Please email us with your gorilla permits/ gorilla tour requirements at permits@gorillapermitsrwanda.com or travel@gorillasvacations.com
Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, Congo DRC & Rwanda
The rare mountain gorillas that live in the Virunga mountain ranges and volcanoes, range across the Virunga National Park of The Democratic Republic of Congo DRC, Bwindi National Park of Uganda and Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. All 2 countries have groups of gorilla families that are habituated for gorilla trekking by humans. The Virungas are home to around 500 mountain gorillas which is more than half of the world’s total mountain gorilla population. It is little wonder therefore that more visitors trek to Rwanda, Uganda and DRC to catch a glimpse of these rare beauty of the gentle giants of the Virungas. Where you trek the gorillas is usually determined by preference as the gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda Volcanoes Park, Congo DRC Park, and Bwindi Uganda is pretty much the same. Rwanda has over 10 gorilla families habituated for gorilla tours by visitors who flock to Rwanda each year to trek the gorillas.
Meeting the silverbacks of Virunga, Bwindi and Volcanoes Park is a memorable experience. The silverback gorillas are usually the heads of the gorilla families. So powerful, yet so gentle and so caring. You will be briefed about gorilla trekking etiquette prior to each gorilla safari. Nobody should feel threatened should the gorillas charge at you when on a gorilla trek. The gorilla trekking rangers possess very many years’ experience of handling the gorillas in the presence of humans.
To schedule your gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, Uganda, Congo DRC, simple email us at travel@gorillasvacations.com and we shall handle all your gorilla tour bookings and purchase your gorilla permits for you in advance of your arrival.
Gorilla trekking tour planning.
When to go gorilla trekking
Mountain Gorilla trekking tours can be embarked on, all year round in Virunga Park Congo, Volcanoes Park Rwanda and Bwindi Park in Uganda. The Virungas experience sporadic bursts of rainfall during the months of March, April, May, October, November and December but do not deter gorilla trekking during the rainy season. The drier months are usually the best months to go gorilla trekking but are also the busiest with the need to purchase your gorilla permits months in advance. We recommend that if you intend to gorilla trek in July, August, September and December that you send us details of your mountain gorilla tour early enough to enable us secure your gorilla permits for you well in advance.
Purchase of Gorilla trekking Permits.
As earlier alluded to above, the demand for gorilla permits is fierce during the peak gorilla trekking months of July, August, September and December. It is thus advisable to secure your gorilla permits well ahead of your gorilla tour. In Rwanda the gorilla permits cost each US$750 + $50 service and admin fees. In Uganda the gorilla permits cost US$600 +$50 service and admin fees. Uganda gorilla permits however are sold at reduced gorilla permits fees of US$450 +$50 service and admin fees, during the low season months of April, May and November. If you are able to trek during April May and November, we thus recommend that you give gorilla trekking in Uganda very serious thought because of the reduced gorilla permits fees. The Democratic Republic of Congo DRC gorilla permits, cost US$400+$50 service and admin fees and are flat all year round.
Rwanda having 10 gorilla groups habituated for gorilla trekking therefore has 80 gorilla permits available for the gorilla treks each day. Congo DRC is still habituating more gorilla families, but currently has 5 gorilla groups of which only 3 are currently regularly tracked in the Virunga National Park.
Uganda, currently has 7 gorilla families habituated for gorilla treks in Bwindi.
Each gorilla permit is valid for only 1 day. The gorilla permit fee is inclusive of park entrance, ranger guide fees and the gorilla trek fee. Clients need to arrange their own 4x4 vehicle hire to get them from park headquarters to the gorilla trekking trailheads and back to their hotels after the gorilla trek.
Please email us with gorilla permit requirements at permits@gorillapermitsrwanda.com and we shall do everything we can to secure the gorilla permit for your preferred gorilla trekking date in Rwanda, Uganda and DRC Congo.
Nobody should be deterred from gorilla trekking as gorilla groups can be tracked with different levels of fitness. When you assemble at park headquarters for the gorilla trek briefing each morning of the trek at 7am, you will be split into groups of 8 depending on both your preferences and levels of fitness. Some groups can be tracked within 1hr-3hrs while others like the Susa group of Rwanda and the Nkuringo group of Uganda can take 8hrs and hence require a high level of fitness to track these gorilla groups that range much further in the Virunga mountain ranges.
In addition, porters are available at a very small fee on the day of your gorilla safari to assist with carrying your gorilla trek gear and to carry trekkers who have a physical disability and mobility challenges.Gorilla trekking at high altitude can be arduous and challenging. We recommend that you advise rangers a realistic self-assessment of your fitness level so that you get allocated to the appropriate gorilla group. You should bring hiking boots that are sturdy, as well as long sleeved shirts or t-shirts, gloves, a baseball cap and high socks to protect you from the stinging nettles in the thick Virunga massif.
Mountain Gorilla trekking safari experience.
Going on a mountain gorilla trekking safari is one of the most memorable experiences that will bring you closes to wild beasts so big, yet so gentle and so caring. A silverback gorilla can weigh well ovr 250kg and stand at 5 feet tall. Some gorilla groups can have as many as 20 gorillas and sometimes even more. When the numbers grow much larger the gorillas usually subdivide and form another gorilla family, especially in gorilla families with more than one male silverback gorilla.
On the morning of the gorilla trek, your driver guide will pick you up from your overnight hotel in Kinigi Rwanda, Bwindi Uganda or Goma for those gorilla trekking in Congo DRC’s Virunga park. Pre-gorilla trekking briefing takes place at 7am at park headquarters and it here that you will be grouped into groups of 8 pax each depending on fitness levels and travel parties. You will be briefed about gorilla tracking etiquette and how to behave in the presence of the Virunga gentle giants.
It is at the gorilla briefing that you will learn the basic rules of the gorilla treks: Keep at least 22 feet away and keep your voices low. No camera flashes are allowed as they could blind the gorillas and infuriate them. Trekkers are advised to avoid staring and focused eye contact with the gorillas. Avoid pointing fingers at the gorillas. Should a gorilla walk towards you, quietly, slowly and calmly get out of the way. If one charges, follow the park ranger guide’s instructions to drop to the ground in a submission manner. Don’t freak out if the silverback beats his black hairy chest, he is just being a tease or showy or perhaps trying to keep warm. At the briefing that guides will also demonstrate how they communicate with the gorillas and take you through some gorilla sounds and how to interpret their sounds.
After the briefing, your driver guide for the day will transfer you in the 4x4 vehicle to the tracking trailheads ( 4x4 vehicles are required and recommended during the rainy season as the roads leading to the gorilla trekking trailheads can be rough and challenging). The driver will wait at the base of the mountain until you descend from the mountains at the end of your gorilla trek.
The ranger guides will usually have a pretty good idea of the gorillas’ previous night’s location. Infact some ranger would have trekked ahead of the visitors to establish the gorillas’ positions and communicated same to the rangers using their 2 way radios. There is a 99% chance of seeing the gorillas when you visit. On finding the gorillas, you are allowed to spend only 1 hr with them, observing them feed on bamboo shoots, playing and young ones suckling on their mothers’ breasts. You may take as many photos as you wish and record videos, just remember not to use your camera flash.
Finding and observing the gorillas in their natural habitat makes it so worth it walking through thickets of bamboo in the Virunga forest that straddles across the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo DRC. It is almost impossible not to be awestruck by these huge apes and mountain gorillas which share 98% of our DNA as humans. Save for the conservation efforts of renowned scientists like Dian Fossey, Dr Jane Goodhall and the many other conservationists who have dedicated their lives to saving the rare mountain gorillas from extinction, gorilla trekking would but a pipe dream to the many visitors who come to Rwanda, Uganda and Congo each year to trek the gorillas in their mist.
Only 40 years ago, the Virunga gorilla population was almost decimated through diseases and poaching to a much endangered breed of only 250 mountain gorillas. Conservation interventions have brought the mountain gorilla numbers gradually back to an enviable 500 in the Virungas and still growing.
Mountain gorilla groups in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park
The various groups and their locations will obviously change from time to time: mountain gorillas often climb higher in the dry season and descend during the rains, they might move on due to pressure from wild gorillas and individuals will often join other groups. When tracking gorillas, it's possible to request to visit a specific group once you are at the park headquarters, but this can never be guaranteed. Currently these are the ten groups habituated for gorilla safaris in Volcanoes National Park:
Rwanda Gorilla Families
Rwanda has 10 gorilla families that are fully habituated for human gorilla trekking in the Virunga ranges of the Volcanoes National Park. There is also currently other gorilla groups which are only currently habituated for research purposes. Each gorilla family consists of at least one Silverback gorilla and some groups can have as many as 4 gorilla silverbacks together with several females and a group of baby and young gorillas.
Susa — The largest gorilla group with 38 gorillas. The Susa group is the hardest to trek as it tends to range far high into the mountains. They have rare 5 year old twins named Byishimo and Impano.
Sabinyo— The Sabyinyo gorilla group as 17 members which can be easily trekked . The Sabyinyo group is led by the powerful and famous silverback Guhonda.
Amahoro — 19 gorillas, led by the calm and easy going Ubumwe. To trek the Amahoro group is a usually fairly steep climb into the Volcanoes National Park mountain but well worth the steep and sometimes lengthy trek when you find the group.
Agashya — (formerly known as Group 13) today it has 22 members - a very successful result for the team of Rwandans on the forefront of gorilla conservation efforts in Volcanoes National Park.
Kwitonda— Kwitonda group hosts 23 members led by Akarevuro. This group was originally habituated in DRC Virunga, so it tends to range quite far in the mountains making it a moderately difficult trek.
Umubano —The Umubano groups has a family of 13 gorillas, who broke off from Amahoro with leader, Charles,
Hirwa —this group has 18 members and only fairly recently formed from former Group 13 and Sabyinyo family members. They are led by Munyinya Silverback.
The Bwenge Group, named after their silverback, has 11 members and can be a tough trek, as can The Ugende Group, whose name means “on the move" – its 11 individuals often move to new areas.
The Karisimbi Group. The Karisimbi group separated from the Susa group and as its name suggests lives in the Karisimbi Volcano area.
The eighth group, the Kwitonda Group has 18 members and was habituated in the DRC. They crossed the border into Rwanda in 2005, and were carefully tracked and are now also being visited on a regular basis, although they are known to range far.
UGANDA GORILLA TREKKING FAMILIES
Uganda currently has 11 gorilla families which are fully habituated for trekking by visitors to Bwindi National Park while one gorilla group is currently reserved for research purposes only. The current habituated gorilla groups that are available for gorilla trekking tours are;
Mishaya group, Nshongi group , Kahungye group , Rushegura gorilla group , Habinyanja gorilla group, Bitukura gorilla group , Oruzogo gorilla group , Mubare gorilla group , Nkuringo gorilla group , and recently the new groups called Busingye gorilla group and Bweza gorilla group.
Kyaguriro gorilla group located in Ruhija is currently reserved for research purposes only.
Mubare Gorilla Family
Location: Buhoma
Mubare is the oldest habituated gorilla group in Bwindi. It was habituated in 1993. The Mubare group started with 12 gorilla family members, led by the dominant silverback Ruhondeza. In a few years the group grew to 18 individuals.
Habinyanja Gorilla Family
Location: Buhoma
The Habinyanja group was first visited by tourists in 1999.
Rushegura Gorilla Family
Location: Buhoma
The Rushegura gorilla family was formed in 2002, after one of the silverbacks from the Habinyanja group broke away to form its own gorilla family. The Rushegura group started with 12 individuals including 5 females. The Rushegura group derives its name from “Ebishegura” – a tree species that is found in big numbers in that part of Bwindi. The Rushegura group used to range across the border to the Virunga part of the DRC every now and then. The Rushegura group stays pretty close to Buhoma neighbourhood very often makes surprise visits to the hotels and safaris lodges in Buhoma.
Bitukura Gorilla Family
Family size: 12 members including 4 silverbacks
Location: Ruhija
The Bitukura group was habituated in early 2009.
Nkuringo Gorilla Family
Family size: 19 members including 2 silverbacks
Location: Nkuringo
The Nkuringo group was habituated in 2004. The Nkuringo family was led by the silverback Nkuringo who sadly passed away in 2008, leaving behind 2 silverbacks in the group. In late 2008, the Nkuringo family grew after the rare birth of twins– Muhozi and Katungi. Unfortunately Katungi passed on at the tender age of 1 and half years.
Nshongi Gorilla Family
Family size: 36 members including 5 silverbacks
Location: Rushaga
Nshongi group is found in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi. The Nshongi group is the largest group to have ever been habituated in 2009. Most gorilla families usually consist of a maximum of 25 members with one or two silverbacks. The Nshongi group is the only exception with 36 members and a whopping 5 silverbacks. Another unusual fact is that the group is led by Nshongi, who is not the oldest silverback in the family. Quite remarkable indeed,
Busingye Gorilla Group
Family size: 7 members including 1 silverback.
Location: Rushaga
Busingye gorilla group is the newest family to break away from Kahungye which became available for gorilla tracking in 2011.
Please email us with your gorilla permits/ gorilla tour requirements at permits@gorillapermitsrwanda.com or travel@gorillasvacations.com
Combined Congo DRC Eastern Lowland Gorilla Safari and Mountain gorilla safari . Arrive in Kigali Rwanda for the start of your safari to trek the Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park as well as the Mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park. This Eastern Lowland gorilla safari + Mountain gorilla tour also covers visits to Burundi to see the Pyarmids, the source of the Nile and the Lake Kivu town of Gisenyi in Rwanda. Congo Gorilla Trekking Tour in Kahuzi Biega National Park to trek the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, plus mountain gorilla treks in Virunga National Park.
Kahuzi Biega National Park in The Democratic Republic of Congo DRC is home to the rare Eastern Lowland Gorillas the little known cousins of the rare Mountain Gorillas of Virunga, Bwindi and Volcanoes National Park. DRC hosts both the Eastern Lowland gorillas and the Mountain Gorillas. Gorilla trekking tours in Congo are becoming extremely popular with visitors now returning to a much more DRC to trek both the eastern lowland gorillas of Kahuzi Biega National park and the mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park. This gorilla tour takes one to trek as well as the mountain gorillas in Virunga.
This gorilla tour will start in Kigali Rwanda and end in either Bujumbura Burundi or Kigali Rwanda. On arrival to Kigali, you will transfer to Virunga National park in Democratic republic of Congo via Goma border crossing.
Safari Day 1: Airport pick up.
Gorillas Safaris Guide driver will pick you at Kigali airport and transfer you to Golf Hills Residence in Kigali.
Safari Day 2: Kigali - Goma.
After breakfast depart Kigali for Goma by road. The drive takes 3 hours from Kigali to Gisenyi and onward to Goma the DRC/Rwanda border crossing point. Complete visa formalities and proceed to Goma. Dinner and Overnight at Ihusi Hotel.
Safari Day 3: Rumangabo - Gorilla Trekking.
Go Mountain Gorilla Trekking at Rumangabo. Dinner and Overnight at Ihusi hotel Goma.
Safari Day 4: Nyarangongo Hiking
Go for hiking on Nyiragongo volcano after breakfast. Dinner and Overnight on the crater.
Safari Day 5: Goma - Bukavu.
After breakfast depart Goma for Bukavu by boat via On reaching Bukavu check in at, Orchide villa.
Safari Day 6: Kahuzi Beiga National Park - Gorilla Trekking.
Go for Eastern lowland Gorilla trekking after breakfast at Kahuzi Beiga National Park. Dinner and Overnight at Orchide Villa.
Safari Day 7: Bukavu - Bujumbura via Ngomo, Kamanyora , Kamvinvira and Gatumba.
After breakfast leave Bukavu for Bujumbura.
Safari Day 8: Soure du Nil
After breakfast, Visite du pyramide de source du Nil au sud and reserve de Ruzizi. Dinner and Overnight at Hotel club Tanganyika.
Safari day 9: Transfer to Bujumbura airport for your departure flight.
Activities:
- Gorilla Tracking
- Hiking
Contacts:
Mob: +256-782 014 207
UK: +44 790 863 9450
UK Landline: +44 208 765 1058
Email: travel@gorillasvacations.com
