Which is the Safest Place to Trek Gorillas in Africa? Uganda, Rwanda, or DRC Congo – which is the safest Gorilla trekking destination in Africa?
Mountain gorilla trekking can be done in only three locations in the world; Uganda, Rwanda, or DR Congo. In Uganda, you can trek & see mountain gorillas at two(02) locations; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Volcanoes National Park is the only place you can see them in Rwanda, and as for DR Congo, the Virunga National Park is where you can trek to see the Mountain gorillas in DR Congo. Safest Place to Trek Gorillas
Comparing how safe Gorilla Trekking is in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo
- Gorilla Trekking In Uganda
In Uganda, gorillas can be seen at either Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi boasts of being the home to the largest number of habituated mountain gorilla Families currently at 20 habituated mountain Gorilla groups that can be trekked at four different locations; Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, or in the Nkuringo region. Learn more about the Gorilla trekking Regions in Bwindi.
Getting to Bwindi from Entebbe takes 9 -10 hours on the road. However, you can fly from Entebbe to Bwindi on a flight that lasts approximately 1.5 hours. Learn more about Driving Versus Flying – which is the best way to get to Bwindi?
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park unlike Bwindi is a much smaller national Park (size: 33.7sq.km) arguably the smallest of all Ten (10) National Parks in Uganda.
From Entebbe/Kampala, you will drive approximately 9 – 10 hours to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Alternatively, you could opt to fly into Kisoro and then transfer by Road to Mgahinga National Park – a 1-hour drive from Kisoro.
Price of Gorilla Permits in Uganda: For both Bwindi & Mgahinga, permits to trek and spend the most memorable one (01) hour of your life with a fully habituated mountain gorilla family in Uganda currently is at $800 per person. Learn How to Buy a Gorilla Permit in Uganda.
Gorilla Habituation is a unique mountain gorilla experience that only happens in Uganda. With gorilla habituation, you get to spend 4-hours (instead of just 01-hour) with a group of gorillas still undergoing habituation (the process of getting them used to human visits). A gorilla Habituation permit costs $1,500 per person, and only 04 permits are available for purchase on a daily. Learn more about Gorilla Habituation in Uganda
The plus side of choosing Uganda as the Safest Place to trek gorillas in Africa:
- Cheap gorilla Permits – $800 per person.
- Accommodation in Uganda is in three Categories; budget, midrange, and luxury
- Has more to see & do. Other than just gorillas, you could consider visiting up to 9 other Safari parks in Uganda. Learn more about things to see & do in Uganda
- Other than the 1-hour gorilla trek you can opt to do gorilla habituation or even both. Compare Gorilla trekking to Gorilla Habituation
- Uganda has Golden Monkeys – an activity you add to your Gorilla trek.
- Uganda offers a remarkable Cultural immersion opportunity with the old men of the Forest called the Batwa Pygmies who previously lived in the Gorilla Forests.
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Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda.
Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda can be found in Volcanoes National Park which is located in northwestern Rwanda approximately 106km from the capital Kigali. To get to Volcanoes National Park from Kigali, you will drive for approximately 2.5 hours – on a paved road.
Price of Gorilla Permits In Rwanda: These cost $1,500 per person intending to go on a gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park.
Standard of Accommodation: Rwanda has attracted high-end brands like Singita, and wilderness safaris among others who have invested “big money” in tourism across the country. This has seen properties like Bisate Lodge, Kwitonda, and many others join the Chain of high-end lodges in Rwanda. For travellers that don’t mind lavishing on holiday, Rwanda is most definitely your best pick for a luxury Gorilla trekking Safari.
See: The Most Luxurious Lodges in Rwanda
The plus side of choosing Rwanda as the Safest Place to trek gorillas in Africa:
- Readily accessible – only 2.5 hours drive – on a paved road to get to Volcanoes NP
- Rwanda has a range of luxury lodges.
- Rwanda is where Dian Fossey spent most of her time researching Mountain Gorillas.
- In Rwanda, you could opt to also do Golden Monkey tracking.
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Gorilla Trekking in DR Congo
Gorilla trekking in DR Congo is done in the Virunga National Park. This park was gazetted in 1925 and is arguably the first protected area in Africa. In 1979, the National Park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its rich diversity of habitats, exceptional biodiversity and endemism, and its protection of rare mountain gorilla habitats.
Gorilla Permits in DR Congo cost $400 per person – they are considered the cheapest gorilla Permits in Africa.
Getting to Virunga National Park: Travelers will fly into Rwanda via Kigali International Airport, drive to Gisenyi in Rwanda, and cross to Goma in DR Congo. You will then drive for approximately 45 minutes to get to Virunga National Park – This entire trip from Kigali to Virunga National Park lasts about 3 – 4 hours.
Travelers Digest: Despite the remarkably cheap price of gorilla permits ($400pp), the Virunga National Park remains listed on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger since 1994 because of political/civil unrest. There have been several deadly attacks in the park by rebel groups, and several park rangers have been killed.
- Learn More about Why Congo is considered not safe for Gorilla Trekking.
