Rwanda is the leading gorilla trekking destination on the African continent. The country has put a lot of effort into safety and improving its road network to ensure a great safari experience. Rwanda has also invested massively in the hotel and lodges industries with some of the best luxurious lodges in East Africa.
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Among all the safari activities Rwanda has to offer, gorilla trekking is by far the most thrilling. In order to ensure that the love for gorilla trekking does not affect the wildlife conservation efforts of Rwanda, there is a limited number of people allowed to visit a given gorilla family in a day.
One of the measures that were put in place to limit the number of people visiting the gorillas in a day is a gorilla trekking permit. A gorilla trekking permit is a document issued by the Rwanda development board allowing a tourist to spend a maximum of one hour with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park.
Process of Booking Gorilla Trekking Permits In Rwanda
There are two ways of booking gorilla trekking permits for Volcanoes national park gorilla treks in Rwanda. The most popular option is using a tour operator while the other option is booking your gorilla trekking permits directly from the Rwanda development board.
Booking Gorilla Permits With A Tour Operator in Rwanda
There are basically three types of tour operators that operate in Rwanda. The local tour operators, East African tour operators, and international tour operators. Any of these three types of tour operators can secure you a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda.
However, securing a gorilla trekking permit depends on availability. Even when you have the $1500 (for a foreign non-resident permit) at your disposal, it is not a guarantee that you will get a gorilla trekking permit for Volcanoes national park. It is highly recommended that you book your gorilla trekking permits at least two months earlier.
In order to book your gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda with a tour operator, you simply have to contact a tour operator with your preferred gorilla trekking date, your passport details, and the gorilla trekking money.
Booking Your Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permit Directly
All gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda are issued by the Rwanda development board. You simply have to visit the Rwanda development board website, fill in the form, and then wait for the availability response. Once you confirm availability, you can then proceed to pay for your gorilla trekking permit.
Things to Consider Before Booking Gorilla Permits in Rwanda
Here are a few things that you might have to put into consideration when booking gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda
Price of Rwanda gorilla trekking permits
Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda are priced according to the following categories; Foreigners, foreign residents in Rwanda, Foreign residents in Africa, African citizens, East Africans, and Rwandan citizens. A gorilla trekking permit for both the Foreign Rwandan resident and the Foreign resident in any African country is $500.
African citizens outside the East African community also pay $500 per person. East African citizens and Rwandan citizens pay $200 per person for a gorilla trekking permit. Foreigners are charged $1500 per gorilla trekking permit.
Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Accommodation Options
Even though Rwanda has branded itself as a luxury safari destination, there is accommodation for most of the budget options, mid-range as well as luxury options. Budget travelers often spend their night before gorilla trekking in Kigali the capital of Rwanda.
The popular Rwanda Volcanoes Park is located within a couple of hour’s drive from the Rwanda capital Kigali. The capital has a number of budget accommodation options for anyone that prefer trekking in Rwanda but with a limited budget.
How Much is a Rwanda Gorilla Safari?
It is often hard to give a round figure for how much a Rwanda gorilla safari costs. But if you are coming from Europe, you can budget between $2500 and $3500 inclusive of flights. The rates will highly depend on where exactly you are coming from.
Countries that have direct flights to Rwanda make gorilla safaris to Rwanda relatively cheaper. In most cases, tour operators only cost you the gorilla safari without flight charges. They will simply give you a gorilla safari quote that starts and ends at Kigali international airport or one of the hotels within Kigali.
Rwanda gorilla safaris exclusive of flights cost $1650 and above. This cost often covers the gorilla trekking permit for a foreign none resident, transport to Volcanoes national park, Fuel, and services of a professional driver guide.
Gorilla safaris for foreign residents cost almost half the price for foreign tourists. Some Rwanda gorilla safaris for foreign residents cost as low as $700 for a day Rwanda gorilla safari.