Steps to book a gorilla and chimpanzee Safari in Rwanda
Steps to take to book a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda
Steps to book a gorilla and chimpanzee Safari in Rwanda begin with booking the permits. The only guarantee of a Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee safari is booking gorilla and chimpanzee permits.
To book Rwanda’s gorilla and chimpanzee permits, you need dates and the number of permits. Note that you can not do gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda in one day. Yet, you also need to plan transfer time from one destination to another.
Most Popular Safaris
6 Days Akagera and Lowland Gorilla Safari
5 Day Gorilla Habituation & Chimps Safari
5 Days Gorillas & Whitewater Rafting
7 Days Rwanda and Uganda Combined Safari
4-day double gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda
10 Days Rwanda Congo and Uganda Safari
In Rwanda, gorilla trekking happens in Volcanoes National Park, and chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park.
Reserve accommodation to use earlier during the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda. This will help you to get yours before they sell out. During the peak Rwanda tourism season, accommodation facilities are typically scarce because of the high demand.
Book transport means to use during this Rwanda primate safari in advance. This will help you finish all the necessary planning before starting the gorilla and chimpanzee safari.
Identify and book other Rwanda safari activities to combine with the gorilla and chimpanzee safari. This helps with the planning and costing this adventure. The flow is necessary to avoid backtracking even when tailoring the itinerary to follow during this Rwanda primate safari.
How to Plan Rwanda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Step-by-step
Step1: Book gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits for Rwanda
First step to take to book a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda is to select dates when you wish to do the safari. Remember that each activity requires a day, and consider transfer time from one park to another. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is in Volcanoes National Park. That requires about 5 hours to drive from Nyungwe National Park, home to chimpanzees.
You may also state the starting and end dates for your gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda. Then, you can work with our consultants to find the possible dates for each activity within your timeline.
When you enquire from us, our tour consultant checks the availability of gorilla and chimpanzee permits from the list of the Rwanda Development Board.
Upon finding availability, the tour consultant will get back to you. However, we advise clients to purchase their permits as soon as possible. This is to avoid losing them because a first come, first serve basis applies when securing these permits. You can book none of these Rwanda permits without payment.
Forward us some personal details for identification, but ensure you provide the right information. The information you provide should match your documents, too. You should provide your full name as it is on the passport, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date.
How much is the cost of a Rwanda gorilla permit
At the moment, the cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking permits is
$1500 for international nonresidents
$500 for foreign residents
$250 for East Africans
The cost of Rwanda gorilla permits includes park entrance fees on trekking day, security, and mountain gorilla conservation. It also includes local community support, one hour with the mountain gorillas, a certificate after the gorilla trek, government tax, and others.
The Rwanda permit cost doesn’t cover tips, porter hire, accommodations, and other personal expenses.
What is the cost of the Chimpanzee trekking permit in Rwanda?
The current cost of a Rwanda chimpanzee trekking permit is:
$150 for foreign nonresidents
$75 for international residents
$25 for East Africans
The cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit for Rwanda covers a range of guide fees, security, and chimpanzee conservation. It also includes one hour with the chimpanzees, community support, and government tax.
Excludes from the cost of Rwanda gorilla permits are park entrance fees, porter hire, snacks, and any other personal expenses.
Step 2: Book accommodations to use during gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda
The second of the steps to take to book a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda is to book accommodation. Both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris require attending briefings. They also have specific starting times, so you need accommodation in or out of these destinations.
Gorilla trekking happens once that is in the morning, starting with registering, verification of documents, and briefing. Rwanda gorilla trekking begins as early as 0700 hours, so you must be at the ranger station at least before. This can only be possible if you spend the night before the gorilla trek in Rwanda closer to or within Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes National Park accommodations: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Volcanoes Virunga Lodge, Le Bambou, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Hotel La Palme
Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda has two sessions in the morning and afternoon. However, you must report to the briefing point earlier at the Uwinka visitor center in Nyungwe National Park. You must spend your night closer to Nyungwe National Park to avoid inconvenience.
Nyungwe National Park accommodations: One&Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, Gisakura Guest House, Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Nyungwe Nziza Ecolodge, Gisaku Family Hostel, and others.
During the peak season, the demand for accommodations in Nyungwe National Park and Volcanoes National Park is high. This creates scarcity at the last minute. To be on the Rwanda safari safe side, book accommodation in advance.
Step 3: Plan and book Transport to use during the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda
The third of the steps to take to book a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda is to book the transport means. For road transport during the Rwanda primate safari, you need to secure a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition in advance. Hire the driver guide in advance so that he or she can plan upfront. Plan for the gas expenses to use during the gorilla and chimpanzee safari. The upcountry roads are messy and dusty sometimes. Thus, you need a vehicle that can withstand the terrain of these destinations.
At Safari Vacations and Travel Services, we can plan all these logistics for you. Hence, you won’t panic while planning and making clearances for this once-in-a-lifetime African safari. All you need to do is avail yourself of the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Rwanda. Then, trust us to do the background work for you.
Charter transport services from Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National Park or Nyungwe National Park are available. However, booking in advance is a must for all the clearance you need to do.
Step4: Identify other Rwanda safari activities to combine with gorilla and chimpanzee safari
Fourth of the steps to take to book a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda is to identify other activities you’ll be doing. Rwanda has several safari activities you may include in your gorilla and chimpanzee trekking itinerary.
Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park also hosts the golden monkeys in Rwanda. You must book the Golden Monkey trekking permit to enjoy this adventure, too. Golden monkeys are endangered, and they are living in the Virunga area.
In nature, these primates are charming and cannot spend much time without hopping from tree to tree. This is regardless of whether they are habituated to be before humans for at least an hour or not. Be ready to keep on your toes while you trek to be with the golden monkeys.
You need a golden monkey trekking permit from the Rwanda Development Board to enjoy this adventure. The Golden Monkey trekking permits are few. Thus, for peak tourism season bookings, you need to secure yours in advance.
Mountaineering in Uganda
Rwanda is a country of a thousand hills so you can engage in mountaineering excursions. Volcanoes National Park topography comprises five Virunga volcanoes. These are Mountain Arehinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Karisimbi, and Mountain Karisoke.
You can arrange mountaineering for a day while on a trip to Rwanda. While at the top of Sabyinyo mountain, you capture a simultaneous view of the border of Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R.Congo.
Game drives in Akagera National Park Rwanda
During a visit to Rwanda, you can go for game drives in Akagera National Park. You may spot animals like zebras, herds of elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, cape buffaloes, rhinos, Uganda kobs, and many more.
Akagera National Park is still recovering from the effects of the Rwanda genocide of 1994. During that time, people killed its wild animals, and others fled to neighboring countries.
The Rwanda government works closely with conservation bodies to restore the glory of Akagera National Park, and the results are excellent.
Rwandese Cultural Tour
While in Rwanda, having a moment to enjoy the cultures of the local people is amazing. You may get the opportunity to visit the Ethnographic Museum in Huye, a collection of the everyday life of the local people before modernization. It is in this institute that training traditional arts and crafts working with young children to preserve Rwandese culture.
Visit the art museum in Rwesero, where contemporary artwork of Rwandese creativity is displayed. This art museum is in Nyanza. A sit to Nyakarambi, which is home to unique Rwandese art facts, is amazing. You may find the Imigingo ( cow dung painting), an activity unique to the Rwandese.
Attending the Intore dance is like the cherry on top of it, but you need to book in advance. The rhythmic sounds of the long drums in accompaniment of traditional folk songs are soothing. You cannot remain in your seat but rather may be enticed to join.
Birding in Rwanda
Rwanda is gifted with an array of birds that live in its environments as the country hosts over 700 bird species, including Albertine rift endemics. You need a well-tailored birding itinerary so that you can have a chance to visit different Rwanda birding destinations.
Some of the birding destinations in Rwanda include Nyungwe Forest, Volcanoes Forest, Akagera National Park, and so much more.
On a Rwanda birding adventure, you may spot birds like Handsome Francolin, Shelley’sShelley’s Crimsonwing, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’sArcher’s Robin-Chat, Rwenzori Batis, Rwenzori Turaco, yellow-eyed Black flycatcher, and others.
When can I Book the Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee safari?
Rwanda gorilla and chimpanzee safari are open any day of the year. However, the dry season, that is, June, July, August, September, December, and January, is the most sought-after. In this period, you must reserve the gorilla and chimpanzee permits in advance. This is so because booking permits at the last minute may be challenging. Both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits in Rwanda sell out on a first-come, first-serve basis. Their supply depends on conservation reasons.
You must even secure accommodations to use during this primate adventure in time, as they sell out before season breaks.
The low season, usually the wet season in Rwanda in March, April, May, and November, opens more chances for more private encounters with mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. This is because there are fewer people booking and less disturbance during this season. Sometimes, you may go solo on another gorilla or chimpanzee trekking adventure. The staff also draw more attention toward you.
What are the rules of gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Rwanda?
If you are sick with a contagious infection, volunteer to stay behind so as not to pass it to the endangered mountain gorillas or chimpanzees.
If you want to eat or drink before the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, do it at least 250 meters away from them. They are wild animals that must search for their food.
The age limit for gorilla safari is 15 years and beyond, and 15 years and over is the age limit for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda. This is because the way to locate mountain gorillas or chimpanzees has rugged topography, which sometimes requires you to hike to find these primates.
Never go into the forest without an escorting ranger guide. Although the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees are fully habituated to human presence, some forest dwellers are not and may be dangerous to you alone.
When you need to defecate, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole at least 30 centimeters deep and cover well beyond recognition.
Don’t attempt to provoke the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees because they are wild animals habituated to human presence. They still possess wild behaviors.
When taking photos, do it with a flash-less camera to not scare the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees; they are often frightened by unfamiliar occurrences in their presence.
Never dump garbage in the wilderness, as this alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas or chimpanzees live.
Do you now have an interest in spending time with the mountain gorillas and Chimpanzees in Rwanda? Contact us to plan your safari today.
