15 Frequently Asked Questions About Gorilla Trekking in Africa.
Though Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Africa is only available in Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R. Congo worldwide, only 8 gorilla permits are provided daily per family despite great demand. Living in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Virunga National Park are the only mountain gorilla destinations in Africa.
Starting a search in the bush depends on the location of the gorilla family, whether in Uganda or the D.R. Congo. Ranger guides walk you through the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking from the park headquarters of a particular destination you are choosing for your Gorilla trekking experience. Some gorilla trekking guidelines include not feeding the gorillas, maintaining a distance of around eight meters from them, and spending one hour with them once you find them.
All of this is done to safeguard the already successful mountain gorilla conservation project after the almost extinct count of roughly 300 mountain gorillas. By using gorilla trekking, international organizations such as the Gorilla Fund, IUCN, and the relevant countries where gorillas are present aim to generate money to assist in their protection. Mountain gorillas now account for more than 1000 of the global population.
Gorilla Trekking in Africa.
Following a family of habituated mountain gorillas and staying with them for only one hour is known as gorilla trekking.
By recruiting local people as rangers, porters, or even assisting local programs like community walks, the mountain gorilla conservation organization is still working to include the nearby communities in the gorilla protection effort. Only from gorilla trekking money collected after permit sales can this come to pass.
Every day, visitors assemble at the ranger station for a training; then, a ranger guide takes a maximum of eight client groups to the route where the gorillas were seen the day before. Early in the morning, a group of rangers tracks the gorillas and reports back to park officials on the feeding site for every mountain gorilla family.
How do I get a Gorilla Trekking Permit?
Gorilla trekking permits sold in Uganda are purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority; those sold in Rwanda are purchased from the Rwanda Development Board. While in D.R. Congo at Goma Virunga Park headquarters,
Before buying a gorilla permit, one must first verify their availability, as sometimes they run out. You should keep trying even if the service call lines at sales offices with gorilla permits are busy.
Verifying gorilla permit availability does not ensure that things will stay as they are. Once you locate availability as per your chosen gorilla trekking dates, fully pay for your permit on a first-come, first-served basisis used. Maybe someone walks in and purchases everything for your date. There is no reservation of permits without payment.
While we arrange gorilla permits for our customers at Katland Safaris, you must choose the day you would like to perform your gorilla trekking safari. Later on, we ask you to send us certain personal information, such as your complete name on the passport, expiration date, date of birth, and nationality.
After successful gorilla trekking, your certificate is provided using this information. We use this information to issue a gorilla trekking card for you from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
What is the cost of a gorilla trekking permit?
For international nonresidents in Uganda, the gorilla trekking permit costs $800; for East African residents, it costs $700.
For international nonresidents in Rwanda, the Gorilla Trekking permit costs $1500.
Gorilla trekking permits in D.R. Congo cost $450 for international nonresidents, $300 for SADC members, and $250 for Congolese per person per trip.
What is included in the gorilla trekking permit?
The cost covers park fees, gorilla research and medical treatment, ranger tour expenses, and local community assistance costs.
The permission costs exclude tips and hiring a porter before gorilla trekking.
 What is the Gorilla Trekking age restriction?
The age restriction for gorilla trekking is 15 years, whether you are walking with gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, or the D.R. Congo.
Gorilla trekking permits allow how many people?
Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, and the D.R. Congo only permits eight people.
When should one go on a gorilla trek?
Nearly everywhere in Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R. Congo, the meteorological conditions influencing the gorilla trekking region (Virunga area) are nearly the same. When wet seasons render the soft volcanic soils muddy and marshy, weather conditions are among the elements influencing gorilla trekking booking time.
Though you may still do gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Virunga National Park, the worst rainy seasons are experienced in March through May and November.
Gorilla trekking is best in the dry months of June through September and December, as the paths are more navigable with less foliage obstructing the path.
Which park would be ideal for gorilla trekking?
Although a lifelong journey on an African safari, a gorilla trekking experience lets you make memories, too. Selecting the ideal park for gorilla trekking is based on personal preference, based onthe desired outcome at the end of the day.
The Uganda gorilla trip leads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with around half the global total mountain gorilla count. For a distance of around 540 miles, the road drive from Entebbe Airport to Kampala city might take eight hours. Your gorilla trekking schedule in Bwindi must last three days.
At $800 per individual, the Uganda gorilla permit is less expensive than that of Rwanda.
From gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest, Uganda, you may easily connect for amazing game drives, chimpanzee trekking, launch tours, birdwatching, and so much more.
With two days on an African gorilla safari, Rwanda gorilla trekking is the shortest amount of time you could spend there. Nonetheless, the Rwanda gorilla trekking license is the most expensive—$1500—among those of other countries.
For a distance of around two and a half hours, the trip from Kigali Airport to Volcanoes National Park is most readily accessible.
D.R., Congo Civil strife and turmoil in Virunga National Park have disrupted gorilla treks there. Gorilla trekking is occurring while the Virunga conservation team works hard to shield the gorillas from these threats.
Among the three mountain gorilla habitats, the $450 Virunga National Park ticket is the cheapest. The easiest route to Virunga National Park is Kigali Airport.
Is booking for Gorilla Trekking worth it?
Many tourists from all over save their hard-earned money to spend one hour with the mountain gorillas, but the question is, “Is it worth the cost?”
Some of the fortunate survivors of the ice age era and the worldwide mountain gorillas stayed in Bwindi Forest, Volcanoes National Park, Virunga National Park, and Mgahinga National Park.
Finding the mountain gorillas feels like nothing else. Your body becomes chilly as you consider that pure size and into those dark brown eyes. Though this moment elicits conflicting emotions, it is impossible to believe that mountain gorillas are benign animals.
A rich biosphere reserve, the Virunga gorilla trekking region offers an opportunity to find many other primates like golden monkeys, blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s, and chimpanzees.
Across Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R. Congo, this Virunga region has a diverse birdlife. From Shelley’s Crimsonwings to gorgeous Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, white-bellied Robin-Chat, Blue Flycatcher, and Lagden’s Bush shrikes, even the Albertine endemics may clearly be seen prowling this territory.
One can only go Gorilla Trekking in Africa how many times?
Every gorilla permit purchased is for one person per day per trip; nonetheless, depending on your budget and desired interaction with the mountain gorillas, you may go gorilla trekking as many times as you want.
Is Gorilla Trekking in Africa Safe?
Safety precautions taken in Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park while gorilla trekking are highly valued. Although rebel activity may damage Virunga National Park in D.R. Congo, visitor security is given significant priority.
Groups of armed rangers guide visitors into the jungle every morning to begin looking for the mountain gorillas. Often used to interact with the main offices of the park authority, the rangers have a radio call that ensures the security of visitors first.
Although this has not occurred recently, the ranger calls for assistance in case any odd activity in the forest is observed—very unlikely. Since Rwanda gorilla trekking is their international trade gem, security is very crucial. The defense soldiers even keep an eye on Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking in Africa?
Wide-ranging volcanic activity in the gorilla trekking region accounts for the diversity in plant zones. Among these vegetative zones are feeding hubs like the bamboo zone for the mountain gorilla.
Tourists climb the hills during gorilla trekking in search of the mountain gorillas, particularly in the wet seasons when they often eat from the slopes.
From the top, the plant cover is dense; yet, minimal sunray penetration causes less coverage below. This helps one follow the paths more easily; the ranger guide constantly uses a panga to clip projecting crawling tendrils.
Your degree of fitness will affect the speed or difficulty you find gorilla trekking to be. A little workout helps your muscles to resist the climb in the regions of gorilla trekking.
How To Get Ready For Trekking Among Gorillas
The best assurance for any gorilla trekking excursion is booking the gorilla trekking permit in Uganda, Rwanda, or the D.R. Congo. You should be aware of the dates you want to go gorilla trekking as well as the number of persons accompanying you to ensure availability of a gorilla permit every day.
Before gorilla trekking, engage in some physical exercise to help you climb the peaks and plateaus on the route.
Make a list of your gorilla trekking equipment to ensure you never overlook the most crucial items. Usually, there is no time to acquire any of the ground-based gear; hence, shopping centers are rare as one travels further into the countryside.
Book lodging right after the gorilla permits, particularly in Uganda, where the area determines the sales value of the gorilla licenses. Gorilla hiking in one location and overnighting in another are challenging, particularly during high seasons; hence, you must find accommodation.
Among the most reliable travel companies in East Africa is Katland Safaris. Your safari will be taken care of by our office and field personnel from design to implementation. Please contact us; we have a few evaluations on travel advisor and Safari reservations for you to evaluate, and for more information about the 15 often asked questions regarding gorilla trekking in Africa.
