Gorilla Trekking: What it is and What to Expect

March 5, 2024

Gorilla Trekking: What it is and What to expect

Gorilla Trekking: What it is and What to Expect: Gorilla trekking, simply put, is a journey through the jungle to see, view, or watch Gorillas – doesn’t matter what you call it. You can either trek mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Other mountain gorillas are in Congo’s Virunga National Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Alternatively, you can trek Eastern Lowland gorillas in DR Coingo’s Kahuzi Biega National Park. Whether it is mountain or lowland Gorillas and whatever the country is, the Gorilla trekking experience involves trekking through the jungle!

What we all generally agree is that it’s an incredible experience. However, this is not a mere walk in the park so you need to prepare for the trek. Some treks last a few minutes while others could go on all day so you should be up for it. However, some groups are known not to be near from time to time considering the park rangers visit and monitor the Gorillas every day.

So, those with fitness challenges especially the elderly visit such Gorilla families with the help of your guide. Porters are also readily available to help you carry your day pack. They also assist you along those challenging paths, so hiring at least one for the day is advisable!

The Gorilla Trekking Experience

Below is how the gorilla trekking day goes;

Early in the morning at about 5 am, you wake up early for breakfast. Then, you head to the park headquarters with your packed lunch. The rangers will then brief you about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. Then, follow a park as you trek through the jungle in search of the gorillas. The trek may take 2.5 hours to about 8 hours. The time you take to see them depends on their movement in search of food and where they spent the night the day before.

When you find these amazing apes, the rangers will allow you 1 hour of stay with them. This will allow you to monitor their behavior while eating, nesting, feeding, and other things they do. You will be able to take as many photographs as you want during that 1 hour. This is as long as you don’t use a flash camera or break other rules of gorilla trekking. After spending 1 hour with the gorillas, you trek back to the park headquarters for your next activity.

The Gorilla Habituation Experience

The gorilla habituation experience follows almost the same steps as gorilla trekking but with slight differences. When you wake up, you have breakfast and head to the park headquarters for a briefing. Then, you follow a group of researchers who guide you through the activity. They go to the jungle in search of gorillas unfamiliar with human presence. When you find the gorillas, you spend 4 hours in their presence. This aims at making the gorillas familiar to people. You take as many photos as possible as long as you follow the guidelines of the activity.

Packing List For a Gorilla Trekking Safari / Tour

To get you up to speed with your preparation, I have put together an essential packing list for your Gorilla trekking experience.

Walking boots or shoes (boots are better because they have better grip and support your ankles on hilly terrain)
Breathable waterproof jacket and trousers. The ground and vegetation are generally wet even if it doesn’t rain. Wearing waterproof trousers means you can kneel to get gorilla photos or slide down slippery slopes.
Long-sleeved shirt (to protect yourself from tree branches, the sun and insects)
Gaiters (or long socks) to tuck long trousers into (to correct legs from scratches and keep insects out)
A fleece or light wool sweater
Sunglasses, sunscreen, and sunhat
Gloves to grip the vegetation (gardening gloves are perfect!)
Camera equipment