The cost of the Rwanda gorilla tour mainly depends on the cost of the gorilla permit. The permit is currently at $1500 for international nonresidents, $500 for international residents, and $250 for East Africans. The gorilla permits are the only item that guarantees a Rwanda gorilla trekking tour. Therefore, after securing a gorilla permit, you can be sure that you will trek to see the gorillas.
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The Rwanda Development Board manages and regulates all Rwanda gorilla permits, with universal pricing regardless of travel budget. Currently, 12 habituated gorilla families—including Karisimbi, Kwitonda, Agashya, Hirwa, and Susa—reside in Volcanoes National Park, with only 8 permits available per family daily.
Anthill Safaris handles permit booking and complete safari logistics, leveraging years of expertise recognized on TripAdvisor and Safari Bookings. Beyond permit costs, accommodation planning is crucial.
Early booking is essential, especially during peak seasons (June-September and December-January) when accommodations become scarce due to high demand. Options range from upmarket to budget lodges, but the best properties in each category fill quickly. Advanced reservations ensure availability and preferred accommodation choices for your gorilla trekking experience.
How do you book, and how much is the cost of a Rwanda gorilla permit?
Selecting a date for your gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda is important, as RDB sells gorilla permits daily. Knowing the number of gorilla permits you wish to book is important before checking permit availability. This helps in avoiding moving back and forth.
Upon receiving your inquiry about the Rwanda gorilla tour, our safari consultant checks availability. We check availability from the list of the Rwanda Development Board. You can also apply for a Rwanda gorilla permit online.
Our tour consultant will get back to you when he or she finds gorilla permits available. It is best to purchase your gorilla permit sooner because their status changes at any time without warning. Rwanda gorilla permits open to the public are few. Therefore, it is a first-come, first-served basis criterion.
The cost of a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is
- $1500 for foreign nonresidents
- $500 for foreign residents
- $250 for East Africans.
What are the inclusions and exclusions in the cost of a Rwanda gorilla permit?
The Rwanda gorilla permit cost covers park entrance fees on the day of the gorilla tour. It also covers security while trekking, a certificate, mountain gorilla conservation, one hour of mountain gorilla viewing, and others.
The Rwanda gorilla tour excludes porter hire, packed lunch, snacks, and other individual expenses.
What is included in the cost of the Rwanda gorilla tour package?
Rwanda Gorilla Tour Cost. At Anthill Safaris, we package our gorilla tours according to Luxury, mid-range, and budget. The cost of gorilla tours in Rwanda varies depending on several factors. These include the number of days on safari, the number of people traveling with, and the time of booking the gorilla safari. It also includes additional activities to combine with the gorilla tour, the length of the safari, and others.
The Rwanda gorilla tour package may include costs like gorilla permit costs and accommodation costs. These vary according to your budget, transport costs, driver guide fees, park entrance fees for other safari activities combined with the gorilla tour, and other items.
Is the cost of the Rwanda gorilla Tour worth spending on?
Truly, gorilla trekking is a once-in-a-lifetime African safari adventure. When you visit Rwanda, gorilla trekking is one of the foremost safari activities you can engage in. Rwanda is one of the few homes for mountain gorillas since they cannot live anywhere other than the Virunga area.
Mountain gorillas are some of the remnants of the Ice Age period. Some believe that they lived in the same period as the dinosaurs. Although mountain gorillas are portrayed as aggressive and intimidating, you can only prove their nature when you visit. They are shy and cowardly and retreat into hiding when someone provokes them. Mountain gorillas have never attacked any tourists since the opening of gorilla trekking in Rwanda and beyond.
By purchasing the gorilla tour, you contribute to collecting the funds to support the conservation of these primates. According to the population census carried out, mountain gorillas were not on the brink of extinction by the 1980s. About 300 were living then. There is thus a need for More funds to support the sustainable conservation of mountain gorillas.
While on the ground, you hire a porter to carry your gorilla trekking gear. You thus contribute to their livelihood as the money they collect is what they use for home consumption. Some of the porters are ex-poachers but are now the mouthpiece in the community advocating for the conservation of mountain gorillas and their habitat.
How sure can I be of seeing the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda?
After spending a hefty price on the gorilla trekking permit, you wish to get value for the money. You can achieve this only after seeing the mountain gorillas. Be sure to visit the mountain gorillas at any time of the year. The chances of spotting mountain gorillas in the wild are about 99%.
The mountain gorilla families opened to the public are first habituated for some time by researchers. This helps the gorillas to get used to the presence of human beings. The traits of the gorilla family do not change. This is why tourists have only one hour to spend with the mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
Mountain gorillas are bulky in size, so they cannot move very fast from their present location. This is why rangers follow the trail where the rangers last saw the gorilla family the previous day.
In the early morning, a team of ranger guides wakes up early to trace where the mountain gorilla family may have nested and their possible hangout area. These clues are what rangers and tourists use to trace the mountain gorillas.
Tourists also participate in searching for the mountain gorillas, following clues like footprints and freshly chewed foliage, listening to their murmurs, feeding on foliage, and others. This is part of the fun of searching for these living treasures in the middle of nowhere.
Be sure to see the mountain gorillas, whether in the dry or wet season. This is because they feed from a particular area until there is not enough food for the entire family.
If you fail to trace the mountain gorillas, a rare case, the Rwanda Development Board may allow you to do the gorilla trek the next day or refund you according to their refund policy.
What is the Age Limit For Gorilla tours in Rwanda?
15 years and over is the age limit for gorilla tours in Rwanda. Glancing at the mountain gorillas may stimulate some adrenaline, yet you must not show any signs of fear to the mountain gorillas. It may be hard for children below 15 years to withstand the first look or touch of mountain gorillas.
The time of finding the mountain gorillas is not clear, as sometimes tourists trace mountain gorillas in two hours, while others take more time. Children get fed up easily, yet there is no turning back until completing the gorilla trek.
Is gorilla trekking in Rwanda difficult?
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is quite strenuous because of the nature of the topography of the Virunga area. The volcanic action in this area led to several highlands, like plateaus and ridges, covered by thick vines that draped over to obstruct the way.
Volcanoes National Park has five volcanoes: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Bisoke, Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Karisimbi. Sometimes, the mountain gorillas feed on this foliage, so you have to hike to trace them. The way is steep and slippery from the rains that fall without warning.
To withstand the terrain of Volcanoes National Park, you need to do exercises before the gorilla tour to keep your body fit. Wear the right gorilla trekking gear to protect yourself from the rough surfaces in the jungle.
How long is the gorilla tour in Rwanda?
Tracing the mountain gorillas may take about 1 hour or more, depending on the prevailing factors in the wilderness. Finding Rwanda gorillas may be influenced by factors like the proximity of their food, the adventurous nature of the mountain gorillas, the loss of a silverback, the weather conditions of the day, and other factors. The pace of fellow tourists also determines when to find the mountain gorillas.
Searching for mountain gorillas is like treasure hunting. Thus, the excitement you get when you finally find them is magical and beyond your imagination. Some tend to forget the long walk in the thick jungle and wish to have extra time in the company of the mountain gorillas.
Having some level of patience gives you chances to spend that precious time with the few remaining mountain gorillas in the world. This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure experienced by a few people. Imagine being just meters away from the only remaining mountain gorillas in the world. Gorilla trekking is worth the wait and time of your holiday.
What accommodation do you book for the gorilla tour in Rwanda?
Accommodations in and out of Volcanoes National Park are categorized into Luxury, Mid-range, and Budget. You need to secure where to spend your night during your Rwanda gorilla safari, especially if you are visiting during the peak season.
Volcanoes National Park accommodations: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Hotel Lebambou, Muhavura Hotel, Gorilla Nest, La Palme Hotel, and VirungaLodgee.
What else can you do on safari in Rwanda?
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Par.k
Visiting Nyungwe National Park for a chimpanzee trekking adventure is breathtaking. The headquarters are in Uwinka, where you go for a briefing. Two chimpanzee trekking sessions happen each day: morning and afternoon.
You must book the chimpanzee trekking permit from the Rwanda Development Board to be eligible to do this adventure. Another chimpanzee community is in Cyamudondo, where semi-habituated chimpanzees live on the periphery of the Nyungwe forest.
Canopy Walk in Rwanda
Within Nyungwe National Park, you can do the canopy walk on the 160-meter-long suspension bridge. This adventure, however, is not for the faint-hearted. Nonetheless, it is very scenic as you enjoy the forest canopy and its stunning surroundings. You may mark some special lifetime moments while at the top of this pristine forest.
Game drives on a Rwanda safari
Akagera National Park is the home of game drives in Rwanda. When driving through the tracks of Akagera National Park, you spot different animals. These include giraffes, herds of elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, cape buffaloes, and black rhinos.
A boat trip on the stunning Lake Ihema is breathtaking. Look over the different features and evergreen vegetation in this park. This park has so many birds that keen birders may spot, including Albertine Riftendemics.
Golden monkey trekking safari in Rwanda
These endangered golden monkeys are in Volcanoes National Park. They are charming species despite the fact that they are habituated to human presence. You must book a golden monkey trekking permit to access these unique monkeys.
The body structure of the golden monkeys is larger than that of normal monkeys, covered with golden brown hair on the lower body. When watching the golden monkeys, you must be ready to stay on your toes because they keep hopping from tree to tree.
Kigali city tour
The Kigali city tour lets you know how the local people spend their day, especially the business people of Rwanda. You may visit the Kandt house, stop off at a coffee shop to enjoy the aromas of Rwandese coffee, visit the Rwanda genocide memorials, and much more.
Contact our safari consultants to help you plan your safari to Rwanda for a gorilla trekking adventure by filling out the form below.
