Planning a gorilla trekking holiday for your family in Uganda and Rwanda
Are you organizing a family vacation that includes gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda? Prioritize booking the gorilla permits. In Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla trekking vacations are only available to those who are at least 15 years old. Planning how many days you want to spend on a gorilla safari vacation in Rwanda or Uganda is the best course of action.
While a two-day gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is appropriate, a three-day gorilla safari in Uganda is the minimum duration. Let’s say you want to mix gorilla trekking with other pursuits, such as game drives, birding safaris, chimpanzee trekking, etc. If so, you should think about when you and your family will go on your African safari.
Planning a gorilla trekking vacation with the family is a great way to make memories that will last a lifetime. Mountain gorillas are a perfect representation of human families, with the dominant silverback serving as the head of the family.
When you go on a gorilla safari vacation, I’m confident you’ll encounter a family member who looks like you. It is simpler to be assigned to the same gorilla family to travel with if you reserve the gorilla trekking permits for the whole family in advance. Because the process for assigning gorilla families is dependent on factors like age and physical fitness, this is only occasionally guaranteed.
What is a vacation that include gorilla trekking?
You can spend an hour with a fully habituated gorilla family in the wild while on a gorilla trekking vacation. You need to have a Rwanda Development Board or Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit.
A gorilla permit: what is it?
A gorilla permit is a card or paperwork that grants you access to trekking locations. Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are two of Uganda’s gorilla trekking sites. Tourists can reserve 152 gorilla permits for Uganda’s 19 gorilla families every day.
Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s gorilla habitat, and 15 families are available for tourists to reserve. You can reserve 96 gorilla permits in Rwanda per day.
How can a family gorilla trekking vacation in Rwanda and Uganda be organized?
Determine the Best Places in Uganda to Go Gorilla Trekking
Impenetrable National Park in Bwindi
There are several gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to which you may be assigned.
What are the 18 gorilla families who have reservations in four separate locations, each with a different kind of lodging?
The Buhoma area in the north, the Ruhija area in the east, the Rushaga area, and the Nkuringo area in the south are the areas that are used to get gorilla permits for the Bwindi forest.
Chimpanzees, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, L” Honest’s, and other primates are among the approximately nine additional species of primates that inhabit this biosphere reserve.
Over 350 different bird species, including endemics of the Albertine Rift, can be found at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, making it a great place for any avid birdwatcher. Birders’ paradise in the Ruhija section of Bwindi forest, particularly at Mubwindi wetland. Among the birds you might see are the Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, African Hill Babblers, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, and Mountain Masked Apalises.
Park in Mgahinga National
The smallest Ugandan national park, Mgahinga, is only 33.7 square kilometers in size, although it does have some mountain gorillas. The Nyakagezi family is the only gorilla family that is accessible to tourists.
Due to the gorilla family’s history of relocating to Rwanda, obtaining permits was difficult. The Nyakagezi gorilla family’s existence determined the sale of the gorilla permits.
The list now includes about 115 bird species that have been identified in Mgahinga National Park, but it is anticipated to grow as the area has not received much attention from ornithologists.
Other primates that are of interest to primatologists include olive baboons, black and white colobus, golden monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and red-tailed monkeys in Mgahinga National Park.
Three unique mountains—Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, and Mountain Sabyinyo—backdrop Mgahinga National Park. An 8-hour return hike to one of these mountains is a good way to gauge your level of fitness.
In the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda
With 15 gorilla families available for tourists, this park is Rwanda’s only gorilla trekking destination. Rwanda’s northwest contains Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda gorilla permits are sold and governed by the Rwanda Development Board.
Five volcanoes—Mountain Karisimbi, Mountain Bisoke, Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, and Mountain Sabyinyo—backdrop the landscape of Volcanoes National Park.
Other primates, such as olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, golden monkeys, and blue monkeys, can be found in Volcanoes National Parks.
Enthusiastic birdwatchers can see a range of bird species, including endemics of the Albertine Rift, while gorilla trekking. Alpine Chat, Malachite Sunbird, Montane Double-collared Sunbird, Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, and more bird species can be found in Volcanoes National Park.
Get a permit to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda.
Because gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda requires participants to be at least 15 years old, take their age into account when reserving gorilla permits for your family.
How to Reserve Gorilla Permits
Ask the Uganda Wildlife Authority or a recognized travel agency, such as katland Safaris, about the availability of gorilla permits. If you want to go gorilla trekking, you must have a tentative or confirmed day in mind.
We urge our clients to buy their gorilla permits as soon as possible if there is a positive availability. This is because they only have a maximum of eight gorilla licenses per gorilla family and sell out quickly due to great demand worldwide.
Since gorilla permits are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, none are guaranteed without payment in advance.
in your gorilla permits, include personal information such as your country, date of birth, expiration date, and the full names of your family members as listed in your passport.
After you finish the gorilla walk, these details are put to your certificate and utilized for record-keeping.
Determine How Many Days the Family Will Spend on the Gorilla Trekking Vacation
The minimum duration for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is two days during a gorilla safari vacation. The minimum duration for a gorilla trekking expedition in Uganda is three days.
Five-gorilla trekking, six-gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, eight-gorilla, chimpanzee, wildlife safari, and other activities are available.
The number of days you have scheduled to spend in the forest will determine how long your family’s gorilla safari vacation lasts.
To create an unforgettable experience, we at katland Safaris customize gorilla safari packages to meet the needs of our customers. We recognize that for the majority of visitors to Africa, gorilla trekking is at the top of their bucket list, and we want to make it an unforgettable Africa Safari experience that fits within your budget.
For many families, taking travels together creates enduring memories.
Make reservations for lodging for the gorilla trekking expedition.
You must make reservations for lodging inside or near the trekking park when you get a gorilla permit. The lodging options available for the gorilla trekking vacation are categorized as luxury, mid-range, and cheap. The best deal for lodging on a family vacation would be to reserve a family room or adjacent rooms.
You must schedule lodging near the locations where your gorilla permit is registered if you plan to do gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Due to its enormous size, this park is divided into four areas: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. You have to drive at night to make it to the early morning briefing when you spend the night somewhere else. Because of the frequent rains in this area, logs can occasionally block off the roadways or make them slick, making this extremely dangerous.
Due to great demand, these parks’ lodgings are completely booked throughout the busiest months of June, July, August, September, December, and January. Your family’s lodging must be reserved in advance.
Depending on your destination, you can reserve a variety of lodging options for gorilla trekking, such as:
Clouds Lodge is the lodging option for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gorilla Safari Lodge, Rihija Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Engage Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Trakker’s Tarven, and Broadbiil Camp
Accommodations at Mgahinga National Park include Majambere Iwachu, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Traveler’s Inn, Gahinga Lodge, and Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle.
Accommodations in Volcanoes National Park include Hotel La Palme, Kinigi Guest House, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, and Hotel Mille Collines.
Make Transportation Reservations for Gorilla Trekking
You and your family should be aware of the mode of transportation you intend to employ for the gorilla trekking expedition. Depending on your financial situation, you can either take the road or the air.
You can rent a safari car or safari van for your family to go by road; it should be roomy and cozy enough to accommodate all of your belongings. Because of the volcanic road conditions in the Virunga region, you will need to rent a 4×4 wheel drive car with a window seat for at least everyone. You need a comfy car for the rough roads, whether you’re in Rwanda or Uganda.
Air transportation for the whole family to go gorilla trekking
Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi to Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airstrip are the destinations of daily domestic flights in Uganda. You must reserve additional seats in advance of your Ugandan gorilla safari vacation if you require them.
Gorilla Safari offers charter flight services from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip.
To go to Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from the airport, you need to reserve a transfer car.
There are charter flights to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park from Kigali airport.
Reserve flights to Rwanda or Uganda internationally. It can be really stressful to plan a vacation trip with family in advance. To ensure that no one is left behind if they are a member of the gorilla trekking group, you must purchase your airline tickets in advance.
To make sure you have everything you need to enter the bush, it is advisable to go to Rwanda or Uganda before the start of the gorilla safari. Make sure that everyone in the family has their gorilla trekking equipment ready. Buy some gorilla trekking equipment from the nearby malls if you still need it.
When Is The Best Time For The Family To Reserve Gorilla Permits?
To avoid last-minute hassles attempting to locate availability, you can obtain the family gorilla permits at least six months to a year before the day of trekking. Gorilla permits in Rwanda and Uganda sell out quickly during the busiest travel seasons. June, July, August, September, December, and January are the busiest travel seasons.
What distinguishes Rwandan and Ugandan gorilla trekking?
Whether traveling to Rwanda or Uganda, a gorilla trekking safari is an incredible experience. Standing in front of the mountain gorillas is a life-altering experience that can completely erase the hardships you may have endured to organize the family gorilla safari.
The following are some ways that gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda differs:
The price of a gorilla permit
Gorilla permits in Rwanda cost $1500 per person per hike, whereas those in Uganda cost $800 per person.
The number of families of gorillas
Recently, Rwanda has had 15 gorilla trekking families with 96 gorilla permits, compared to 19 gorilla trekking families with 152 permits in Uganda.
Activities that are optional In addition to Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking in Uganda can be combined with a number of other activities, such as chimpanzee trekking, game drives, white water rafting, sport fishing, exploring the Nile River’s source, and launch trips.
There aren’t many other activities in Rwanda that you may combine with gorilla trekking, such as game drives, chimpanzee trekking, and trips to Rwanda’s genocide monument.
Travel time by car from the airport to the locations of gorilla trekking
It takes roughly three hours to drive over picturesque winding roads from Kigali airport to Volcanoes National Park. It takes roughly eight to nine hours to drive from Entebbe Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park via dusty, uneven country roads.
You can go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through Rwanda to cut down on the amount of time you need to drive there. It takes roughly five to six hours to drive there.
What Are Rwandan and Ugandan Gorilla Trekking Dos and Don’ts?
Because mountain gorillas are particularly vulnerable to illnesses like the flu and cough, offer to stay behind if you have one of these contagious illnesses.
To lessen the possibility of spreading an infection through direct touch, keep a distance of roughly 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you find them.
Garbage dumping in the forest is prohibited because it changes the environment, which is home to mountain gorillas.
During gorilla trekking, avoid spitting on plants or the ground as this could infect the mountain gorillas.
Because of the characteristics of the area where mountain gorillas reside, gorilla trekking is only permitted for youngsters who are at least 15 years old.
All fecal contents should be buried in a 30-centimeter hole and completely covered.
Once you find the mountain gorillas, you are only permitted to spend an hour with them.
