Rwanda is one of the only 3 countries in the world with the endangered species of mountain gorillas. Gorillas safaris to Rwanda have become so popular given the growing desire among travelers to visit these amazing apes.
Rwanda’s mountain gorillas were made popular by the great work done by the American primatologist Dian Fossey who lived with the gorillas in the 1960s and 70s while studying them and promoting their conservation.
The movie version of Dian Fossey’s book, “Gorillas in the mist” sent a signal worldwide about how friendly and harmless the gorillas were given the close way she lived and interacted with them. Fossey was unfortunately murdered by poachers in 1976 and she was buried within the place she loved and a gorilla home of Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.
Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcans) is Rwanda’s home for mountain gorillas and it is a beautiful misty park on the slopes the volcanic Virunga Massif that spans three countries including Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In addition to Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park, the Virunga Massif or Virunga Mountains also contain other two national parks with mountain gorillas and that is Virunga National Park in DR Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National park in Uganda.
The three parks within the Virunga Massif together with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda are the only wildlife reserves in the world where you can view mountain gorillas.
There are about 1000 mountain gorillas in the wild in total and Volcanoes national park has got about a quarter of these with 12 gorilla families living in the park having about 30 individuals in each group.
Trekking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park is well regulated in order to promote the conservation of these endangered great apes.
Due to high demand for gorilla trekking by visitors coming from mostly fast-developing economies like China, Brazil, and Russia plus the traditional visitors from the U.S and Europe, coupled with the local conservation policies, Rwanda doubled the price of the gorilla permit in 2017 from $750 to $1,500.
The number of trekkers is also limited to 8 who are allocated to track one gorilla family per day and this means that there is a maximum of 96 trekkers for the available 12 gorilla families in the park.
Gorilla trekking is a bucket-list experience for most travelers, however, you find you find surprising numbers of guests book two days for double gorilla trekking to maximize their visit given that each interaction with these apes is so unique and there a different gorilla-groups in the park.
Trekking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park is always complimented with another day of golden monkey trekking which is offered at a much less price of $100 per visitor.
Visiting the Dian Fossey grave in a three-hour hike for $80 per visitor is the other popular activity in Volcanoes national park.
Volcanoes national park sits at a high altitude region of about 7,000 feet and embarking on its activities requires at least a moderate level of exertion. A trek for gorilla in the park usually takes between 2-4 hours of hiking before you finally meet your allocated gorilla group. Given the park’s steep terrain and the thick jungle, a minimum level of physical preparation is recommended.
Many travelers would love to compare the experience of trekking mountain gorillas in the three countries before they can embark on their gorilla safari.
The political instability in the Eastern part of DR Congo where Virunga national park is located has scared away many potential visitors despite the park’s huge advantage of low prices ($450 per permit).
The Uganda side of the Virunga where we have Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park, permits are less expensive compared to Rwanda at $600. However, the infrastructure here is less developed and the hiking is tougher, this leaves Rwanda with that competitive advantage over her two neighbors as far as an ultimate gorilla trekking experience is concerned.
The whole comparison for the best gorilla trekking destination can be summed up by the statement by Steve Jermanok, owner of Boston-based boutique adventure travel agency Active Travels as he was referring to gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda; “Rwanda is much more accessible than Uganda. The hiking is less strenuous, the lodging options are growing fast, and you can do it all in as little as three days”.
Africa Adventure Safaris is your best guide on your gorilla trekking safari to Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. The excellent trip advisor reviews confirm that AAS is the travel agency to book with