How to celebrate your birthday with gorillas of Volcanoes National Park.

The most well-liked activity in Rwanda is gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes National Park. The four national parks in the world where gorilla trekking is practiced are Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, and Virunga National Park in Rwanda.

The greatest way to celebrate your birthday while on safari in Rwanda is to go gorilla trekking, which is an amazing experience. The Volcanoes National Park, also known as Parc Des Volcans and Pariki Y’Igihugu Y’Ibirunga, is situated in the northwest Rwandan settlement of Musanze.

There are perhaps ten gorilla families in the park that are accessible for daily trekking. After receiving a briefing from the guide at the park headquarters in the early morning, the walk begins through the jungle for your designated gorilla family.

How to reserve a gorilla trek safari in Volcanoes for your birthday

Our professionals are prepared to assist you with the planning and organization of your birthday gorilla safari in Volcanoes National Park. Contacting a local tour operator is the first step in scheduling a gorilla safari. They will provide us your name as it appears on your passport and the dates you would want to go on the walk so we can assist you in determining whether gorilla trekking permits are available.

Alternatively, you can still visit the Rwanda Development Board to see if gorilla permits are still available online. You can then pay the entire amount to reserve the licenses if they are available on the dates you have selected (always request the company’s bank account instead of sending money to a personal account). A copy of the permit will be sent to you and payment will be made directly to the Rwanda Development Board if you make your reservation through them.

The only option for visitors to interact with the gorillas is through a gorilla permit issued by the Rwanda Development Board. A copy of the trek permit and a confirmation email will be given after the transaction. Since the information must be confirmed when you arrive, make sure the names, nationalities, and other facts you submitted when you booked the gorilla permit match.

Since the gorilla permits are still owned by the government, park officials will gather them before the trek begins.
In the Volcanoes National Park, a gorilla permit is only good for one hour and has no further usage after trekking. If you have a valid cause, you can reschedule, but you must notify the other person in advance.

The price of a gorilla ticket varies depending on the category you fall into. Foreign visitors, foreign residents, and East African nationals are the three groups of tourists that pay for a gorilla permit in Rwanda. The most costly gorilla trek permits are found in Rwanda, and the proceeds from these permits are donated to support the preservation of gorillas and their natural habitat.

Non-resident foreignersThe possibilities are endless. $1500 for each individual
International inhabitants (citizens of other African nations) $500 for each individual
People from East AfricaThe cost per participant is $300.

Only those who have made reservations to visit Akagera National Park and Nyungwe National Park can take advantage of Rwanda’s 30% gorilla trek permit discount, which drops the price to $1050 for foreign non-residents between November and May, in contrast to other nations like Uganda. This was done to encourage travel to the nation.

Guidelines for gorilla trekking in volcanoes

In order to preserve the gorillas’ native environment and save the nearly extinct species, the Rwanda Development Board, a conservation organization, developed explicit guidelines and regulations. As per the legislation, everyone who plans to engage in gorilla trekking must abide by these guidelines; otherwise, they risk being prohibited from taking part in the activity.

There are about 1070 mountain gorillas that are hiked in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Without gorilla trekking safaris and the regulations in place, the mountain gorillas would be extinct. The following are among the guidelines for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park:

A gorilla family can be trekked by no more than eight persons in a single day. This lessens human disturbance and lowers the chance that the gorillas will be exposed to human diseases.
On the morning of the trip day, the lead guide conducts a briefing that all trekkers are required to attend. At this time, trekkers are assigned to their gorilla families and you will be reminded of the laws and regulations.

To ensure the safety of the gorillas, you will not be permitted to hike with them if you exhibit any signs of illness on the day of the trip.
Before beginning the walk, all visitors are expected to wash and sterilize their hands in an effort to reduce the spread of illness.
Keep your trash out of the park’s boundaries. It is required that you bring anything you bring to the park and dispose of it properly.

When you are with the gorillas and on the trip, try to speak quietly. Even though you are trekking gorillas, you need pay attention to all the directions your guides tell you because there are other animals in the park that you should be mindful of.
You can stay seven meters away from the primates and approach the gorillas using just a phone, binoculars, or a camera. Before you approach the gorillas, you must leave your backpack and other belongings at least fifty meters away.

Once you have located the gorillas, you should maintain a distance of 7 to 10 meters from them. The gorillas may attempt to approach you, but you should do all in your power to avoid touching or making contact. The gorillas will be more at ease if you keep a greater distance from them.
Flash photography is prohibited, so walk slowly and make sure the flash is off when taking pictures.
Each group has an hour to spend with the gorillas; however, because the gorillas’ health is so important, the visit will be shortened if the gorillas are upset.

Avoid eating, drinking, and smoking unless you are within 300 meters of the gorillas. Consuming food and beverages may cause crumbs to fall to the floor, which could transmit illness.
To reduce the spread of bacteria, turn your face away from the gorillas and cover your mouth with your hand if you feel the need to cough or sneeze near them.

Ask the guide to assist you with a panga when you need to use the restroom. Pangas are typically used to remove shrubs during the journey. Dig a hole that is 30 cm deep, then cover it up when you are done.

What I should bring for you Gorilla safaris and volcanoes
comfortable hiking footwear for the national park’s muddy, slick, and steep trails. To make sure you don’t acquire blisters on the trek, try wearing and walking in the sturdy hike boots before the trip date. They should be ankle length and waterproof.

A great gorilla safari also requires the rain gear, which includes gaiters, bug repellant, a warm sweater, and a waterproof rain jacket. The gaiters shield your legs from hazards in the bush by shielding you from dirt, wetness, insects, and rocks.

clothing in muted hues to blend nicely with the bush. Long-sleeved shirts and pants are ideal for protecting your skin from scratches and insect bites while traveling through the wilderness.
Additional batteries and a camera: A gorilla trek safari would not be complete without photography, and you should save your memories of spending your birthday with the gorillas. We recommend that you bring extra batteries and memory for when you are in the forest, even if the hotels provide charging stations for the cameras.

A waterproof backpack that will enable you to carry all of your daily belongings. In order to have a stress-free gorilla safari, tourists are encouraged to take only a few items in their day backpacks.
Remember to bring binoculars so you can see the mountain gorillas and other wildlife in the national park.

When trekking, garden gloves are a must-have tool to help keep your hands scratch-free.
A walking stick, sunscreen, a sunhat, snacks, reusable water bottles, and any other personal belongings.
Rwanda’s age limit for gorilla trekking

The Rwanda Development Board established a 15-year-old minimum age requirement for gorilla trekking in Rwanda in order to safeguard the primates. Trekking has no upper age restriction. If you are able and fit, you can buy a gorilla permission and take part in the activity. The age limit was set at 15 for a number of reasons, including the fact that children under that age are viewed as youthful and find it difficult to engage in vigorous activity. Additionally, their sudden impulses make them more difficult to regulate and could potentially disturb the gorillas.

Because mountain gorillas are placid animals who only respond when provoked, we cannot predict whether youngsters will adhere to all established rules. For this reason, gorilla trekking in Rwanda is prohibited for anybody under the age of fifteen. Prior to the purchase of trekking permits, copies of your passports will be requested in order to verify your age. The trekking party may also be slowed down by little children. To be mentally prepared to engage in the exercise, some people may require additional time.

If I’m traveling with kids younger than 15, what can I do?

People ask this question all the time. The response is that kids can do a variety of exercises. In addition, kids take pleasure in the excursion, which includes indoor games, movie viewing, and escorted tours of the hotel under the watchful eye of hotel professionals.

When celebrating your birthday with the gorillas, lodging options at Volcanoes National Park range from affordable to mid-range and luxury lodging options, so you can select accommodations that suit your budget. Mountain Gorillas’ Nest Lodge, Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Five Volcanoes Hotel, Virunga Volcanoes, Bisate Lodge, Da Vinci Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Lodge, Lebambou Gorilla Lodge, La Palme Hotel, Villa Gorilla, Faraja Hotel, and Gorilla Solution Lodge are a few of the lodges that we suggest.

In addition, you can celebrate your birthday in Volcanoes National Park by doing other things. These include trekking with Golden Monkeys, taking part in the Kwita Izina ritual, which is held annually in August and is attended by numerous officials, including the president, cultural excursions, and bird watching, which is best done during the rainy season.

Accessing National Park Volcanoes

Depending on traffic, the travel from Volcanoes National Park takes two to three hours. You will be picked up at Kigali International Airport by our driver guide, and following a briefing, you will depart for the national park. Before heading to Volcanoes for the trek day, you still have time to see Kigali city if you arrive early.

We are the greatest local safari business to assist you in organizing your birthday gorilla trek safari, guiding you through the journey, and making sure your birthday celebrations are enjoyable. Making reservations well in advance will ensure that the days you want to hike the endangered species coincide with your ideal gorilla safari in Rwanda.

Read more TripAdvisor reviews and get in touch with us on our website. If you have any questions about gorilla trekking, please use our many contact resources; we would be happy to assist you in making the finest safari plans possible.