Gorilla Trekking Requirements & Rules

• Reporting times at Visitor Information/registration Centres at Park entry for Golden Monkeys is 07h00 in the morning.
• Foreign Residents in Rwanda and East African countries need to have a minimum of four consecutive months’ residency status/work permit in their passport or diplomatic card to qualify for the Rwandan/East African Foreign resident status.
• A Diplomat who has a Residence visa can be allowed to use the applicable resident rates for his spouse and legally accepted children even if the spouse and legally accepted children do not have the resident visas (reside outside of Rwanda).
• Reporting East African residents need to provide EAC ID Cards or Passports.
• A Tourist with one Rwandan parent and a tourist with a Rwandan spouse will be considered as Rwandan as long as Immigration and Emigration Director General confirms it.

Age Restrictions

The minimum age for Golden Monkeys tracking is 12 years where a maximum of sixteen (16) people are permitted per golden monkey.

 Processing time

A Tourist Permit will be automatically generated by this system upon completion of the application process.

 Application Process

The Application process is as simple as picking an available slot in the product of your choice, filling mandatory forms, uploading requisite support documents and paying the applicable fees. Applications are made with full details of the client (names and passport email and phone number) at the time of payment. Bookings and Reservations are done on a first come first served basis. Rwandan nationals are expected to pay full amount at the time of booking. 

What to wear during trekking

Mulling over what to put on for a gorilla trekking adventure may be quite a challenge. But when you follow these guidelines, you are going to discover that this can be an exciting and memorable trip.

First, you should try getting yourself the right gorilla trekking gears. They include quality hiking or walking boots and warm layers of attires with long sleeves for wet weather and cold evenings.

Packing List for gorilla trekking

• Gorilla Permit and Passport:
• Hiking Boots
• Raincoat and sweater
• Insect Repellents:
• Snacks, packed lunch and drinking water
• Camera with a great focus, strong battery and memory

. Long safari style trousers

No matter where you go gorilla trekking, the vegetation will be thick, lush, high and filled with plants, bushes and tree branches. Wearing long trousers is critical to ensure you do not return covered in bruises, scratches and rashes from reactions to plants like nettles which are particularly nasty in Rwanda.

You should always wear clothes in colors which abound in the wild to camouflage and minimise the impact on wildlife. It is therefore recommended that you wear shades of green or brown. White trousers would be a real mistake as they will return black from the mud.

Other things to consider when choosing the right trousers for gorilla trekking:

Your gorilla trekking trousers should be easy to tuck into socks and give you the ability to trek up and down mountains and have freedom of movement so it is best to avoid really tight clothes.

Pockets are useful but it is likely you will have a backpack and enlist the help of a porter to help you carry your stuff.

.What you should consider when picking your gorilla trekking shirt

 Again, your top should ideally be of the same safari type of colours, khaki, green or brown, but it can probably be any other colour if you are going to wear a rain jacket on top, which you should always bring on gorilla trekking. Long sleeves to protect you from the plants and bushes.

Ideally, one of those t-shirts that have a thumb hole will also protect the back of your hands

 The full gorilla trekking outfit with waterproof jacket and garden gloves

This is probably the most essential of the gorilla trekking gear items to bring. Why? Because the tropical areas mountain gorillas inhabit are lush and green for a reason and rains can occur anytime, even in the dry season. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of the jungle and for it start pouring down without sufficient covering.

 Things to consider when choosing a waterproof jacket for gorilla trekking:

Make sure that your waterproof jacket is light, especially if you are going to see the gorillas in the drier summer months when it can get pretty warm..

It should also be breathable and not trap your body heat inside or you will be wearing a lot as you exert yourself walking around the mountains.

Opt for safari colours. Khaki, green, brown and avoid bright neon colours that cannot be found easily in the wild.

Hair bandana or hat

If you have long hair, an easy way to ensure your hair doesn’t get stuck in the branches or end up filled with stuff falling from trees is to wear a hat or bandana. I found bandanas to be quite useful because they are light and you can pull them down as soon as you get out of the park if it is hot.