In Virunga National Park, gorilla trekking tours cost USD 400 per person per trip during the peak season of December to March and June to October. During the low season, gorilla trekking permits in Virunga National Park cost USD 200 from October to December. In Kahuzi-Biega National Park, gorilla trekking tours cost USD 400 for foreign non-residents, USD 200 for East African citizens, and USD 20 for the citizens.
Reservations for a gorilla permit can be made at the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) through a registered and trusted tour company. The ICCN is the governmental body that manages the country’s national parks. Travelers can make reservations through us as we specialize in Congo tours and travels to give our clients a seamless tour package that includes transportation, accommodation, meals, and tour activities among others.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the only country in the world where a tourist can track both lowland and mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. In Congo, the endangered mountain gorillas are found in the Virunga National Park, located in the eastern part of the country. Meanwhile, the lowland gorillas can be tracked in Kahuzi-Biega National Park also found in the eastern part of the country.
About Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park spanning approximately 7,769 square kilometers at an altitude of about 680-16,762 meters above sea level in the Albertine Rift region. Virunga comprises a variety of habitats, ranging from swamps, savannahs, and snowfields among others. The vegetation includes open savannah grasslands, lowland closed and humid montane forests, lava plains, swamps, and unique afro-alpine vegetation. These provide habitat to the endangered mountain gorillas with the site having around 350 individuals and at least 8 habituated gorilla families.
Other mammals at Virunga National Park include at least 217 species including forest elephants, golden monkeys, chimpanzees, and hippos among others. There are at least 700 bird species including the Angolan swallow, Rwenzori batis, alpine swift, African olive pigeon, tropical boubou, and papyrus yellow warbler among others.
About Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Kahuzi-Biega spans around 6,000 square kilometers and unlike Virunga National Park, it is situated in lowland rainforests. Kahuzi-Biega is located in the west of Bukavu town in southern Kivu province. It derives its name from Mount Kahuzi at 3,308 meters above sea level and Mount Biega at 2,790 meters above sea level. The park’s lush vegetation is comprised of montane forests, wet equatorial rainforests, bamboo forests, and Congolian lowland forests among others. These forests are typically continuous, flowing from higher elevations to the lowland regions. The vegetation includes swamp forest, peat, bog, marshland, and riparian forest among others.
Kahuzi-Biega is rich in a variety of wildlife species comprising 136 mammal species and 349 species of birds. Besides the Eastern lowland gorillas, there are elephants, chimpanzees, leopards, hippos, buffalo, olive baboons, and others. The bird species include the Albertine owlet, Congo peafowl, African greenbill, and others. Regarding the lowland gorillas, Kahuzi-Biega has around 250 individual lowland gorillas and 9 gorilla families. Visitors can engage in a guided trekking adventure for any of the 3 habituated gorilla families at Kahuzi-Biega.
Besides gorilla trekking tours, Kahuzi-Biega National Park offers a variety of tourism activities for their visitors. These include chimpanzee habituation experiences, camping tours, cultural encounters with the Bashi tribe, birdwatching excursions, mountain hiking adventures, and forest walks among others. Additionally, the park can accept more visitors compared to other gorilla national parks since gorilla permits are readily available throughout the year.
Unlike other destinations where gorilla trekking safaris are also conducted, Kahuzi-Biega can accept relatively bigger numbers of trekkers, and gorilla permits are more readily available.
Gorilla trekking experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Gorilla trekking adventures usually begin at around 7 am with a briefing session at the park headquarters. These are conducted by the park warden who edify the visitors to adhere to the trekking rules, to ensure their safety and that of the wildlife.
A visitor is put in a group of other hikers and each group is assigned a gorilla family to locate. This depends on their fitness level and ability to keep up with the group. They are led into the dense forest to locate the gorilla family. While hiking, there are chances to observe wildlife species such as elephants, chimpanzees, and golden monkeys among others.
The hiking adventure can take anywhere from 3-6 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas. The hikers will encounter the gorilla family where they will be allowed only an hour in their presence. The hikers can take photos or videos of the gorillas while they observe their behavior including feeding and grooming among others.
The age limit for gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The minimum age requirement for gorilla trekking in either Virunga or Kahuzi-Biega National Parks is 15 years. This is also dependent on the person’s physical fitness and health condition. Anyone with a disease that can be transmitted to the gorillas is not allowed to go for the gorilla trekking adventure. They should consult with the park rangers for either postponement of the tour or cancelation.
The best time for gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Gorilla trekking tours in either Virunga National Park or Kahuzi-Biega National Park can be done all year round because gorilla permits are available at any time you need them. However, the dry months are the best to go for a gorilla trekking tour in any of these 2 destinations. During this time of the year, rainfall is not as significant as in the wet season, so the trails are drier and less slippery. Additionally, the skies are clearer compared to the wet season hence increasing the chances of spotting wildlife in the forests. This is also complimented by the less dense vegetation cover during the dry season. The dry season in both destinations typically occurs from June to September and December to February. For those who prefer traveling in the low season, you can go for the gorilla trekking tours during the rainy season and enjoy the discounted prices and fewer trekkers. This also has the advantage of ensuring that you get a more intimate encounter with the gorillas and have the best opportunity for birdwatching safaris.
Packing list for gorilla trekking experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Rain jacket
- Strong hiking shoes with good grip
- Lightweight long-sleeved shirt/blouse
- Wide-brimmed hat/cap
- Sun cream
- Insect repellent
- Backpack
- Basic first-aid kit
- Medication
- Gloves and scarf
- Refillable water bottle
- Trekking poles
- Lunch box and snacks
