Rwanda Gorilla Trekking 101: An Essential Definitive Guide

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking 101: The Essential Definitive Guide to gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the ultimate wildlife experience. That feeling of excitement during the trek, then, as you came into a clearing and see the gorillas your heart starts thumping! After a few minutes you relax and sit with the gorillas watching them play and eat for an hour – magical!

It has been almost thirteen million years since our shared ancestors were active in Africa’s woodlands. Time stands still in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park when you’re in the company of a family of mountain gorillas. Their fingers and eyes are very similar to ours. Their body language and facial expressions are eerily similar. An hour spent trekking with gorillas is unlike any other because of the overwhelming sense of camaraderie you’ll feel and the excitement of venturing into their ethereal, verdant habitat on foot.

Rwanda has been more popular as a place to go wildlife watching in the past several years. Surprisingly, this little East African nation has a wide variety of environments, from lakes and woods to grasslands that are rich in species.

Tourists visit Rwanda primarily to see its mountain gorillas, but the country’s dedication to conservation is what truly sets it apart. In addition to funding wildlife veterinary services, research, and reforestation, Rwanda encourages environmental action on a national level through initiatives like the umuganda scheme, which mandates that all Rwandans spend three hours cleaning up their community on the last Saturday of every month, and the ban on single-use plastic. Rwanda takes the important step of making sure that rural populations reap the benefits of positive impact travel firsthand.

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Mountain gorillas are found in very small populations in the highland rainforests of Rwanda and Uganda, with the two most popular locations for tracking them being Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. The specifics of each trek will vary depending on the whereabouts of the gorillas on any given day, as well as the climate and topography of the respective parks. Both parks have limited footpaths, steep terrain, and the possibility of rain at any moment. However, whereas Bwindi is typically very tropical and thick with tangled vegetation, Volcanoes is typically a bit cooler, and there are more open areas to hike and observe wildlife more easily.

The famous American primatologist Dian Fossey and her hardworking team of park rangers have an unbreakable connection with Volcanoes National Park in the northwest of Rwanda. Compared to Bwindi, it has a smaller population of gorilla families, the exact number of which can change due to group dynamics. As of right now, ten families have made the slow but steady adjustment to tourism; park rangers must first earn the trust of the locals before they can safely approach them at a reasonable distance.

Every family has a dominant male and a mix of subordinate silverbacks (older men), blackbacks (younger men), females, and babies (usually between ten and twenty in number). At the moment, there are 38 members in the largest group, Susa.

You might not see any environmentalists on your walk, but you can help the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund—which collaborates with the Gorilla Doctors—a group of wildlife veterinarians who treat sick or wounded gorillas when necessary—by donating to their cause.

Gorilla trekking For Elderly, Seniors and The Disabled

Even if you use a wheelchair, you can still fulfill your lifelong ambition of visiting wild mountain gorillas. You can book a specialized tour that includes skilled porters who will transport you in a throne chair or stretcher while they transport your wheelchair independently. You might not be in the most comfortable state on the long trek to see the gorillas (which can take several hours depending on their current location), but the reward will be well worth it.

How fit do I need to be for a gorilla trek in Rwanda

Seeing gorillas in Rwanda requires a certain level of physical fitness; after all, those creatures are known as mountain gorillas. For the gorillas, the ideal habitat is the temperate bamboo and evergreen forests found in the Virunga Mountains, which are home to six active and three dormant volcanoes.

The length of your walk could range from one to eight hours, depending on the gorilla family you’re assigned to. Plus, there are spots where the ground is uneven, muddy, and sometimes slippery. It is advised to use walking poles. If you have any questions or concerns, it’s important to talk to your tour operator and guides thoroughly.

hiking with gorillas isn’t the same as hiking in Nepal, but it’s still not easy. Rwanda, on the other hand, has hiking paths that are less steep and more open, making it seem like a bit of an easier walk than Uganda. In the weeks preceding your trip, we recommend getting in shape by going hill walking for a few days.

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking: Briefing

Your trip begins with a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call, followed by a 6 a.m. meeting at the main lodge for a light continental breakfast and some freshly brewed Rwandan coffee. In case any help is required with equipment, the lodge staff will be ready to respond.

You will be picked up from the lodge (Singita Kwitonda Lodge/Kataza House.) and driven the ten minutes to Volcanoes National Park, where the trekking headquarters are located, by 6:45 in the morning. Upon arrival, you’ll have the opportunity to sip on some coffee as your Driver Guide arranges for you to see other gorilla families. The guide will choose the best family for your group based on their needs, but there are no promises.

After that, visitors will get a thorough briefing from their tour group and the Volcanoes National Park Guide. The trailheads for the several gorilla families will be designated at 8 a.m., and the duration of the drive will range from fifteen minutes to an hour. It is highly advised that travelers make use of the porter service, which is available at the trailhead and will help with carrying bags and crossing difficult terrain. Paying the porters in cash is essential; a minimum of $10 + is necessary.

How long will we trek for

It takes anywhere from thirty minutes to three to four hours to reach the gorilla family, and trips reach a height of 2,500 to four thousand meters. Your landscape will change from rolling farmland to dense forest as you approach the park boundaries. The fact that you might be placed with a nomadic family adds another layer of difficulty to your journey.

You will have an hour to relax and watch these incredible creatures after you find the gorilla family you’re looking for. Personal trackers will be there to lend a help and direct your interactions; they will also be the ones to go ahead of you up the mountain in search of your families. You will reunite with your porter, have lunch, and have some time to reflect before descending after the allotted time has passed.

Anytime between noon and five o’clock in the afternoon is possible for your return to the lodge. Enjoy some refreshments upon arrival, and then spend the rest of the day at your leisure. Take in the sights and sounds of the surrounding landscape as you relax in your private heated pool, indulge in an in-room treatment, or reflect in your room with a view of Mount Sabyinyo in the distance and the fireplace lit. We advise against scheduling a hike on the day of departure due to the unpredictability of the time and the fact that the experience is best enjoyed at one’s own pace.