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Gorilla Trekking Tours from South Africa

Gorilla trekking is an exciting pastime that takes people into deep tropical woods in search of endangered gorillas. Gorilla trekking is done in four African countries: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Gorilla Trekking tours from South Africa are very possible and these kinds of safaris are the best way to combine wildlife safaris in South Africa and gorilla trekking tours in Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo. Of course, Uganda remains the leading gorilla trekking destination in Africa due to its fair prices for gorilla permits at 700 USD, as well as its large number of gorilla families found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Gorilla trekking in Uganda remains affordable as compared to its competitor Rwanda with the gorilla permit costing 1,500 USD per person. Although the Democratic Republic of Congo offers its gorilla permits at 400 USD per person, the security instability in the region makes gorilla trekking tours to Congo quite risky and less desirable.

These sites are home to two types of gorillas: mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas, both of which can be found in Kahuzi Biega National Park. A mountain gorilla census was conducted, and the results show that there are approximately 1,063 mountain gorillas in Africa, with 459 individuals, or half of the total number, found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, making it one of the best gorilla trekking destinations in Africa.

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The national park is located in the Kanungu area in southern Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas, with 19 habituated gorilla groups living in four sectors of the park: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, Rushaga in the south, and Nkuringo in the south. The park’s gorilla trekking begins early in the morning with a briefing on the expectations, rules, and regulations to be followed throughout the trip.

Following the briefing, you will enter the jungle with a park guide who will educate you about the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking safaris last between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the location of the gorilla family, and once located, you will spend one hour with the gorillas learning about their routines and activities, shooting several images with a flashless camera, and preserving the moments. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park also provides gorilla habituation experiences, in which mountain gorillas are educated to get accustomed to human presence. During the gorilla habituation procedure, you will go with a team of researchers and guides and engage in the habituation process, which allows you to spend four hours with the gorillas, as opposed to one hour with the gorillas during gorilla trekking.

The park is located in the Kisoro area in southern Uganda. Mgahinga gorilla national park is another Uganda site that provides gorilla trekking and is home to two habituated gorilla groups, the Nyakagezi and Hirwa families. Hirwa family moved from Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in October 2019. Gorilla trekking begins with a briefing at the Ntebeko or Mgahinga park gates, and following the lecture, guests are divided into groups of eight and assigned a park guide who will share information with them during the gorilla trekking experience. Gorilla trekking tours in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park take about 2 to 4 hours, and once the gorillas are found, you will spend one hour with them learning more about their lifestyle, behaviors, habits, and feeding method while taking photos and recording the moments that will give you incredible and lifetime memories on your gorilla trekking tour from South Africa.

Mountain gorilla trekking is possible from South Africa by traveling to Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport. After that, you’ll take a domestic flight to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. There is also the option of driving by vehicle to either park, however, this would entail a 9-10 hour journey to either national park, hike gorillas, and then drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. There is also the option of visiting Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks through Kigali, Rwanda. Fly into Kigali International Airport and then take a 3-5 hour journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Cyanika or Katuna border, or a 4 hour drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park via the Cyanika border.

Volcanoes National Park is located in northwest Rwanda and is considered one of the top gorilla trekking sites in Africa owing to its proximity to the airport and the expertise acquired. Volcanoes National Park is home to around 14 habituated gorilla families that may be trekked every day. Gorilla trekking in the park begins with a training on gorilla trekking expectations, laws, and regulations, following which you will be divided into groups of eight to trek a gorilla family and assigned a guide who will bring you to the gorilla family. Trekking in the park takes between 2 and 7 hours in the forest, and after you’ve discovered the gorilla family, you’ll spend an hour with them shooting photographs, recording movies, and learning about their routines, mannerisms, and lifestyle, among other things.

Mountain gorilla trekking tours can be done in Rwanda from South Africa by flying to Kigali International Airport. You will then need to drive for approximately 3 hours to Volcanoes National Park where you will be doing gorilla trekking. From here, one can easily connect to Bwindi’s impenetrable national park or Mgahinga Gorilla national park in Uganda, or connect to Goma and drive to Virunga National Park.

Virunga National Park, located in the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is home to eight habituated gorilla groups. Gorilla trekking in the park begins early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters, and you will be divided into groups of eight to trek each gorilla family. Trekking takes between 2 to 5 hours depending on the location of the gorillas, and while there, you will spend one hour learning about their lifestyle, behaviors, and habits, as well as capturing photographs and documenting the moments.

If you are planning to do gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park from South Africa, you will need to fly into Goma International Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo. From Here you will drive about 35 to 45 minutes to reach Virunga national park. The national park can also be accessed from Kigali or Gisenyi in Rwanda, with visitors traveling approximately 5-6 hours to reach Virunga national park from Kigali and approximately 2 hours drive from Gisenyi.

The national park is one of the largest in Rwanda and is located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The endangered mountain gorillas of Kahuzi Biega national park are larger than mountain gorillas and have been habituated into five groups. Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park begins with a briefing at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will begin trekking in the jungle through the swamps, which takes about 2 to 5 hours. Once the gorillas are located, you will spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, watching them feeding, playing, and females nursing their babies while taking photos and recording the moments.

For those planning gorilla trekking tours to Kahuzi Biega national park from South Africa, you will have to fly into Kigali International Airport and then drive approximately 7 hours to Kahuzi Biega National Park in Bukavu.

A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document that allows a tourist over the age of fifteen to hike a gorilla family in any place. Gorilla trekking in Africa is done in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Each country has its own price for gorilla trekking, so visitors who want to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park must pay $700 for non-residents, $500 for residents, and UGX 250,000 for East African residents.

In Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, a gorilla permit costs $1,500; however, the Rwanda Development Board has come up with spectacular offers to promote gorilla trekking in the country. Effective 1^st Jan 2023 to 31^st December 2023, gorilla permits in Rwanda cost $200 for East African Citizens and Rwanda Nationals, and $500 for foreign Residents living in Rwanda, Africans and African Foreign Residents. However, to qualify for the discounted gorilla permits, visitors have to book their gorilla permits a month prior to their date of tracking. Is gorilla trekking better in Uganda or Rwanda ?

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gorilla trekking permits cost $400 for foreign non-residents and $200 for foreign residents during the low season. As a result, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the only location that offers a cheap gorilla trekking permit as well as a reduced gorilla trekking permit, which benefits budget travelers. You might also be interested to find out why gorilla trekking is expensive

When booking a gorilla trekking permit, there are two options to consider: booking directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a government body in charge of tourism in Uganda, or booking through the Rwanda Development Board and Virunga tourism offices in Grande Barriere, Democratic Republic of Congo. A reliable tour operator, such as Laba Africa Expeditions, may also book a gorilla trekking permit in any gorilla destination. When booking through a tour operator, you will contact us with the dates, month, year, and place where you wish to go gorilla trekking, and we will check for permit availability based on the dates you have provided. Once a gorilla permit is available in that location, you will be requested to place a deposit on the gorilla trekking permit.

Once a gorilla permit is available in that location, you will be requested to place a deposit on the gorilla trekking permit. Once your money has been received, you will be required to email us your scanned passport copies, which will be needed to process the permit, and we will purchase your gorilla trekking permit and send you scanned copies as confirmation, which will be handed to you when you arrive to begin your safari. A gorilla trekking permit in Virunga National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Volcanoes National Park, on the other hand, should be obtained 3 to 6 months before the trekking date to avoid disappointment because gorilla trekking permits are competitive and usually sell out, especially during peak season.

The best time to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Virunga National Park, and Kahuzi Biega National Park is during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February.

During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the gorilla destinations, resulting in shorter grass in the jungle and clearer viewing of the gorillas, passable access roads to the national parks, and passable gorilla trekking trails in the tropical rainforest, as opposed to the wet season, when the trails are wet, muddy, and slippery, making gorilla trekking difficult.

Hiking shoes, garden gloves, energy snacks, a long-sleeved shirt and pants, long stockings, a warm sweater, insect repellent, a camera, and a bag are all recommended for your gorilla trekking safari tours from South Africa. Is gorilla trekking safe ?

Gorilla trekking will provide you with fascinating and unforgettable experiences on your safari, and you can combine it with other activities in gorilla destinations such as bird watching, nature walks, hiking, golden monkey trekking, and visiting the Batwa/pygmies, all of which will provide you with breathtaking memories on your gorilla trekking tours from South Africa.

DISCOVER AFRICA

Gorilla Trekking Tours from South Africa