Gorilla trekking permit prices in Volcanoes national park vs Virunga national park

Gorilla trekking permit prices in Volcanoes national park vs Virunga national park- In this article, we are going to compare everything you need to know about mountain gorilla trekking permits for volcanoes national park Rwanda and Virunga national park DR Congo. Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda are way too expensive compared to the permits of Virunga national park. In fact, a single gorilla trekking permit for volcanoes national park can buy 3 for Virunga national park in the dry season and you stay with a balance of $300 while in the wet season it can but 7 gorilla trekking permits for Virunga national park. DR Congo is trying so much to promote gorilla tourism but it still has a problem of insecurity and this is why the trekking permits are very cheap as well as accommodation facilities. However much the trekking permits differ in price, the time gives to be around mountain gorillas still remains 1 hour, and the experience after gorilla trekking is the same.

Gorilla trekking permit prices in Volcanoes national park vs Virunga national park

The gorilla trekking permit for volcanoes national park costs $1500 per person per trek and this permit gives you an opportunity to spend a maximum of 1 hour with mountain gorillas. 10 habituated mountain gorillas are open for trekking in volcanoes national park which means that there are 80 gorilla trekking permits available at Rwanda Development Board for trekkers every day. The gorilla trekking permits can be booked directly from the Rwanda development board or a trusted tour operator. To trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda you are advised to book your trekking permit in advance of 3-4 months in order to avoid inconvenience most especially if you are planning to trek in the dry season since the permits are few compared to the tourists that want to visit the country.

A gorilla trekking permit in DR Congo costs $400 in the dry season and $200 in the rainy season per person per trek. High season months are June to September and December to February while the low season months are October to November and March to May. There are 8 habituated gorilla families in Virunga national park DR Congo which mean there are 64 trekking permits since a maximum of 8 people is allowed to trek a gorilla family. The trekking permits can be bought directly from Virunga national park website or a trusted tour operator and they are sold to children ages 18 and above.

Gorilla trekking age limit in volcanoes national park vs Virunga national park

There is a minimum age for gorilla trekking for each national park and for the case of volcanoes national park Rwanda the gorilla trekking age limit is 15 years while the one of Virunga national park is 18 years. The age limit for gorilla trekking is set because children are also unpredictable since you can never tell how they are likely to behave when they meet a gorilla family, and some of the children may get lost during the trekking while others might get tired and reduce the speed of trekking. There is no maximum age of trekkers, the permits are sold to all people who are physically fit and even those who are very old and would love to trek have now got sedan chairs most especially in volcanoes national park. the sedan chairs are carried by a group of 4 men and these take you around the jungle as you such for mountain gorillas. The sedan chairs come at a small fee.

Gorilla trekking permits booking process for volcanoes national park vs Virunga national park

Booking gorilla trekking permit prices in both volcanoes national park and Virunga national park is very easy as this can be done either booking for yourself direct from the Rwanda Development Board for the case of Rwanda and Virunga national park website for the case if Virunga national park. The alternative is by using a tour operator to book for you the permits as well as transport and accommodation. When you use a local tour operator you need to make sure if they are licensed by government bodies in charge of tourism and also if there are members of different tourism organizations.

If you use Africa adventure vacations as your tour operator, we are fully licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board and we are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators. we are also allowed to conduct safaris in different countries in Africa including Rwanda and DR Congo. To book gorilla trekking permits for either Volcanoes national park or Virunga national park, you will need to tell us about which days you would love to travel so that we check for availability of the permits on those specific days on Virunga national park website for the case of DR Congo and Rwanda Development Board for the case of Volcanoes national park. Once we have found the permits available, we shall request you to pay so that we secure you a trekking permit and once we are done we shall send you a scanned copy for your records.

What to park for a gorilla trekking safari in both volcanoes national park and Virunga national park

The packing items are the same for both Virunga national park and volcanoes national park Rwanda and these include waterproof hiking sturdy boots, long-sleeved shirts and trousers, a rain jacket, long-armed sweater, sturdy gardening gloves, a hat, sunglasses, a pair of gaiters, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, safari stocks, sunscreen, raincoat, face masks, sanitizers, insect repellents, drinking water and energy-giving snacks.

What is the best time to visit the volcanoes national park and Virunga national park?

Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park and Virunga national park can be done at any time of the year but the best times are the dry months. The dry season in DR Congo and Rwanda happens in June, July, August to September, and again in December, January, and February. The dry season is characterized by little or no rainfall, roads leading to the park passable, trekking trails less slippery and not muddy, and the vegetation thin with clear views of the park animals.

Trekking mountain gorillas in Virunga national park and volcanoes national park can also be done in the rainy season of March to May and October to November but during this time there is plenty of rainfall making the park trails slippery and muddy, the vegetation is thick and the roads leading to the parks are impassable. Trekking in the rainy season comes with the advantage of getting huge discounts on lodges and permit prices to reduce in Virunga national park to $200.

Accommodation in Volcanoes national park vs Virunga national park

Volcanoes national park

There are various accommodation facilities in the volcanoes national park where travelers who want to spend a night or more days in the park can have a comfortable stay. These accommodation facilities range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and these include Bisate lodge, Mountain Gorilla view, One $ Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Le Bamboo Gorilla lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Gorilla Volcanoes Lodge, Amakoro Songa Lodge, and Kinigi guest house.

Virunga national park

Accommodation facilities in Virunga national park include Bukima Tented Camp, Kibumba Tented Camp, Mikeno Lodge, Nyiragongo Summit Shelters, Lulimbi Tented Camp, Tchegera Island Camp, and many others.

What to book with Africa Adventure Vacations?

Africa adventure vacations is a tour company based in Uganda licensed by Uganda Tourism Board and a member of Association of Uganda Tour Operators. Booking with Africa adventure vacations provides you safety and confidence during your safari courtesy of well-trained safari driver guides who are well conversant with all routes and tourism destinations in Africa. You can book with us any of the activities you want to do in Africa such as mountain gorilla trekking, mountain gorilla habituation, birding, game drives, hiking, nature walks and community tours among others. Booking can be done at any time of the year.