Shalom Safaris Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

Included, Not Included and Paid on Top

The inclusion list is clear: the gorilla permit (subject to availability and non-refundable), ground transportation in a 4x4 vehicle, guiding, lunch and soft drinks, and all taxes. The exclusion list names tips to local guides, airfares and any other item not mentioned. Not stated anywhere on the listing: pickup time, breakfast, bottled water beyond the soft drinks, porter fees, hiking gear hire and accommodation.

Porters and gumboots, raincoats and gloves exist at the park headquarters, so budget for them separately if you want them. The listing does not state a porter fee, and the official RDB pages fetched do not print one either, so ask at briefing. Note one contradiction: the tour cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, yet the permit inside the price is non-refundable. If you cancel inside the rules the operator may still lose the permit money. Confirm how this works with the operator on the booking page before you pay.

Visa and Health Paperwork

This route stays inside Rwanda, so Rwanda's entry rules apply. Citizens of all countries can get a visa on arrival without a prior application, with fees capped at $50 for single entry or $70 for multiple entry. AU, Commonwealth and La Francophonie citizens get a free 30 day visa. If you plan to add Uganda later, the East Africa Tourist Visa at $100 covers Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya for 3 months and is issued by the first country of entry.

On yellow fever, the Rwandan Ministry of Health position reported by RwandAir is that travellers from non-endemic countries do not need a certificate, while those arriving from endemic or outbreak countries must show one or be vaccinated on arrival at $40. Rwanda Migration still advises carrying the certificate even for non-endemic travel, so bring it if you have one. CDC recommends malaria prophylaxis for all of Rwanda and hepatitis A and typhoid vaccinations for most travellers.

Who the Trek Suits and What to Wear

The listing is explicit: a strenuous hike needing moderate physical fitness, not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries, pregnant travellers or those with poor cardiovascular health. Treks run at 2,500m to 4,000m and RDB advises walking slowly and drinking plenty of water because high altitude may cause difficulties. The minimum age of 15 in the listing matches the RDB trek rule, so the age band is the trek rule, not a looser booking category.

For kit, the Gorilla Friendly Pledge recommends hiking boots or sturdy shoes, waterproof clothing, long sleeves and gloves. Gumboots, raincoats and gloves can be hired at the park headquarters. Trails in Volcanoes are steep and muddy in any month, and the long rains peak March to May with the short rains around October to December, so rain gear is not optional. Porters are available to carry backpacks and help on the route, though no fee is printed officially.

Licensing and the Permit

Shalom Safaris is described on its own site as fully licensed by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the authority that sells Rwanda's gorilla permits at $1,500 per person per day. In Rwanda permits can be booked directly online on the RDB portal or through a licensed tour operator as a package, and this listing is the operator-package route: the permit is inside the $2,650 price.

One caution for the traveller. The permit on this listing is stated as subject to availability and non-refundable, which is tighter than the standard 24 hour tour cancellation. Confirm with the operator, before you pay, that the permit for your date is already secured in your name.

From Pickup to Park Gate and Back

Hotel pickup in Kigali is included and the day is private. The listing does not state a departure time, a meeting point, a return time or the drive duration, so build your own flight plans around a generous buffer. For context, Visit Rwanda describes the drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park as about three hours, and the RDB portal puts Musanze, 13 km from the Kinigi headquarters, at a 90 minute drive from Kigali.

On the ground, RDB requires visitors to report to the visitor information centre at park entry at 7:00 am, with the briefing at the RDB offices in Kinigi at 7:00 am on the trek day. The trek then lasts one hour to about eight more depending on where the gorillas had been the previous day. The viewing itself is one hour with the family, watching the juveniles play and the Silverback keep watch.

Volcanoes National Park Rules and the Permit

Volcanoes National Park is named for the chain of dormant volcanoes of the Virunga Massif, which spans Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo. Twelve gorilla families are open to tourists, each with at least one Silverback, and the Virunga Massif census counted 604 mountain gorillas. RDB issues only 96 permits per day, eight per troop.

The rules are fixed. Maximum 8 visitors per gorilla group, exactly one hour of viewing, a 7 metre distance from the animals, and a minimum age of 15. You report at 7:00 am at Kinigi for the briefing. Hikes last from 30 minutes to four or more hours at altitudes of 2,500m to 4,000m. If you track all day and fail to find a family, 75 percent of the tracking fee is refunded. If you are sick with a cold or flu you will be turned away, so travel insurance that covers the permit matters.

The $1,500 foreign non-resident permit is bought on the RDB portal or through an operator, first come first served. This listing bundles it into the $2,650 price, subject to availability and non-refundable. Ten percent of permit revenue goes to local communities.

The Same Trip Across the Border

The same days and money buy a different trip in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park permits cost $800 for foreign non-residents, $600 in April, May and November, and treks run 2 to 7 hours at lower altitude, with a 10 metre distance from the gorillas. From Kigali you cross at the Katuna or Cyanika border posts, so a day trek from Kigali into Bwindi is possible. The Bugoli 1-Day Bwindi Gorilla Trek from Kigali lists at $300 plus the $800 permit, and Uganda needs its own $50 visa or the $100 East Africa Tourist Visa.

Who should look at Uganda instead: travellers watching the total bill, since the permit is the biggest cost by far. The trade-off is a longer day, a border crossing and a trekking distance of 10 metres rather than 7. If a cheaper Rwanda base price suits you better than a bundled one, the Universal Ventures 1-Day Gorilla Trek from Kigali lists at $342 with the permit bought separately, and the permit-included alternative is the Devine 1-Day Gorilla Trek, Permit Included at $2,687 over about 9 hours.

Request, Confirmation and Deadlines

On the operator side, Shalom Safaris states that permit requests are answered within one business day, and this listing carries the permit in the price subject to availability. On the official side, RDB bookings are first come first served, permits are priced per person per day, and advance bookings pay 40 to 99 percent of the fee when a slot is available with the balance due before 30 days to confirm. Processing takes about a day and cash payment at the park is not permitted.

The no-show rule is blunt. RDB states that a no-show on the visiting date makes the permit expired, and no refund is made for late arrivals, flight delays, absence or cancellation for any other reason. The operator's own permit page states that failure to attend your scheduled trekking date may result in the permit being considered expired and non-refundable. Rescheduling a confirmed permit carries a 20 percent processing fee, approved automatically more than 7 days out and subject to RDB approval within 7 days. With only 96 permits issued daily in Rwanda, book as early as your travel dates are fixed.