Rwanda discounted gorilla permits which may also be referred to as Rwanda low season gorilla permits are intended to make it affordable for travelers with the urge of tracking the gorillas for more than one days in different national parks.
According to Rwanda Development Board, the gorilla permit per person for a full day of gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes National Park. This is good news to budget travelers since the standard price for Rwanda gorilla permits is 1500.00USD per person during the high season.
On 17th June, 2020, Rwanda reopened its national parks to tourism with discounted Rwanda gorilla permits after three months of lock-down due to the Covid-19 pandemic and with that, came the overwhelming news of very significant discounts in the price of Gorilla permits for the year 2020 up to December 2022.
Currently, promotional Rwanda Gorilla permits are on offer at $200 for Rwandan nationals and all East African citizens, $500 for foreign residents of Rwanda, African nationals and foreign residents in African Union community and that is a huge discount considering that the price has been $1500 each permit for all intending to take part in Gorilla trekking in Rwanda.
The $500 cost of the gorilla permit in Rwanda for foreign residents is now even less than what it costs in Uganda where the permit now costs $700. Overtime, Rwanda has successfully positioned itself as the leading destination for luxury Gorilla trekking experiences in Africa and these price reductions come as an incentive to jump-start tourism in Rwanda since mountain Gorillas are the country’s major tourism product.
The discounted permits therefore, will only last until 31st December, 2022 after which, the price will return to the previous $1500 for each permit for everyone taking part in the Gorilla trekking activity.
How to Book discounted Rwanda Gorilla permits and take part in Gorilla trekking during the Covid-19 Pandemic?
As exciting as it is to know that Rwanda has re-opened for tourism and Gorilla trekking back in the picture, it is important to note that we are still battling Covid-19 and there are set guidelines that must be observed.
- Everyone aged 15 years and above can be allowed to take part in Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
- All international travelers MUST test negative for Covid-19, 72 hours before departure and will undergo another test upon arrival in Rwanda.
- All participants MUST test negative 48 hours before the tracking date.
- Anyone with high temperatures and other signs of sickness including flue and cough will not be allowed to take part in Gorilla trekking to minimize the risk of the mountain Gorillas contracting the highly infectious virus.
The above, must be observed alongside the regular do’s and don’ts of Gorilla trekking as communicated on the day of the trek during your briefing.
UPDATE: commercial flights in Rwanda resumed on 1st August 2020 as planned and you can plan your visit to Rwanda now.
UPDATE: The discount on the Gorilla permits for promotional Gorilla trekking in Rwanda continues up to the end of 2022 so this is the best chance for
If you are to benefit from the discounted gorilla permits which are priced at USD1050.00 per person, it will require you to book for a safari package which will guarantee you more than 3 days in Rwanda visiting more than national parks in Rwanda.
The more days you spend in Rwanda, the better. National Parks where one can extend his stay or spend more days include Nyungwe Forest National Park where once can enjoy chimpanzee trekking as well as the popular canopy walk.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is also popular with bird watching and as such bird lovers should also endeavor to visit Nyungwe National Park for more days in order to benefit from these discounted permits.
Rwanda low season gorilla permits issued at USD1050.00 to trek the rare and endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park Rwanda.
Another option to add on the extra days to qualify for the discounted gorilla permits in Rwanda is the Akagera National Park where once can enjoy game drives as an add on to gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda low season gorilla permits were initiated in 2017 after there was an increase in the price of the normal Rwanda gorilla permits from USD750.00 to USD1500.00.
The increment was meat to position Rwanda as a luxury tourist destination in Africa. Indeed Rwanda has embarked on its ambiguous project by attracting investors to construct luxury lodges and conference centers.
In order to attract more tourist to trek Rwanda gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park, as Rwanda increased the price of the normal gorilla permits, it also announced a 30% discount for the same making it USD1050 per person during the low season.
Much as Rwanda is offering these discounted or low season gorilla permits, they still have strings attached or conditions that one must satisfy before benefiting from them.
That said and done, still the price for Rwanda discounted gorilla permits at USD1050 cannot match the normal gorilla permit price in Uganda and Congo which is at USD600 and USD400 respectively.
It is for this reason that many Rwanda tour operators have opted to sell Uganda gorillas by crossing the border at Chanika and Katuna to trek gorillas in Uganda. You can also do gorilla trekking in Congo in the Virunga National Park at only USD400.00 per person per trek in high season and USD200.00 per person per trek in low season.
Contact Intare safaris for more details as to when to and how to book low season gorilla permits in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
You can book your discounted gorilla permits directly through Rwanda Development Board. You can as well book you Rwanda low season gorilla permits through a tour operator.
The Tour Operator, will check for you gorilla permits available for your desired dates and communicate to you the number of permits available in May and November.
Once this is done, you will have to design a program that allows you to spend more days in other national parks such as Nyungwe Forest National Park and or Akagera National Park.
If you confirm and conform to these terms and conditions, then you will be allowed to benefit from Rwanda discounted gorilla permit price at USD1050 per person per trek in Low seasons of May and November.
Intare safaris boasts of massive experience in organizing Rwanda gorilla safaris combined with visits to other national parks such as Nyungwe and Akagera national Park and if interested in Rwanda low season gorilla permits.
Please do contact us and we will check availability, get back to you with available gorilla permits for May and November, help you to design program that will enable you to spend more days in Rwanda to enable you to qualify for these Rwanda low season gorilla permits.