Where To See Gorillas in Africa, Best Gorilla Watching Holidays.
Africa’s Top 10 Gorilla Viewing Locations and How to See Them in the Wild
Do gorillas exist in Africa? Yes, is the response! We show you all of the places in Africa where you can view gorillas. Look for fantastic gorilla viewing vacations for you and your family.
Although many people associate gorilla trekking with Rwanda and Uganda, there are several locations where one may hike these endangered mountain gorillas. The ten most well-known locations in Africa for gorilla trekking are listed below.
1. A Real Gorilla Trekking Adventure in Uganda!
Going to Uganda is one of the best ways to observe gorillas in Africa. For the best mountain gorilla trekking experience, you travel to Bwindi Forest National Park. The cost of a gorilla permit is $800 per person for a one-hour hike with mountain gorillas.
The other gorilla tour destination in Uganda is Mgahinga National Park, which is a part of the Trinational Virunga Conservation Area. The habituated gorillas often travel into the Democratic Republic of the Congo.climbing to Mount Sabinyo, the meeting point of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This island of woodland, surrounded by the sea of heavily populated farms, is also a unique opportunity to view mountain gorillas in their kingdom.
Gorilla Safari at Bwindi’s Impenetrable Forest National Park
At a lower elevation, you may see the biodiverse Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the north where the roads wind. There are four gorilla groups here that are used to tourists, and two more are adapted to meet demand. The most realistic trips to see the gorillas in Uganda are provided by Insight Safari Vacations.
The absence of brow hair makes it easy to distinguish Bwindi gorillas from their shaggier Virunga counterparts, who are referred to by some taxonomists as a distinct subspecies of the eastern gorilla.
Along with gorilla trekking, Uganda offers a variety of other activities, such as chimpanzee trekking, white water rafting on the Nile’s source, Rwenzori climbing, and several more safari experiences.
2. Visit Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to see the mountain gorillas
In Rwanda, a gorilla permit costs $1500. The most opulent safari in Africa is gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda is around the size of Wales, has good major roadways, and has a well-developed substructure. Wild Whispers Africa Ltd. provides the greatest gorilla hikes in Rwanda.
It is also well known as Dian Fossey’s work was dramatized in the movie Gorillas in the Mist, which is why tourists choose to hike mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Mountains National Park. The wide environment, highland greenery, and the laid-back gorillas all contribute to the numerous opportunities for a positive gorilla viewing experience.
Berengei berengei mountain gorilla
Every panting and muddy step will be a little easier because of the guides’ professionalism and friendliness, which will help you deal with the stinging nettles, steep hills, and anxiety. The gorillas are only a short distance from the park’s edge during the sunny season, so visitors sometimes wonder why they should be concerned. Booking your gorilla permits in advance is crucial. View gorilla safaris in Rwanda.
3. Gorilla Tours in the Eastern Lowlands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Primates
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to three of the four subspecies of mountain gorillas. In the 1970s, gorilla excursions with habituated groups began.
Gorillas may be seen in the Madiakoko Mountains, Kahuzi Biega National Park, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Eastern lowlands Gorilla
Biega National Park in Kahuzi
The eastern lowland gorillas are found in great numbers at Kahuzi Biega National Park, which offers some of the best gorilla viewing experiences. Although Bakavu is the closest town and has some lovely hotels, you should examine the security circumstances if you plan to enter the DRC from Rwanda.
Virunga National Park: Virunga National Park offers amazing mountain gorilla safaris. Here, gorilla licenses are $400 per, making gorilla trekking vacations in Africa reasonably priced. You may ascend the Mount Nyiragongo volcano in addition to going on a gorilla safari in the Virunga. Gorilla hiking excursions in Uganda.
4. Nigeria’s Cross River National Park Gorillas of the Cross River
In Nigeria, you may explore the Mbe Mountains and Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in addition to Cross River National Park.
Cross River State is home to the gorillas as well, and the government has made significant investments in the state’s tourism infrastructure, including the amazing cable car that ascends to the Obudu Cattle Ranch Hotel.
Although there is very little likelihood of seeing these mountain gorillas, there are more than 200 of them in the entire population, which is dispersed over more than 12,000 km. These include Afi Mountain, the Okwangwo division, and Mbe Mountain in Cross River National Park.
Cross-River Gorilla
The scientists are quite careful in habituating them because of this. The conservation of their environment, the two surviving primate sanctuaries, the restoration projects, the cercopan for the several monkey species found in Calabar, and the pandrillus for tool monkeys and chimpanzees will all benefit from visitors.
5. The Western Lowland Gorillas of Equatorial Guinea
Monte Alen National Park in Central Rio Muni is home to Western Lowland Gorillas, sometimes known as gorilla gorillas. The severely endangered status of ooo gorillas is based on their population of just over 316.
Gorillas in the Western Lowlands
National Park of Monte Alen
The stunning woodland park of Monte Alen National Park is shielded from the commercial categorization by its rugged topography.
There aren’t any wild Lowland gorillas as far as we know. The trained locals have just recently begun leading guided day hikes, and the tourist industry is still very young and poorly organized. Gorillas may now be seen in this park.
6. Gorilla Tours in Gabon
In 2002, Gabon created 13 national parks, the majority of which contain gorilla habitats, as part of a brave attempt to grow its economy.
The Mikongo Conservation Center in Lope National Park’s WLG habituation program came to an end in 2010. The tourists can observe the gorillas when they are observing the animals, even if they are not taken on the gorilla spotting hikes.
Gabon’s Loango National Park Gorillas
Loango National Park
Additionally, Loango National Park provides the unpredictable mix of an Atlantic beach and a rainforest, where hippos may be spotted surfing, gorillas, chimpanzees, and forest elephants can be found, and whales and dolphins can be sighted just off shore.
In addition to having a high gorilla population, Moukalaba Doudon National Park also features an ecotourism initiative that was initiated with assistance from the Gorilla Organization.
7. Western Lowland Gorillas in Angola
Only the Cabinda enclave, which is located in Angola north of the Congo River’s mouth, is home to wild lowland gorillas.
Angola signed the Gorilla Agreement in January 2022, which was a significant step toward consensus on the convergence of gorillas and their environment. In close collaboration with the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), they
8. The Republic of Congo’s Odzala-Kokoua National Park
The adjacent Odzala National Park offers some of the finest chances to see the wild lowland gorillas since the habituated Losi gorillas were killed by Ebola in 2002.
Currently, there are two habituated family groups in this park that visitors may see. When they visit the bias or the open woodland clearing, they may also view them from the hides.
Over 100 gorillas that have been observed by the Wildlife Conservation Society for many years can be seen paddling into the marsh to forage for water plants close to the forest elephants, antelope like the sitatung, and buffalos at the most well-known bai, the Mbeli Bai in the Nouabale Ndoki National Park.
In the Lefini reserve, where visitors may observe the silverback on the wooded island from the boat, the Wild Lowland gorillas are also being reintegrated into the forest.
9. Lowland Gorillas in the Central African Republic
Bai Hokou in Dzanga Ndoki National Park is one of the greatest locations to track mountain gorillas, which are wild lowland gorillas.
Additionally, the WWF initiative has been successful in accustoming the group. Additionally, despite the deep forest and low light levels beneath the canopy, which make photography more difficult, you can anticipate a serene encounter.
10. The Cameroon
The lowland montane and rain forests of Cameroon are home to around eleven different gorilla families. Early in the new millennium, the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary was created to protect the endangered apes. It is estimated that there are around 300 gorillas in the wild.
Top African Destinations Without Gorillas
Gorillas are not found in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, or Tanzania. For the best gorilla adventure trips in Africa, travel to Rwanda and Uganda. In Rwanda and Uganda, the majority of African safari firms combine gorilla trekking with wildlife safaris.
Gorilla trekking and the Masai Mara in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
The Serengeti Gorilla trekking and safari in Tanzania in Rwanda and Uganda.
Rwandan Gorilla & Safari Tours in Botswana
Tanzania Trekking with Gorillas and Safari in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi
Parks Where Gorillas Are Found in Africa.
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda
- Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
- Virunga National Park Congo
- Cross River National Park
- Monte Alen National Park
- Kahuzi Biega National Park
- Mgahinga National Park
- Loango National Park
- Odzala National Park
- Dzanga Ndoki National Park
- Nouabale Ndoki National Park
- Mefou National Park
- Lope National Park
- Campo Maan National Park
- Limbe Wildlife Centre
- Moukalaba Doudou National Park