Gorilla trekking in Rwanda in 2025
In 2025, gorilla trekking will be the most popular tourist attraction in Rwanda. It entails walking through the tropical rainforest in pursuit of mountain gorillas and spending an hour with them in their natural environment. Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, situated in Musanze Village in the country’s northwest, is the site of gorilla trekking.
About ten habituated gorilla families—the Susa, Amahoro, Agashya, Sabinyo, Umubano, Hirwa, Kwitonda, Karisimbi, Bwenge, and Muhoza—live in the national park and are accessible for daily trekking. In addition to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking is also conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga and Kahuzi Beiga National Parks.
Rwandan gorilla hiking experience
At Kinigi park headquarters, gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park begins at 7:00 am with a briefing on the park’s policies, procedures, and expectations. Following the briefing, you will be split up into groups of eight, with an experienced park guide and a habituated gorilla family assigned to each group.
Because mountain gorillas prefer to roam around in search of food, trekking with them in Volcanoes National Park might take anywhere from two to six hours, depending on their location. You will be able to see other wildlife during the trek, and once the gorillas are found, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat. This will allow you to observe how they behave, take pictures and videos to share with people back home, and learn about their habits and behaviors.
2025 is the ideal year to visit Rwanda for a gorilla trekking safari.
The best time to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is during the dry season, which includes June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. This is because the park receives less rainfall during this time, making the gorilla trekking trails dry and accessible, making the trek easier.
In Rwanda, gorilla trekking is also possible during the rainy season, which runs from March to May and October to November. This is because some lodges provide discounts to draw guests, which appeals to those on a tight budget.
The price of Rwandan gorilla trekking licenses in 2025
Permits for gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park cost 1,500 USD per person for foreign visitors, 500 USD for foreign residents, 500 USD for African citizens and foreign residents in Africa, and 200 USD for Rwandan and East African nationals.
How to reserve permits for gorilla trekking in Rwanda
In Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking permits can be reserved directly through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), which requires you to get in touch with the park’s Kigali headquarters by phone or email.Five-day Primates Safari in Congo, Rwanda (Volcanoes, Golden Monkey Trekking, and Virunga Gorilla)
You can also reserve gorilla trekking permits in Volcanoes National Park by contacting Experiya Tour Company, a reputable tour company in Kampala, Uganda. Simply send an email or message our tour coordinators with the day, month, and year you would want to see the mountain gorillas.
After getting in touch with us, we will check with RDB to see whether there are any permits available on the date you have selected. whether so, you will be required to pay a deposit for the gorilla permit. We may buy the gorilla trekking permit on your behalf as soon as the payment is received, and we’ll email you a scanned copy of the receipt as proof.
However, as gorilla trekking permits in Volcanoes National Park are competitive and sell out rapidly, especially during the busiest months of June to September and December to February, reservations should be made three to six months prior to the trekking date.
Things to bring on a Rwandan gorilla hiking safari
Hiking shoes, long-sleeved shirts and trousers, a waterproof rain jacket, insect repellent, energy snacks and drinking water, a warm sweater, garden gloves, a hat and sunglasses, face masks, long socks, a camera and extra batteries, binoculars, a walking stick, and a backpack are some of the things you should bring on a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda.
Accommodations for your Rwandan gorilla trekking expedition
During your gorilla trekking safari, you can stay at a variety of lodging options in Volcanoes National Park. Sambora Kinigi Lodge, Amakoro Songa Lodge, Urugano Virunga Palace, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kataza House, Gorillas Nest Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Wilderness Sabyinyo, Fravan Eco Resort, Eagle View Lodge, My Hill Eco Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, Kinigi Guesthouse, Villa Gorilla, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Ingagi Park View Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge, Virunga Inn Resort and Spa, are just a few of the lodging options that range from affordable to luxurious.
