Every year adventure lovers do a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas to be part of some of the world’s safari adventures. Rwanda is among the only three destinations on the planet where one can trek mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas are apes that live in the forested mountains of East and central Africa. They are covered in black fur, vegetarian as their diet comprises of plant vegetation, and live in families headed by a dominant male. These primates are pretty outstanding with over 95% DNA similar to humans.
For a mountain gorilla family to be opened to tourists it undergoes a habituation process that makes it accustomed to human beings’ presence. There are over 10 habituated mountain gorilla families in Rwanda making it one of the best places for gorilla safaris. Below are some of the reasons why a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas is life-changing and a must for nature and adventure tourists.

Mountain gorilla family set up
These incredible primates not only have over 95% DNA similar to humans but also have a family setup similar to humans. Each gorilla family is headed by a dominant male called a silverback that oversees the routine of its family members.
A typical gorilla family has females, young or infant gorillas, and juvenile gorillas that eventually grow to silverbacks, blackbacks, or adult females. Being in the presence of these gorillas makes one feel like they seeing distant family members. It’s a very amazing experience and highly recommended.
Ensure to have a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas to get a chance to experience how great apes live and bond in the wild.
Vegetation
Much as mountain gorillas live in forested mountains, in Rwanda, much of the volcanoes national park is covered with a light bamboo forest. This makes it easy for tourists to easily spot mountain gorillas while on gorilla treks.
The park’s vegetation can easily be navigated also making photography very easy. Wildlife photography is very essential while on safari as you capture memories of a lifetime. For the best mountain gorilla photography, a trek in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park is highly recommended.
Diverse wildlife species
A trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas gives you a chance to see a variety of other wildlife species in park. These range from birds, plant vegetation, reptiles among others. The gorilla park is home to the endangered forest elephants and Buffaloes though rarely seen.
There are also golden monkeys in Volcanoes that can supplement the gorilla tours. Golden monkey treks are very much exciting as well giving you a chance to meet another rare primate species. For an awesome wildlife and primate experience ensure to have a trek with mountain gorillas.
Major park activities start in the morning and here you can track mountain gorillas more than once to have an experience of different families.
Gorilla population
Volcanoes national park has half of the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga massif. The Virunga massif if a range of dormant and extinct volcanic mountains along the Rwandan, Ugandan, and DRC border. It’s in these forested mountains where mountain gorillas live.
With a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas, you are guaranteed of seeing them all thanks to the steadily increasing gorilla population. There are twelve habituated mountain gorilla families in this beautiful park that are open to tourists. Some families have adorable baby gorillas that make the whole gorilla trek experiences remarkable as they play around or stay at the safety of their mother’s hands for comfort.
Every year in the famous Kwiti Izina Ceremony newly born babies are named and officially welcomed by wildlife and primate enthusiast. We hope the gorilla population will keep increasing all thanks to the great conservation efforts that has been put In over the years.
Parks accessibility
Rwanda’s mountain gorilla park is the most and easily accessed of all the gorillas parks. It’s situated just a 3 hours drive from Rwanda’s capital city Kigali. There are also flights operated by Akagera aviation giving a provisos of flying directly to the park.
With this you get enough time not only for treks with Rwanda mountain gorillas but also explore other attractions in the area. There are great and easily accessed facilities like hotels and safari lodges for those who prefer to spend a night or more in the park.
For those with limited time in Rwanda but would still want to be part of the gorilla treks, you can do a 1 day gorilla tour with a 4:30 am pick up from Kigali. All these factors make a trek with Rwanda mountain gorillas an experience anyone must never miss while on a visit to the Rwanda expedition. The country has many other national parks that you can explore for overall primates and savanna wildlife adventures. Akagera National Park is the only savanna national park in Rwanda. Nyungwe National Park is home to chimpanzees and other primate species.
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