Early Bird Gorilla Trekking 2023/2024

Early bird gorilla trekking 2023/2024; Gorilla trekking is the most popular activity that attracts many visitors to travel to Africa and it involves tourists moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated mountain gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their habitat. Gorilla trekking is done in five African national parks namely Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Travelers planning to go on an early bird gorilla trekking in Africa, this article will help you to plan a successful gorilla trekking safari in either Uganda, Rwanda or Congo.

Trekking of mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo starts very early in the morning at around 8:00am with a briefing about the rules and regulation to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide.  Mountain gorilla trekking takes about 2 hours to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view different wildlife species and once the gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the beautiful moments to show people back home.

Apart from gorilla trekking, travelers can also engage in gorilla habituation experience an adventurous activity where the wild mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Gorilla habituation experience is only done in Rushaga sector in Bwindi impenetrable national park and visitors who engage in the habituation experience will be allowed to spend four hours with the mountain gorillas.

Early Bird Gorilla Trekking 2023/2024 : Cost of gorilla trekking permits

Gorilla trekking permits are legal documents that are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Virunga offices to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit habituated gorilla families and spend one hour with them in their environment. Cost of gorilla trekking permits vary according to the destination you wish to visit for example a gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes national park Rwanda costs 1,500 USD per person for all nationalities, a gorilla  trekking permit in Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in Congo costs 400 USD per person for foreign non residents and a gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda costs 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.

A gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park costs 1,500 USD per person for foreign non residents, 1,000 USD per person for foreign residents and 750,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.

How to book gorilla trekking permits

Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority a government body in charge of tourism in Uganda, Rwanda Development Board a government body in charge of tourism in Rwanda and Virunga offices by contacting the head offices through email or telephone calls.

Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo can also be booked through Achieve Global Safaris a trusted tour operator where you will reach out to us on email or telephone with the date, month, year and gorilla destination that you wish to visit. After contacting us we will check for permit availability on your preferred date and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit. Once the payment has been made, we will be able to purchase the permit on your behalf.

Best time to go for gorilla trekking safari

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Volcanoes national park, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of  June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the gorilla destinations therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the gorilla trekking trails are muddy and slippery which make trekking difficult.

What to pack for gorilla trekking

When planning an early bird gorilla trekking safari, there are a number of items that you need to pack or carry including comfortable hiking shoes, long sleeved shirt and rouser, insect repellent, waterproof rain jacket, garden gloves, face masks, long stockings, camera and extra batteries, energy snack and drinking water, hat and sunscreen, warm sweater, a pair of binoculars, walking stick, back pack among others.

For more information about early bird gorilla trekking 2023/2024, do not hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book an affordable gorilla trekking safari package in either Uganda, Rwanda or Congo.