Mountain gorilla trekking has become one of the world’s best wildlife experiences. It’s an adventure activity that allows you to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. This involves guided and responsible hiking deep into the tropical mountainous jungles.
There are only four national parks where mountain gorillas live. These are Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, a UNESCO world heritage and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park DR Congo.
The early fate of these parks, poorly monitored in the 1970’s, gorillas were in danger of extinction. Habitats were encroached on while poachers slaughtered gorillas. Finally, as Dian Fossey pioneered their conservation, gorilla tourism led to increased protection of the habitats. The gorilla population which was at 400 at the time has steadily been increasing. Today, there are over 100 mountain gorillas.
Therefore, with the increasing interest to conserve them, the price of gorilla trekking increased in Rwanda and Uganda. This could bad news for anyone traveling on budget to see gorillas. Good news is that there’s another way to see mountain gorillas on budget with the following in mind.
Firstly, gorilla trekking is used as a tool to raise funds for conservation. Secondary there’s need to make sure fewer people are visiting the gorillas which minimizes human disturbances. As covid-19 is still with us, visitors shall wear masks as required per the gorilla rules.
How much does it cost to see gorillas?
For a budget gorilla trekking trip, the biggest cost is booking a gorilla permit. And of course accommodation, transportation and what other wildlife parks you want visit. For instance, Uganda gorilla permit is $700 per person, $1500 in Rwanda and $400 in DR Congo. You need to book in advance and after booking, the permit allows you to spend 1 hour with the gorillas.
As you can see, Uganda and DR Congo offer the best gorilla trekking option for budget travelers. More importantly, Uganda offers a golden chance to be with a family of gorillas for more than one hour during the gorilla habituation experience which is more costly, at 1500$ per permit for foreign non-residents.
Where to stay?
When it comes to accommodation, Uganda is highly recommended for budget travel. Because there are several budget and mid-range lodging options around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. But, Bwindi has a lot of inexpensive accommodation options close to the gorilla centers than in Mgahinga. Because Bwindi has four gorilla tracking centers namely; Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo each with an array of accommodation options.
In D.R. Congo there are mostly luxury lodges inside Virunga National Park. However, you can decide to stay in Goma town where there are budget friendly lodges. Goma town is about 25 km away from the park, so the expense on transport would not be high.
The range of budget friendly accommodations is what makes Uganda and DR Congo the best for budget gorilla trekking.
Transportation and how to get there.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are located 250 km away from Uganda’s international airport – Entebbe. Getting there takes about 7 to 9-hour drive and is accessible by public transport. However, Bwindi is easily accessible from Kigali Rwanda is about 3-hour drive which reduces time to travel. This means that the minimum number of days to see gorillas is 4-day gorilla tour which could be less when coming from Rwanda.
On the other hand, Rwanda’s volcanoes National Park is just 3-hour drive from Kigali city. This makes it possible for 1 day Rwanda gorilla tour which can’t be done in Uganda or DR Congo.
The journey to Congo’s Virunga National Park starts in Kigali, Rwanda. The Rwanda – DR Congo border usually opens early morning and closes in the evening. They don’t allow night border crossings at least it has to be scheduled. So, you have to travel to Goma city which is about 3- 4-hour drive from Kigali. Goma is 1-hour drive to Virunga National Park which means that you can go to the park to see gorillas or hike Mt. Nyiragongo and return to Goma.
Note that you will not track gorillas in Virunga National park the same day of crossing the border from Rwanda.
Considering to book with a tour operator will actually help you to make your gorilla trekking affordable.
