When to Visit Volcanoes: (Best Time to Visit Rwanda for Gorillas)

When to Visit Volcanoes: (Best Time to Visit Rwanda for Gorillas) is a guide on when to trek Gorillas in Rwanda. When to Visit Volcanoes: (Best Time to Visit Rwanda for Gorillas) is during the dry season in the months of December to March and June to September.

Although it is argued that gorillas can be trekked all year round, some months are better than others. Heavy rains throughout the year make the trails muddy and slippery which makes trekking tiresome in either of the parks.

When is the Best time to visit the park?

A Paradise for any traveler interested in having luxurious adventures and unique moments, Rwanda draws in tourists like a magnet. Over the years, the question of when is the best time to visit the mountain gorillas has thus become so paramount. Every visitor wants to have a trip of a lifetime and whether it’s during the low season or high season. 

Visiting Volcanoes National Park can be done all year round. However, the best time to travel is usually during the drier seasons between December to March and June to September. This is when trekking is more enjoyable with dry trails through the tropical rainforest which makes movement easy. However, you can expect high costs for accommodation and more people at the park. As a result, viewing mountain gorillas during the dry season is usually very competitive since it’s the best time to view nature in all its splendor. Nevertheless, you will always find great deals available to take advantage of.

The low season receives fewer tourists and oftentimes runs between the months March- May and July to September. These are usually wet and characterized with high chances of rainfall. On the lighter side, the low season prides in having little to no competition for viewing the gorillas. It is not only recommended for visitors traveling on budget, but also those that are in search of rewarding up close gorilla experience.

How much time can one spend with the gorillas? 

When to Visit Volcanoes: (Best Time to Visit Rwanda for Gorillas)Visitors are allowed one hour of ultimate experience with the gorillas at either park. This is usually after finding a gorilla group of interest where visitors can observe the gentle apes, take lifetime photographs, learn about their behavior and head back to the park after this.

How long is the trekking?

Gorilla treks are different and unique. Whereas some can last from 30 minutes, others can go on to four hours or more depending on the movement of the mountain gorilla group one is tracking. Whether short or long trekking the parks offer a remarkable gorilla adventure.

Required age for trekking

Visitors must be 15 years and above for them to be allowed to go gorilla trekking. This restriction is the same at all parks and it is meant to prevent the spread of diseases especially chicken pox and mumps from gorillas to humans and vice versa.

Visitor Safety and precaution briefs

Visitors at either park are first briefed before they embark on the quest to trek gorillas. The activity is mandatory for every visitor who plans to trek gorillas be it in Bwindi, Mgahinga or Volcanoes National Park. Briefing is done in the morning hours between 6am to 7am. It is often a caution-guided session given to visitors in preparation of how to behave themselves along the trekking trails and in the midst of the gorillas.

How many people can track gorillas?

Whether at Volcanoes, Bwindi or Mgahinga, only a maximum of eight trackers are allowed to trek a gorilla group in a day. This number is restricted to only visitors who are free to have around one-to-two porters each to help a guest around with carrying the luggage and whatever one would need during trekking.

Distance between the visitor and gorillas

Visitors to Volcanoes, Bwindi or Mgahinga are advised to always stay 7 meters away from the gorillas while in the midst of the mountain gorillas. This caution is to protect mountain gorillas from catching human diseases.

Gorilla trekking safety measures

Gorilla trekking at the parks is governed by a number of rules which all visitors ought to abide by. These are usually divided in three sections; before trekking, during trekking and after trekking. The rules in both countries come along with high penalties in case a guest violates them, thus compliance is always encouraged.

Number of times a gorilla group can be trekked

Whether one is trekking at Volcanes or Bwindi or Mgahinga, he or she can trek a particular gorilla group once a day. This is often one set of visitors per gorilla family daily. This minimizes behavior changes of the mountain gorillas as well as ensures that other habituated mountain gorilla groups are visited.