A gorilla permit in Congo costs $400 each. D.R. Congo, also known as the heart of Africa, prides itself on hosting about 1/4 of the world’s total population of mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park, together with Uganda and Rwanda.
It is also home to lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park on the southeastern border with Rwanda. In addition to gorillas, Congo is also a hub for an array of iconic wildlife, including endangered chimpanzees, forest mammals, as well as lush tropical forests, and mountain ranges, among much more.
Virunga National Park Gorilla Permits
Harboring up to eight habituated gorilla families in the park, Virunga National Park remains one of Africa’s most famous parks, housing the only surviving population of mountain gorillas, with Volcanoes NP, Mgahinga, and Bwindi Impenetrable N/parks in Rwanda and Uganda respectively, all located in the Virunga region.
The biggest family in Virunga Park comprises approximately 32 members and 1 silverback, the historical Kabirizi family. There are more gorilla groups in the park, which include Humba, Rugendo, Lulengo, Mapuwa, Munyaga, and others.
Gorilla trekking in Virunga lasts between 1-8 hours, including one hour of actual encounter with the allocated family. Unlike other mountain gorilla destinations, D.R. Congo permits remain ideally the cheapest, costing only $400 per permit per trek as per the 2018/2019 Virunga Conservation tariff.
Gorilla Permits in Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Not the normal mountain gorillas, Kahuzi-Biega National Park offers an unusual opportunity to meet a different subspecies of gorillas known as lowland gorillas. These are arguably the largest of all other subspecies of gorillas, including mountain gorillas.
Eastern lowland gorillas have a jet black coat just like their counterparts, the mountain gorillas. Upon maturity, the black coat changes into silver, though lowland gorillas are differentiated by their huge, short bodies, large hands, shorter hair on their heads, and short muzzles.
Kahuzi-Biega is the only national park in Africa with the largest population of eastern lowland gorillas, totaling over 400 species which live in 9 different families.
These are fully habituated, but only one family has so far been opened for trekking on a daily basis. Lowland gorilla trekking is an unusual experience that only a few travelers have considered undertaking.
Lowland gorilla trekking involves walking amidst the tropical forests of Kahuzi-Biega, covered with muddy, slippery grounds in search of these gentle giants.
The forest can be impenetrable and hard to navigate, especially during the rainy season, but having to pave your own way until you find an allocated family is truly rewarding.
The joy of finding a lowland gorilla family presents magic, and it is simply worth all the hustles of trekking amidst dense and slippery forest.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park’s gorilla trekking permit costs only $400 USD per person, per trek, which makes it much cheaper than Uganda’s $800 USD gorilla permit and Rwanda’s $1500 USD gorilla permit.
Trekking lowland gorillas commences in the morning at 7:30 am, preceded by a pre-trek briefing at the ranger station located in the heart of Kahuzi-Biega.
Total trekking time may be between 1 and 8 hours, depending largely on the speed of trekkers or location of the allocated gorilla group.
But generally, gorilla trekking time can never be predicted, and all you need after securing your trekking permit is expectations, happiness, and other requirements like a camera, strong jungle shoes, long pants, waterproof jackets, drinking water, and snacks/box lunch. See the full gorilla trekking packing list here.
Booking a Congo Gorilla Permit
A gorilla permit is an official card/document that gives one permission to access, visit, or trek a given group of gorillas in its natural habitat for a maximum of one hour.
Travelers book gorilla permits to Congo through Virunga or Kahuzi-Biega National Park offices; alternatively, one can hire the services of a trusted and professional tour agency to book a permit on your behalf.
In other words, a gorilla permit is the only recognized document without which a traveler can’t be allowed to access a particular family of gorillas, and only 8 individuals are permitted to trek a given family on a daily basis.
Gorilla trekking lasts between 1-8 hours, plus one hour of direct encounter with a gorilla family; this offers trekkers a one-on-one meeting with these shy primates in their natural home.
Depending on the season and destination, gorilla permit cancellations done before the actual date of trekking attract refunds of up to 50% of the total permit cost.
Before booking your D.R. Congo gorilla permit, it is vital to consider the perfect seasons for gorilla trekking. Different climatic seasons influence travel and the kind of activities/experiences undertaken.
However, there are no seasonal discounts for gorilla permits in Congo, and advance booking is highly recommended (3 months prior booking is recommended), especially during peak season months of June-September and mid-December-February.
The best season to visit this country is during the dry months; from mid-December to late February, and June through late September.
During these months, Congo experiences a dry spell, with little or no rain, making jungles easier to navigate.
