Rwanda Gorilla Permit Price For Foreigners, Foreign Residents, And East Africans

Rwanda gorilla trekking permits cost $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents, and $300 for East African residents. The Rwanda development board is responsible for selling and regulating the gorilla permits and all activities in the volcanoes national park.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is only done in volcanoes national park in the northwestern corner of Rwanda. The park has a number of other primates, including golden monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, and others.

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What Is Included In The Cost Of Rwanda Gorilla Permit

The cost of a Rwanda gorilla permit includes security during gorilla trekking, park entrance fees for the day of trekking as it last 24 hours, one hour with the mountain gorillas, ranger guide fees, gorilla conservation support, community support, and a certificate of having accomplished gorilla trekking adventure.

Mountain gorillas are some of the world's most endangered primate species, and funds to support their sustainable existence are collected through the sale of gorilla permits. More research is done with these funds, medication to treat the mountain gorillas when ill can be acquired, and so much more.

What Is Excluded In The Cost Of Rwanda Gorilla Permit?

Some exclusions of Rwanda gorilla permit cost include; porter cost. A porter is a person who helps you carry your gear and bags in the wilderness so that you are free to move with nothing pulling you back. The porter gives you a push when you are tired. All this they do at a small fee which they use to run their day-to-day life, like buying food, scholastic materials, and medical care to mention but a few.

The Rwanda gorilla permit cost excludes tips, accommodation during gorilla trekking, transport, and any other items of personal nature.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can help you put together a Rwanda gorilla package tailored to suit your desired activities and within your holiday time.

We have a great relationship with a number of service providers like lodges, driver guides, car hire, and other amenities that support your stay in Rwanda. We may negotiate some costs for you where necessary but with your consent. We have all categories of Rwanda safari packages, including luxury safaris, mid-range safaris, and budget safaris.

How Can I Book Rwanda Gorilla Permits?

You can book Rwanda gorilla permits through a tour operator or the Rwanda development board.

Choose a date when you hope to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda and the number of people or gorilla permits you wish to purchase. This helps not to keep moving back while searching for the availability of gorilla permits. Each day, only 8 gorilla permits are released for public booking per gorilla family to minimize disturbance.

In case of positive gorilla permit availability per your date, we request you to purchase your permit as soon as possible because they are sold out fast due to public high demand. Gorilla permits are reserved with payment, as purchasing the gorilla permit is the only way to confirm your seriousness in attending the gorilla safari. 

Note that a first come, first served basis is used to reserve gorilla permits in Rwanda.

How Many Gorilla Permits Does Rwanda Have?

Rwanda has 96 gorilla permits open for public booking from 15 gorilla families.

You must follow the rules of gorilla trekking to enjoy the entire experience. Mountain gorillas may be habituated to human presence. However, they still possess natural traits, so do not provoke them.

Can I Pay For A Rwanda Gorilla Permit In Instalment?

Paying fully for your Rwanda gorilla permit is the best choice; however, you can also purchase the gorilla permit in installments of 30% and 70%, respectively. This applies to those who buy book gorilla permits 90 days before the gorilla trekking date and remember to top up 90 days before the gorilla trekking date.

You are penalized for forgetting to top up before 90 days of gorilla trekking.

How Can I Get Reschedule Rwanda Gorilla Permit?

When you purchase the gorilla permit, you are ready to attend the gorilla trekking adventure; however, you may have to postpone your date due to unforeseen circumstances.

Procedure when requesting for Gorilla Permit Reschedule in Rwanda

Write to the Rwanda development board requesting for change of date for your gorilla permit. State the day to which you wish it to be moved and why you wish to move it. If you have any, attach evidence as backup for your gorilla permit rescheduling request.

Upon approval, your gorilla permit is moved per your request depending on the prevailing availability status per your new date.

Note; Rwanda Development Board charges a cost for rescheduling the gorilla permit.

When Can I Buy A Rwanda Gorilla Permit?

Rwanda gorilla permits are available all year round. However, most people hoping to travel in the peak safari season, which is June, July, August, September, December, And January, purchase their gorilla permits at least 6 months to a year prior.

This is because of the cutthroat competition to acquire gorilla permits worldwide, yet they are limited to a maximum of 8 permits per gorilla family.

It is taxing to buy a last-minute gorilla trekking permit on the ground or wait for resells because you need to find out their availability. 

During the low Rwanda safari season in March, April, May, and November, chances of last-minute gorilla permits are more open. 

Sometimes Rwanda Development Board offers discounted Rwanda gorilla permits; however, this is not a guarantee every year.

To be safe, purchase your Rwanda gorilla permits in advance to avoid last-minute disappointments.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

The time taken during gorilla trekking in Rwanda is still being determined because of the different changes within the forest and amongst the mountain gorilla families.

At times gorilla trekkers may take about 2 hours to locate the mountain gorillas, while others three-quarters of the day. When mountain gorillas feed from the slopes, especially during the severe rainy season, it is challenging to hike and locate the mountain gorillas.

The gorilla family may split in a family fight, so locating them may take some time.

When the dominant silverback is adventurous, the rest of the gorilla family members are forced to follow his hobby so they may get closer or deep into the forest.

You must be patient during the gorilla trekking safari because the mountain gorillas are free primates that are not restricted to where not to go in the forest.

What Is The Cost Of Rwanda Gorilla Safari

The gorilla permit cost for Rwanda cuts across all budgets, whether traveling luxury, mid-range, or budget. Other factors that make up the cost of Rwanda safari include

The number of days on the Rwanda gorilla safari

The higher the safari cost, the more days on the Rwanda gorilla safari. You may do 3-day gorilla trekking in Rwanda, 2-day gorilla safari in Rwanda, and more. Service providers like lodges charge per-day costs, so the more days, the higher the cost.

Time For Booking Rwanda Gorilla Safari

When you reserve your Rwanda gorilla safari in the peak season, the cost is high due to high demand, while low-season gorilla trekking safaris may have some discounts on gorilla permits, accommodations, and other service providers.

The Number Of Additional Activities To Combine With Rwanda Gorilla Safari

You can combine gorilla trekking with other activities like chimpanzee trekking and canopy walking in Nyungwe National Park, game drives and boat trips in Akagera National Park, Kigali city tour, and cultural experience in Rwanda. The more activities you add to gorilla trekking, the higher the cost.

Number Of People Joining Gorilla Trekking Tour

When more people join you for gorilla trekking, the less the per person cost as you get to share some safari amenities like transport costs, gas, driver guide cost, and others.

As a solo tourist on a gorilla safari, you incur all the costs included in the gorilla safari package.

Is The Cost Of a Rwanda Gorilla Permit Worth?

The gorilla trekking permit for Rwanda is $1500 per person per trek, which sounds hefty; however, it is worth it for an adventure with the mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas in Rwanda are some of the world's leftovers. Other countries that have mountain gorillas are Uganda and D.R.Congo only.

Gorilla permit sale was introduced to solicit gorilla conservation funds while reducing the animosity between humans and mountain gorillas. 

The money accumulated from the mountain gorilla permit sale is used to support mountain gorilla research, medical treatment, pay salaries for ranger guides, a potion to help the local community with their projects, and so much more.

When you purchase the gorilla permit, you support the mountain gorilla conservation for sustainability.

Are Rwanda Mountain Gorillas Aggressive?

To be opened for gorilla trekking, a gorilla family must first undergo habituation. Gorilla habituation is the process of getting a wild mountain gorilla family used to the presence of humans without altering their nature. The gorilla habituation process takes 2 years to more, depending on how they cope. 

When you meet the mountain gorillas, they may seem to mind their business as they keep nibbling at the foliage. You realize how serene and vulnerable they are despite their size when you are with them.

What Is The Age Limit For Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda?

15 years and above is the age limit for gorilla trekking in Rwanda because of a number of factors;

The time of locating the mountain gorillas is still being determined because of the movement of the mountain gorillas throughout the vast forest. A child below age 15 may get so tired to keep up with the gorilla trek.

Mountain gorillas are scary at a glance because of their sheer size and dark hairy bodies. A child below age 15 may fail to withstand the look of these gigantic primates and scream. Unfamiliar noise scares the mountain gorillas.

The nature of the topography of Volcanoes National Park is generally ragged, with plateaus and ridges where mountain gorillas may spend part of the day; you need to have some level of fitness to walk over to them. A child below the age of 15 may be unable to hike to the mountain gorillas.

What Must I Not Do During Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

• Please do not feed the mountain gorillas because they are wild animals that must not depend on human supply but fend for themselves.
• Keep a clean mask on when you locate the mountain gorillas as a measure adopted after the covid-19 pandemic to protect the mountain gorillas from catching human communicable infections.
• Volunteer to stay behind if you catch a communicable infection like flu, cough, covid 19, as mountain gorillas are highly susceptible to human infections. They have about 96% human genes.
• Littering in the forest is forbidden, especially with indecomposable garbage. It alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas thrive.
• Keep your voice low or quiet when searching for mountain gorillas because you may scare them. They are very conscience with intruders in the wilderness.
• Do not mimic the mountain gorillas when you locate them. You may not know what you may be saying.
• If you wish to eat or smoke, do it away from the mountain gorillas at least 300 meters away. This is to prevent chances of them pulling eats from you.
• When you locate the mountain gorillas, stay at a distance of about 8 meters from them to reduce the chances of contracting any infection from them or them. Retreat stealthily in case they approach you. 
• You are allowed 0ne hour in front of the mountain gorillas when you locate them. They are habituated to be in front of humans for just that time.
• When taking photos, do it without flash to prevent causing a stampede in the forest. Unfamiliar occurrences in the forest scare the mountain gorillas.

Contact us for more information.