Rwanda safari is famous for its gorilla trekking opportunities in the Virunga Mountains. This is where Dian Fossey researched and habituated mountain gorillas in the 1960s.

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda is the most unforgettable experience for any Travellers to Africa specifically in Rwanda. Rwanda among the other 2 countries of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the remaining mountain gorillas in the world Rwanda is estimated to have over a quarter of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population, so it’s no surprise that the majority of guests visit Rwanda to track and view highly endangered mountain gorillas.

Gorilla-trekking safaris can be done throughout the year. The hiking itself can be more arduous in the rainy seasons, during April–May and in November, but at an altitude of 2,000m and more, it can of course rain here at any time of the year. For more details, see Rwanda’s Weather. The most popular times for gorilla trekking are during the drier months, between December and February, and from about June to mid-September.

You don’t have to be super-fit for a Rwanda gorilla-trekking safari but it does help if you have a general level of fitness, if only to enhance your overall enjoyment of the experience. Depending on which group you track, and the time of year you go (gorillas tend to move down the mountains in the rains), you might find yourself walking on some pretty steep slopes for several hours. On the other hand, you could reach your group after a 30-minute stroll.

Once you find a gorilla family, the ranger advises you to keep a good distance – however, the gorillas do not always follow this rule! One of the females suddenly came out of the bush and sat no more than five meters from me. I was told to sit still, and she too sat still. She studied me and I studied her. There was no fear, just intense curiosity.

When you meet the gorillas you’ll have the chance to spend between 40 minutes to one hour quietly observing them in their natural habitat.

The gorillas are likely to be just a few meters away from you and they will continue to go about their daily lives – feeding and interacting with each other, under the watchful gaze of the silverback. We promise that this is something you’ll never ever forget!