Volcanoes National Park lies along the Virunga Mountains, with 8 ancient volcanoes, which are shared by Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Just a short two hour drive from Rwanda’s capital of Kigali, the park is a central location for exploring some distinctly Rwandan experiences. While a visit to the mountain gorillas is often at the top of visitor, the dramatic landscape also offers thrilling hiking and visits to the fascinating golden monkeys. Mountain Gorillas live at high altitude in Volcanoes National Park.
There are currently ten habituated gorilla families. A maximum of eight visitors per day can visit each family and viewing time is limited to maximum one hour. Gorilla trekking involves walking long distances through thick vegetation, up steep, wet and muddy terrain. This may cause difficulties for some visitors. We recommend you pace yourself; walk slowly and drink plenty of water.
Gorilla tracking tour is a year-round activity, with no season as such. The forest is moist and it rains quite often in Volcanoes National Park, even in the dry season. Trekking commences every morning from the park headquarters at 8:30 AM. There is a daily maximum of eight visitors to each gorilla group and each group is accompanied by a guide and by porters who will carry your shoulder pack for you. The gorillas may cover large distances overnight and they are never constantly in one area.
The gorilla location trackers will use their knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts and their job is to locate the gorilla group before you head on your trek so that your guide is able to take you directly to them. Trekking conditions differ greatly according to the location of the gorillas, so the exact level of difficulty for a specific trek is impossible to define in advance.
However, at the time of assignment to a gorilla group at the Park Head Quarters, you will be asked if you would like an “easy” trek or a “more challenging” trek, so if you are not sure, make sure to get onto a shorter trek. As you wonder in the wild, you have a great chance to spot other endemic creatures as well as different species of birds. This puts at a greater advantage of taking photos as much as you can. Rwanda Gorilla Safaris gives you the opportunity to adventure Rwanda and all its wildlife without regretting.
