Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park is top activity in the park and in the country as many travelers book this activity on a daily basis. Volcanoes national park is home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas that can be accessed by hiking the different virunga mountains in the park. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park is the most rewarding activity that a tourist can participate in to have an amazing time during their Rwanda Safaris because of the different attractions that can be seen, to the time you get to spend with the gentle giants which is quite rewarding.
Gorilla trekking permit price
For tourists to participate in gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, they will have to the first book for a gorilla trekking permit from the Rwanda Development Board and a trusted tour company like explore Rwanda tours at a fee of 1500USD. It should be noted that the permits should be booked in advance in order not to miss out on the activity in the park.
What involves in gorilla trekking in the park
Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park involves tourists hiking the different Virunga Mountains like Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, and Mount Muhabura to access the different Rwanda gorilla families in the park.
Before tourists head to the different virunga mountains, they will have to first go through a briefing session where they will be taken through the guidelines to follow during gorilla trekking, the rules and regulations, the safety precautions to follow in order to have a safe activity and after they are then accompanied by a guide and an armed ranger to protect the tourists during their activity. During the hikes to the different Virunga Mountains, you will see a number of attractions including a number of primate species like the golden monkeys and a number of bird species as you get to the different gorilla families in the park.
As you get to the gorilla families in the park, you will get to spend one hour with the gorilla families understanding their behavior by observing them while they carry out their daily routine, for instance, their feeding patterns where you get to know at what they eat, their diet which usually comprises of bamboo stems and fruit, you will see their grooming patterns, how they construct their nests in the park among other interesting features about the gorillas, you will also have the opportunity to take pictures of the gorillas making gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park quite memorable.
The time period of gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park will take you about 4-6 hours to reach the different gorilla families in the park where you will be hiking the mountains and seeing a number of attractions as you get to the different gorilla families and when you get to the families, you will spend one hour with them and at the end, you will hike back to the starting point of your gorilla trekking activity.
Guidelines to follow during gorilla trekking
- A distance of 7 metres away from the gorillas should be maintained to avoid spreading diseases
- Follow the lead of the guide in order to have a safe activity in the park
- Unnecessary movements and unnecessary noise in the presence of the gorillas should be avoided because it will trigger the primates as a threat and hence lead to their attacks which can be fatal.
- Taking pictures of the gorillas with a flash on should be avoided because it can also trigger them as a threat which can lead to fatal attacks of the primates.
Packing list for gorilla trekking
- Hiking shoes in order to have a comfortable activity in the park.
- Insect repellent because of the different insects in the park that can spread diseases like malaria.
- Raincoat because the weather conditions in the park is quite unpredictable because it can rain at any time in the park.
- Pain killers
Rules and regulations of gorilla trekking
- Smoking is prohibited because it can spread diseases to the primates like lung cancer
- Eating in the presence of the gorillas should be avoided to avoid gorillas from contracting diseases.
- Littering should be avoided to avoid accidents in the park.
- Sick tourists should not be allowed to participate in gorilla trekking
- Tourists under the age of 15 years should not participate in gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park.
- A tourist can only participate in the activity when they have a valid gorilla trekking permit.
Benefits of gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park
Hiking the Virunga Mountains
With gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park, you will get to hike the different virunga mountains to access the different gorilla families in the park. Through the hikes you will have the chance to see a number of exceptional views of the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, Lake Kivu. Bird species like shrike flycatcher, brown crowned tchagra, hairy breasted barbet, red-faced crimson, white thighed hornbill, black bee eater, green breated pitta, yellow billed barbet, white-bellied crested flycatcher, tinker bird western nicator, bar-tailed trogon among other species which will make your Rwanda safaris quite memorable.
Seeing a number of primate species in the park
During gorilla trekking in the park, you will get the chance to see a number of primate species like the vervet monkey, mona monkey, dent’s monkey, golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among other primate species in the park which will also improve on your experience during your gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes national park.
