Trekking the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park

Trekking with mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park is a dream come true for most travelers across the globe. Mountain gorillas are the second closest relatives to human beings, which makes travelers want to meet them in their natural habitats. The mountain gorillas cannot survive in zoos; tourists can meet them in Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Volcanoes National Park is the only place in Rwanda where tourists can meet mountain gorillas. The national park, which is part of the Virunga conservation area, covers a total area of 160 sq km in the northwestern part of Rwanda. Several mountain gorillas live within this part, and some of them have been habituated and are open for trekking all throughout the year.

Mountain Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Early in the morning, trekkers of the day drive to Kinigi, where the park headquarters are. Here, armed ranger guides teach the trekkers the rules and regulations of the activity for the safety of the mountain gorillas and trekkers themselves. When the briefing is done, trekkers who need excess luggage hire porters at a small fee to help them throughout the whole activity.

Groups not exceeding 8 people are formed, and armed ranger guides lead them in the jungle, where they start searching for the mountain gorillas. Searching for and locating mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park might take you 2 to 4 hours, and while doing so, trekkers are able to encounter some of the forest attractions, like mammals, primates, and vegetation, to mention but a few.

When the mountain gorillas are spotted, trekkers get to spend 1 hour around the members, and this comes with a lot of opportunities. They get to learn about the gorilla’s habits, and this enables them to see if they really behave like human beings.  Tourists can take photos and record videos of the mountain gorillas for future memories. Mountain gorillas can be spotted nesting, hunting, feeding, mating, and breastfeeding, to name a few.

After a successful time around the mountain gorillas, trekkers move out of the jungle, and they are awarded trekking certificates. Tourists should know that for anyone to trek the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park, they need to be aged 15 years and above and must have a trekking permit. This costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $500 for foreign residents, and $200 for citizens of East African Member States.

The most appropriate time to trek the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park

June to September and December to February are the best months to trek the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park. They are called dry season months because they are characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The trekking is enjoyable during the dry season because the trekking trails are dry and easier to walk through.

When the rainfall is little, vegetation doesn’t grow too tall, which gives clear views of the mountain gorillas and other forest attractions. Tourists who love photography can get the best pictures and videos of mountain gorillas; the vegetation is short. Tourists may still visit the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park during the rainy season.

The rainy season in Volcanoes National Park happens from March to May and October to November, and during these months, there is plenty of rainfall and little sunshine. This makes the activity a little bit challenging, as the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, which makes the trek longer. When the vegetation is tall, the mountain gorillas are not seen clearly, and those who want to record might not get the best.

Where to stay on a gorilla safari to Volcanoes National Park

Tourists trekking the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park should opt for accommodation facilities that are near the park. Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, One and Only Gorilla Nest Lodge, Davinci Gorilla Lodge, Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Virunga Lodge, and Hotel Muhabura Lodge, to mention but a few. Tourists who are okay waking up very early in the morning can stay in Kigali and travel for 3 hours to Volcanoes National Park or stay in lodges in the city.

How to get to Volcanoes National Park

From Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, tourists can use road transport or even air transport. From Kigali, tourists are driven to Musanze city, which is about a 94 km drive.  From Musanze, tourists continue to Kinigi, 10 km away, where the park headquarters are found. Tourists hate traveling for 3 hours, or those who want to do a luxury safari can fly to Musanze Airstrip, which takes 40 minutes, and then to Kinigi, where the park headquarters are located.  The headquarters of the park. The helicopter takes 40 minutes to get to Musanze Airstrip from Kigali International Airport.