Typical trekking day to see mountain gorillas

A typical trekking day to see mountain gorillas begins with a hearty breakfast before going to the rangers’ and guides’ headquarters for 7am. Here your driver guide will mention your preference for the length and difficulty of the hike you want to do, or for the gorilla family that you want to visit, to the Head of Touristic Operations so that you are included in a group that shares the same aims.

It is with this small group (8 hikers maximum) that you will start climbing the volcanoes foothills. First you will walk to the edge of the fields and then you will enter the park, progressing through a totally preserved primary flora where forests of century-old trees alternate with bamboo forests. There you will find a group of scout rangers who will have located the gorilla families earlier in the morning. This method offers a very high likelihood of seeing mountain gorillas on every hike.

You will then have the privilege of spending a full hour in the presence of silverback gorillas and females, and sometimes youngsters only a few months old. At a distance of 7 metres, you will observe their behaviour, their attitudes and their interactions, unless a young gorilla decides to approach you and take you around!

After this time, you will witness a change in behaviour of the adult gorillas who know that the “visit” is complete. With these unique souvenirs and such strong images of a moment spent with our closest cousins, you will enjoy a snack before heading back downhill and will reach your lodge, often in the afternoon, to rest and unwind.