When to Go Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda – Plan, Time and Gorilla Guide

Know when to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda before booking a safari to the park. We bring you the guide on what time of the year to book a gorilla safari

As one of the world’s greatest natural history travel experiences Gorilla trekking can be done all year round but visitors should take note of the dry and wet months of the year. Generally weather conditions are good with relatively wetter seasons dominating the rain forest across the Virunga region but the best time to track is during the dry months from June, September, and December to February. This is the time when there is little rain in the park however weather conditions are unpredictable hence it might pour on you any time of the day even though its a dry season.

During the dry season, wildlife encounters are common because the vegetation is less lush and views of the forest are much clear, hikes are fairly easy to walk over. This is the time when gorillas move to the upper slopes of the mountains in search for food, therefore expect to walk for several hours before you see the gorillas. Visitors tend to be many hence it’s regarded as a peak season therefore, you are advised to book your gorilla permit in advance. Even during the dry season we recommend visitors to have waterproof jackets and hiking boots.

On the other hand the rainy season tends to occur during the months of mid March, April, and July to October and is regarded as a low season when visitors are few to enjoy the discounted rates of tracking permits although visitors tend to avoid these months in fear of getting wet and muddy during tracking. It’s during this season that trekking can be rather a difficult activity because of frequent down pours that drench hiking trails making them quite slippery and tiring to walk over.

However visitors have a chance to see gorillas since vegetation is lush and gorillas may not move for long distances since there is pretty of food to feed on, therefore treks may not be long during the wet season compared to the dry one.