Reasons why Rwanda has no gorilla habituation experience in Volcanoes National Park

Gorilla habituation is an adventure where you accompany a team of habituators and researchers into the wilderness to follow a semi-habituated mountain gorilla family. Rwanda currently does gorilla habituation to make gorilla families but no tourists accompany this team for an adventure in Volcanoes National Park.

Rwanda currently has 15 gorilla families fully habituated for public viewing, but you can book a gorilla permit for Volcanoes National Park. Some of the Rwanda gorilla families include the Susa family, Hirwa family, Karisimbi family, Sabyinyo family, Amahoro family, Agashya family, and many others.

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The cost of a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is $1500 per person per trek for one hour.

You can do a gorilla habituation experience in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda. Where two gorilla families are open for gorilla habituation, but only maximum 4 tourists are allowed to be part of this experience.

What is gorilla habituation experience?

The gorilla habituation experience is the adventure where you follow a semi-mountain gorilla family with a team of habituators for four hours.

The gorilla habituation experience permit in Uganda costs $1500 per person per trek maximum 4 hours are allowed with the Gorilla family.

What Is Included And Excluded In Cost Of Gorilla Habituation Permit

The gorilla habituation permit includes the park fees, cost of researcher service, security during gorilla habituation, community support, gorilla conservation support, and a certificate after completing the gorilla trekking adventure.

Exclusions Of The Cost Of Gorilla Habituation Permit

Tips, transport to the destination, porter fee, and any other items of personal nature.

The gorilla permit competition between Rwanda and Uganda may be another cause for Rwanda not having gorilla habituation permits as the cost of a gorilla permit in Rwanda is $1500 for just one hour, yet the same $1500 per person for gorilla habituation experience in Uganda for four hours.

How To Book Rwanda Gorilla Permits?

Choose a date when you hope to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda, and the number of gorilla permits you hope to purchase.

When you enquire from us, about the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit, our safari consultant checks availability from the Rwanda Development Board list and gets back to you as soon as the status is positive.

We request you purchase your gorilla permit as soon as possible, as they get sold out fast. The peak season gorilla permits, which are June, July, August, September, December, and January sell out fast. The low-season gorilla permits may be available even at the last minute because of less demand.

Forward some personal details like nationality, date of birth, passport expiry date, and full name as indicated on the passport.

Can I Reschedule The Rwanda Gorilla Permit In Instalment?

Purchasing your gorilla permit in full is the most comfortable choice but due to different circumstances, you may request for installment payment. Rwanda development board allows gorilla permit installment in portions of 30% and 70% respectively. The cost of a Rwanda gorilla permit is $1500 per person per trek.

To allow installment gorilla permit purchase, you must have purchased your gorilla permit 90 days before the gorilla trekking date.

Ensure you top up the gorilla permit 90 days before the gorilla trekking date, or you may receive a penalty.

Note:

Rwanda applies a charge to reschedule the gorilla permit

Why Go Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda happened in Volcanoes National Park, which is the only habitat for mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

Doing gorilla trekking gives you, a chance to stand face to face with the gentle giant of the world just left in the Virunga area in the entire universe.

You support the mountain gorilla conservation campaign when you purchase the gorilla permit. By the 1980s, the mountain gorillas were on the verge of extinction as about 300 were existing according to the census carried out by primatologist Dian Fossey.

You can support the Dian Fossey Foundation during the visit to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda when you take a hike to her grave. After gorilla trekking, you can hike through the steps of the fallen primatologist Dian Fossey.

Volcanoes national park in Rwanda is home to other interesting primates like golden monkeys, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, and others.

The plethora of birds that live in volcanoes national park is unmatched, with over 300 birds living in volcanoes forest. Keen birders have a chance of seeing some Albertine endemics during gorilla trekking so this is a double opportunity. You may spot birds like Rwenzori turaco, Dusky’s Crimsonwing, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Handsome Francolin, and others.

Is Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda Difficult

The topography of Volcanoes National Park, which is the Rwanda gorilla trekking habitat, is generally volcanic with highlands like Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura and Mountain Sabyinyo, mountain Bisoke, and Mountain Karisimbi. Expect to hike to get to the mountain gorillas that spend part of their life at the slopes lounging or feeding.

The trees grow on the slopes of plateaus and ridges or slopes of mountains, so expect to hike steep slopes and get down deep valleys.

The ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker, so stay closer to the people you are allocated to do gorilla trekking with. Because this forest is draped and covered with creepers, that you have to crawl under to get to the mountain gorillas the ranger guide uses a machete to trim and create way.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

The time of locating the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is unknown, as different trekkers have seen the mountain gorillas after 2 hours of starting the gorilla trek, while others may take about three-quarters of the day. Different reasons suggest why the delay or quick locating of the mountain gorillas

The proximity of the mountain gorillas' food whereby the closer the food for the mountain gorillas, the quicker the chance of locating them.

In case of a fight amongst the mountain gorillas whereby they fight each other for mating rights, dominance, and others. This may split the gorilla family, and finding it is quite challenging at times.

During the severe rainy season, the mountain gorillas tend to stay at the slopes, which are at times slippery and soggy, so you may take some time to get to the mountain gorillas.

The pace of the gorilla trekkers you are allocated with a gorilla family. When other trekkers are slow, locating the mountain gorillas is delayed. When everybody is fit and energized, the gorilla trek may be fast.

Are Mountain Gorillas Aggressive During Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda?

The mountain gorillas are naturally shy primates and serene despite there sheer size and scaring outlook. A gorilla family to be confirmed ready for human presence undergoes mock exercise to get them accustomed to the presence of strangers.

You need to follow the instructions given by the ranger guide at the ORTPN so that you do not fall short of how to behave before the mountain gorillas.

On the days of gorilla trekking, the ranger guide first establishes the mood of the gorilla family before letting trekkers come into view. Mountain gorillas also have mood swings just like humans, as they have 96% human genes

When angry, the mountain gorillas thump their chest so loud, hoot, pull grass around them, or walk on one foot. When this happens before tourists, the ranger guide first observes the cause for the anger, and then if it is not about the visitors, you are allowed to continue viewing the mountain gorillas.

When Can I Book A Gorilla Trekking Permit For Rwanda?

Booking the gorilla permit in advance is the best choice to secure it and reduce last-minute panic. The mountain gorilla permits are limited to 8 per day per family per trek.

Going gorilla trekking in Rwanda is open all year round, but the dry season, which is normally June to September and December to January, is most sought after.

During this season, the mountain gorillas feed closer to the ground, and the forest is full of life. Even other volcanoes, national park dwellers like birds, butterflies, and other primates are excited to watch

The wet season which is normally March to May and November, may give you a chance to go gorilla trekking solo, as there are usually limited bookings.

Chances of discounted gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda may happen in the low season, but this is not guaranteed, as it's first confirmed by Rwanda Development Board.

What Is The Cost Of Gorilla Trekking Safari In Rwanda?

The gorilla trekking safari packaged for Rwanda is graded according to luxury, mid-range, and budget. The cost of the gorilla trekking permit is the one that cuts across all packages.

When putting together the gorilla trekking quotation, the following are considered:

The number of days on gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda

 The more days on the gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda, the higher the safari cost. Most of the service providers charge per-day costs.

The time for booking a gorilla trekking safari for Rwanda

When you book gorilla trekking in the peak season, the cost is high due to the demand for services, especially from other Uganda safari bookings.

The number of times you are doing gorilla trekking in Rwanda

 You can do gorilla trekking more than once in Rwanda. You need to purchase a gorilla permit for each encounter.

The safari package you choose for gorilla trekking in Rwanda

You can choose the luxury, mid-range, or budget gorilla trekking package. Each gorilla safari package has different inclusions and exclusions. The more inclusions, the higher the package cost.

The number of people traveling for gorilla trekking in Rwanda

When traveling with a group for gorilla trekking, the cost per person is less compared to when traveling solo.

What else can I do with gorilla trekking in Rwanda?

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park

You can go chimpanzee trekking in Nyugwe National Park, its headquarters in Uwinka. You need a chimpanzee trekking permit from Rwanda Development Board. The chimpanzees in Nyungwe national park are semi-habituated, so expect them to move into the deeper ends of the park anytime.

During chimpanzee trekking, you may spot several other primates like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey,

The forest also hosts an array of birds, so you can sport a wide range of them.

Game drives in Akagera national park

You can do an early morning or afternoon game drive in Akagera national park. The park is still recovering from the 1994 Rwanda genocide as it became one of the battlefields. You may spot animals like zebras, elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, lions, leopards, and other animals.

A boat trip

One lake Ihema, you can take a boat ride and enjoy the elevated hills of Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. Look out for a wide range of birds along the shore, especially the swamp vegetation.

Rwanda cultural experience

You can enjoy Rwanda's ethnology by visiting the Rwanda Ethnography Museum in Huye. Here you learn about the different cultural norms of the Rwandese. This center is a community rule project where Rwandese arts and craft making are taught. This aims at teaching the children about the culture of Rwandese. You can do painting, pottery, weaving, traditional dance moves, and others.

Rwanda Genocide Memorials Visit

For Rwanda to teach the generation about the causes of the 90 days of ignorance that claimed millions of people in 1994, a number of genocide memorials are stationed in Rwanda. You can visit and learn about what could have happened and how Rwanda is outgrowing this tragedy.

Some of the genocide memorials you can pay a visit to include the Gisozi memorial, St Familie memorial, and others

Birding in Rwanda

Rwanda has several birding destinations you can visit. The Volcanoes forest, Nyungwe Forest are some of the interesting Rwanda birding destinations. These forest host several birds including Albertine endemics.

Canopy walk over Nyungwe national park.

You can walk on a suspension bridge over the dense Nyungwe National Park canopy. Enjoy the beautiful look of the surrounding landforms and vegetation.

Contact us for more information about gorilla habituation in Rwanda.