African gorilla safaris can be done in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo where all visitors can go for mountain gorilla trekking in the entire world. Mountain gorillas are found in the three African nations and these include; Uganda, Congo and Rwanda and they are all located in the Eastern side of Africa.

As their name dictate, these primates are found in the mountainous areas of Virunga and in the dense forests. In Africa, there four national parks where visitors who are interested in the gorilla trekking safari are able to book from and spend time with mountain gorillas. The costs for gorilla trekking in Africa depends on the country’s economic value or climate and the permit is set by the authorities governing these parks. You will spend only one hour with these species or may decide to be with them for 4 hours. Let’s take a close look to the 4 gorilla parks and see what they have to offer to a tourist.

Virunga National Park of DR Congo

Virunga national park is among the 10 National parks in the Democratic republic of Congo but it is the only park that offers mountain gorilla trekking in the country and it also has lowland gorillas in the southern parts of Congo. Gorilla trekking in this park is authentic experience, book your African gorilla safaris and permits to Virunga national park.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga is done at a cost of 200USD for Congolese people and 400USD for the foreign non residents thus becoming the cheapest gorilla trekking destination if compared to the Uganda’s gorilla permit which costs 700USD and for Rwanda it costs 1500USD. You will have to book accommodation and Congo Visa along the permit thus you cannot just buy an individual permit however you buy a full travel package. The park has 8 habituated gorilla families which are open for trekking and some families are made up of over 4o members and you will be able to view these while on your gorilla trek. Some of these gorilla family names include Nyakamwe, Bageni, Munyaga, Lulengo, Mapuwa, Humba, Kabirizi and Rugendo. These gorillas’ families have a different story to tell and why they were named like this.

Virunga National Park is famous for hosting a gorilla orphanage within its park boundaries in the whole world. You will visit this when you have booked yourself an accommodation at Mikeno lodge and you will visit it free of charge. You can also go for Nyiragongo hike which is usually a night hike or you may decide to go and relax from Tchegera Island. Virunga National Park has 3 accommodation options for you, you may decide to spend your night in Kibumba tented camp which is amid range and also you can stay in luxury lodges like Mikeno lodge and Bukima Tented Camp. The park is also setting up a new luxury lodge called Ngila lodge and it will begin functioning soon.

Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park of Uganda.

Bwindi gorilla permit was increased to 700USD in July 2020. The Uganda wildlife Authority is the governing body for all the national parks in Uganda and it responsible for increase and decrease of gorilla permits for trekking in Uganda. Bwindi receives a huge number of tourists who want to participate in gorilla trekking experience as the park has the most affordable permits available. 19 gorilla families are found in Bwindi and 8 people are allowed to trek per visit to a gorilla family. When you feel that 1 hour is not enough for you to have exploited the gorilla’s lifestyle, you can try the 4 hour gorilla habituation which costs 1,500USD. 4 people per day are allowed for gorilla habituation option and therefore you are advised to book your habituation permit as early as possible so as you’re not disappointed at the last minute by telling you the number has already reached.

Mgahinga gorilla national park of Uganda

In Mgahinga national park,  gorilla permit was also increased to 700USD for foreigner by the Uganda Wildlife Authority governing body for all the national parks in Uganda. Uganda citizens and East Africans pay 250,000 UGX as of 2021. Mgahinga gorilla National Park has 1 gorilla family but it is visited by mountain gorillas from the Volcanoes National Park of the neighboring Rwanda. Mgahinga National park is Uganda’s second gorilla park and it was named so after the presence of mountain gorillas in the area. The park is found in Kisoro district found in western parts of Uganda and can easily be reached out too from Rwanda because the distance from Kigali to Mgahinga is 4 hours whereas when coming from Entebbe to Mgahinga you will have to drive almost 9 hours.

Volcanoes national park in Rwanda

Volcanoes national park is found in Rwanda and is found in Ruhengeri district. The gorilla permit costs 1,500USD and it is known as a luxurious gorilla trekking experience due to the amount of money paid plus being the safest destination for gorilla trekking. Also trekking in the Volcanoes National Park lasts for 1 hour. The price is constant for Rwanda citizens and foreigners. You will book luxury accommodations while on your African gorilla safaris in Volcanoes and some of these accommodations include Singita lodge and Bisate Lodge. If you are a budget person, there are also affordable accommodations that can be arranged for you. Be in touch with our consultancy team for the best accommodation options in Rwanda.