Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holidays from Dubai and United Arab Emirates UAE

Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Dubai and the United Arab Emirates is one of the best safaris to do in Africa. Are you planning a Rwanda gorilla safari from Dubai? Are you planning a Rwanda safari holiday from UAE (United Arab Emirates)? If so here below, are the best guidelines to help you plan a memorable Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Dubai or United Arab Emirates-UAE. Rwanda is commonly known as the land of a thousand hills home to beautiful sceneries, warm and friendly people. Rwanda has 4 National Parks Volcanoes National Park home to Mountain Gorillas and golden monkeys, Akagera National Park home to Big 5 animals, Nyungwe Forest National Park home to chimpanzees and other primates and new national park Gishwati-Mukura National Park home to chimpanzees and golden monkeys as well other primates this makes Rwanda a great place for gorilla trekking and safari holiday from The United Arab Emirates or Dubai.

Things to know before planning a Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from UAE

Before booking a Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Dubai or United Arab Emirates (UAE), you need to get more information about it, ranging from whether to use a tour operator or not, different Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday options, the best time to book a Rwanda gorilla safari, where to go in Rwanda for a gorilla safari and so many other important things as below.

About Rwanda gorilla trekking

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is only done in Volcanoes National Park, Volcanoes National Park is located in the far northwest of Rwanda, home to the endangered mountain gorillas and rich montane vegetations of bamboo forests and open grasslands. Gorilla tracking at this park is done once daily with 8 individuals visiting a given guerrilla group per day. The visitors are expected to arrive at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) offices at 7 am where they are briefed about expectations and the does and don’ts when tracking gorillas and later distributed among the different mountain gorilla groups. Once the briefing is concluded and you are allocated a gorilla group, you will follow your armed ranger guide to start your trek in search of these gentle giants. Your trek can take anything from a few minutes to 6 hours depending on the location of the group that you are tracking. Once the insight into the group, you will be able to stay in their presence for only one hour. Remember the details shared in the briefing and endeavor to follow them for not only your own safety but that of the gorillas.

About Rwanda Safari Holiday

Are you planning to visit Rwanda for a wildlife experience and safari holiday? Akagera national park is the only game park in Rwanda where you can do wildlife viewing. The Park is located in the Eastern region and gives you the opportunity to spot the Big Five wildlife in Rwanda. Buffaloes and elephants are most common, but leopards are observed with increasing frequency on night game drives, and lion and black rhino’s population is growing. Other wildlife that you can see in Akagera on your Rwanda Safari Holiday include includes Maasai giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, warthog, olive baboon, vervet monkey, hippo, impala, Defassa waterbuck, bushbuck, common duiker, eland, topi, Bohor reedbuck, oribi, roan antelope, klipspringer, and the secretive semi-aquatic sitatunga. Spotted hyena, genet, civet, white-tailed mongoose, bush baby, elephant-shrew, and various species of owl and nightjar are often seen on night drives which you can opt to have night productions as well.

Akagera National Park was founded in 1934 and includes savannah, montane, and swamp habitats. The park is named for the Kagera River, which flows along with its eastern boundary, feeding into Lake Ihema and several smaller lakes. The complex system of lakes and linking papyrus swamps makes up over a third of the park, which is the largest protected wetland in Eastern-Central Africa. There are about 480 bird species in Akagera National park.

What are the popular Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Dubai and UAE

Below are the popular Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holidays;

• 2 Days Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda
• 3 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda
• 5 Days Gorilla and Golden monkey Trekking Safari in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda
• 5 Days Rwanda Gorilla and chimp trekking Safari

How to book a Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Dubai (UAE)

For you to book a Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Spain, you will need to have a your Rwanda gorilla permit secured in advanced from Rwanda Development Board to confirm that you are booked for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park for a given date as part of your Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from The United Arab Emirates and Dubia. Once you have your planned dates of travel confirmed we will need you to send us an email at so that we check for availability of gorilla permits online with the Rwanda Development Board once we confirm permits are available for your planned dates we will let you know so that we can send you an invoice for you to make payment for the permits. Once the payment is done and we have received it on our account we will go ahead and purchase your permits immediately and send you a scanned copy of the permits for your records and perusal, this will confirm you are booked for Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes Gorilla National Park, Rwanda. Once the gorilla permit is secured we will go ahead and book all other services of your holiday in advance accordingly.

How much is a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda

The Gorilla permit in Rwanda Costs $1500 Per person per trek for the Foreign non residents, $500 Per person for foreign residents and $300 for East African Citizens (Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan), this gives you an opportunity to spend one hour encounter with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda has 15 Gorilla families hence 96 Gorilla permits are available each day for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Getting gorilla permits in Rwanda can be done directly by booking them through Rwanda Development Board or through a trusted tour operator in Rwanda

How much does a Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Dubia and UAE cost?

The Gorilla permit price shares a much more cost for any Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from the United Arab Emirates and Dubia on top of other services like transport, accommodation and guiding. A gorilla permit costs USD1500 for the Foreign nonresident, USD500 for the foreign resident and USD300 for the East African Citizen per person per trek, this gorilla permit gives you an opportunity to spend one hour encounter with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. On top of the gorilla permit you will also pay other services for a successful gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda which include transport, accommodation and guiding. Our 3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Express Tour all inclusive costs from USD23750 per person sharing in a group of 2. Contact us here for more details and about other Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday options and we will book for you accordingly.

When should I book my Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from Dubai?

The best time for a safari in Rwanda and gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is during the months of June to October and December to March during this time it is a dry season in Rwanda with mild rainfall making it easy for the treks in the Forests, as well during this time the vegetation is not fully grown and it is easy for viewing the primates offering great sights for photographs. During the other months of April, May and November which is normally a wet season this makes the vegetations grow high making the sightings unclear however during this time the treks tend to be shorter given the fact primates don’t move further distances looking for food, food is readily available in the forest compared to the dry seasons. Seeing gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is possible throughout the year given the fact it is a very well organized activity and you have 99% chances of seeing them in their natural habitat.

Where to stay on a Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday from UAE?

Lodges in Volcanoes National Park range from Budget, mid-range to luxury options, Luxury options include Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Virunga Volcanoes Lodge, Five Volcanoes Hotels and Mountain Gorillas’ Nest Lodge. The price ranges from USD300 to USD1000 per person per night.

The Midrange lodge options at Volcanoes National Park include Mountain Gorilla View Lodge and Lebambou Gorilla Lodge, Davinci Lodge. For budget accommodation in Volcanoes National Park the options are many from basic accommodation to camping which include Kinigi Hotel, Hotel Muhabura, Gorilla Solution Lodge, Villa Gorilla, Virunga Hotel, Faraji Hotel and La Palme Hotel or Home Inn.

Lodges in Akagera National Park include Akagera Game Lodge, Akagera Rhino Lodge and Ruzizi Tented Camp. The prices range from USD300 to USD300 per person per night.

How to access Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking

Volcanoes National Park can be best accessed by road; the drive from Kigali town is just 2-3 hours drive to Volcanoes National Park. Your driver guide will meet you for a short briefing at the designated hotel then set off to the park through the beautiful sceneries of the 1000 hills of Rwanda giving you an opportunity for a stop for photographs and sightseeing.

Other Top things to do on your Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holiday

Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park

Do you dream of seeing the Mountain gorillas in the Wild up close, the mountain gorillas are the famous attraction in volcanoes national park with gorilla trekking happening every day throughout the year and this is a must do. Gorilla trekking is an activity that involves visiting the habituated endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environment, as you view the way they feed, move, rest and live in harmony. Volcanoes National Park has 10 habituated gorilla families for trekking every day, only 8 visitors per gorilla family are allowed to trek every day. The chances of seeing the mountain gorillas are 99% as you are guided by trackers, guides and park rangers. Gorilla trekking starts every day in Kinigi at 7:00am with briefing on guidelines to follow while on the trek, even though the gorillas have 99% DNA as the humans, they still remain wild and you are advised to follow the dos and don’ts from the guides. The gorilla trek can take 30 minutes to more hours depending on the movement and location of the gorillas in the forest. For one to be allowed to do gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, you must have a Rwanda gorilla permit for a particular date secured from Rwanda development board.

Golden Monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park

Golden monkey tracking is done in Volcanoes national Park. Golden Monkey tracking refers to visiting the rare and very beautiful golden monkeys in their natural environment. Volcanoes national park has two habituated golden monkey communities for trekking every day, these communities have about 80 members each and the number of visitors is not limited. The golden monkey trekking permit costs USD100 for all nationals and can be obtained from Rwanda development board to allow you to visit the endangered golden monkeys. The activity starts at the park headquarters at 7:00am with a briefing on dos and don’ts by the park wardens and later the park guides and rangers lead you to the forest to find them, you can walk for 30minutes to hours depending on the location and movement of the golden monkeys, once you find them you are allowed to view and stay with them for only one hour and after you return.

Visiting Dian Fossey Tomb and Hike

Dain Fossey tomb tour is one the most famous activities done in volcanoes national park by visitors. It is one hour hike to the tomb from Karisoke research camp. The Dian Fossey Memorial hike which is derived from the famous primatologist and Zoologist Dian Fossey from America who spent all her life in the volcanoes protecting the endangered gorillas from extinction and created awareness in the local communities around Volcanoes National Park. She was killed by the alleged poachers and was buried in the park and a memorial was built. She is also famous for participating in the film “gorillas in the mist”. The hike is about 2,500m to 3,000m, this trail leads to the tomb of the late Dian who fought and rescued the endangered mountain gorillas and sensitization on conservation promoted gorilla tourism. Celebrating her charisma, love for the Mountain gorillas, her research and the history makes this experience incredible.

Iby’Iwacu cultural experience

African cultures are very unique and interesting and worth experiencing while you plan to visit Volcanoes national Park. The Rwanda culture is one that is most enjoyable and to take part in, The locals used to stay in the forest and even took part in poaching of the endangered species, there were later evacuated and organized into a village, the Iby’Iwacu village is found in volcanoes national park in Nyabigoma, Kinigi, Musanze district, Northern Province of Rwanda. We always tailor trips with cultural experience to volcanoes national park for you to have an incredible time, visiting the Iby’Iwacu people, you will share with local people's home and heritage treasures including lifestyles, activities, artifacts, dances and ways of living of local people. Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village showcases the ways of life, traditional practices and dances to Visitors.

Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park

Chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda is done in Nyungwe National Park and Gishwati-Mukura National Park.

Game viewing in Akagera National Park

Game viewing in Rwanda is only done in Akagera National Park giving you an opportunity to see all the Big 5 animals. Akagera National Park is a home to populations of lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino and buffalo making it one of the best wildlife viewing in East Africa.

Boat excursions on Lake Kivu

Rwanda has various lakes and rivers providing great places for boat excursions and cruises, the major lake is Lake Kivu one of the Great African Lakes offerings activities which include Swimming, Hiking and biking along the shores, Water trips and cruising, a visit to Nyamirundi Island, a visit to the Imbabazi orphanage, Wind surfing and other water sports.

Mountain Hiking

Rwanda is majorly a hilly place which made it be tagged as the place of 1000 hills, with this Rwanda offers great places for hikers and adventure seeking travelers. The prominent Mountains for Hiking in Rwanda are found in Volcanoes National Park, which encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. Contact us here and we will book for you a volcano hiking adventure in Rwanda.

Why book your safari holiday with Encounter Africa Safaris

Founded in 3003, Encounter Africa safaris takes pride in customizing tailor-made primate safaris in Rwanda. It has a very diligent and trustworthy team. Your queries are answered within 20 minutes by our team of professional tour consultants. These consultants will make you a travel plan for you, answer to all your questions and make sure all your services are booked in advance for you to avoid inconveniences and you will be able to feel the worth for the money you will spend your gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. We also have very knowledgeable safari guides depending on your language preferences. It all depends on your preference. Feel free to contact us here.