Want to get up close and personal with gorillas and chimpanzees? If so, now is the perfect time to book an African gorilla and chimpanzee trekking tour! These luxurious tours are offered by leading travel companies in conjunction with safari and trekking operators in Rowanda and Uganda. Stay in incredible lodges with all the amenities you could want, and during the day you'll venture into the wilds and see majestic gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitats! This is the only way to see gorillas and chimpanzees without being in the confines of a zoo. Africa is an incredible continent filled with wildlife and vistas unlike anywhere else on earth. Here, we'll review the best deals that make these life-changing tours affordable. Find out more about what to expect on your gorilla and chimpanzee trekking tour!
Most gorilla and chimpanzee treks are located in either Rwanda, Uganda or the Republic of Congo. Some chimpanzee treks are offered in places such as Tanzania.
Travel companies often take their clients to find mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which sits at elevations ranging from 1,160 to 2,607 meters above sea in southwest Uganda. Gorilla and chimpanzee treks might alsoenter the Kibale Forest or follow the Kazinga Channelor the Jinja river.
Most Rwanda gorilla treks are focused in the mountains of Volcanoes National Park, which is home to five volcanoes in the Virunga mountains. A third of the park is covered by bamboo forest.
Gorilla expeditions head into the heart of The Congo, a massive rainforest that covers Kokoua National Park. These tours are highly desirable because, within an hour of hiking, travelers are virtually guaranteed to find a family of gorillas.
We've compared rates from several of the leading primate trekking companies, and these are the best we've found. Deeper Africa is offering a Chimps of Tanzania tour with prices starting as low as $4,599; for Gorilla and Chip trekking, there's a Wildlife of Uganda tour starting at $6,199. Another great option is The Gorilla Safari Company, which offers one-day treks from various luxurious lodget for as low as $2,040 per person.
Travelers can save money on gorilla and chimpanzee treks by going in a group rather than on private tours. In fact, group gorilla and chimpanzee safaris tend to be roughly $1,000 cheaper per person! This is a great way to make these memorable safari treks affordable.
Some companies do offer gorilla and chimpanzee trekking excursions that last over several days. Go 2 Africa offers a three-day gorilla trek through The Congo.
Many gorilla and chimpanzee trekking companies also offer classic safari tours for big five game and other wildlife. Travelers can also make arrangements with other safari companies that use the same lodges.
While not looking for primates, travelers can take part in a number of excursions offered by their travel companies. The Gorilla Safari Company, for example, offers canopy tours, a Batwa cultural village, channel cruises, fishing expeditions and more.