Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park: Volcanoes National Park is one of the few destinations in Africa endowed with mountain gorilla trekking experiences, located in the Virunga Conservation Area. The park is located in Rwanda, the country commonly known as a “country with a thousand hills”, and home to part of the surviving mountain gorillas in the world.
Trekking the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of Volcanoes National Park and several other mountain gorilla destinations such as Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park and Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo is an aspiration achieved for most wildlife and nature lovers across the global.
Mountain gorillas are closely related to humans, attracting tourists who want to see them in their natural habitats. This is because they share 98% DNA with humans making them man’s closet cousins. These endangered species are restricted to some climatical zones and prefer montane vegetation types, meaning they cannot survive in lowlands, savannahs and zoos. Therefore, travellers and primate lovers can only find them in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Uganda’s Bwindi National Park, Mgahinga National Park and Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is the only place to see these gorillas, covering 160 sq.km in the northwest. Many gorillas live there, and some are habituated for trekking year-round.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
In the morning, trekkers travel to Kinigi for a briefing, where the park headquarters are located. Here, armed ranger guides brief trekkers about the general rules and regulations for the safety of both the gorillas and trekkers. After the briefing, trekkers can hire porters for a fee if they have extra luggage. Groups of up to eight people are formed and distributed among various gorilla families.
After you will enter the jungle guided by rangers as you begin your search for the mountain gorillas in the jungle. This search can take 2 to 4 hours and allows trekkers to see various forest attractions, including mammals, other primates such as red-tailed monkeys, golden monkeys, mangabeys and plant species, among others.
When trekkers spot mountain gorillas, they can spend 1 hour observing them, offering chances to learn about their habits and see their human-like behaviors. Tourists can take memorable photos and videos of the gorillas as they engage in activities like playing, climbing, nesting, hunting, feeding, mating, and breastfeeding.
After their experience, trekkers receive trekking certificates. To trek in Volcanoes Park, individuals must be at least 15 years old and must have a trekking permit. The permit costs $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents, and $200 for East African citizens.
What is the best time to see mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
The best months to trek the Mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park are from June to September and December to February. These months are dry season, meaning there is less rain and more sunshine. The dry trails make it easier to walk and provide clear views of the gorillas and the forest. This is because the vegetation keeps low due to little rainfall received, hence enhancing visibility of several wildlife species. This is ideal for tourists interested in photography. Tourists can still visit the gorillas during the rainy season.
The rainy season in Volcanoes National Park is from March to May and October to November. There is a lot of rain and little sunshine, making trekking difficult due to muddy and slippery trails. The tall vegetation makes it hard to see mountain gorillas clearly for recording especially to photography.
How to access Volcanoes National Park
Tourists can reach Volcanoes National Park from Kigali using road or air transport. The road journey takes about 3 hours to Musanze city, located 94 km away, and then another 10 km to Kinigi, where the park headquarters are. For a luxury option, tourists can fly to Musanze airstrip in 40 minutes and then continue to Kinigi. Therefore, trvellers who hate travelling long distances by road or those with limited time can opt for a flight, and a flight to Musanze takes about 40 minutes.
Accommodation in Volcanoes National Park
Tourists visiting the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park should choose lodges close to the park, such as the opulent Bisate Lodge, Singta Kwitonda Lodge, Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge, Volcanoes Lodge, Hotel Muhabura Lodge, Gorilla Nest Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View lodge, and Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, among others. Those willing to wake up early can stay in Kigali and travel for 3 hours to the park and stay in city lodges.
