Gorilla Safari Rwanda, Gorilla Trekking and Rwanda Tours
Thinking of visiting Rwanda ? We have arranged great safari packages including gorilla trekking, wildlife safaris and cultural tours in this land of a thousand hills.
Safaris in Rwanda
Gorilla Watching Safari 2 days
Highlights: Express Rwanda safari, visit the mountain Gorilla Trekking within the verdant Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Gorilla Trekking Rwanda 3 days
Highlights: Visit Volcanoes National Park for a gorilla trek, see other species within this park before taking on a Kigali city tour.
Gorillas & Dian Fossey 4 days
Highlights: Visit the mountain gorillas and follow the foot steps of Dian Fossey who lived with these gorillas for several years.
Rwanda Gorilla Tracking 4 days
Highlights: Mountain gorillas, Golden Monkeys, Dian Fossey trek and Kigali City tours.
Gorilla Trip & Wildlife 6 days
Highlights: Giraffes, Buffaloes, Elephants in Akagera and Gorillas in PNV & Golden monkey trek.
Gorilla Tours & Wildlife 7 days
Highlights: Nyungwe Forest birds, reptiles, mammals on a forest walk, track the gorillas & golden monkey, visit Genocide memorial.
Rwanda Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorilla (Gorilla berengei berengei) is among the two mainly endangered apes living in the world (the Cross River Gorilla, Gorilla gorilla diehli). It is approximated that there are 720 mountain gorillas existing today, and these specifically live in the wild. They live in 2 small, sheltered afromontane forest areas in northwestern Rwanda, southwestern Uganda as well as eastern DRC.
The stunning verdant Virunga Volcanoes found at the boarder of Rwanda and Uganda are one of the habitants of these famous mountain gorillas.
This park hosts the ‘gorillas in the mist’ to which Dian Fossey following years of research and study lost her life.
Close to 350 mountain gorillas are believed to be living in these moist forested slopes of the volcanic mountains so eco-tourism is among the ways to uphold their survival.
These slippery damp slopes of the impressive Virunga Mountains are found in the northeastern part of Rwanda.
This mountain range is characterized by peaks of up to 14,648ft / 4,507 meters extends further into the adjacent countries of Uganda; where you can also track mountain gorillas, and DRC.
The park has a number of vegetation zones varying from the lowland forest all through to the Afro alpine as well as the towering primary rainforest whose lower branches are roofed in lichen plus sporadic parasitic orchids.
Experiencing a close encounter with tranquil mountain gorillas is a gratifying experience that will remain memorable, neither is a hike through the moist fertile undergrowth, frequently dense with mist. However the challenges you go through while hike will all be forgotten when you set eyes for the first time on the gorillas and the impression of affiliation is very overpowering.
It makes more sense and thoughtfulness when you exchange glances with these mountain gorilla than doing so with any other animal.
There are stern regulations in place and every habituated gorilla group can be visited by a maximum of 8 people in a day. It is such a great privilege to come face to face with our distant cousins!
When exploring Rwanda – the Land of a Thousand Hills, you mustn’t miss out on the splendid chance to visit Volcanoes National Park (PNV) comprising of 125 sq km of mountain forest as well as home to the 6 Virunga Volcanoes in addition to the internationally famed mountain gorillas. Sheltered within PNV, the verdant forested slopes of these mountains serve as a suitable vivid natural habitat for the gorillas.
The thrilling gorilla trekking through the gorilla habitat of consisting of bamboo forests presents incredible views to all directions. So before trekkers are engrossed within the inexplicable intimacy of this rainforest, alive with the echoes of vivid birds as well as the chattering of uncommon golden monkeys, you can enjoy the wonderful sights. Nothing can best prepare anyone for the great encounter of a mature silverback gorilla, which is about three times the actual size of an typical man, yet it is very outstandingly peaceable and open-minded of human presence.
Book your Gorilla trekking permit
You can book Gorilla permits at the RDB Tourism & Conservation Reservation Office or through your tour operator. A gorilla permit is priced at $ 750 per individual for a single trek. You will be briefed at the RDB Tourism and Conservation offices located at the area offices within Kinigi by 7:00 am.
RDB Tourism & Conservation today has English as well as French speaking skilled guides plus a team of about 80 trained gorilla-trackers with majority of them speaking French / English.
Where to see the Gorillas
Our special gorilla safari in Africa center on the endangered Eastern-Mountain Gorilla, and today there are about 720 remaining in the whole world. These tranquil giant primates can only be found in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. In these 3 countries there are majorly two main habitats that support the survival of these gorillas and these include the Virunga Mountains found border of Rwanda, Uganda and DRC, and the Impenetrable Bwindi Forest found in Uganda.
Currently we don’t offer tours to DRC and therefore our gorilla safaris are conducted in Rwanda and the adjacent Uganda which support about half of the total gorilla population in the world.
Virunga Mountains
The Virunga Mountains of East Africa are a chain of volcanoes that are located on the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and DRC. Extending downward to the western part of the Great Rift Valley, the Mountain ranges are situated in what is referred to as the Albertine Rift and comprise of 8 main peaks, with the highest towering to as high as 5,000 meters. Click here for great safari packages to Rwanda.
On the side of the DRC, the Virunga Mountains sits in the Virunga National Park, extending over an expanse of 7,800 sq km and is sheltered as a World Heritage Site. On the side of Rwanda, the small Parc National des Volcans (PNV), that covers about 120 sq km and also referred to as the Volcanoes National Park. To the eastern side in Uganda is the impressive Mgahinga National Park, that stretches over an expanse of 34 sq km. unique about these is that these three sheltered area form the Virunga Conservation Area which serve as a habitat to about 380 mountain gorillas.
