Rwanda gorilla trekking destinations. Book a Gorilla trekking safari to Rwanda – Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda is one of the premium gorilla trekking destinations in Africa. Even though Rwanda’s gorilla permit is the most expensive of all the 3 mountain gorilla trekking destinations (at $1,500), the country still attracts a very high number of gorilla trekkers in the region. This is due to several factors that give Rwanda an advantage over its neighbors as far as gorilla trekking is concerned. These include a good transport network evidenced by the well-tarmacked roads right from the airport to the park.
The short distance between the airport and the park which takes just 3 hours of driving is another favorable factor. High-quality accommodation facilities with good services for all categories of travelers including luxury, midrange, and budget facilities also give Rwanda another competitive advantage, Guaranteed security in and around Volcanoes National Park is another encouraging factor that attracts thousands of travelers to trek gorillas here.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes place in only one destination and that’s in Volcanoes national game park. The gorilla trekking exercise in Volcanoes National Park is less tenacious compared to other trekking destinations like Bwindi which is very hilly and with dense vegetation.
About Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Volcanoes national park is a stop center for all Rwanda gorilla safaris in Rwanda. The strategic location of the VNP roughly 2 hours’ drive from Kigali international airport makes it the most accessible gorilla national park in the world. Besides gorillas, Volcanoes National Park is a home for golden monkeys, a variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects among other creatures which together make a complete Rwanda safari package.
Spanning a 160 sqkm area in the northern part of Rwanda, Volcanoes national park is part of the great Virunga volcano conservation region spanning to cover Virunga National Park Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda. It was initially a small area around Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke volcanoes which was gazetted to protect the Mountain gorillas which were facing the threat of extinction as a result of poaching.
How to get there
Volcanoes National Park is located in a small village called Musanze previously well-known as Ruhengeri, which is very accessible by public transport from Gisenyi or Kigali or the airport. The drive to Volcanoes national park is 2 hrs and hence one can do gorilla tracking on the same day and drive back to Kigali after the trek. You will be required to arrive at the headquarters of ORTPN in Kinigi, at the park entrance, by 7:00 am, therefore, if you hope to trek gorillas for one day, you have to wake up very early for your journey so that you are on time. However, there isn’t any public transport from Musanze to the headquarters of the park at Kinigi.
Rwanda Gorilla Permit
The gorilla permit allows you to visit the endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. The Rwanda gorilla permit is sold at $1,500 per person and it guarantees a traveler one hour in the presence of gorillas. Majorly gorilla permits are booked through local tour agents who deposit them for booking and finally purchase them on behalf of the traveler as the trekking day approaches. Due to the high demand and the strict gorilla conservation regulations in Rwanda, which limit the number of permits to be issued per day, travelers are recommended to make permit bookings at least six months before their trekking date. There are 10 habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park and each family is visited by only 8 trekkers per day. This means that Rwanda issues only 80 gorilla permits per day for gorilla trekking
Accommodation in and around Volcanoes National Park
There are a variety of accommodation facilities within and around Volcanoes National Park ranging from luxury to midrange and budget facilities to cater to all categories of travelers
Best time to visit Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park takes place throughout the year though the dry season is preferably the best time to visit the park.
Contact us for any inquiries about booking a gorilla safari to Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park.
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