Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa

Are you planning Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa? Are you aware that booking a gorilla trip holiday and Rwanda safari can be done online without hassle? In this write-up, we will show you how to book your Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari tours from South Africa on your laptop. If you are in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, East London, Soweto, Kimberley, Soweto, or any other city in South Africa? We will show you what Rwanda has to offer outside gorilla trekking which is absolutely a highlight of all activities in Rwanda. We will enlighten you on how to book your travel services such as gorilla permits, accommodation as well as transport.

Selected Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari tours from South Africa

• 2 Day Rwanda gorilla tour
• 3 Day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari
• 5 Day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari trip
• 5 Day Rwanda gorilla and cultural tour
• 5 Day Rwanda gorilla and chimp trekking safari
• 6 Day Nyungwe chimps and Lake Kivu safari
• 11 Day Rwanda- Uganda combined safari
• 15 Day Rwanda Uganda ultimate safari

How to book Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari tours from South Africa

There three ways in which you can book your Gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa online. You can choose to do it yourself by contacting all service providers in Rwanda, you can choose to hire the services of a local tour operator to handle all your booking requirement or you can instead contact a Tour operator in Canada to do the work for you.

Booking Rwanda safaris and gorilla trips by yourself online

You can base in South Africa and contact the Rwanda development board for gorilla permits and park entry fees, contact Lodges and Hotels in Rwanda as well as organizing your transport by contacting Car hire services. Most of these service providers have websites and their contacts online. Most people who prefer doing it on their own want to avoid middlemen and any charges. It's true that tour operators will charge some fee to organize your safari to Rwanda and by doing it yourself, you will have avoided it. The only disadvantage with is method is that there is some bit of delay in responses from respective offices and also it is hard to know who is trustworthy. You may end up wasting a lot of time and your money may end up in the wrong hands.

Hiring services of a Local Tour operator in East Africa

Most Tour Operators in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda will assist you in organizing your Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa. This is because East Africa is one block and Tour operators in any of these countries can assist you. Contacting a Local Tour operator saves you time and money since they are on the ground and contacting service providers like the Rwanda Development Board for gorilla permits and park entry fees is easy. Also dealing with Lodges and hotels is much swifter and easy compared to you doing it on your own. Local tour operators also own some vehicles so organizing your transfers and transport to tourist sites becomes much simpler. Even in situations where they don’t have enough vehicles, they will hire to make sure that everything is taken care of.

There so many tour operators online who can do the job for you but you need to be cautious when selecting one of them. The best procedure to get the best out of your online searches is to establish if the said Local tour operator is fully registered and licensed to carry out Safaris in East Africa and Rwanda if it belongs to any Tour and Travel Association in the region as well as Trip Advisor reviews.

About Encounter Africa safaris

Encounter Africa safaris is a fully registered tour Operators offering Safari tours to all Countries in the East African region including Rwanda. We have been organizing Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari holidays on behalf of our clients, including many visitors from South Africa, Canada, the United States of America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Encounter Africa is fully registered and licensed by Uganda Tourism Board. We work very closely with Rwanda Development Board and Rwanda lodges to deliver your Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trip requirements. We are highly reviewed on safari bookings and trip advisor thus making us one of the few trusted local tour operators you can trust. We have a team of well-trained and professional staff who work in our office and others are guides. We have been in this business of organizing Rwanda and East African safaris for 13 years and when contacted, you will find delight in what we have to offer.

Contacting a Tour Operator in South Africa

There so many tour operators in South Africa who offer tours to Rwanda for gorilla trekking and other safari holidays in this beautiful country. If contacted, they will diligently provide all information you need from booking Rwanda gorilla permits, accommodation, and transport. In short, they will tailor your Rwanda safari to suit your interest, time, and budget. On top of what you will be charged, they will add some profit.

Encounter Africa safaris also works hand in hand with international Tour Operators who contact us to arrange Rwanda gorilla tracking and Safari holidays on behalf of their clients. While doing this, we handle it professionally by using all materials belonging to your company such as uniforms for guides and stickers on our vehicles. In short, we act as your ground handler and take care of all your clients' safari requirements while in Rwanda. Are you a Tour Operator in South Africa looking for a reliable local tour operator to handle requests for Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa? Look no more than Encounter Africa safaris is here to handle all your requests.

10 Things to consider while booking Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa.

Are you planning to visit Africa and Rwanda for the first time and you need more information about this beautiful country? Below are important things you need to know before organizing a gorilla trekking trip and safari holiday from South Africa.

Tour activities to do and see in Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the five East African countries with so much to see and do. While in Rwanda, you can opt for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park which is absolutely the number one primate activity in Africa. Other primate excursions include golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes NP, chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe as well as game viewing in Akagera National Park. For those who love to spend more time close to a lake, you can book a Lakeside excursion on Lake Kivu. Kigali has been voted as the cleanest city in Africa and a city tour is absolutely rewarding. You can also combine your safari with the community and cultural tours in Rwanda to learn more about the people of Rwanda. So, for you to enjoy Rwanda, you need 8-10 days so that you enjoy a relaxed trip while in the country of a thousand hills. Encounter Africa safaris

Where can I trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda?

Are you planning to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking? Mountain gorillas in Rwanda live in Volcanoes National Park where 10 mountain gorilla families have been habituated for tourism. For one to have a chance to see these endangered species, he or she must hold a valid gorilla permit. A gorilla permit is a document that allows the holder to spend one hour with mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

How much is Rwanda's gorilla permit?

A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500 per person per trek and includes one hour with mountain gorillas of a given habituated family in Volcanoes National Park. It also includes services of a ranger guide, security, park fees for a day, and a certificate after your gorilla trek. The trek or hike to see mountain gorillas can take 30 minutes or a whole day but once you find gorillas, you may spend only one hour observing and taking photographs or simple videos.

You can book your gorilla permit directly by contacting the Rwanda Development board by Phone or email or pass through a Tour operator like Encounter Africa safaris. Please send us dates when you intend to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking and we will check the availability of permits on the day. Once we find availability, we will request you to make payment so that we pay for your gorilla permits. Encounter Africa safaris accept both wire transfers and credit card payments. After securing your gorilla permit, we will send you scanned copies for your records.

How much does a Rwanda gorilla trekking and Safari tour cost?

A Rwanda safari trip is composed of activities, accommodation, and transport. If you book your Rwanda gorilla trekking and Safari trips from South Africa via a Tour operator, they will add a small margin to cater for their profits and administration costs. Depending on the number of days, activities, type of Lodges ( Budget, Mid-Range, or Luxury), transport (Vans versus Land cruiser’s), the price of your Rwanda tour may be high or low.

Summary and brief Rwanda safari costs and prices to consider

Price of Gorilla, chimp and Golden monkey permits.

Rwanda being a primary primate safari country, you need to consider how much it costs to trek mountain gorillas, chimps, and or golden monkeys when estimating the costs of a Rwanda safari. Please note that depending on your interest, you can trek mountain gorillas, chimps, or golden monkeys multiple times. Contact Encounter Africa safaris for more information about multiple primate treks.

• Volcanoes National Park gorilla permits cost $1500 per person
• Nyungwe forest Chimpanzee permits cost $100 per person per trek
• Goldeon monkey permits cost $100 per person per trek
• Tips should be between $15-20 for ranger guides and waiters

Price of Accommodation in terms of Lodges and Hotels

Rwanda as a Tourist destination has spent a lot in investing in Luxury, Mid-Range, and Budget Lodges. Depending on your budget, a Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trip from Canada will see you consider the below for your accommodation.

• Budget Lodges and Campsites are at $40-60 per person per night sharing
• Mid-Range Lodges and Hotels are at $150-300 per person per night sharing
• Luxury or High-end Lodges are at $500-3000 or more per person
• Meals range from $15-30 or more depending on the Lodge or Hotel

Price of transportation in terms of vehicles

While looking at the price of Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa to Rwanda, you need to consider the way you will move from one place to another while on safari. Transport, therefore, is very important when planning your Rwanda safari trip. Depending on your budget, you can choose to use Safari vans or Luxury Land cruisers. All vehicles come with a Safari guide/drive but exclude fuel.

• Price of a Safari Van is around $100-150 per day including a driver guide
• Price of a Luxury Land cruise is around $300-400 per day including a driver guide
• Fuel cost estimates should be one litre of fuel for 8-9 kilometers.

Company Mark up or Profit

If you want to book your Rwanda safari swiftly and without hassle, we recommend hiring the services of a Local Tour operator. This company with charge a small portion of the safari price as profit. Most companies will charge 5% of the total as their profit. Ensure that you contact many Safari companies and compare prices.  Please note that some tour operators will under quote in order to win business. Take time to appreciate things like the information provided before deciding, the response rate from tour operators, reviews on trip advisor as well as whether such a company is fully registered and licensed.

What other things do I need to know beforehand?

When planning your Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa, you need to ask your preferred Tour operator, the best time to visit Rwanda, the best time to book your gorilla or chimpanzee permits, traveling to Rwanda during covid 19 (Very important). Age limit for gorilla trekking and other primate safaris, Cancellations, and refund policies as well as what to pack for your Rwanda gorilla trekking and safari trips from South Africa to Rwanda.