Best Time for Mountain Gorilla Trekking

Best Time for Mountain Gorilla Trekking: Mountain gorilla trekking is an adventurous activity where people explore the mountainous forest in search of the rare and endangered mountain gorillas that live in the high altitudes of these forest. This is a very exciting, challenging, and unmatchable experience that will enrich you in all ways.

Mountain gorilla trekking in the world is only done in East Africa in Uganda and Rwanda and Central Africa in the Democratic republic of Congo. These three countries are the only countries known to have mountain gorillas in natural habitats; furthermore these three countries have had some if not all the mountain gorillas in these habitats habituated for purposes of mountain gorilla trekking.

Mountain gorilla trekking though mainly a tourism activity it’s also an activity that allows the different governments of these three countries to conserve the endangered and highly at risk mountain gorillas.

Mountain gorilla trekking is done all through the year in all these countries and each of these three countries receives over thousand people visiting the endangered mountain gorillas in their habitats.

In Uganda Mountain gorilla trekking is done in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Bwindi National Park has the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world and trekkers that visit Bwindi National Park are assured of sighting Mountain gorillas at all costs. Mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Bwindi National Park take between 6 to 8 hours well as mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Mgahinga National Park between 4 to 6 hours. These mountain gorilla trekking experiences are managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority and each mountain gorilla trekking experience costs 700 USD per person per a trekking permit.

The best time to go mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park is any time of the year though the dry months are preferred. The dry months in Uganda are June, July, August, September and December, January, February.

Dry months are preferred because, during these months the forests trails are drier and less slippery, making it easy to trek up the mountainous forest. However these months are also the most crowded months and during these months Gorillas tend to go to much higher altitudes as they want to cool off.

In Rwanda Mountain gorilla trekking is done in Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park forest trails are easier to trek that the Ugandan trails of Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park; so mountain trekking experiences in Volcanoes National Park take between 4 to 6 hours. Mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Volcanoes National Park are managed by Rwanda Development Board together with the Park management. Mountain gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost 1500 USD per person per a trekking permit.

The best time to go mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park like in Uganda is any time of the year though the dry months are preferred. The dry months in Rwanda are June, July, August, September and December, January, February. For the same reasons as in Uganda the forest trails are drier and easier to trek. However for Rwanda because the forest trails are not as steep as the ones in Uganda so even in the rainy seasons, they are pretty much easy to trek.

In the Democratic republic of Congo mountain gorilla trekking is done in Virunga National park. The mountain gorilla trekking experience in Virunga National Park takes between 4 to 6 hours and all trekking activities in the park are managed by Virunga National Park management. Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga National park is not as smooth as the one in Rwanda but yet is not as rough as the one in Uganda; this means it takes average. Mountain gorilla trekking permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo cost 400 USD per person per a permit.

The best time to go mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park like in Uganda and Rwanda is any time of the year though the dry months are preferred. The dry months in the Democratic Republic of Congo are June, July, August, September and December, January, February. This is for the same reason the forest trails are drier and easy to trek.

So as stated in all the three countries the best time for mountain gorilla trekking is during the dry seasons because of the drier forest trails that make it easy to trek up the forest and the rain not raining on you during your trekking experience. The downside though of the dry season is this is when everyone is trekking so the parks are crowded, also because it’s hot the mountain gorillas tend to go to higher altitudes for cooler conditions so that means you trek a little longer during the dry season.

During the wet months thus October, November, April and May, the forest trails are soggy and slippery that’s making the trekking experience quite cumbersome which most people don’t enjoy; however this doesn’t mean you can’t trek in the wet season, you absolutely can.