilla permit and an East African visa in case you must possess it before entering both countries. Tanzania is in the East African community, and so is Rwanda, so purchasing the East African Visa gives you access to two of the East African countries other than having to reapply for each country's entry visa. 

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The gorilla permit is the entry ticket for gorilla trekking in Rwanda, specifically Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is one of the few homes to the only living mountain gorillas in the world. 15 gorilla permits are open to public booking in Rwanda, that is, 96 gorilla permits per day.

You need transport to connect from Arusha, Tanzania, to Kigali Airport, then to Volcanoes National Park. Air transport is the most convenient to avoid the long drive from Arusha to Rwanda. 

There are daily international flights from Dar-el-Salaam International Airport to Kigali Airport, from which you can connect with a three-hour drive to Volcanoes National Park.

Charter flight services are available from Kigali airport to Volcanoes National Park for those wishing to take an exclusive gorilla safari experience in Rwanda. 

Having a gorilla permit is the only guarantee to doing a gorilla safari in Volcanoes National Park. The Rwanda Development Board is the gorilla permit-selling and regulating body. One must secure their Rwanda gorilla permit in advance as they sell out fast because of high demand, yet supply is limited to a maximum of 8 per gorilla family per day. This is for mountain gorilla conservation purposes as the mountain gorillas can be frightened by the big crowds and even the effects of mass tourism on the environment where they live.

How To Plan Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda Through Tanzania 

Book A Rwanda Gorilla Permit

As previously stated, the gorilla permit is key in organizing gorilla safaris in Rwanda. A Gorilla permit is a document that allows tourists a chance to spend an hour with fully habituated mountain gorillas. Since Rwanda gorilla permits are limited to a maximum of 8 per family, they sell out fast, especially during the peak tourism season.

It is best to secure your gorilla permits at least 6 months to a year upfront to avoid last-minute panic as you seek a chance to find a gorilla permit. You need to find a day when you want to do gorilla trekking plus the people you are traveling with, then check for permit availability. Upon finding gorilla permit availability, it is safer to secure the gorilla permit as soon as possible as their status changes in a short time.

You can book the gorilla permit through Encounter Africa Safaris, as we are one of the few accredited companies to have access to the Rwanda Development Board Gorilla permit list. We can also help you plan your gorilla safari right from securing the gorilla permits, accommodations, on-ground transport, airport pick up, and pre-tour accommodation. You may also directly enquire from the Rwanda Development Board.

Book Accommodation To Use On Rwanda Gorilla Safari

After securing the gorilla permit in Rwanda, accommodation is the next in the queue. Since gorilla trekking in Rwanda starts early morning with a briefing, you need to secure accommodation within or at the outskirts of Volcanoes National Park. This is to avoid having to rise early and drive in the dark to catch up with briefing early in the morning at ORTPN.

Volcanoes National Park has a range of accommodation facilities categorized into Luxury, Mid-range, and Budget. 

Volcanoes National Park Accommodations: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, 

Hotel Muhavura, La Palme Hotel, Kinigi Guest House, Hotel Mille Collines 

Secure Transport to Volcanoes National Park

From Kigali Airport, you take a drive of about 3 hours to Volcanoes National Park in the Northwestern Part of Rwanda. You need a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle as the terrain of the countryside roads gets messy as you approach the park. During the severe rainy seasons, the ground gets soggy and slippery as you get to Volcanoes National Park.

You drive through meandering roads as Rwanda is a land of a thousand hills. 

You can charter from Kigali Airport to Volcanoes National Park in case you wish to take a private and luxury gorilla safari experience in Rwanda.

Book Additional Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking

Other than the Gorilla trekking experience, Rwanda has other activities you can participate in. Some of these Rwanda safari activities include game drives in Akagera National Park, Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park, a Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park, a Genocide memorial visit, a Boat ride on Lake Ihema in Akagera National Park, Kigali city tour and others.

In case you have extra time on holiday in Rwanda, our safari consultant can work with you to plan an itinerary within your budget and time frame. 

How Much Is A Gorilla Trekking Permit For Rwanda?

To purchase the gorilla permits for Rwanda, the cost per permit is $1500 per person per trek for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents, and $300 for East African residents.

The Rwanda gorilla permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. During the high season, the Rwanda gorilla permits sell out in advance of the season because of their limited supply. For conservation reasons, only a maximum of 8 permits are opened to public booking per day. The fewer people allowed into the forest, the more food is left for the mountain gorillas to feed on. 

Mountain gorillas feed on foliage with bamboo as their delicacy, seasonal fruits, sprouts, tubers, soft stems, and any other vegetation great for their test. This is why the number of their visitors is regulated per day.

What is included in a gorilla permit cost for Rwanda? 

When you purchase a gorilla permit for Rwanda, it contains the ranger guide fees, park entrance fees, certificate after gorilla safari, local community support, security while on a gorilla tour, government tax, and mountain gorilla conservation support.

What is excluded from the gorilla permit cost for Rwanda? 

The gorilla permit cost excludes the snacks for re-energizing while on a gorilla safari adventure, accommodation, tips, porter fee, and any other items of a personal nature.

Is The Cost of a Rwanda Gorilla Permit Worth the Money?

Gorilla trekking is a noble adventure for fundraising money from selling gorilla permits. These funds are used to support conserving the mountain gorillas and their habitat. Mountain gorillas were some of the most highly endangered primates in the world, as per the census carried out in the 1980s by American primatologist Dian Fossey.

One of the ways to support the mountain gorilla conservation efforts was to sell gorilla permits and bring humans to understand the secrets of the jungle where mountain gorillas are champions. 

Each penny you spend on gorilla safari is well used for the right purpose, like patrolling the gorilla habitat, mountain gorilla medication, training ranger guides, community awareness, and so much more.

The efforts to support mountain gorillas' conservation have yielded some fruits, as the recent census showed that over 1000 mountain gorillas live in the world from 300 mountain gorillas in the 1980s.

Is Gorilla trekking Safari In Rwanda Strenuous?

The topography of the Virunga area is generally mountainous because of the volcanic action in this area. Volcanoes National Park comprises five volcanoes: mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Karisoke, Mountain Bisoke, and Mountain Sabyinyo.

These highlands influence the geography of Volcanoes National Park and where the mountain gorillas spend most of their time. Sometimes, you must hike to find where the mountain gorillas may be lounging or feeding. 

You are required to have some level of fitness to maneuver the challenges of the jungle. You can hire a porter to carry your gorilla safari gear to avoid getting extremely exhausted while you trek to find the mountain gorillas. The porter can also give you a push in case you get tired while hiking.

Request a walking stick to give you extra support while you hike to find the mountain gorillas.

Even wear the right gorilla safari gear to protect your feet from getting hurt while walking in the jungle.

During gorilla safari, the ranger guides lead the way to create a path for you while you trek to find the mountain gorillas. The jungle is tangled with thick vegetation, especially creepers that drape over ridges, making it a challenge to get to where the mountain gorillas may be.

Are mountain gorillas in Rwanda aggressive?

Mountain gorillas are serene primates despite their scary outlook. Physically, mountain gorillas are huge with dark, hairy bodies. They walk by knuckle locomotion, which is quite scary at a glance. The time you are with the mountain gorillas, you get to know the truth about the misconception people have about their traits.

They are generally calm and offer less resistance to their visitors. When you approach, the mountain gorillas remain munching in the vines as though saying it is you again okay!

Following gorilla trekking rules is key to a successful time with the mountain gorillas, as only one hour is allowed before their primates. While with the mountain gorillas, you need to keep a distance of at least 8 meters from the mountain gorillas to avoid direct contact with these primates.

Avoid staring into the dark brown sunken eyes of the mountain gorillas because they are shy primates. Mountain gorillas live secretively in the jungle and love their free space, so intruders easily agitate them. The dominant silverback would like to show off his autonomy to the visitors, so you have to abide by his rules to have the best of your Gorilla trekking experience.

When angry, the mountain gorillas thump their chests, pull grass around them, hoot, and dash into the forest. It is not time that when this happens, the mountain gorillas are angry with visitors. It would be best to wait for the ranger guides to observe and give a way forward before rushing and causing a stampede in the forest. Sometimes, it's a family feud or an attack from another gorilla family.

How Can I be safe on Gorilla safari In Rwanda?

Gorilla safari is safe because the gorilla family is fast habituated to human presence before being opened. The gorilla habituation process helps wild mountain gorillas get used to human presence without altering their nature. Professional researchers do this and trackers for an unknown period until the mountain gorillas are proven ready for visitors. 

At least two ranger guides who are well-trained and experienced in the jungle escort each group of tourists.

Rangers guided a group of tourists carrying protective gadgets like a machete and rifle radio call in case backup was required. An emergency team is on standby just in case the need arises in the jungle.

Tourists must also pay attention to personal safety by not walking in the jungle without an escorting ranger guide, as other forest dwellers can attack them. Even teasing or provoking the mountain gorillas is dangerous because you may not know what you are communicating.

Carrying your gear like safari boots, hat, and insect repellant protects you from getting hurt while walking through the jungle.

Doing pre-tour exercises saves you from getting muscle pulls while you trek in the forest to find the mountain gorillas. The way is strenuous, and you can get muscle pulls that may slow you down. Stretch your muscles more to get used to a longer journey before the gorilla safari.

What Is The Age Limit For Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda?

15 years and beyond is the age limit for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. This is because the time of finding the mountain gorillas is still being determined, yet children below this age may get frustrated with waiting to locate these primates. Even the mountain gorillas look scary at a glance, which a child below 15 years may not withstand.

As the mountain gorillas live in a hilly area, you may be required to hike, which a child below 15 years may not withstand.

Are you in Arusha, Tanzania, and you are planning to trek in Rwanda? We are ready to assist you and plan your safari today. Please contact us for more information.