Gorilla Trekking
The mountain gorillas are a defining figure of Rwanda. They attract people from around the world and do wonders for Rwanda's economy. Tourists need to pay $750 per visit. The activities are offered in cooperation with the RDB park authorities, and tours will be accompanied and guided by park staff and guards. Rwanda Consult and Safaris will help you to organize your visit to Volcano National Park.
Rwanda Consult and Safaris Specialty.
3 Day Rwanda Gorilla Trek
from $1100 Per Person.
This excursion is perfect for clients wanting just one Gorilla Trek while staying in comfortable accommodations. Clients will enjoy a visit to the Volcanos National Park and an optional visit to the Genocide Memorial in Kigali.
Day 1 – Kigali to Volcano National Park. On arrival in Kigali you are met at the Airport and briefed by your guide. We drive to Musanze (formerly called Ruhengeri) in the northwest part of Rwanda, the main base town for Gorilla trekking. The drive is through beautiful rolling hills on a comfortable paved road and is approximately 2.5 hours from Kigali. Overnight stay will be at Home Inn Hotel (Standard) or La Palme Hotel (Upgraded).
Day 2 – Volcano National Park to Kigali. After your morning wake-up call and breakfast, you will be transfered by road in a 4WD Land Cruiser and report to the park headquarters, for gorilla trekking formalities and briefing by the Volcanoes National Park's guides on the gorillas' etiquette. The gorilla group that you will visit will depend on the assignment of travellers to the seven habituated gorilla groups. Park rangers have already left to locate the 7 habituated Gorilla groups that are accessible to visitors. You will be assigned to a specific group of gorillas. Groups of trekkers will have a maximum of 8 visitors per gorilla family. Your trek will vary in length depending on which gorilla group you have been assigned to and will commence at about 7,000 feet of altitude in the upper terraced slopes of the volcano. Soon you will enter the forest of bamboo and thick undergrowth. You follow paths and the walking is steep but not overly strenuous. Nothing can prepare one for the impact of encountering a fully grown silverback gorilla: up to three times as bulky as the average man, yet remarkably peaceful and tolerant of human visitors. There are no words to describe the thrill of recognition attached to staring deep into the liquid brown eyes of these gentle giants, which share some 97% of their genes with humans. After locating your assigned Gorilla group you will spend one hour in their company before retracing your steps back down the volcano slopes. Lunch at the lodge. After lunch we will drive back to Kigali. Overnight stay will be at Impala Hotel (Standard) or Kigali Serena Hotel (Upgraded).
Day 3 – Departure
After breakfast you will enjoy a kigali city tour and visit to the Gisozi Genocide Memorial before being transferred to the airport in time for your onward flight.
Farah Jazuli Our Previous Customer, "We met with our guide when we arrived and then off we were into the jungle to find our very large, furry friends. As we got deeper into the jungle, my entire group became more and more excited. We were comprised of people from all over the world - India, Australia, the US, Canada, Europe... These gorillas attract people from all over. At one point, we climbed a cliff - I was walking ahead of the group with the guide. So when I got to the top, I was the first to see mama gorilla with her baby twins. I was literally 1 metre from her. I was sort of in shock as I wasn't expecting to see a gorilla that soon and in such close proximity to me! It was wild! literally...."
Gorillas are social animals staying in groups or families of 6 to 40 or more individuals. A family comprises of the Alpha male (called the silver back), subordinate males (Black backs), females, juveniles and young ones. Each family has its own territory and a home range, where they forage for food. Territories are aggressively or physically defended against male intruders. Territorial fights are fatal and may lead to the death of the territorial or alpha male. Besides humans and diseases , a mature mountain gorilla has very few enemies. She said
Mountain Gorillas.
Rwanda has enthusiastically received thousands of international, regional and local visitors to its Virunga mountain ranges to visit the endangered mountain gorillas. For decades, international conservation organizations, donors and concerned individuals have made substantial resources available to the gorilla conservation cause and continue to do so.
The remaining home range of the endangered mountain gorillas is limited to the Virunga Massif, a chain of volcanic mountains shared by Rwanda, DRC and Uganda. Rwanda boasts two third of the Virunga Massif's remaining endangered mountain gorillas. The remaining population of mountain gorillas has only survived thanks to the renewed efforts of national conservation authorities and the local populations and the support they have received from the international community.
Despite turbulences in the region in the recent past, conservation partners have been active in the protection of this species and their habitat. For several decades now, Rwanda has been at the forefront of gorilla conservation efforts. The government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has put conservation high on its national agenda, not only for the protection of mountain gorillas and other keystone species, but also their habitats and ecosystems that provide life support to us all.
Notable achievement in Rwanda tourism are 26,3% growth in the population of gorillas since the last census in 2003, introduction of new tourism products such as the Congo Nile Trail, steady growth of tourists with USD 200 million in revenues in 2010, and estimated at 257 million in 2011 and conversion of poachers into farmers. The safety and security of the park and its surroundings is also a notable national achievement without which little of this would have been achieved. Another milestone in Rwanda's tourism sector is the recent grading and classification of accommodation facilities using East African Standards.
Gorilla Families
Amahoro Group/ Family—Amahoro meaning peaceful has 17 members led by the peaceful Ubumwe. Amahoro is a more strenuous group to access compared to Group 13 or Sabyinyo.
Group 13/ Family(Also Called Agashya)—when first habituated this group had only 13 members hence its name. Now the group has approximately 25 members.
Kwitonda Group/ Family—this migrant group from DR Congo has 18-members led by Kwitonda which means “humble one” . It has two silverbacks and one blackback. Though the group tends to wander far, it is now permanently in the Rwanda Section of Virungas. Together with Susa this is one of the difficult groups to track.
Umubano Group/ Family—a family of 11, Umubano were originally Amahoro members but broke off after the dominant silverback was challenged by Charles, now the leader of Umubano. When a young silverback challenges the dominant silverback he must steal some females from the existing group in order to form his own family; thus Umubano was formed.
Hirwa Group/ Family—Hirwa is the most diverse group comprising from differently families mainly group 13 and Sabyinyo.
Susa Group/ Family—the largest group with 41 gorillas. The group is very impressive with three silver-backs and several-black backs, females and several youngsters. Part of the fame of this group are playful 5 year old twins named Byishimo and Impano. The group roams the slopes of Karisimbi Volcano(4507M). Though the group is a bit difficult to track sometimes it is very near. Always find out their location from guides a day earlier.
Sabyinyo Group/ Family—One the easily accessible groups. The group has 8 members led by the biggest silverback known in the entire jungle called Guhonda.
Seven gorilla families open for tourists . Only 8 tourists allowed per group per day.