What is the Cost of gorilla Trekking in Rwanda?
What is the Cost of gorilla Trekking in Rwanda ? Meeting gorillas in their natural habitat is a once life time experience, since you enjoy the face-to-face experience however this comes with a lot of questions. Thinking of how much a Rwanda gorilla safari may cost, which factors influence the cost, all these puzzles can puzzle one’s mind.
Wondering on the total or exact price for a gorilla safari in Rwanda, this guide has offered a break down on what a Rwanda gorilla safari may entail breaking down the cost of every thing, from the permits to the accommodation fees.
What is a Rwanda gorilla safari?
A Rwanda gorilla safari refers to a wildlife experience that involves people trekking through the rain forests of volcanoes National park in search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Trekking gorillas involves a one-hour experience where visitors spend time encountering these gentle giants. It includes taking many flashless photos and also viewing closely these gorillas go about their daily activities. (Eating, feeding, playing and many more)
How can one plan and undertake a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda?
There are so many ways that one can use in order to embark on a gorilla trekking safari with in Rwanda as discussed below.
Using a reputable tour operator.
Many people embark on booking with local tour operators. These people have vast knowledge and expertise of the destinations and the country at large. Tour operators use driver guides who will welcome you at the airport and then drive you to the lodge. Depending on one’s interests and money, majority of visitors can extend their trips on what they want. They can combine gorilla trekking in Rwanda with other activities such as chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, boat cruises and many more.
The gorilla trekking experience starts early in the morning with a breakfast from your lodge book. This implies that you will select a lodge near or closely to the park. Here you will drive up to the park head quarters (Kinigi) to engage in a briefing. After the briefing you will have to hike in to the jungle for your gorilla trekking experience.
Booking a self-drive safari.
Other people can resort to booking a self-drive safari, in order to embark on their gorilla trekking adventure. This can reduce on the price since its not a guided tour. The approximate cost of a self-drive safari is $ 80 – 120 depending on the type of car you are interested in. One of the reputable self-drive operators to use in Rwanda is Self drive Rwanda.
Tip: Always keep time, trekking gorillas is done very early in the morning.
Key components to combine while costing for total price for your gorilla trekking safari.
Gorilla permit price.
The price of a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda.
The cost of a gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $ 1500 for foreign non residents, for African residents they pay $ 500 yet East African citizens can pay $ 200.
A permit can be attained by booking with a trust worthy tour operator such as gorilla expeditions. The fact that permits are served on first come first serve basis, so booking in advance is key.
Reasons why a Rwanda gorilla permit is expensive.
Gorillas are one of the endangered species and most sought creatures on any African safari. Today gorillas can be spotted in large numbers in both Uganda and Rwanda. One may ask why is a Rwanda permit too expensive than that of Uganda this is the answer each country has various conservation efforts that it carries to maintain the health and safety of these gentle giants with in their natural habitat.
Here are some of the reasons why a Rwanda gorilla permit is very expensive.
Research and Monitoring efforts: people who take part in gorilla trekking, are indirectly contributing to scientific research and monitoring programs that help understand gorilla behavior, health, and population dynamics, informing conservation strategies with in Volcanoes national park.
Anti-Poaching Patrols and efforts: On the price of a gorilla permit, there is a significant portion fee that goes towards funding anti-poaching activities and security measures to protect mountain gorillas while they are in their natural habitat.
Community development initiatives: Please note that a certain fee on the gorilla permit is offered to various community projects generally to improve their livelihoods. Buying a gorilla permit in Rwanda, you are greatly improving on the development programs in Rwanda.
Accommodations
There are so many options of accommodations that you will consider for your safari. Whether you are looking for budget, midrange or luxury, Rwanda has you sorted.
Luxury accommodations.
There are so many luxury accommodations to look at while in Volcanoes national park. Some of these lodges include Bisate lodge, one & only gorilla nest lodge, Sabinyo silver back lodge, Singita Kwitonda lodge and Virunga lodge. Each lodge offers its own price depending on the additive amenities. They usually range from ($ 1000 to 2000) per night.
Midrange accommodations.
On your gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes, here are some of the midrange accommodations to consider Five Volcanoes boutique hotel, Sambora lodge, Ingagi park view lodge, Mountain gorilla view lodge and many more. These lodges tend to offer ($ 300 to 700) for a room.
Budget accommodations.
For travellers willing to travel on budget, there are some budget lodges that you will need to book as you are planning your gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda. Some of these lodges include Classic resort, Lebambou lodge and many more.
Factors affecting accommodation costs in Rwanda.
The cost of your lodges in Uganda and Rwanda will vary based on several factors that include
Location of the facility: Lodges and Hotels closer to the gorilla trek trailheads of Volcanoes NP tend to be more expensive compared to those far off.
Lodge Amenities: Gorilla trekking lodges are composed of many high-end amenities such as swimming pools, spas, thus attracting more costs compared to those without. : Expect lodge prices to increase as you move from Budget to Mid range and Luxury facilities in Rwanda.
Season of the year: Depending on the season with in the tourism industry, peak or low of (June-September, December-February) each particularly often brings higher rates due to increased demand by tourists. This is one of the reasons why some people love visiting with in the low seasons since the prices are few.
Transportation.
Selecting the right means of transportation to use from Kigali to Volcanoes national park, will depend on your budget and interests.
Accessing volcanoes national park is completely something filled with ease. The park is approximately a 2.5-hour drive from Rwanda’s capital (Kigali). You can either book with a tour operator in order to ease your transportation levels.
Private 4×4 Safari Vehicles usually cost from $150 – $200 per day.
Other people can resort to joining group tours, since this allows them to minimise on the cost.
Using of public transportation.
There is also still an option of using public transportation from Kigali to the park. You can take a public bus from Kigali to Musanze. Musanze acts as the main gate way to Volcanoes national park. From, Musanze you can get a boda boda or taxi cab to drive you directly to the park.
Additional costs to consider.
There are some of the additional costs to consider for your gorilla trekking safari that may arise apart from the main cost of a gorilla permits. These costs include.
The cost of porters: On your gorilla trekking safari, you will need porters who will help you carry on your luggage. It’s not mandatory to tip porters, but remember as a way of appreciating their work a form of tip is recommended. The other significance of taking a porter is that by doing so, you are contributing to community development since most of these porters are school dropouts or continuing students that need this money to finance their education.
The moment you hire a porter; you have directly benefited the local community. The cost of a gorilla trekking porter is around $ 20 and more. You may contribute additional resources if you feel benevolent and grateful for their efforts.
Tipping fees. Tipping is a form of appreciation in away of acknowledging one’s work. During your gorilla trekking safari, expect to meet a multiple of people such as guides, waiters, rangers and porters doing their work. Tipping is not mandatory, but if you are happy with how these people are working, a certain fee is highly appreciated. You can tip from approximately $ 15 to any amount that you wish.
Personal expenses such as souvenirs: On your gorilla trekking safari, you may need to purchase certain personal expenses of your choice such as souvenirs, alcohol, crafts and many more. It’s advisable to carry some local currency.
Visa fees: Please note that the visa fees are accountable on you personally. A Rwanda visa costs approximately $ 50 to 100.
What is the best time to book a Rwanda gorilla safari.
A Rwanda gorilla safari can be booked at any time of the year, however depending on one’s interests and time, one will be in position to select the best time to do his/ her Rwanda gorilla safari.
Dry season.
This is the most ideal and recommendable time for carrying out a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda. The dry season ranges from (June – August). This is because during these periods there are little or less rains thus easy navigating of the trekking trails.
Wet season.
This is the perfect time for budget travelers and those who hate over crowding in the parks. The wet season ranges from (March to April, sept to Nov). During this period certain lodgings tend to offer some discounts on their lodges thus very fine for budget travelers, adding to that there are few people who tend to visit the park thus giving tourists ample time to enjoy the gorilla trekking experience.
How to Book a Rwanda gorilla safari?
Booking a gorilla safari in Rwanda is completely something filled with simplicity and ease, what you need to do is contacting a trust worthy tour operator. Trust worthy tour operators can be obtained through visiting google and reading through the trip advisor pages. One of the reputable trust worthy operator to use in Rwanda is gorilla expeditions, Active African vacations and many more. You can visit their websites for more information. Book today.