Private Gorilla Trekking for Families
Book a private gorilla trekking experience for families to enjoy exclusive primate adventures in Africa. A private gorilla trekking tour with your family creates lasting memories. Imagine immersing yourself in the rainforest with your family, only to encounter a large silverback mountain gorilla later. This is a unique opportunity that offers firsthand experience not only to you but also with you. Planning a family gorilla trekking safari isn’t stressful anymore because we provide multiple curated family gorilla packages and other family-friendly experiences, all tailored to suit you. It doesn’t matter if you plan to visit with teenagers/multigenerational groups, Native Africa Tours has something for you.
Planning private gorilla trekking for families
What should you expect when planning to book a family-friendly gorilla trekking vacation? Get all the key tips to guide you in planning a successful private gorilla safari to Africa.
1. Choose the right Gorilla family-friendly destination
Not every gorilla safari destination is suitable for family adventures. To begin, experience unforgettable private gorilla trekking with your family in Uganda or Rwanda. These destinations are premier choices that every primate lover should prioritize.
Visit Uganda for a private gorilla trek with your family.
Uganda is an exceptional destination for family exploration. It welcomes families and offers remarkable opportunities to observe mountain gorillas together. Choosing Uganda for private family gorilla trekking is advantageous because of its diverse range of trekking routes. The top sites for a family gorilla vacation are Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Visitors on a family gorilla holiday begin their trek from Ruhija, Buhoma, Ntebeko, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. When choosing the sector to start your search for habituated gorilla groups in Uganda, first, consider your fitness level. Each sector requires a certain level of physical abilities to conquer the terrain. Regions/sectors known for challenging gorilla treks include Rushaga and Nkuringo in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Visit Rwanda for a private gorilla trek with families.
Rwanda belongs on your list of top family-friendly gorilla destinations. Discover Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park in the Northwestern Province and encounter mighty mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park is an iconic Park and uplifting destination where Dian Fossey once conducted her research on the endangered mountain gorillas. This acclaimed park features 13 habituated gorilla groups available for trekking.
When planning a family gorilla tour to Volcanoes National Park, ensure that you choose the right gorilla group. Volcanoes National Park hosts various groups of gorillas, each requiring different levels of fitness to access. The toughest group to track is Susa A, and visitors seeking a more adventurous trek can consider it. But if your fitness levels aren’t up to it, consider visiting other groups, including Hirwa, Agashya, Sabyinyo, Ugenda, Umubano, and Amahoro.
2. Book the entire Gorilla group (reserve eight permits)
To experience an exclusive gorilla trekking adventure, it is safe to secure permits for the entire gorilla group. A single gorilla group accommodates up to 8 (eight) guests per trek, and interestingly, it is possible to personalise your experience. As a family, you can secure all eight gorilla permits and enjoy private gorilla trekking, inclusive of a private ranger guide. This option is available for tourists on a Uganda gorilla tour or a Rwanda safari.
Booking the entire gorilla group in Uganda can cost you about USD 5600. The available options in Rwanda include personalised gorilla tours at USD 15,000, which include trekking to the entire gorilla group. But you can also have USD 30,000 available for a minimum of 3 pax who may choose to spend three consecutive days on a behind-the-scenes experience.
3. Understand the Age Restrictions
Gorilla trekking can be planned and booked for families, but first, you should know the acceptable age limit. The minimum age required for a person to engage in a trek with mountain gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda is 15 years. As you plan a family gorilla safari, consider the age restrictions on the safer side. Talk to your safari planner to ensure you are guided as you plan your ultimate gorilla vacation.
What is impressive, though, is that even children below 15 years have other activities to do. This means that failure to participate in the gorilla trekking tour doesn’t exclude them entirely from the family safari. At Native Africa Tours, we organise family-specific packages tailored to your travel preferences. As we plan the actual gorilla trekking adventure, we also consider the available alternatives for youngsters.
4. Secure your private gorilla trekking permit early
The moment you think of embarking on private gorilla trekking with a family, the first thing to secure is a gorilla permit. Depending on the destination you plan to visit for a family gorilla holiday, a permit is an essential tool that officially allows you to see a group of mountain gorillas. Each African gorilla destination has a set permit rate: Uganda charges USD 800 per visitor, and Rwanda charges USD 1,500 per person. To book your permit early, talk to the team at Native Africa Tours. Our team won’t only secure a license but also the entire logistics needed for your private gorilla trekking tour.
5. Packing the right things for your family gorilla safari
The choice of items to carry on your family gorilla trekking safari matters a lot. On your family tour packing list, the following shouldn’t be missed; long-sleeved shirts, raincoats/jackets, a pair of binoculars, gardening gloves, waterproof hiking boots, first aid kit, a pair of gardening gloves, a daypack, a camera with no flashlight, insect repellents, and extra camera storage. Additional gear/items to include on your packing list are: a safari hat, sunscreen, bottled drinking water, snacks, and walking sticks on the actual trekking date.
6. Choose the best family-friendly gorilla trekking package.
Pick the right gorilla safari package that meets your family’s travel desires. At Native Africa Tours, we customise gorilla tours based on the visitors’ travel interests. Book any of our family-friendly mountain gorilla safari packages in Uganda or Rwanda. Or talk to our expert to customise the itinerary displayed on our website to suit your needs. Our travel plans are always flexible, and we make it easy for a visitor to make any essential adjustments.
7. Plan for your connectivity to the gorilla trekking destination.
Book a comfortable family-friendly safari vehicle to ease your connectivity to and from the destination you plan to explore. Getting to Uganda’s Mgahinga or Bwindi takes about 9-10 hours from Kampala, and visitors can also connect from Kigali in just 5 hours. From Kigali, you can cross through Katuna/Chanika, and overall, a 4×4 tourist car is crucial for road transportation to your destination. Access to Bwindi/Mgahinga is also possible by flight, departing from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield, but ensure you carry the recommended baggage weight.
Connectivity to Volcanoes National Park is the easiest of all the African gorilla destinations. Within a 2-3-hour drive from Kigali, tourists can reach the Volcanoes. Its proximity to the city centre makes it possible and convenient for tourists to arrange short gorilla trekking safaris of 2 to 4 days.
Trust Native Africa Tours for all your family’s private gorilla trekking plans. Contact our team now to begin planning and booking your dream family mountain gorilla vacation.
