Gorilla Trekking East Africa | Gorilla Safari Lodges | Gorilla Trekking Tours

Gorilla trekking can be done all year round however the best time is during the months of June, July, augustAugustember and December, these are dry months meaning the parks will also be dry, and hiking in search of the gentle giants is easier however you should plan earlier and get you permits since this is a peak season.

March, April, and May. This is the rainy season and trekking is challenging due to slippery slopes.

January and February. These have little or no rain and it’s a low season.

 The best countries for gorilla trekking are Uganda, Rwanda for mountain gorillas, and Congo for lowland gorillas.

Masaaba holidays give you the best when it comes to gorilla trekking safari, however, there are many gorilla tour companies across East Africa, and choosing a tour company based on various factors like availability of gorilla permits, price and many more.

There are many lodges however choosing the best accommodation is bound to your budget or affordability. The lodges vary from luxury, midrange and budget.

Price ranges for hotels and lodges.

• 50 – 100$ for budget lodges.
• 150$ – 200$ for mid-range.
• 300$ – 2500$ for luxury.

• Sanctuary gorilla forest lodge
• Gorilla height lodge
• Mahogany springs.
• Gorilla safari lodge
• Lake Mulehe gorilla lodge.

All are luxury lodges but Lake Mulehe gorilla lodge ranges from midrange.

The cost depends on the gorilla company, the type of gorilla trek you want it can be luxury, midrange or budget and the season. The luxury safari may cost around 4000$ to 6000$ per person and budget is likely to cost around 1100$. During peak seasons gorilla safaris are a bit expensive compared to low season when the costs are lowered. Many tourists prefer midrange since this is not so budget but affordable.

A gorilla trekking permit costs 700$ and of this 75% is for gorilla conservation, 10% for the local communities around the park and 15% for the government. The permit covers the entrance fees, ranger fees and watching gorillas for an hour.

Uganda has 2 parks which are habitats for mountain gorillas and these are Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. Bwindi has the largest number of gorillas with 21 gorilla families ready to trek and these are in the four sectors of the park namely Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Rushaga. You can only trek on family a day and in one group however all families have gorillas of all stages.

Mgahinga gorilla national park has only two habituated gorilla families namely Nyakagezi and Hirwa. Nyakagezi group is surrounded by the slopes of Virunga volcanoes.

When it comes to luxury gorilla trekking safaris Rwanda’s volcanoes national park takes the crown. Gorilla permit in Rwanda costs 1500$ per person. Luxury lodges include bisate lodge, singita kwitonda lodge in Rwanda and in Uganda a gorilla permit costs 700$ and luxury hotels include mahogany springs and clouds lodge.

Congo has the cheapest gorilla permits and it costs 450$. Budget lodges in Uganda include gorilla valley lodge, Buhoma community rest camp and Bwindi back packers lodge while in Rwanda there is hotel Muhabura.

Uganda and Rwanda both have mountain gorillas living in forests. In comparison to Rwanda, Uganda has more wildlife and in this besides mountain gorillas, you can pass by Murchison falls for 4 of the big five or Kibale forest national park for other primates. Gorilla permits in Rwanda cost 1500$ and in Uganda it costs 700$ per person valid for a day. The permit offers you a chance to enjoy mountain gorillas in their natural habitat for one hour and each gorilla family is visited once in a day by a group of 8 people since these gentle giants are very fragile. Looking no further, Uganda is the best place for any gorilla safari.

• Water proof hiking boots.
• Bottled water
• Long pants and trousers.
• Insect repellents
• Rain jacket
• Binoculars
• Gloves

Among the many factors that make gorilla trekking difficult the major reason is fitness. Gorilla trekking includes hiking and nature walks which may take a round 1-8 hours according to the movement of the gentle giants, Bwindi impenetrable national park has steep slopes in certain areas. Others include your baggage weight, weather conditions and many others however there are porters to help in case of any difficulties.

Expect to wake up as earlier as possible on the day of trekking, reach the briefing point from where you will be allocated a family to trek and the tracking routes.

You may see different monkey species, butterflies and some mammals.

Expect challenging hikes and nature walks and this requires fitness and at the end of the day you are likely to be muddy and sweaty.

Expect to get a life changing experience as you get into close contact with these gentle giants in their natural habitat, take photos however don’t use flash since this may lead them to charge.

How about the gorilla habituation experience?

Gorilla habituation is the process of training mountain gorillas to be able to stay with humans. The process takes 3 years and it is done by trained park rangers and researchers. Enjoy as you also take part in the gorilla habituation process by grabbing yourself a gorilla habituation permit at 1500$ per person valid for a day.

Bwindi impenetrable national park receives the biggest number of visitors and likewise the biggest number of sold permits are for Bwindi national park national park. The entire process is tiresome and costs much if you decide to do it for yourself however you can do it through a Ugandan local safari operator. This operator won’t charge you for the purchasing process if you are to use their services. Book your gorilla permit earlier and with a safari agent to avoid mistakes.

Inform the tour operator about the dates for your tour and the specific date for trekking the gorillas

They will give you feedback about your preferred date

Send back details to you in order to make payments for the gorilla permit.

You will receive an acknowledgement email after the money transfer.

The required information is your full name, nationality and the passport number which you will send to your tour operator agent and this is the information that will be on your permit.

• Uganda gorilla permit costs 700$
• Uganda gorilla habituation permit costs $1500
• Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500
• Congo gorilla permit costs $400
• East African citizens buy the permit at 250,000 shillings.

Besides gorillas, there other primates like chimpanzee in kibale forest national park in Uganda, golden monkey tracking in mgahinga gorilla national park. You can also visit Queen Elizabeth national park for the tree climbing lions, Murchison falls for the four of the big five, piane upe game reserve for your wildlife safaris.

Kibale forest national park is a haven for 13 primate species, chimpanzee trekking begins at 8am and ends at 2pm in kanyanchu trail. Chimp tracking costs $150.

Queen Elizabeth national park wildlife safari and chimpanzee trek.

Trekking in Kyambura gorge is challenging and this takes about 3 hours depending on the movement of chimpanzees and your fitness. Other expected primates include colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkey among others and the wildlife include leopard, elephants, hippos and many more. Accommodation at Mweya safari lodge and jacana safari lodge.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes place in volcanoes national park which has 17 gorilla families, Susa group being the best. There are other primates in Sabyinyo, Bisoke and Karisimbi.

Golden monkey tracking in Africa.

Besides gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking is also a thrilling experience and this can be done in Uganda’s Mgahinga gorilla national park and Rwanda’s volcanoes national park.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda takes place in volcanoes national park which has 17 gorilla families, Susa group being the best. There are other primates in Sabyinyo, Bisoke and Karisimbi.

Golden monkey tracking in Africa.

Besides gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking is also a thrilling experience and this can be done in Uganda’s Mgahinga gorilla national park and Rwanda’s volcanoes national park.

• Male gorillas are big about two times the female, 6 ft. tall, strong with long arms.
• The males are also called silverback due to the fact that there hair at the back turns silver as they mature.
• The silver back gorilla can stretch its arm to 7 feet’s.
• Their life span is about 40-50 years.
• Gorillas are 98% like humans.

• Gorillas feed on afro montane vegetation.
• They eat large quantities of flowers, root, shoots and leaves in season.
• An adult gorilla can feed 75 pounds per day.

Mountain gorillas are very strong but gentle and shy. Gorillas are habituated to people but attack in case they are threatened or intimidated. Mountain gorillas can charge in case of flash camera lights. You won’t find them as a threat if you follow the guide lines from the ranger guides.

Gorillas are found in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. There are mountain and lowland gorillas, mountain gorillas are rare and these are less than 800 in the entire world and 100,000 lowland gorillas just in Congo.

Uganda and Rwanda are havens for mountain gorillas and Congo for lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas are large with dark black coats and these are the rare primates and can only be found in Africa.

Lowland gorillas are small with brownish gray far coats plus a noticeable brow ridge.