Discounted Rwanda gorilla trekking permits in 2023/2024 are still available and valid until end of year on 31st December 2023, these were introduced to boost the tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to attract more tourists to enjoy gorilla trek Rwanda in the Volcanoes National Park, and all travelers will benefit from these gorilla permits discounts.
From trekking to see the majestic mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park to walking high above the canopy in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwandans and foreign residents have the chance to experience the wonders of nature in the country’s incredible national parks.
Special Discounted Gorilla Permits in Rwanda involve paying the following; Nationals and East African Citizens – $200, Foreign residents – $500, Corporates or Organizations – 10% discount on bulk purchases from 30 permits, Families – 15% discount for family visits (couples and children over 15 years old), African citizens a promotional – $500 will be applied for mountain gorilla trekking.
Africa foreign residents – a promotional $500 will be applied for mountain gorilla trekking. International tourists (Non- African Citizens) traveling in a group of 100 and more – a promotional rate of $500 will be applied for mountain gorilla trekking.
All other products/experiences in Volcanoes & Nyungwe National Parks Nationals, Foreign residents, EAC – 30% discount on groups of 10 where applicable. Nationals, Foreign residents, EAC – 10% for individual travelers.
The magical hour with the gorillas is relatively expensive and this can be achieved by securing a gorilla permit for this experience. The hike up to the mountain gorillas’ preferred habitat of bamboo forest involves a combination of steep slopes, dense vegetation, slippery underfoot conditions after rain and high altitude. Book the discounted gorilla permit in advance to avoid disappointment.
Volcanoes National Park has 12 habituated gorilla families for trekking every day, only 8 visitors per gorilla family are allowed to trek every day. That means there are 80 permits available each day for trekking, the chances of seeing the mountain gorillas are 99% as you are guided by trackers, guides and park rangers.
Gorilla trekking starts every day in Kinigi at 7:00am with briefing on guidelines to follow while on the trek, even though the gorillas have 99% DNA as the humans, they still remain wild and you are advised to follow the dos and don’ts from the guides. The gorilla safari trek can take 30 minutes to more hours depending on the movement and location of the gorillas in the forest.
Go for a discounted fee of $1050 for low season months of months of May and November, but the only condition is that you spend three days in anyone of the other national parks in Rwanda (Nyungwe forest national park or the Akagera National Park).
If you are planning to travel in the low season months of May and November when the Rwanda discounted gorilla permits are at USD1050, book your gorilla trip at least two months in advance. This is because many people now book their trip to volcanoes national park during this period.
Trekking during the low seasons means that it can rain every day however, it rains mostly at night and the early morning hours leaving the rest of the daytime fairly dry with light showers. In order to keep warm during such rainy seasons, you should make sure that what you wear is all water proof starting from the hiking boots, light rain jacket, and water proof trousers made of nylon, long sleeved shirt, warm socks, hat, and water proof day-pack.
As soon as the tourist acknowledges positive availability, we advise the person to purchase their gorilla permit as soon as possible because of the limited number of permits issued per gorilla family. Each day, a maximum of 8 gorilla permits are opened to the public per day per family.
The cost of a gorilla permit includes the ranger guide fee, security during gorilla trekking, park entrance fees, local community support, gorilla conservation support, and one hour in the presence of the mountain gorillas.
The topography of Volcanoes National Park is ragged, with very steep slopes that you may need to hike to get where the mountain gorillas may be feeding or lounging. Stretching your muscles, a little more to keep fit so you can stay longer in the wilderness is helpful. You do not need to keep in the gym constantly but do step-by-step exercises to get no muscle pulls during gorilla trekking.
Pack the right gorilla trekking gear that is safe to use in the wilderness. Pack luggage that you can carry even without help. Packing in a duffel bag helps you lift your belongings quicker. You can pack gorilla trekking gear like insect repellents, safari boots, safari attire, safari hat, energy bites, etc.
Rwanda has other activities you can combine with gorilla trekking, like game drives in Akagera National Park, Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Kigali city tour, genocide memorial tour, and golden monkey trekking.
Nyungwe Forest National Park has the highest population of chimps (over 400 individuals) and other primates – 13 species in total. Two chimpanzee communities have been partially habituated in Nyungwe National Park.
Most of them live in Nyungwe forest (60 individuals) while the rest are found in Cyamundongo Forest (30 individuals). Other species include blue monkeys, Mona monkeys, silver monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, the Dent’s monkey, black faced vervet monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, baboons, grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Rwenzori colobus, black and white colobus monkeys.
Tracking chimpanzees requires one to be fit enough in order to follow the primates for long periods as they make quick movements both on the ground and on top of trees before settling down.
Chimpanzee trekking begins with briefing at 5:00am. The briefing takes place in Uwinka, Gisakura or Kitabi. You need to wake up as early as 4:30am so that you take breakfasts and prepare to start the activity. As already mentioned above, the forest is large. The only way to find the chimps is to try and reach them before they head out for the day.
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest can take between 2 to 6 hours or longer. After following/chasing the chimps for a while, they may settle down and allow you to observe them more closely or take photos.