Are you on a business safari or conference in Rwanda? Are you wondering if it is possible to have a one day gorilla trek in Rwanda? Most intending gorilla trekkers often wonder if it is or not possible to trek the rare mountain gorillas on a one day safari plan. Whereas this has become one of the most frequently asked questions, travelers need to know that it is indeed possible for them to do a one day gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda and thereafter fly back to their home countries. An encounter with the critically endangered mountain gorillas in the wild has been described as a life time experience that you should not miss out once you land into the land of misty rolling hills. You can perfectly do this through our experienced tour and travel company that will help you to plan your trip to the jungles of Volcanoes National Park, Northwestern Rwanda to catch a glimpse of these tremendous creatures.
Securing your gorilla permit in advance is one of the most important things that you shouldn’t forget while planning a gorilla safari to Rwanda since there is high demand for gorilla trekking permits throughout the year. Gorilla permits in Rwanda are purchased at $1500 and this applies to all categories of tourists who wish to achieve their long time dreams in the jungles of Volcanoes National Park.
A one day trek in Volcanoes National Park, demands that on the day of trekking, you get to Kinigi at 7:00am Rwandan time where the Rwanda Development Board, Tourism and Conservation offices are situated for an early morning briefing by the park official. The early morning briefing is mainly to give trekkers a highlight on how they are supposed to behave, meaning the “dos and don’ts” for gorilla trekking in the forest.
Some of the dos and don’ts that will be told to you while in the briefing include “don’t smoke, drink/eat near gorillas, keep a distance of 7 meters away from gorillas at all times, keep your voices down in the forest but you can ask your as many questions as you can, stand still and submit before the gorillas incase they are irritated, flashlight cameras are not allowed, turn off your flashlight camera while taking gorilla pictures, never touch gorillas, don’t go to track gorillas when you are feeling sick, keep the one hour of face to face encounter with gorillas and maximum of 8 visitors are allowed to track gorillas per day among others and your tour guide will also remind you while in the jungles. These rules and regulations are of significance for you to get the best experiences with mountain gorillas while ensuring their conservation and protection in the wild.
This means you will start your trip to Kinigi at 4:30am in the morning and hit the road to the Volcanoes National Park, Northwestern Rwanda. This will take you around 2 to 3 hours driving from Kigali Capital City to the gorilla home. Usually, we encourage our visitors to have overnight around Kinigi area before the day they are to trek gorillas because you will need enough time to rest at night as the trek at times can be lengthy. You may choose to trek a gorilla family that is a bit close to the park headquarters and probably end your trek early enough and set back to Kigali by evening unless when the trek takes long. Normal treks range from 1 to 8 hours but this will depend on your speed, nature of the terrain and the location of gorilla family that will be assigned to you to track.
Gorilla trekking involves hiking and trekking through the steep slopes and jungles of Volcanoes National Park to view a gorilla family that is why it is often described as a breathtaking adventure. Though strenuous, the magical encounter with these magnificent Apes in the wild is something not to be missed in life. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is done in habituated gorilla families whereby there are 10 gorilla families that have been habituated for you to track in Volcanoes National Park. A gorilla family ranges from 3 to 30 individuals with one silverback who is a family leader. Trekking to see mountain gorillas in the jungles of Volcanoes National Park means you will have a chance to explore their daily activities in the wild, as others play, rest and mothers breastfeed their babies. Never forget to carry your camera to take as many pictures as you can during the one hour magical encounter with these remarkable creatures. Your camera should not have a flashlight and if it does, you are advised to turn it off to avoid irritating gorillas in the wild.
In conclusion, there is no need for you to wonder how a one day trek is possible in Rwanda because many travelers have tested it and they have succeeded in achieving their dreams in the jungles of Volcanoes National Park. It is possible to track gorillas in one day in Rwanda and after continue to Kigali International Airport for your scheduled flight back home. What makes this possible is the fact that Volcanoes National Park is accessible in 2 to 3 hours while driving from Kigali International Airport. A trek begins at 8:30am and you have to be at the park headquarters early enough to catch up with the early morning briefing by the park official. If you are assigned to a gorilla family that is demanding like the Susa family where you will spend 4 to 8 hours, you are advised to extend your flight to the next day so that you get ultimate experiences with these unique creatures in their natural habitat, some thing that you will never find in any zoo in the world.