Are you Planning to take luxury Rwanda gorilla tours or Budget gorilla safaris in Rwanda to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda Volcanoes National Park? or do you just wish to have a 1-day gorilla trek in Rwanda or a 2-12 days Rwanda gorilla safari?
We have put together answers to the most frequently asked gorilla trekking Rwanda safari questions such as:-
Our Rwanda safaris are some of the memorable wildlife experiences that Africa can offer. These Rwanda Gorilla tours take you to a country known as a country of a thousand hills, in Africa. Rwanda is one of the most promising tourist destinations where gorilla trekking in Volcanoes Park can be carried out.
A Rwanda Gorilla safari trek to Volcanoes National Park can involve anything from a 1 to 6-hour trek through the dense tropical rainforest of Rwanda.
Using experienced gorilla trackers who have spent their entire lives inhabiting or close to the forest, a gorilla trek in Rwanda is interesting as you weave through moss-covered, Hagenia trees, overhanging vines, and giant Lobelias that thrive in the tropical climate.
Our Rwanda Gorilla tours offer amazing Gorilla trekking in Rwanda which is filled with many other interesting wildlife encounters. During the trek, gorilla trekkers can also see Golden monkeys, bush duikers or buffaloes, and a wide variety of birdlife as well as endemic flora.
After meeting the gorillas in the wild, one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth, you can spend an hour watching the gentle giant gorillas as they go about their daily life, playing, resting, feeding, and raising their young ones.
You will understand what kept conservation Dian Fossey living in this same forest for 15 years protecting these wonderful animals at the end of the trek.
Some of our Rwanda gorilla safaris incorporate Chimpanzee and colobus monkey tracking in Nyungwe National Park and wildlife seeing or game viewing in Akagera national park.
An ordinary day in the life of a mountain gorilla starts at sunrise, around 6 am. They wake up and begin looking for food which covers a great part of the morning. In general, a gorilla spends about 30% of the day feeding, 30% traveling, and 40% resting.
In contrast to many primates, the gorilla lives mainly on the ground. They travel not more than a kilometer per day within their home range of about 20 square kilometers.
The afternoons are mainly spent resting and playing. This last activity is very important in social life, especially for young gorillas, as it determines their integration into the group. They hug each other, bite, and hit or wrestle till one is pulled down on the ground.
At the end of the day, just before dusk, the great apes start constructing a nest where they will spend their night. Every single gorilla has its own nest, except for the infants who sleep next to their mothers. Nests are built on the ground or in trees and are carefully constructed by branches of bushes and other plants
Gorillas are vegetarians, though occasionally they may eat ants and other insects. Their daily meal consists of roots, leaves, stems, and pith of herbs, vines, shrubs, and some fruits. During certain months of the year, bamboo shoots supply a major part of their diet as well.
A male adult can even eat up to 20 kg per day! Because the gorillas receive a large quantity of water from their diet, they rarely have to drink.
Rwanda increased its gorilla permit price was increased to $1500. Our offices are always open to advise you on the price of gorilla permits. Bwindi Gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park costs USD 700 per person per trek sold by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) charges $100 when the date for gorilla trekking earlier specified is altered.
Visitors to the Rwanda gorilla safari receive a 50% refund if they show illness signs. As per the gorilla trekking rules, the visitors are not allowed to track gorillas if they are declared not fit by the Warden in Charge. This applies to those guests who have traveled all the way to the park.
To track gorillas in Rwanda on a Rwanda Gorilla tour, one requires a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit and these gorilla permits in Rwanda are solely issued by Rwanda Tourism Office (ORTPN). The gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500 per person for foreigners and then 30,000 Frw for Rwandan Citizens.
Gorilla trekking safari permits in Rwanda are usually in high demand and are given out on first come first serve with the determining factor being payment. Therefore, it is advisable to book a gorilla permit far in advance to avoid disappointment.
A traveler intending to do a gorilla safari in Rwanda can purchase the gorilla permit directly through Rwanda Tourism Office or indirectly through a tour agent.
When the permit is booked and the money for the permit is paid, the date specified can hardly change. The move to alter the tracking date comes along with a cancellation fee which is $100 for every permit whose date has to change.
The direct gorilla permit booking through the Rwanda Tourism Office involves inquiring about availability on the dates that you intend to track. If the permit is available on the preferred date, you go ahead and book, and if it is not available, you might be advised on the nearby alternative like a date close to the specified one.
You then request a tentative hold as you work on the money transfer which is supposed to take about three (3) days and Rwanda Tourism Board requires can only hold the booking for 7 days while waiting for the transfer to go through.
Do not forget to e-mail the copy of the money transfer form immediately after transferring the money as an assurance that you have indeed wired the money. Also important to note is that the money should be sent with transfer charges otherwise the amount will arrive in the Rwanda Development Board account less and then the permit fails to be booked.
However, it can be noted that at times the procedures of the government structures become challenging prompting the Rwanda gorilla safari undertakers to book through tour agents.
The Rwandan tour operators tend to secure gorilla permits at a small commission that ranges from $20 – $60 for each permit. Wild Gorilla Safaris does not charge the Rwanda gorilla permit booking if other items like transportation are booked through it.
You might need to carry the following in order to have a convenient gorilla trek;
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park needs hiking therefore tourists need to have some light boots to enable them to pass through the forest. Firm shoes are suitable for steep muddy slopes.
As you hike in the forest looking out for the gorillas you will need to hold on to the plants, and soil and gloves will protect you from the germs.
Volcanoes National Park is in the Virunga Mountains and therefore it rains sometimes, tourists carry jackets in case it may rain.
Tourists are advised to put on long sleeves because there are always thorns in the forest and insects therefore the sleeves can save you.
Since gorilla tracking takes 2 to 8 hours tourists need to carry snacks and a lot of water so that they may get the energy to track the gorillas. Enough drinking water is also necessary to carry along with you.
You need the cameras because you will take photos of these gorillas together with other primates. However, carry a zoom lens that does not scare away gorillas.
You will carry these because sometimes the forest is too hot and tourists may need them
These will help you have clear views of the forest, wildlife attractions, and also animals like buffaloes, lions, leopards, and so many others.
These can be hired at the park and can help you walk through the forest and support you through the challenging landscapes.
The potters are community members and thus by taking them, you are contributing to community development.
In Rwanda, a maximum of 8 tourists may visit a group of habituated mountain gorillas in a day. This is done to ensure minimal behavioral disturbance to the gorillas and the risk of their exposure to human-borne diseases.
Remember that mountain gorillas are very susceptible to human diseases. The following rules are ways to minimize the risk your visit might pose to them:
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is an incredible African safari experience involving travelers walking through dense tropical montane forests of central Africa in search of habituated gorillas until they find them and spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, learning about their behaviors, habits, lifestyles, taking photographs, and recording the moments. Read more
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is such a thrilling primate-watching experience that any visitor on Uganda safari shouldn’t miss out. Mountain gorillas are among the Earth’s rarest and most majestic creatures and encountering them while on Uganda tours will make you one of the luckiest people in the world. Read more
A day of gorilla trekking in Rwanda typically starts with a pre-gorilla trekking briefing where visitors are introduced to the gorilla trekking rules and regulations for their safety and for the safety of the endangered mountain gorillas. This briefing takes place at the park headquarters and starts at 7:00 am. Read More
The age limit for trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, and Cong Africa is currently 15 years and any visitor below this age is considered a young vulnerable person and therefore not fit to do a gorilla trek in Africa.
Below are the reasons why is the age limit for trekking gorillas in Uganda 15 years and above. Read More
A gorilla trek usually lasts from 1 to 8 hours (sometimes a full day). Therefore, meeting gorillas depend on how far the group has moved since it was last observed nesting up the previous evening. However, whether it is a short or a long trek, travelers are 99% guaranteed a chance to definitely find and be triggered to an endless marvel of these peaceful… Read More
A gorilla trekking permit is a document or card issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) that allows any traveler above 15 years of age to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Read More
Only eight (8) people per day are allowed to track a gorilla family/group in Rwanda in Volcanoes National Park in Africa and once you find the Mountain Gorillas after the long gorilla trek that takes 1-8 hours, trekkers/tourists are allowed to have only one (1) hour. Read More
Yes! It is important to note that the demand for gorilla permits always exceeds the number of permits available each day, especially during the high season. If you are planning your gorilla safari during the ‘low seasons’ Read More
why gorilla trekking is so expensive? The cost of gorilla permits in Rwanda is relatively expensive due to the high costs of conserving the endangered Gorilla, sustainable gorilla tourism, improving the livelihood of the locals, and cost of accommodation in the gorilla parks, reaching there, etc. Read More
Travelers, who wish to go on mountain gorilla safaris in Africa always wonder:-which is better for gorilla trekking in Rwanda Vs Uganda? Is Rwanda or Uganda better for gorilla trekking? Here is a comparison between the two countries; the choice is yours. Read More
Gorillas are massive ground-dwelling apes that live in Central and West African forests. There are several examples of famous gorillas and gorilla stories known by many people around the world. Gorillas are very common primates in popular culture, and almost anyone will name at least one character, like King Kong, or those in The Planet of the Apes. Read More
The name gorilla was derived from the Ancient Greek word “gorilla”, which means ‘tribe of hairy women. The history of the word ‘gorilla’ dates back about 2500 years. A Carthaginian explorer called Hanno the Navigator was on an expedition to the African west coast in around 500 BC when he came across a group of predominantly female primates that he described as savage. Read More
There are two species of a gorillas-Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei) & Western Gorilla (Gorilla Gorilla) Each gorilla species is further subdivided into two subspecies as shown below. Read More
You can see Gorillas in Africa in Uganda, Rwanda, and Dr. Congo for the Mountain Gorillas and the Lowland Gorillas in central Africa in Congo Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon Read more
How do Gorillas communicate in several ways as humans do, to pass on important timely communication amongst themselves through; – sounds, postures, and gestures as well as facial expressions? Gorillas make about 22 unique sounds to communicate unique feelings. Read More
The Eastern lowland gorilla of the Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest of the four gorilla subspecies weighing up to 250kg belonging to the bigger Gorilla Beringei subspecies.. Read More
Mountain Gorillas are one of nature’s largest primates! With thicker, longer fur than other gorillas. Read More
Mountain gorillas have shaggy black fur that covers most of their body leaving out the face, and massive chest to mention but a few. Read More
Contemplating what is special about a mountain gorilla’s nose? And if gorillas do have unique nose prints? Yes, mountain gorillas have unique patterns of wrinkles on their nose which differentiate them from each other. Mountain gorillas, just like humans have features that make them different from one another including;- Read More
Travelers on Rwanda gorilla tours in Africa have always been wondering: – since gorillas are herbivores, why do they have big canines? Well, teeth aren’t just for chopping meat. In particular, the gorilla’s long–sharp canine teeth are used for display, especially when it is threatened or trying to fend off other male gorillas competing for dominance. Read More
Gorillas, the greatest of the apes, are primarily terrestrial (meaning they travel on the ground) and quadrupedal which means that they use both their hands and feet to walk. More specifically, gorillas use a form of locomotion called knuckle-walking, meaning they walk on the top of their knuckles as opposed to putting all their weight on their palms. Read More
Mountain gorillas primarily live on the ground. They can spend about 5% of the day in trees, whiles chimpanzees spend about 61% of the day above the ground and orangutans nearly 100%. Read More
People have families. Mountain gorillas have families too. A gorilla family/group is called a troop. Each troop is made up of 5 to 30 individuals. The biggest gorilla group known to date was found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park: It consisted of 65 individuals for a short period.
A gorilla family travels together eats together and sleeps in the same location. Read More
Gorillas make nests to sleep in every night. At the end of the day, just before dusk, these great primates start constructing a nest where they will spend their night. Nests are carefully constructed using branches and leaves and are constructed by individuals. Nest building usually takes around 5 minutes. Read More
Mountain gorillas are herbivores, which achieve their impressive stature on a mostly vegetarian diet. They have massive jaw muscles which help them chew tough vegetation. Read More
Mountain Gorillas consume as large quantities of food as needed to sustain their massive bulk. An adult male mountain gorilla can consume up to 34 kg (75 pounds) of vegetation a day, while a female can eat up to 18 kg (40 pounds). Read More
Teeth aren’t just for chopping meat. In particular, the gorilla’s long-sharp canine teeth are used for display, especially when it is threatened or trying to fend off other male gorillas competing for dominance. Read More[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]
How do Gorillas communicate in several ways as humans do, to pass on important timely communication amongst themselves through; – sounds, postures, and gestures as well as facial expressions? Gorillas make about 22 unique sounds to communicate unique feelings Read More
These great Apes have been taught sign language, they can laugh, grieve, and have great emotions. Gorillas always develop very strong family bonds among group members, have great territorial boundary protection for their domain, use tools, have memory, and think of the future. Read More
Silverback Mountain Gorillas many times beat their chests when perceiving danger and feel threatened by humans or an intruder, sometimes fellow gorillas or wild animals. When angry the Alpha male stands upright, and hoots. Read More
When people think of gorilla chest-beating, they usually think of a huge silverback signaling to another male that he’s in charge. However, anyone in a gorilla group, even females and juveniles, may be seen pounding the chest. Read More
Gorillas do not like direct eye contact cause it means you want to challenge their dominance and hence you are considered an enemy in their domain worth being attacked. If you insist, the Silver attacks you. Read More
Although gorilla shares almost 98% of our DNA, they do not make good pets. You may see pictures of baby gorillas and think “how cute! I would love one as a pet!” But gorillas can be AWFUL pets for several reasons them being wild animals. Read More
What is a baby gorilla called?
Baby gorillas are called infants just like humans. Baby gorillas are called infants, just like baby humans, which makes sense when we’re so closely related. Read More
Female gorillas have a slow reproduction rate. The maximum number of offspring they may have during their lifetime is 2-6. Normally, male gorillas have 10-20 offspring, but from different females. Read more
Mother gorillas stay with their younger ones until they are four years old. All this time the mothers attend to their babies until they can support themselves. A newborn gorilla weighs 5 pounds at birth and is covered with black hair. Read More
The life span of mountain gorillas usually ranges from 35 to 40 years. Old gorillas often suffer from arthritis, which mainly damages the bones in their hands and feet. Read More
What do you do when you encounter a gorilla? For decades, the answer might have been to scream and run. Gorillas were wild beasts that could tear cities apart or so many thought based on the movie King Kong. However, Read More
Gorillas are calm vegetarians that can only become aggressive when disturbed. Gorillas are wild animals and despite the fact that they share about 98% of our DNA, a visitor on a gorilla trekking tour is required to take some precautions in order to have an exciting gorilla encounter. Read More
How strong is a silverback gorilla? The fact that these animals have immense physical power is one of the facts about gorillas that indicate you should treat them with caution. It’s hard to measure how strong a gorilla really is, but estimates range from around 4 to 9 times stronger than your average human. Read More
Certain reptiles such as chameleons and caterpillars worry the gorillas. They are also afraid of water and will cross streams only if they can do so without getting wet, such as by crossing over fallen logs, and dislike rain. Read More
One possible predator of gorillas is the leopard. Gorilla remains have been found in leopard scat, but this may be the result of scavenging. When the group is attacked by humans, leopards, or other gorillas, an individual silverback will protect the group, even at the cost of his own life. Read More
No, mountain gorillas can’t survive in captivity. They only live in mountainous forested areas of Central Africa. All gorillas in zoos around the world are lowland gorillas and mainly western lowland gorillas. Read more
Because there are only about 1,000 mountain gorillas left, it’s important that their population size be continuously monitored to evaluate whether, and which, conservation tactics work. Their populations must keep growing because mountain gorillas have very low genetic diversity Read More
Mountain gorillas are endangered due to a number of reasons including human conflicts and diseases. Read More
Visiting Mountain Gorilla families and learning about the life of the gorillas is one way of contributing to the ongoing efforts of saving these endangered apes. The revenue received from gorilla trekking tours benefits gorilla conservation. Read More
Rwanda also known as the Republic of Rwanda is found in central and East Africa. The country borders countries like Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and DRC. The country lies a few degrees in the southern part of the equator and it is a landlocked country, with Kigali as the capital city.
Rwanda covers an area of 26,338 sq. km and therefore can accommodate a number of people and in the largest countries, it takes the 149th position in the world.
The country has two rainy seasons the first starting from February to June and the other one from September to December. There are also two dry seasons which are from June to September and December to February.
Rwanda has a population of over 10 million people and she has 3 groups of people that are the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. The origin of the Hutu and Tutsi still is still disagreement however some scholars say they derived from the tribal indifferences that occurred, while others say they derived from social classes.
The Twa are the early pygmy inhabitants of Rwanda who used to live in the forests and may Rwanda gorilla tour visitors.
The best languages spoken in Rwanda are Kinyarwanda, French, English, and Kiswahili. There are different religions in Rwanda and their percentages are Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, and Muslim 4.6%. The current leader of Rwanda is President Paul Kagame.
Rwanda has different cultural attractions such as the Genocide Memorial Site where many innocent people were killed in 1994, Dian Fossey Tombs where Dian the primatologist used to conserve gorillas and has graves for gorillas.
It is in the Dian Fossey National Museum where you will find the traditional items of Rwanda, and different National Parks such as Nyungwe Forest National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, and so many others.
Rwanda gives tourists on Rwanda safaris the opportunity to carry out gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, boat cruise, birding, and so many other activities.
On all major Rwanda gorilla tours and safaris, you will discover that Rwanda is one of the stronghold countries in Africa with a deep linguistic coherence among its people. It entirely consists of three main tribes; the Tutsis, Hutus, and the Twa but all speak the same language called Kinyarwanda.
These three tribes can be identified probably based on their physical build but they have a strong coloration in terms of values of religion and are averagely spread in the entire territory. However, they have deep political differences that are believed to have resulted in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Rwanda’s culture is not only shaped by the settlers of the land but also by the refugees in the diaspora, especially in the adjacent countries of Uganda and Congo who still draw much of their attachment to their mother country – Rwanda.
Commonly described as the land of a thousand hills as you will witness when you book Rwanda gorilla safaris, Rwanda is naturally endowed with a rolling mountainous landscape. It shares border posts with Uganda, Tanzania, Congo, and Burundi.
Rising averagely from the open plains stretching from the western Tanzania border to the sharp highlands in the west along the Congo – the Nile divide continues to slope steeply to the Lake Kivu shores with a number of volcanic highlands shaping its northwestern part, most of the inhabitants can happily identify themselves as Rwandan.
The nation Rwanda draws her origins from the minor kingdoms that rose in the central African region over 500 years ago. Population pressure and a decrease in land availability forced the cattle keepers to push for the establishment of a centralized political system that would regulate the activities of people and create harmony among the three indigenous communities that had different economic backgrounds.
This later culminated in a strong kingdom and other semi-autonomous chiefdoms that later provided a ground for European colonization and rule.
Rwanda is one of those African countries whose cultures are still alive as many who undertake Rwanda gorilla tours discover. They have the remarkable traditional Intore dance that brings people of all backgrounds to appreciate the richness of their culture – something interesting to encounter on your Rwanda gorilla safari.
Flights in Rwanda arrive and depart from the largest Airport that is Kigali Airport
From Nairobi 5 major airlines serve the Kigali area and from Dubai 1 major airline serve the Kigali area.
Flights from Nairobi to Kigali start at 8:35 am and the journey is 1 hour. From Dubai to Kigali the flight starts at 6:30 am and takes 6 hours.
The closest flight to Rwanda is Gregoire Kayibanda Airport and which is in Kigali it flies to 17 cities and in a week it arranges 14 domestic flights and 469 international flights.
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