Rwanda is a fantastic place to embark on a Gorilla Trek! Let me tell you my tips!
Gorillas are really cool. This might be obvious to you (or not, I don’t know you) but if you’ve only seen them in zoos you’re not really getting the whole experience. Seeing them up close with no fence separating you, as you will experience on a Gorilla Trek, is pretty incredible. In early 2022, we visited Volcanoes National Park, so named for the many volcanoes along this section of the border of Rwanda. It is home to 10 gorilla families habituated to humans and therefore appropriate to visit on a trekking tour. The park sits in the north western part of the country and borders national parks in DRC and Uganda. The Rwanda Development Board runs many activities for tourists in the park, including mountaineering, golden monkey tracking, and of course gorilla trekking.
A quick shout out to my very generous sister-in-law who offered to babysit our children back in Kigali overnight. We could then spend a night up in the town of Musanze, northern Rwanda, allowing us to get an early start on our Gorilla Trek the next day. Thanks sis!
We were lucky with our timing. In 2022, Covid was still quite rampant and tourism was down around the world. Rwanda had fewer visitors than usual, like many other places, and so it wasn’t as difficult to get one of the limited permits to join a Gorilla Trek.
Let me share the lessons I learned!
Check Rwanda’s Gorilla Trek requirements at least 6 months earlier than your planned trek
You will need a Gorilla Permit to attend the Trek itself. Please organise your Permit as early as you can because they are very limited. They cost about 1,500USD per person, and you can apply for your Gorilla Permit by contacting the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). It seems that you can get a discount if you also visit other Rwandan tourist destinations such as Akagera National Park (Big 5 safari animals!). So do check if you qualify!
When we went on our trek, it was 2022 and so we also had to take a Covid PCR test. The tests were connected to our passport numbers and the results were checked on the morning of our trek. I suspect that’s not the case now but do check with the RDB.
Please also ensure you’re in basic shape. As in, check that you can walk up a hill before you attempt a Gorilla Trek in Rwanda. These are mountain gorillas and they live in the mountains. You can still go if you’re not the fittest person in the world, but you’ll enjoy it more the fitter you are.
Arrive at Park Headquarters early on the day of your Gorilla Trek
The day of your Rwandan Gorilla Trek starts fairly early and you meet the rest of your trekking party and your guide at the Park Headquarters. This area is great. There is plenty of parking, clean restrooms and the administration of the tours themselves was very efficient. Take this opportunity to use the toilet. The park surrounds headquarters with its beautiful mountains covered with green forest so soak that in.
The administration centre here is where the staff do all their checking of your permits and your ID. We had to bring our passports along to allow the staff to cross check them against our Gorilla Permits to make sure they were ours. They are strict so make sure your paperwork is all in order.
Be aware of how they organise groups and prepare yourself for your Gorilla Trek
Trekking groups are sorted according to fitness. If you look like you can handle a good hike, then you may be assigned one of the gorilla families located deeper in the forest or further off the trails. A less fit and active person may be assigned a family known to be closer to the park boundary, requiring a shorter hike. They also tend to put folks over the age of 45 in the latter group. The groups are no bigger than 8 people.
A complication with our booking meant we had to stay in the reception area while the other groups all started their day. Once we cleared everything up, we were the only tourists remaining at headquarters. Left with less time than the other groups, the staff were thankfully able to allocate us one of the gorilla families located close to the park boundary. Or maybe we looked like we couldn’t handle a hike. I guess I’ll never know! Whatever the reasoning, we ended up in an essentially private tour with our own guide. We took a drive through a couple of neighbouring villages and parked by a farm. The national park boundary could be seen across the field.
Hire yourself a porter for your Gorilla Trek
Young men from the neighbouring villages were waiting at this start point for us to hire as porters. For a small fee, I think it was 10USD in 2022, we could hire one of these men to carry our stuff. While we only had a small amount of stuff, mostly just our raincoats and water bottles, we hired two porters, one to carry my things and one to carry my husband’s. Apart from carrying our kit, the porters also provided us with walking sticks, with fantastic gorilla carvings at the top. While we could have gotten away with one porter, hiring two was an opportunity to inject more money into the local economy.
We walked through a couple of fields and then climbed over a stone wall marking the park boundary. I guess the guides had some confidence in our fitness after all! The following hike was easy enough for us. After about 20min of forest walking, mostly up a gentle incline, we found the tracker team who followed our chosen Gorilla Family. Now I don’t want to lull anyone into thinking all the hikes are this easy! I’ve heard of groups needing to hike for several hours! There’s a reason they suggest you bring a packed lunch.
Follow the advice of your guide around the gorillas
Each of the gorilla families in the park has a name and I am a little mortified that I’ve forgotten the name of the family we tracked. The family was large, and ruled by an incredible silverback. Please do better than me if you go on a Gorilla Trek and remember the gorilla names!
We sat near the silverback for a little while before joining the rest of his family. It was pretty amazing, being so close to such a large guy. He sat a little distance from the rest of his family, making a meal of the nearby bushes. The main group was down the slope, most of the adults lounging around, and a few youngsters who had more energy than any of the adults. The gorillas didn’t seem to mind that we were there, and the guide was very alert to their mood, beckoning us to move around every so often so as to give them the space they needed.
We spent about an hour with the family, which is the allowed time, before heading back down to the car.
What should I know before starting a Gorilla Trek in Rwanda?
There are only a few things you need to know to enjoy your Gorilla Trek in Rwanda. Once you have your Gorilla Permit, the main things you need is your passport on the day, you need to be above 15 years old and you need to be fit enough to go on a hike. The youngest person on the day we went was probably about 16. Do check with the RDB in case any of any updates to these rules.
While you’re in the forest pay attention to your guide and the trackers, and always follow their advice.
Pack appropriately for your Gorilla Trek
We visited in January and brought water, snacks and raincoats. We wore shoes that we could hike comfortably and safely in. My husband wore proper hiking boots while I prefer my old running shoes. The official guidance around what to wear and bring with you can be found here. It is a rather lengthy list but following it will prepare you for a long hike with variable weather. Which is a definite possibility!
We also took our masks for when we found the gorillas, as it was during the pandemic. You may want to check if this is still the recommendation.
We hired porters who lent us their walking sticks. The walking sticks are really useful to help you up (and down!) the incline. We then purchased our walking sticks off them at the end because they were really cool. We 100% recommend a porter.
Oh and don’t forget your phone and/or your camera! A battery pack may also help if your hike extends to longer than ours (which is quite likely!).
Figure out how you will get to Volcanoes National Park
Everyone wanting to go on a Gorilla Trek in Volcanoes National Park starts at the Park Headquarters. We booked a private taxi from Kigali to our hotel in Musanze and then back again the next evening. It was about a 2.5 hour drive. From our hotel we were picked up the following morning and taken to Park Headquarters.
The roads were good between Kigali and Musanze, and the sedan our driver had was comfortable.
Please check this list of Tour Operators as recommended by Volcanoes National Park if you prefer to have someone help you organise your trip.
Book accommodation near Volcanoes National Park
The night before our Trek we stayed at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel which was lovely. The room was was very comfortable and the service was really good. There was a pool but it was too chilly to swim in at that time. The restaurant was very nice, with good service and delicious food.
There are also plenty of other accommodation choices in the area.
What do I know about Rwanda?
I’ve visited Rwanda twice, once in 2021 and again in 2023 with my family. Both times I was there for several weeks, staying with family who live there. Visit my About Me page to understand more about my perspective.
Check out my posts on Rwanda:
- Stay tuned for safari visits, beautiful Lake Kivu and some glorious restaurants and bars in Kigali!