Are you planning a gorilla trekking trip for a solo traveler? Achieve Global Safaris offers private, tailor-made Uganda and Rwanda gorilla trekking safari tours for solo travelers interested in this great adventure in the wild at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
At Achieve Global Safaris, we understand that gorilla trekking is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we organize these gorilla tours to fit every category of our clients – solo travelers, smaller groups, private trips, and more. With the increasing number of solo travelers seeking affordable gorilla tours in Uganda and Rwanda, we are dedicated to offering all our clients the best gorilla experience in Africa.
Solo trips to the gorillas tend to cost slightly more than group trips because there is no cost sharing, but with our extensive experience organizing gorilla trips, we partner with various safari lodges and hotels that offer reduced rates for solo travelers, available any day, any time. This helps enhance your gorilla experience as a solo traveler at a fair cost.
Gorilla trekking in Africa is done at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable in Uganda, and finally at Virunga and Kahuzi-Béiga National Parks in Congo. For gorilla trekking as a solo traveler in any of these parks, a gorilla tracking permit is required.
This is a legal document issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority for Uganda gorillas and by the Rwanda Development Board for Rwanda gorilla tours, at a cost, to access or enter the park. A Rwanda gorilla trekking permit costs $1,500, and in Uganda, a gorilla permit costs $800.
What to expect as a solo traveler on gorilla trekking?
When it comes to what to expect as a solo traveler on gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda, mountain gorilla trekking is an early-morning activity. All travelers to Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest get out as early as 6 am to converge at the park headquarters, where the gorilla trekking day begins. All travelers receive a short briefing on gorilla trekking etiquette and are grouped into groups of eight members, the maximum allowed, and assigned a particular gorilla family to track. Grouping is based on fitness levels and age, and at times on travelers’ interests, such as whether they prefer longer or shorter treks.
Seeing the mountain gorillas on a trek is 99% guaranteed in both Volcanoes and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks, and for years, we have not had any issues of missing out or failing to see the gorillas on the trek. The gorilla trekking experience allows a maximum of one hour to be with the gorillas, standing in their presence about 7 meters away in their natural habitat, and this is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
However, for those interested in spending more time with the gorillas, they can opt for either doing more than one trek or a gorilla habituation experience. Trekking more than once is possible, but each trek requires its own gorilla permit, so more treks mean more permits.
Gorilla Habituation Experience is another activity that takes place only in Uganda, where one is allowed to stay with the gorillas for four full hours. Gorilla habituation is a good fit for solo travelers looking for a gorilla trekking experience in Uganda because it allows only a group of 4 people per day, unlike gorilla trekking, which allows 8 people.
Uganda gorilla habituation permits are available at $1,500 each, and they require booking since they are limited to four people per day. This can be booked with Achieve Global Safaris as your trusted tour operator for Rwanda and Uganda gorilla safaris.
Is gorilla trekking dangerous?
Gorilla trekking is simultaneously such a magical adventure, in the way it’s organized, monitored, and taken care of as an entire experience across all the gorilla destinations in the region. Quite a number of travelers wonder if gorilla trekking is truly a safe activity in the wild, and this can be answered by the excellent positive reviews and feedback from those who have visited the gorillas before, as seen on our TripAdvisor account.
Gorilla trekking is led by professional guides and rangers to keep the trek safe and well-guided throughout. These guides help keep track of the gorillas in case of any difficulty along the way. Gorilla trekking is not dangerous at all because it’s done only with fully habituated gorilla families, which are comfortable with human presence in their natural habitat.
In addition to keeping the treks fairly fit for everyone, porters are available to give a push and escort the trekkers, and they can assist in carrying packs on the trek, such as water, snacks, or lunch boxes, in case you need to be free on the trek. Porters can be hired at a relatively fair charge of about $15, and walking sticks are always provided at the starting point of the trek for free.
Sedan chairs have also been introduced to assist the elderly and those with other special-interest needs who can’t manage trekking up through the impenetrable forest to see the gorillas. With sedan chairs, one is lifted and carried on a stretcher by four gentlemen to the gorillas and back. The sedan chair offer is available between $300 and $500, and this can be requested and arranged through your tour operator.
Where to stay for gorilla trekking as a solo traveler?
At Achieve Global Safaris, we take time to listen to all our clients’ requests and needs for their African gorilla safari, which helps us understand their needs and offer exactly what is fit for them. As a solo traveler looking for where to stay for your gorilla trekking safari, either in Uganda or Rwanda, contact Achieve Global Safaris, and we will help you secure the best accommodation facility suitable for your stay for the experience.
There are several hotels and safari lodges in the areas of Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Park suitable for all travelers seeking to visit the gorillas.
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