Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Tours – Permit Costs & Discounts

Rwanda gorilla trekking tours are the top activities for tourism in Rwanda as the country hosts part of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas in its Volcanoes National Park. The country has greatly developed and promoted its gorilla tours, and many travelers from all over the world come to trek.

There are very many reasons for any tourist to opt for gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Below are some of the frequent and relevant questions asked about Rwanda gorilla trekking tours including permit costs and current discounts for 2020;

Why choose Rwanda gorilla trekking tours?

Wondering why to choose trekking gorillas in Rwanda? Here are the top reasons;

The Mountain gorilla population of Volcanoes National Park is said to move for shorter distances than those in Bwindi Forest. For intending trekkers who would not wish to trek for long, Rwanda is the perfect destination for gorilla trekking.

Volcanoes National Park is the closest park to its country’s capital. Unlike Uganda and Congo where you have a long drive of about 8 hours from the country’s airport to the park, in Rwanda the moment you arrive at Kigali International Airport, you are just 2 hours away from the Volcanoes National Park.

In Rwanda, it is possible to drive to the park on the day of the trek or return to Kigali after the trek. This makes it easy for travelers on short-day tours to visit the country, especially for tours ranging from 1 day to 3 days Rwanda gorilla trek.

What is the cost of the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit?

The cost of a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is USD 1500 each. Each Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is valid for a single gorilla trekking experience. The cost is general for foreign nonresidents, residents as well as Rwandese.

2020 Rwanda discounted permits for all Rwandan nationals as well as East African citizens will pay US$ 200 for a gorilla permit and foreign nationals will pay US$ 500 for each permit. This means US$ 1300 less for East African citizens and US$ 1000 less for foreign residents, which makes it very affordable for those who had always wanted to trek the gorillas but had financial constraints.

However, the cost of the permit isn’t the general cost of the gorilla safari. This is just for trekking and your tour operator offers the final cost including all activities, meals, accommodation, transport, and guide.

How to get to Volcanoes National Park

To get to Volcanoes Park on your safari in Rwanda, you can access the park by road using a hired 4×4 safari vehicle. The park is about 105 kilometers away from the Kigali International Airport on a drive that lasts about 2 hours.

The most convenient way to get to the park is by hiring a self-drive safari vehicle or booking through your tour operator. There are no public transport means to the park and can only be used when you are very familiar with the place. Acacia Safari can help you make all of the arrangements for your trip.

What is the best time for Rwanda gorilla trekking tours?

It is a year-round activity but the best time to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda is during the short and long dry seasons. The short dry season is from the time of mid-December to early February. The long dry season is from June to September. Both the short and long dry seasons are the best times for gorilla trekking.

June – September: The period between June to September is the longest dry season in Rwanda and the best time to trek gorillas. During this time hiking is easier as the trails are not so muddy and slippery. There are also few chances of rain pouring during this season of the year but since it is a tropical jungle anything can happen and it can rain.

December – February: This is the short dry season and also the best time to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking. During the dry season, it offers the easiest hiking or walking conditions in the forest. The malaria risk is also low during this time.

How much time is spent with the mountain gorillas?

A maximum of 1 hour is what you can spend seeing the gorillas, this is to keep the gorillas safe since they are susceptible to catching the human disease. However, the time spent during the gorilla trekking safari isn’t one hour, more than one hour is spent trekking about 1 hour – 2 hours and another 1 hour or 2 hours from the trek. It takes a total of about 3-4 hours to go gorilla trekking and return, however, this isn’t the static number of hours spent during the gorilla trekking experience, and it depends on where the mountain gorillas spent their previous night.

How difficult is Gorilla Trekking?

Though Volcanoes National Park rises to an altitude of about 2,500 m above sea level, gorilla trekking isn’t as difficult as it is depicted. Gorilla trekking isn’t very hard as there are trails that are set through the forests to help the trekkers. The group is guided by skilled trackers who help you go through the forest.

Being disabled or having mobility problems does not mean you cannot go gorilla trekking in Rwanda. You can hire porters and a sedan chair that can be used to carry you to where the gorillas can be found. When you reach the gorillas, you are put down to take pictures and then returned to the trek start point.

Rwanda gorilla trekking tours are such a great option to customize on any East African safari. With ease especially with air transport in the East African region, it is very possible to combine gorilla trekking in Rwanda with a Tanzania wildlife safari, Kenya safari, or Uganda wildlife safari for game sightings.