The booking process for gorilla permits in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, is not complex. This is because it is facilitated by the reputable local tour company, which handles the entire booking process on the client’s behalf. Booking a gorilla permit in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park starts when the client confirms the desired date for gorilla trekking.

Before any payments are made, the permits have to be available. Only 8 visitors are allowed to trek a particular gorilla family per day. This is done to reduce many people accessing these primates, which may stress them. With so few people trekking gorillas daily, demand for permits is high. This is why it is advisable to book your gorilla permits 3 months before the trekking date.

Booking gorilla permits in Volcanoes National Park is mainly done through a local tour company. Using a local tour operator ensures visitors of a seamless booking process as the company handles everything after payment. The gorilla permits are issued by the Rwandan Development Board through a tour company. After confirming the availability, visitors then make the payment. The tour company then purchases the gorilla permits from the Rwanda Development Board. A scanned copy of the purchased gorilla permit is then sent to the clients as confirmation of the purchase.

Cost for a gorilla permit in Volcanoes National Park

The prices for a gorilla permit in Volcanoes National Park differ in relation to the origin and nationality of the client. These prices are categorized for foreign non-residents paying USD 1,500 for a gorilla permit, foreign residents USD 500, and East Africans USD 200. The issued gorilla permit is a one-off as it cannot be reused. Most of the funding for the maintenance of Volcanoes National Park and other conservation programs of these primates is from the sale of gorilla permits. Therefore, each visitor who purchases a gorilla permit to Volcanoes National Park is directly conserving and protecting these primates.

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

The whole idea of booking a gorilla permit is to embark on a gorilla trekking experience. Gorilla trekking means the process of encountering the mountain gorillas in their natural environment for an hour. Unlike other tourist activities like game drive safaris, gorilla trekking is done on foot because these primates stay in mountainous areas. The process of gorilla trekking begins with a pre-trekking briefing. This entails a series of rules and regulations of the activity and the expected code of conduct when around these primates.

The briefing process is then followed by a quick grouping activity that categorizes visitors into 8-person groups. Each group of 8 people is then assigned a gorilla family to track the 13 families in this park. Rangers, in coordination with other trackers already in the park, help to locate the assigned gorilla family. A few hours of trekking through the dense forest and rugged terrain, visitors find the primates spend an hour. The anticipation of encountering these mountain gorillas fuels the ability to trek through even the most challenging terrain.

Briefly about Volcanoes National Park

The iconic Volcanoes National Park is the face of the tourism industry in Rwanda. This is highly attributed to the number of visitors that flock to the country to explore this park. Situated in the Musanze district, Volcanoes National Park is a popular gorilla destination. It was established as a national park in 1925, making it one of the oldest parks on the continent. Its fame is mostly because of its ability to harbor the endangered mountain gorillas.

Volcanoes National Park’s position in the Virunga Conservation Area makes it a central spot for gorilla trekking. This conservation area is the last known habitat of mountain gorillas in the whole world. This area stretches from the Virunga National Park in Congo, covering Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s two parks, Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks. Volcanoes National Park has about 13 gorilla families that are all available for trekking any time of the year.

A walk through history sees this park as an iconic gorilla destination, attracting the great Dian Fossey. Doctor Dian Fossey was a renowned primatologist and conservationist interested in mountain gorillas. She lived and worked on different conservation and protection campaigns, which made the park popular. Dian Fossey is believed to be the mother of the mountain gorillas in the park. After her unfortunate death, she was buried in the park beside the Karisimbi Research Center, which she set up.

The best time for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

The dry season is the best season for gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. This is because of the conditions it possesses. The dry season runs from June to September and from December to February. This is a time of humid temperatures and dry weather, facilitated by the little rainfall received. It is such conditions that leave the park dry and easily navigable, and the vegetation sparse to aid visibility.

However, gorilla trekking can also be done in the wet season of March to May and October to November. Although this period sees a rise in rainfall patterns that leave the park soaked, these conditions add a challenge to the trekking experience. With a chilly atmosphere, the primates limit their movements. This makes their location in this soon easier, quickening the gorilla trekking adventure.