What is All-inclusive in Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari?
What is in An All-inclusive Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari?
While on a visit to Rwanda but hoping to do an all-inclusive Rwanda Gorilla trekking Safari, some of the items that may be included in this package include meals (Breakfast, lunch, and Dinner), transport to and from, accommodations, driver guide, and others.
Volcanoes National Park is part of the vast and famous Virunga area inclusive of Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R.Congo.At the moment, Volcanoes National Park has about 12 gorilla families open to the public some of which include Amahoro, Umubano, Agashya, Susa, Hirwa, and others. Book now
Booking an all-inclusive Rwanda gorilla trekking package saves you from worrying about your meals, accommodations, transport, and other necessities. You get the time to enjoy your Rwanda holiday and relax knowing that everything is under control.
Other than watching out for the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, you have the chance to watch out for other forest dwellers like blue monkeys, black and white colobus, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and others. A wide range of birds find their way into Volcanoes forest each day and keen birders have so much to enjoy too.
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Some Of What is in An All-Inclusive Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Tour
Transport to Volcanoes National Park
Road transport is the main means to Volcanoes National Park going through the countryside for about 3 hours from Kigali. It is best to use a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle in good conditions because the ground gets messy sometimes, especially during the severe rainy seasons.
Hiring a professional and experienced driver guide on your gorilla trekking safari is a plus as he or she provides more details about Rwanda beyond the mountain gorillas. These Rwanda safari driver guides even know spots where you can do an optional detour before or after the gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park
It is best to have a full tank of gas in your vehicle before proceeding to Volcanoes National Park because chances of finding refueling stations get slimmer as you move deeper into the countryside. The cost of fuel in Rwanda varies with the prevailing prices word over and the consumption capacity of the different vehicles.
Accommodations In Volcanoes National Park
Most of the accommodations in Volcanoes National Park serve full Board service depending on your budget. These accommodations are categorized into luxury, mid-range, or basic and in case you hope to spend time at any of these facilities, you may request full board services.
Some of the accommodations in Volcanoes National Park include Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Virunga Volcanoes Lodge, Gorilla Nest, Mountain Gorillas View Lodge, Hotel Muhavura, and others.
Meals on Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda
During the gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda, you need to have meals that are mainly Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For you not to worry about what your next meal shall be or how much it will cost, the all-inclusive Rwanda gorilla safari has you covered.
Most of the upscale lodges and mid-range lodges in and out of Volcanoes National Park serve different cuisines from across the globe but for specials, you may put in your request in advance.
You can take your taste bags on a tour of Rwanda by trying the local cuisines. You may also try Rwanda cuisines even outside the accommodations in Volcanoes National Park like in Kigali city.
For drinking water, our company offers free drink water while in the vehicle but for other drinks most lodges do not include this cost on their meal plan.
Driver guide cost on Rwanda Gorilla Safari
Having great company while on a road trip is memorable and this is stirred by a professional, knowledgeable, and experienced driver guide to take you through the unknown. Sometimes the drive to Volcanoes National Park gets messy, especially during the severe wet season so you need a good driver to get through some parts of the road.
Do not expect a smooth ride as the roads are quite bumpy so if you get road sickness, take some pills in advance. Go good driver may also take you in an optional detour on the way or after the gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permit
The gorilla permit is the entry ticket to the gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda. Even though gorilla permits are in high demand in Rwanda, their supply is limited to a maximum of 8 per gorilla family per visit per day. The limited number of gorilla families in Rwanda outnumbers the people hoping to visit Rwanda for this adventure so booking is necessary.
At the moment, the cost of a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is $1500 per person per trekking and this is an unforgettable African safari experience. On the day of gorilla trekking, all participants are expected to report to the ranger station to go through all compulsory formalities before proceeding to start searching for the mountain gorillas. You need to abide by the rules of gorilla trekking because they are in place to protect you and the forest dwellers so violating them may end in a stampede.
It is unbelievable to be in the same space with the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world with their huge and majestic bodies yet cowardly in nature.
Gas or Fuel Cost For the vehicle
The vehicle you hire for the Rwanda gorilla safari needs to be fueled or refueled before proceeding into the deeper countryside. Finding a refueling station with quality gas in the countryside may be hard too.
What is The Best Time For Doing Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Rwanda
The dry season is the best time for gorilla trekking in Rwanda even though the activity is open all year around. Gorilla trekking in the dry season allows you to move in the wilderness without worrying too much about slipping in the ever-wet and soggy forest. The mountain gorillas and most of the other forest dwellers are more active in the dry season.
The dry season environment in Volcanoes forest may be moist but allows you to take a better view of not only the mountain gorillas but the unparalleled scenery of the forest.
The amount of undergrowth in Volcanoes National Park in the dry season is lower along the paths allowing you to move even faster.
More tourists visit Volcanoes National Park in the dry season so demand for gorilla permits increases in this period. Expect to rub shoulders with other tourists but open your mind to the beauties in the forest.
The wet season is not bad for a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda with better chances of finding gorilla permits at the last moment. The mountain gorillas spend more time on the slopes of the mountains so expect to hike to find them. There are better chances of going on a solo gorilla trekking safari in the low season in case there are no other bookings.
Gorilla Family in Volcanoes National Park
How Long is The Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Rwanda
When the source of food for the mountain gorillas is far away, these primates tend to move deeper into the wilderness. During the severe rainy season, the ground is very messy and slippery from the decomposed matter there for moving to the wilderness is slower. The mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers tend to also move to areas where they can find shelter so you have to follow them even on the slopes.
This may take some time and so delaying the time of returning from gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Note that the nature of the terrain of Volcanoes National Park and Rwanda, in general, is mainly composed of highlands.
For the best gorilla trekking experience, open your mind to seeing other forest dwellers instead of putting all your focus on finding the mountain gorillas there is plenty more to enjoy all the way. Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas as a conservation measure used to protect these primates.
How Easy Or Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is quite strenuous from having to hike to where the mountain gorillas may be spending the day to remembering the guidelines of gorilla trekking when you finally face these primates. The dense volcanic forest company doesn’t allow so much sunlight to get through to the ground.
Sometimes even the dense network of rivers floods and logs creating a mess in the forest which may slow down your search. During the severe rainy season, even the mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers tend to go into deeper places where they can find shelter and these may be quite hard to get to.
No matter the challenge you may encounter in finding the mountain gorillas, you need to keep the spirit of meeting them high because the first glance is full of mixed emotions. Their first encounter may stimulate some adrenaline amidst excitement that fills your entire body.
How to get to Rwanda for Gorilla Trekking Safari
By air: Charter flights can easily be arranged, but this needs to be done in advance. Domestic flights can be arranged through a tour operator to the airstrips near Volcanoes, and you can easily connect the rest of the way to the park headquarters by road. This is a faster way to get to the national parks for trekking but is more expensive.
By road: 4×4 safari vehicles transport tourists from Kigali International Airport. The cars are well maintained to offer comfort to tourists, and although the roads are in good condition, the windy roads need someone who is used to driving on them. We are here to help you organize your transport and advise what to use depending on your budget. The drive from Kigali to Volcanoes is 2 to 3 hours.
Packing List For Rwanda Safari To The Mountain Gorillas
- A camera to take photos and keep memories of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with the mountain gorillas.
- Safari foldable hat with a large brim to protect your head from buzzing insects in the jungle.
- Safari convertible trousers and long-sleeved shirts in wilderness-friendly colors like tan and Khaki to use while in the jungle.
- Warmers as it gets so cold in the morning and late afternoons so you need to keep warm.
- Foldable waterproof bottle to carry with water to quench thirst
- Waterproof backpack in wilderness-friendly colors that you are not afraid to get dirty.
- Safari waterproof boot to use when walking through the jungle which is quite slippery and soggy from the decomposing matter.
- Garden gloves to hold a tighter grip on the vines while walking along the trails
- A pair of binoculars to capture a better vision of the far-ranging features in the jungle.
- Raincoat in case it falls as these tropical rainforests may receive rain the entire day
- Hard cash to use as a means of exchange when purchasing on-ground items like souvenirs and credit cards are not easy to use in Africa because of the lengthy process of obtaining money from them.
- First aid kit with medication for emergency treatment.
- Insect repellant to apply and keep away insects that may hurt you while in the jungle.
- Sunglasses to protect your eyes from insects that buzz in the jungle.
- Fully charged batteries to exchange with in case one runs low.
- An adopter and charger in case you need to recharge your gadgets
How to book an all-inclusive Rwanda gorilla tracking safari.
You can trust Safari Vacations and Travel Services to plan with you a private all-inclusive Rwanda gorilla tracking safari using age-old expertise that has an excellent trail. We’ll take care of everything, pick you up from the airport, manage your journey, and make sure you’re at the airport for your flight back home. Your trip manager will be in direct contact with you throughout your journey, and you’ll be traveling in private vehicles, staying in private rooms and we assign you to a driver.
Safari Vacations and Travel Services designs itineraries in Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC with over 10 years of experience and we are proud of our reputation for executing some of the most highly-rated vacation experiences. Our local consultants plan your preferred itinerary using expert ground knowledge. We take care of all the local logistics like permits, accommodation, and transport. And also, manage your entire trip, from start to finish.
For inquiries, advice on how to plan for this safari, booking the hiking permits; organizing transport and accommodation, get in touch with safari vacations and travel services, we help you to avoid inconveniences after you have arrived for the safari
Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a Local tour operator based in Uganda with its head offices in Entebbe. Moreover, Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a business for a Ugandan native, we specialize in life-changing experiences and sustainable tours and holidays to all East African countries. We are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators and with registration from the Uganda Tourism Board. We have a good and long working relationship with Uganda Wildlife Authority making it easy to book your gorilla permits and gorilla trekking safari. Safari Vacations and Travel Services is also high in Trip Advisor reviews.
