An Unforgettable Journey: My Gorilla Trekking Experience in Rwanda

In November 2022, I got the amazing opportunity to visit Rwanda with 5 other travel agents for 10 days and got to experience the delicious food, culture, vibe, and connect with the community on several different tours that my partner arranged for us. One of my favorite experiences, which shocked me because I am not the typical outdoorsy/hiking kind, was gorilla trekking. Here's how it went:

The Journey Begins

Our adventure started in the early hours of the morning as we set out from my lodge near Volcanoes National Park, the heart of Rwanda’s gorilla conservation efforts. My group met with the guides at the park for a quick 10-minute briefing. The guides explained the rules to us, which included maintaining a safe distance, avoid sudden movements, and never make direct eye contact with the gorillas for too long. After our meeting, we met with our porters, who would be helping us during our trek, and we were on our way.

After about a hour-long trek, our guides led us to the area where we would visit with the family of gorillas for an hour. The family we would be hanging out with would be the Kwisanga family, and I honestly enjoyed watching them chill, tussle, breastfeed, dig in their noses, and just vibe. A few times the babies would try to get closer to us, and the guides would have us move back to make sure nothing happened. Towards the end of the hour they started drifting away from the area (I believe we were boring them) and taking sietsas. And just like that, our hour was up.

Planning Your Own Trekking Adventure

If you are interested in booking your own trekking experience, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Book your permit in advance. There are a limited number of permits they offer per day, so this will require planning ahead

• Hire a porter for your trek. They help hold your equipment and navigate the muddy terrain. It's $10 and they are the best. Here's me and my porter and she stopped me from bussing my head on the trek at least 3 times (it's slippery/muddier than you think). I also brought water for me and my porter so we stayed hydrated. Also be prepared to tip your porter afterwards.

• Respect your guides and the family of gorillas you are visiting. This is not the moment to not listen to your guides or try to touch the gorillas to get a viral moment. Don't be that person.

• Buy gaitors ahead of time or rent some at the park. They prevent critters and mud from getting into your shoes

• They have different levels of trekking as options. You can do an easier one if you have limited mobility and if you are feeling athletic they have more advanced trek options. They also have stretchers with talented/strong porters that are fassssst and will get you up there to see the gorillas and safely back.

Visiting with the Kwisanga was one of my most surreal travel experiences. I recommend this experience to all of my clients and believe it's one that will always stick with you. Have you experienced gorilla trekking before or is it on your travel bucketlist? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear your thoughts! And if you are ready to plan your gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda, click below to get started.

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