Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is the destination for memorable Rwanda gorilla trekking tours, plus other adventure safaris such as tracking golden monkeys, or hiking to see Dian Fossy's grave (see below).

The volcanic mountains of the Virungas straddle Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Over half of the world’s population of 1000 mountain gorillas live here. They thrive in the endangered high bamboo forests which cover these equatorial mountains.  In Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park protect 12 habituated mountain gorilla groups. So this is one of the best places in the world to see the mountain gorillas.

Gorilla Trekking

However, Rwanda gorilla trekking is a highly regulated affair, given their endangered status. And permits are both very expensive, ($1,500 per person per trek), and relatively hard to come by. So we recommend you book as far in advance as possible. Each day, only one group of walkers tracks each group of gorillas. And they try to match the fitness levels of the walkers to the rough proximity of each group. But this is not an exact science, so your gorilla tracking experience may be anything from 2-3 hour up to 7 hours. Once you find them, you are allowed to spend one magical hour in their company.

How long to spend here?

We recommend at least two nights here, preferably three so that you have time to track the gorillas and also enjoy a second excursion on your second morning. Choose between trekking to see the Golden Monkeys, doing a second gorilla trek. or hiking up one of the higher peaks or to Dian Fossy's grave.

See our articles below on the best time for a gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda. It's best to avoid the very rainy times. But the summer months of Dec to mid-March can be a good alternative to the peak season.