Volcanoes National Park -Rwanda

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National park

Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda reside in the Volcanoes National Park (area of 125 km.²) in the North-Western of Rwanda, located in the Virunga mountains connected with Mgahinga National Park & Virunga National Park, encompasses 5 of the 8 volcanoes i.e. Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sibyanyo, Gahinga, Muhabura. There are many different Gorilla tours/safaris organised by Monumental Expeditions offering tour & Safari packages well organised to meet your maximum attention in order to interest every client (also involve safari packages ranging from Day tours to longer safaris) at affordable Rwanda prices

Cost of the Gorilla Permit to do Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park.

These tours enable you go deep into these Rain forests (shady Bamboo) in search for these endangered gentle giants, offering you an attractive view and this is done year in & year out, this is a life time Safari Experience and well enjoyed only with a Rwanda Gorilla Permit issued to you by the Rwanda Development Board(RDB). This is a key to successful gorilla trekking activity in Rwanda and it costs $1500 per person for 1 hr with the Gorillas and applies to all whether Foreign residents(FR)/Foreign Non-residents(FNR)/East African Citizens(EAC). There are strictly 8 permits allocated per group making availability of 80 permits per day. The Rwanda Development Board holds on to its opinion that they are on the right marketing track and that their upmarket Strategy will attract more travelers with deeper pockets and that there will be no reductions in their Gorilla sales.  Of course this activity is always complemented by other activities like Game drives which enable you widely and clearly game view in the Savannah covered parks, Volcano climbing, Golden Monkey trekking, Cultural encounters, Forest nature walks among the few and with all these additional this makes your safari complete and you well satisfied.

Gorilla Families in Volcanoes National Park.   

Rwanda turns out to be a home of 1/3 of the Worldwide population mountain Gorillas, it has 10 Habituated Gorilla Families (for tourism purposes), available for Trekkers to visit and mainly done in one place called Volcanoes National park in Musanze town (former Ruhengeri) while 2 are still for research purposes. Each and every family has something unique to offer maybe in terms of Dominance, Size, Character and more. Some groups are led by very peaceful silverbacks Diana Fossey is said to have spent many years studying about the behaviors of these endangered great Apes and mountain Gorillas, and this has made Rwanda Popular for Gorilla trekking and Conservation thanks to her research. These include:

Susa Gorilla Family-Biggest mountain gorilla family in the PNV and consists of 33 members & 2 silverback, Sabyinyo Gorilla family which is derived from mountain Sabyinyo that is shared by Uganda and Rwanda and has the biggest silverback(Guhonda). Amahoro Gorilla Family being the most peaceful family among all, it’s hard to track since it resides on the slopes of mountain Visoke whose terrain is strenuous, Umubano, Agashya, Hirwa, Kwitonda, Bwengye, Ugenda & Karisimbi.

Travel option for seeing mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda)

A short road drive is one of the alternatives to be considered. The Road drive to Ruhengeri (Virunga) Volcanoes National Park, where Rwanda’s Mountain gorillas reside is 2 hrs from Kigali (Rwanda’s capital) on roads in good shape/ condition(109 km). OR one can have a flight via Kigali International Airport at about 10 km from the Capital. Volcanoes National Park is located in the North of Rwanda therefore it’s about 130 km from Kigali,70 km from Gisenyi and 12 km from Musanze and here all trackers must report to the park headquarters in Kinigi and get briefed by 7:00 am.

Gorilla Trekking Lodges in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda).

In Rwanda there are plenty of options ranging from Budget(B), Mid-range(MR) and then Luxury(L). Your choice of accommodation will contribute highly to the nature of your Gorilla Tour/Safari. Most companies will quote all the 3 options. Among the most famous safari lodges include Sabinyo Silver Back lodge, Virunga lodge, Mountain Gorilla Lodge, etc.

What else to do After Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park.                   

There are many Rwanda safari destinations like Nyungwe Forest National Park, Lake Kivu and Akagera National Park you can visit.
Nyungwe Forest National Park: the oldest forest in Africa, consists of 12 primate species, 300 bird species and about 7 mammal species and chimpanzee tracking is the major activity here.Bird watching , canopy walkway and hiking trails.
Akagera National Park:  This park offers you a true wildlife experience, view the Elephants, Lion, Buffalo, Zebra, Antelope, monkeys, Bushback, Impalas,etc and with over 500 bird species here.
Lake Kivu: This is one of Africa ‘s remarkable and stunning fresh Rift Valley lake in Rwanda, still Rwanda’s largest lake as well, chill out around the lake, because it offers various water sports and has many beaches on it & around it, enjoy the glowing view of Magma at Mount Nyiragongo