What is the best time to visit Rwanda for the gorilla tour? What is the best time for the gorilla trekking? What is the best time that will give me the best chance to see the gorillas?
These are common questions from tourists planning a
gorilla trekking trip in Rwanda and Uganda. Gorilla trekking is number one on the list of
top things to do in Rwanda.
What is the best time that will give you the best chance to see the gorillas? And the answer is simple:
ALL YEAR ROUND the gorillas can be seen.
BUT THE WEATHER…
However, the weather can have an effect on the
level of difficulty of the gorilla trek (but not on the chances of finding the gorillas), and therefore you may choose to do the gorilla trek when it is easier to trek (or hardest to trek, for hiking fanatics) because the gorillas live in the rugged mountains densely covered in vegetation presenting a challenge for trekking. And of course, the mountains are easier to trek in dry conditions than in wet conditions.
There are two types of
weather in Rwanda, the
WET/RAINY season (March – May & Sept – Oct) that sees frequent rains, and the
DRY season (June – August & Dec – Feb) which sees more sunshine and less rains.
The most preferred time for the gorilla trek is during the long dry spell from June – August and a bit of September. The mountains do not receive frequent rains and so the trails are dry most of the time. There will be some occasional rains though. This can be taken as the best time for the gorilla tracking in Rwanda.
The wettest period is from March to May, with rains experienced almost on a daily during the peak rainy month of April. This is the least favorable time for the gorilla tracking adventure.
During the wet season however, the gorillas tend to leave the high elevations of the mountains because it is too cold and will retreat closer to the warmer altitudes towards the base of the mountains. During this time the gorillas may be easier to find 😊. The irony!
BEST TIME WITH NO CROWDS
Don’t want crowds??? There are fewer people tracking the gorillas during the wet season hence you have a more intimate encounter with the gorillas. We call this time of the year the low season because of low numbers of tourists. A number of lodges discount their prices (low season prices) and therefore it is the best time for the gorilla trek if you want to save.
VERDICT:
The gorilla trekking can be done ALL YEAR ROUND
