Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park

Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park

Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park is an adventurous activity in that involves moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the mountain gorillas and, once found, spending one hour with them in their natural habitat.

Virunga National Park is the oldest national park in Africa, located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

Apart from Virunga National Park, gorilla trekking is also done in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

Gorilla trekking experience

Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park starts early at around 8:00am with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of 8 people, where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with gorilla trekking trails in the forest.

Gorilla tracking takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During gorilla trekking, you will be able to view various bird species, other primates, and plant species, and once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment. This experience provides an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, watch them feed and breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos, and record videos.

Cost of a gorilla trekking permit 

A gorilla trekking permit is a card that is issued to any visitor above the age of 15 years allowing him or her to visit a habituated gorilla family in Virunga National Park. A gorilla trekking permit in Virunga National Park costs 400 USD per person for both foreign non-residents and foreign residents.

How to book a gorilla trekking permit

A gorilla trekking permit in Virunga National Park can either be booked directly through the Virunga reservation office or by contacting the offices via email inquiring about the availability of the permits depending on the dates you intend to visit the gorillas.

A gorilla permit can also be booked through a trusted tour operator like Salt Holidays. When booking through a tour company, you will contact us with the dates when you wish to visit the mountain gorillas. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability and if there are permits that match your dates, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once we receive the money, we will purchase the permit on your behalf.

Best time to go 

Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park can be carried out anytime throughout the year, though the best time is during the dry season, also known as the peak season, in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less or little rainfall in the national park; therefore, access roads to the park and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable, which makes trekking easy compared to the low season when the trails are wet, muddy and slippery, which makes trekking difficult.

Where to stay in Virunga national park

There are a number of accommodation facilities in Virunga National Park where you can stay during your gorilla trekking safari. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury, including Lodge Coco, Lulimbi Tented Camp, Orchids Safari Club, Tchegera Island Camp, Mikeno Lodge, Bukima Tented Camp, Kibumba Tented Camp, Exodus Bukavu, Hotel Begonias, Lakeside Hotel Bukavu, among others.

This is an adventurous activity that shouldn’t be missed during your African safari and for more information, you can contact us at Salt Holidays or visit our website for various gorilla trekking packages.