Spending 1 or 4 hours with mountain gorillas in Africa

Spending 1 or 4 hours with mountain gorillas in Africa- Africa is the only place to find mountain gorillas and spend some good time with these endangered primates in their natural habitats. You can spend an hour with these endangered primates or four hours acclimating them to human presence in their natural habitats. Gorilla trekking is the most popular activity in all the countries that harbor mountain gorillas. The countries with mountain gorillas in Africa are Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.

In Uganda, travelers can spend 1 to 4 hours with mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park and Mgahinga national park. In Rwanda, it’s in Volcanoes National Park and in DR Congo it’s in Virunga national park. Gorilla trekking is done at any time of the year in any of these countries and it’s done by a group of 8 people for the case of gorilla trekking and 4 people for gorilla habituation. You can book your gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation permits to Africa with Africa Adventure Vacations at any time of the year.

Spending 1 or 4 hours with mountain gorillas in Africa

Arica is the only place to find mountain gorillas, and these are found in the eastern part of the continent. The eastern part of Africa has tropical, subtropical, and bamboo types of vegetation. At the same time, it has a good climate and this has favored the growth of these mountain gorillas. The 3 places to find mountain gorillas in Africa are Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. These places have different habituated mountain gorilla families, but Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda has the highest number and also the highest population.

Places to see mountain gorillas in Uganda

Uganda is one of the countries to track and habituate mountain gorillas in Africa. The country has the highest number of mountain gorillas, with more than a half finding their home in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park. Mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda is done among 20 habituated mountain gorilla families, of which 19 are found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park and 1 in Mgahinga national park.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park alone has 19 habituated gorilla families available for trekking at any time of the year. These mountain gorilla families are found in different sectors of the park and these are Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Ruhija. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in the southern western part of Africa and can be accessed using air transport or road transport.

Mgahinga national park is another place to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda, and it’s located in the south-western part of the country near the neighboring volcanoes, Volcanoes National Park and Virunga national park. Mgahinga national park, together with these neighboring national parks, forms the Virunga conservation area. Mgahinga National Park has only one habituated mountain gorilla family, Nyakagezi, which is open for trekking all year.

Places to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda

Rwanda is another country hosting mountain gorillas in Africa. Mountain gorillas can be found in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park, which is located in the country’s northwestern region. Volcanoes national park harbors 20 habituated mountain gorilla families of which 10 are open for trekking and the rest are there for research purposes. To trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, you need a 1500 USD trekking permit from the Rwanda Development Board. The trekking in this part is done throughout the year.

Places to trek with mountain gorillas in the DR Congo

The one and only place to trek and spend one hour with mountain gorillas in DR Congo is Virunga national park. Virunga National Park is located in the country’s east and borders the volcanoes and Mgahinga national parks.All these national parks together form the Virunga conservation area. Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is done at any time of the year among 8 habituated mountain gorilla families and is done by people above the age of 15 years.

How much does it cost to get a gorilla permit in Africa?

Every mountain gorilla country in Africa has their own gorilla trekking prices. The highest permit price is for Volcanoes National Park at $1500, followed by Bwindi and Mgahinga at $700, and lastly, Virunga National Park at $450 in the dry season and $200 in the low season. These mountain gorilla trekking permits allow travelers above the age of 15 years to be around mountain gorillas for 1 hour, except for the gorilla habituation permits that cost $1500 and allow trekkers to be with mountain gorillas for 4 hours.

A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and Shs250,000 for citizens of East Africa, while the gorilla habituation permits are $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and Shs750,000 for East African citizens. Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda go for $1500 each, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo it is $450 in the dry season and $200 in the low season.

How to organize a gorilla safari to Africa?

Africa Adventure Vacations Limited organizes gorilla safaris to any of the countries hosting mountain gorillas in Africa; these are Uganda, Rwanda, and the DR Congo. We will ask you the country where you want to trek with mountain gorillas and the dates you want to travel to book a gorilla safari in Africa. From here, we shall use these travel dates to check for the availability of gorilla trekking permits with different bodies in charge of gorilla tourism in the country. Once the permits are available, we shall send you an email contacting the ways in which you can pay the money for the permits. Once we have received the money, we shall go further and secure you a trekking permit. We might go further and book your accommodation and transport.

What is the least and maximum age for gorilla trekking in Africa?

The age limit for mountain gorilla trekking in all countries harboring mountain gorillas in Africa is the same. The least age for one to trek with mountain gorillas is 15 years old, and the maximum age is not there as long as you are physically fit. If your children are not yet 15 years old and will be 15 by the time you have your gorilla trekking safari, you can contact Africa Adventure Vacations. We can help you secure your child a permit.

What is the best time to visit Africa for a mountain gorilla safari?

Travelers can visit Africa for mountain gorilla trekking at any time of the year, but the best time we do recommend is the dry season. The dry season is the best for mountain gorilla trekking. The reason is that there is little and sometimes no rainfall. This dry season happens in June to September and December to February and is characterized by little or no rainfall, the vegetation thin for clear views of mountain gorillas and photography, dry trekking trails and passable roads leading to the parks.

What to do with Africa Adventure Vacations?

Africa Adventure Vacations is a tour company based in Uganda, licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board and a member of the 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, Chimpanzee trekking and habituation, birding, golden monkey trekking, game drives, hiking, nature walks, and community tours, among others. Booking and spending 1 or 4 hours with mountain gorillas in Africa can be done at any time of the year.