Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes from Kigali – Start from Kigali and trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National park – Rwanda Gorilla permits bookings – Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park Rwanda.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes from Kigali – Ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime? Our handpicked selection of mountain gorilla trekking tours in Rwanda, deep in the heart of Africa, offers something for every traveler. From short and sweet encounters to immersive multi-day safaris. Discover the perfect itinerary to match your dreams and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Rwanda gorilla trekking tours are a unique and thrilling experience that allows visitors to encounter endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Imagine standing just a few feet away from a majestic silverback gorilla, its gaze meeting yours.
These gorilla trekking tours in Rwanda typically begin in Kigali and travel to the Virunga Mountains. There, trekkers can explore the rainforest of Volcanoes National Park and see the gorillas.
Our Rwanda gorilla safaris and tours offer an unparalleled opportunity to connect with these incredible creatures and experience the wonders of Rwanda’s pristine wilderness.
We offer a range of tour packages, from mid-range to luxury gorilla safaris in Rwanda and short 3-day treks to longer 10-day safaris that combine gorilla trekking with other experiences such as chimpanzee trekking, wildlife safaris, and cultural encounters.
To plan a gorilla trekking in Volcanoes from Kigali, you’ll need to book a permit (US$1500 per person per trek) well in advance, travel to the park (a 2-hour drive), and be prepared for a hike through the forest, potentially lasting 30 minutes to several hours, to find the gorillas.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Planning Your Trip:
- Book a Permit:
Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost US$1500 per person and should be booked well in advance.
- Travel to Volcanoes National Park:
The park is about a 2-3 hours drive from Kigali.
- Consider a Multi-Day Trip:
While a day trip is possible, a multi-day trip allows for a more relaxed experience and the opportunity to explore other attractions in the area, such as golden monkey tracking or volcano hiking.
- Choose a Tour Operator:
Consider using a reputable tour operator to help with logistics, permits, and guiding.
- Check for Discounts:
There are currently discounts available for Rwandan and East African Community residents.
- During Your Trek:
- Arrive Early:
You’ll need to arrive at the park headquarters (in Kinigi) by 7:00 AM for the briefing.
Be Prepared for a Hike:
The trek to find the gorillas can be challenging, with steep terrain and potentially long distances.
- Follow Your Guide:
Your guide will lead you through the forest and help you find the gorilla group you’ve been assigned to.
- Respect the Gorillas:
Maintain a respectful distance and follow the instructions of your guide.
- Enjoy the Experience:
Spending time with these incredible creatures is a truly unforgettable experience.
Your Ultimate Guide to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
This is the ultimate guide to Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, one of the 3 homes of the endangered mountain gorillas within the Virunga Mountains. It features all you need to know about the park and everything in it including Wildlife, gorilla safaris, vegetation, Volcanoes, Dian Fossey tomb, among others. We also offer travel tips including how to book gorilla permits, what to wear for gorilla trekking, best time to visit Rwanda and accommodation in Rwanda. A gorilla tour to Volcanoes National Park is a purely life-changing experience which rewards travelers with a close encounter to our wild cousins, the endangered mountain gorillas with whom we share 98% of our DNA. Gorilla tracking tours in Volcanoes National Park lead visitors to the park’s 12 habituated gorilla groups. These include Susa, Amahoro, Sabyinyo, Agashya, Umubano, Kwitonda, among others.
About Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park is a stop center for all Rwanda gorilla safaris sheltering the highest number of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Conservation area. The strategic location of the Volcanoes National Park is roughly 2 hours’ drive from Kigali International Airport making 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 safari package. Volcanoes National Park is the pinnacle of Rwanda safaris with majority of the tours starting or ending in the park.
Spanning on 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 in DR Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in 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.
- Background
In 1929, Volcanoes National Park was extended into Rwanda and the then Belgian Congo and was named Albert National Park managed and run by the Belgian Colonial Authorities. During the early 1960s, the park was divided as Rwanda and Congo gained their independence and by the end of that decade, the park was almost half of its original size.
In 1967, the American primatologist Dian Fossey who had been doing research on mountain Gorillas in the forests of Congo fled from insecurity and established her research base at a place between Visoke and Karisimbi volcanoes that was yet to be known as Karisoke research center. She spearheaded the conservation campaign of the mountain gorillas and mobilized resources to fight against poaching in this area, a fight she put up until her murder in 1985. She was buried at the research center next to the grave of her favorite gorilla called Digit.
The park continued to suffer at the mercies of poachers though conservation efforts were also underway. In the early 1990s, the park became a battlefield for Rwanda’s civil war which paralyzed tourism activities until 1999. In 2005, in a bid to boost conservation and gorilla tours in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda introduced the annual baby naming ceremony for baby gorillas known as ‘Kwita Iziina’ which has seen great results in as far as gorilla population in volcanoes is concerned.
Other wildlife species in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes from Kigali – In addition to mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), Volcanoes National Park is home to golden monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis kandti), Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), elephants, black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus niger), and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). The park also harbors 178 bird species including at least 29 endemics to Rwenzori Mountains and the Virungas.
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 from the airport. The drive to Volcanoes National Park is 2 hours’ 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.
Activities in the park include:-
Gorilla trekking, Hiking Karisimbi volcano (3,800 m), One day Mount Bisoke volcano hike, Visiting Dian Fossey, Visiting the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera
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 per trek and it guarantees a traveler one hour in the presence of gorillas. Majorly gorilla permits are booked through local tour agents who deposit on 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.
What to wear for gorilla trekking?
Gorilla trekking is a unique adventurous exercise with unique requirements especially in terms of trekking gear.
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.
Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park
Besides mountain gorillas, golden monkeys are other exciting attractions that Volcanoes National Park has to offer. Unlike gorilla trekking, tracking golden monkeys in the park is much cheaper and convenient though both activities have the same regulations.
Dian Fossey tomb in Volcanoes National Park
The tomb of American primatologist Dian Fossey lies at Karisoke Research Centre within Volcanoes National Park where travelers pay regular tributes to this great conservationists who kick-started gorilla protection in the park. Fossey was killed in 1985 by poachers in Volcanoes National Park while carrying out her primary work of protecting mountain gorillas.
Volcano hiking in Volcanoes National Park
There are 3 volcanic summits within Volcanoes National Park including Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke and Mount Muhabura. Mount Karisimbi is the most popular for volcano hiking given its beautiful snow-caped top and the wonderful views it offers to hikers for the surroundings.
Musanze Caves
Musanze caves are also located within Volcanoes National Park and were declared a tourist site by the Rwanda Development Board in 2013. Since then, travelers to the park have been visiting the site to see the unique and amazing features of these caves.
Why trek gorillas in Volcanoes National Park?
Despite the fact that Rwanda’s gorilla permit is the most expensive in all the 3 mountain gorilla trekking destinations (at $1,500), the country still attracts the highest number of gorilla trekkers in the region. This is due to a number of factors which 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 and for all categories of travelers which include luxury, midrange and budget facilities also give Rwanda another competitive advantage over Uganda and DR Congo. Guaranteed security in and around Volcanoes National Park is another encouraging factor that attracts thousands of travelers to trek gorillas here. Finally, 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.
Kwita Izina (Gorilla-naming ceremony)
The gorilla-naming ceremony which is locally known as Kwita Izina in Kinyarwanda language is an annual event where all the baby gorillas born within the year are given names. The ceremony is inspired by Rwanda’s ancestral baby-naming ceremony that was held after the birth of a newborn. The major aim of naming baby gorillas is to help in monitoring each gorilla in their groups on a daily basis as they roam their habitat. The introduction of the ceremony also aimed at bringing both local and international attention to the importance of protecting the endangered mountain gorillas. Several high profile individuals from across the globe including celebrities like artists and athletes as well both local and international leaders usually attend this gorilla-naming ceremony in Rwanda. The ceremony takes place in September each year in Volcanoes National Park in northwest Rwanda.
Sustainability and Protection of the Gorillas
Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is the most popular gorilla destination followed by Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Virunga National Park is picking up on gorilla tourism. While in the 1980’s, mountain gorillas populations were at the verge of extinction, gorilla trekking is a sensitive activity which when not controlled and managed strictly, may negatively impact on the lives of the mountain gorillas. In a bid to regulate the activity, the governments of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda (the only countries with mountain gorillas) decided to make permits which are more expensive than any other wildlife permit in order to limit the number of visitors and create sustainability of the activity.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes from Kigali – The gorilla permit costs $400 in Congo (DRC), $1500 in Rwanda and $800 in Uganda. These gorilla permits help in limiting the number of people trekking the gorillas in order to limit stress on these apes and on their habitat, that may result in their change of behavior or even death. There is only a maximum of 8 permits per gorilla group sold each day to make sure the gorillas are not overwhelmed by the human presence.
In order to conserve mountain gorillas in Africa, respective governments and wildlife organizations came up with a set of guidelines trekkers have to follow in order to remain harmonious with the gorillas
Giving back to the community
Revenue collected from tourists to this park 20% of it goes to the local communities surrounding the park and the rest to the maintenance of the infrastructure in and around the national park.
Find Information on gorilla permits in Rwanda , how to book a gorilla trekking permit to volcanoes, guidelines on a Rwanda gorilla safaris, dressing code for gorilla tracking trip right here on our website.