How long does a gorilla trekking experience last? Guide to Gorilla Trekking Duration

When planning a gorilla trekking safari to Africa, one of the questions most travelers ask themselves is How long does a gorilla trekking experience last? Or how long is a gorilla trek? Despite this being a good question, it is also a tricky one to answer since a number of factors can influence the duration of a gorilla trek. The best answer to a question like How long does a gorilla trekking experience last? There is no specified duration for trekking gorillas, however, expect the trek to last anywhere between 30 minutes and 6 hours. The gorilla trekking duration is influenced by a number of factors that can either make it long or short.

If you are planning a gorilla trekking safari to Africa (Gorilla trekking in Africa), you should be prepared to spend at least 5 hours trekking in the impenetrable jungles, navigating through thick vegetation cover and uneven terrain. However much a gorilla trekking duration may seem to be long, the experience of trekking through the impenetrable forests and spending time observing gorillas is worth it all. You will have a great opportunity to see various plant species that can survive in the tropical climate such as vines, hagenia trees, and the giant lobelias. During the trek, you will also enjoy spotting several resident forms including bird, insects among others. The primary reason for safari being gorilla trekking, you will enjoy a full hour observing gorillas in their natural habitat as they go about their daily life, playing, feeding, mating, resting, and mothers grooming their young ones.

Gorilla trekking duration facts & how you will spend your time during the trek – How long does gorilla trekking take?

By now if you are still wondering How long does gorilla trekking take? Expect to spend anywhere between 30 minutes and 6 hours trekking through the impenetrable jungles of Africa. when preparing for your unforgettable gorilla trekking safari tour, it is important to know how you will spend your time in the jungle and prepare to the best. The trek usually starts with a briefing at the visitors center and this is the first phase of this activity. The briefing usually lasts between 30 minutes to 1 hour. During the briefing, you will be guided about the dos and don’ts during the trek, allocated gorilla groups, and also grouped into groups of 8 members.

Immediately after the briefing session has ended, you will follow the lead of your ranger guide and indulge deep in the tropical jungles to search for mountain gorillas. Searching for mountain gorillas usually takes up the most time on the trek. The duration of the trek here will depend on a number of factors such as the location of gorillas, the terrain, and the speed of other trekkers among others. Although we are not able to give an exact estimate, you should surely expect to spend more time searching for gorillas than you will spend trekking back to the visitor’s center and observing them.

After locating the gorillas in the forest, you are allocated a full hour to observe them. This observing time is when you can take some photographs and film gorillas on your gorilla trekking holiday tour. This is generally the best time to capture your iconic moments with mountain gorillas in the wild. When in presence of mountain gorillas, you are required to adhere to the issued guidelines and gorilla trekking rules. If you are calculating time spent to see gorillas, the allocated observation time of 1 hour should surely be included.

After your allocated observation time elapses, you then embark on a trek back to the visitors center or starting point. The time spent trekking back is also included in the gorilla trekking duration or duration of a gorilla trek. In most cases, it is usually less than that you spend searching for gorillas.

How long is a gorilla trek? The gorilla trekking duration (Duration of gorilla trekking) includes the time spent observing the gorilla family, the time spent searching for the gorillas in the wild, and the time spent trekking back to the visitors center or starting point of your trek and it can last anywhere between 30 minutes to 6 hours.

Factors that influence the duration of a gorilla trek – What determines the time you will spend to see gorillas in the wild

There are a number of factors that influence the duration of a gorilla trek or the time you will spend trekking to see mountain gorillas in the wild. Regardless of the destination you are planning to visit, these factors will still influence your gorilla trekking duration or duration of your gorilla trek.

Location of the Gorilla Group: One of the factors that can highly affect the duration of a gorilla trek is the location of your allocated gorilla family. The distance and difficulty of the gorilla trek will largely depend on where your allocated gorilla group is. It is important to know that all gorilla groups are located within the national park. Some gorilla families or groups may be closer to the starting point, while others are located far from the visitors center and may require longer hikes.

Terrain and Trail Conditions: The other factor that determines how long you will trek is the terrain. Most gorilla trekking National Parks like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Volcanoes National Park are located in mountainous regions. This means that when planning your gorilla trekking tour, expect to encounter rugged and uneven terrain. You will navigate through dense forests, steep slopes, and sometimes muddy or challenging terrain. During the rainy seasons, trails can also be so slippery and more difficult to traverse, thereby prolonging the duration of the trek.

Fitness Level of Participants:

Usually during the allocation of gorilla groups, individuals that are more physically fit are allocated to gorilla groups that are located far from the starting point. Those with low fitness levels are allocated to gorilla groups near the visitor’s center. The duration of the gorilla trek will therefore vary depending on your fitness level. It should also be noted that physically fit participants can easily navigate the forest and locate gorillas compared to the less fit participants.

Pace of the Group: the other factor that can influence the duration of your gorilla trek is the pace of your group. If you guides and trackers adjust the pace to accommodate the fitness levels of participants and to ensure everyone can keep up without rushing, then expect to spend moderate time trekking gorillas in the wild. If the group pace is so fast and fit, you are likely to spend less time trekking gorillas.

Behavior of the Gorillas: The gorilla trekking duration can also be influenced by the behavior or mood of gorillas. In cases when gorillas have less movement and are feeding, you are likely to spend less time to locate them compared to when they are on the move in the forest. If the gorilla group is on the move, trackers will spend additional time locating them or following them through the forest, which can extend the duration of the trek.

Weather Conditions: One of the greatly influential factors is weather. Depending on the type of weather of the day you are likely to spend less or more time trekking gorillas in the wild. Rain or mist can make trails slippery and affect visibility, potentially slowing down the trekking. on the other hand, sunny days offer the best visibility in the forest and also ease the trek making it much shorter.

How many miles will I walk to see gorillas in the wild? How long does a gorilla trekking experience last?

There is no established distance for seeing mountain gorillas since gorillas are wild animals and may move in various directions in the forest. The exact distance you will trek to see gorillas will therefore depend on factors like the location of the gorillas.