Gorilla Trekking Rwanda Vs Uganda Vs Congo, Comparing Best Gorilla Safaris in Africa.
Comparing Gorilla Safari in Africa with Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Trekking Experience, Cost, Length, Difficulty, and Additional Activities
One of the most amazing and memorable experiences for trekkers is to see mountain gorillas up close in the forest, but before you go for your mountain gorilla trekking location, you should plan where you’re going, when you’re going, and what you’ll need.
Only Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are home to mountain gorillas.Thus, people can hike in four national parks located in these three countries: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda), Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic Congo), and Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda). When deciding whether to trek gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it’s critical to have adequate information.
As a result, the majority of tourists frequently wonder which country is superior. The comparison below provides the solution.
Trekking with Gorillas in Uganda
Gorillas in Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mount Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are the primary locations for gorilla trekking in Uganda. Along with the other two parks, Volcanoes and Virunga National Parks, Mgahinga is a portion of the Virunga Massif; however, it only has one habituated gorilla family, while the other groups are habituated in Bwindi Forest.
Approximately 400 mountain gorillas, or half of the world’s surviving population, live in Uganda. There are 17 gorilla groups to hike, with two in Mgahinga National Park and 15 in Bwindi.
At just $800 per day, a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is far less expensive than one in Rwanda. In light of this contrast, visitors’ decisions about where to trek gorillas are typically influenced by the cost of the gorilla permit, leading them to ultimately choose Uganda as their destination. But compared to Rwanda, Uganda is farther away and more difficult to get gorillas.
In contrast to the one-hour gorilla trekking experience, tourists may also enjoy Gorilla Habituation, which entails spending almost four hours with the gorillas. Compared to spending $1500 in Rwanda for an hour of gorilla viewing, the habituation permit costs $1500 per person per day, which is better. Unlike Rwanda’s four national parks, there are nine more to explore in addition to seeing the gorillas!
Along with your gorilla excursion, you may visit Kibale National Park, which is home to the greatest number of chimpanzees in Africa; you can also go to the Murchison Falls; walk Rwenzori and Mountain Elgon; raft the Nile; see the cultural exhibits of 52 tribes; and much more.
The trip is lengthy and exhausting because Bwindi Forest National Park is distant from Entebbe International Airport, particularly if you are not stopping at any of the other National Parks. Entebbe or Kampala to Bwindi is a 9–10 hour trip; if you don’t like lengthy drives, you may take a scheduled aircraft to the park. However, it is considerably easier for those who wish to experience gorilla trekking in Uganda to fly into Kigali and drive four hours to Bwindi.
Rwandan Gorilla Trekking
Gorillas in Rwanda
The Volcanoes National Park, home to Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, is located 113.1 kilometers from Kigali International Airport and takes around two hours and thirty minutes to get to. The park is located near the borders with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the country’s northwest.
Rwanda is the simplest option for gorilla safari travelers, especially those who wish to spend one night and have fewer activities to do while on safari, because of the short travel time and distance to the gorillas’ home, which gives Rwanda the biggest advantage over the other two countries.
About 150 habituated gorillas, split into ten groups, and several wild gorillas may be seen at Volcanoes National Park. Additionally, 96 permits for gorilla trekking are granted to tourists each day.
The oldest gorilla populations may be found in Rwanda, where Dian Fossey’s work in primatology and conservation was carried out when she was compelled to flee the civil conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and cross the country’s border.
The price of a gorilla permit in Rwanda was raised from $750 to $1500 in 2017, which doubled Uganda’s price per permit and nearly tripled DR Congo’s. Rwanda is the greatest choice if you have limited time for your African safari, even if the fee per permit is the highest.
Given Rwanda’s reputation for attracting high-end tourists, the country is home to several upscale resorts that promise to boost locals’ incomes in the area surrounding Volcanoes National Park, which is home to the powerful gorillas. As a result, going on a gorilla safari in Volcanoes is one of the priciest safari experiences.
In addition to the $1500 gorilla permit, gorilla lodges are also pricey and offer fewer options; for instance, two people staying for two nights at Bisate Lodge may spend about $10,000 in a short amount of time.Although the costs are greater, the experiences are more memorable and the standards are higher.
Trekking with Gorillas in the DRC, Congo, and Virunga
Despite all the difficulties brought on by the political turmoil in Goma, trekking gorillas in Virunga National Park is less expensive than in Uganda or Rwanda; a Congo gorilla trekking permit for Westerners costs $400, while for Congolese, it only $150. The park has the most biodiversity and is the oldest in Africa.
With several striking features, including the active volcanoes Nyiragongo, which can be ascended in a single day, and Nyamuragira Volcano, which last erupted in 2011, the park continues to be one of Africa’s most distinctive travel destinations.
Despite all of the instability, conflict, and conservation challenges, the team and park rangers’ dedicated and outstanding work has increased the number of mountain gorillas from 75 to over 300 throughout the years.
The number of habituated families in the Virunga varies as new families are recruited, and even a group of gorillas may relocate from Rwanda. The south-eastern part of the park, which borders Rwanda and Uganda, is home to all mountain gorillas.
Since the park’s reopening in 2014 following a protracted closure, the number of visitors has also climbed. In addition to trekking gorillas, you may visit a habituated colony of chimpanzees in Virunga National Park.
When deciding where to go mountain gorilla trekking, a lot of things come into play. The cost of a gorilla permit does not fully capture the experience. We need thus consider additional aspects, such as the airport to travel to, the starting point for gorilla trekking, the number of habituated gorilla families, lodging alternatives, weather conditions, safety, and other activities, given the comparison is between Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Lowest Priced Safari
The ideal place to go if all you want is the most affordable gorilla safari is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a flight to Kigali and a three-hour drive to Goma, accessing the Virunga is also reasonably priced and simple. But there are several safety issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
After hiking, you may climb Mount Nyiragongo or observe the habituated chimpanzees to conclude your journey in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Second Reasonably Priced Choice
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is the second most economical choice; a gorilla permit still costs $700 per person. Depending on where you want to hike from, there are reasonably priced lodging alternatives ranging from opulent resorts to low-cost establishments.
If one does not choose to do the nine-hour trip from Entebbe to Bwindi National Park, they can still use domestic flights to get there. Uganda is extremely popular during the peak season ever since Rwanda raised the price of gorilla permits. Therefore, in order to prevent any hassles, you must make your reservation in advance.
Following a gorilla trek, Bwindi National Park offers additional sightseeing opportunities, such as game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park (the most visited park) and the opportunity to see its climbing lions, Pygmy visits that include traditional dances and the opportunity to meet the local medicine man, and a visit to Lake Bunyonyi, particularly for those from Mgahinga.
The Exotic Vacationer
Are you looking for more exclusive and exclusive encounters as a premium traveler? Rwanda responds to you effectively. The resorts in the Volcanoes National Park region are opulent, situated in breathtaking locales, and have well-known brands in the luxury tourist industry.
The Low-Cost Traveler
In addition to the fact that a gorilla ticket in Uganda costs $600, Rwanda only has four national parks, while Uganda has ten. Therefore, Uganda offers a lot to see and do.
Rwanda is the most well-organized and secure area to undertake gorilla trekking, even if its gorilla permits are more costly than those in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ($1,500 each).
Following the trip, you may enjoy other experiences like visiting Dian Fossey’s grave, touring the local towns, climbing nearby volcanoes, touring Lake Kivu, visiting the Dian Fossey Gorilla Museum, and observing golden monkeys.