Rwanda is one of the other three countries in the world where you can only encounter mountain gorillas in the wild, the other two being Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

These critically endangered primate species live in the jungles of Volcanoes national park that is situated in northwestern Rwanda.

There is no such typical experience, each Gorilla trekking safari experience may differ depending on the day of the trek and the Gorilla family you are assigned to track. Some families may require a shorter, easier trek and some groups require a longer, and much more difficult trek.

Some groups will stay nearer to the boundaries of the park and some will climb further up the mountains. Different Gorilla families are constantly moving so the distance of a particular gorilla group differs daily.

Your Gorilla trekking permit does not necessarily allocate which group you will visit. But instead guides, divers, and park staff will negotiate among themselves which visitors are allocated to which gorilla group on the day of the trek.

At that point, the guides already have a general idea where each group is that day. You might be asked whether you are in for an easy, medium or difficult trek.

If you are not asked but have a choice to make, be sure to let them know. Otherwise, you will most likely be assigned a group based on your perceived age and level of fitness.

The actual Gorilla Safari hike can range between 1 to 5 hours. Though usually the most difficult, many people seek to visit the Susa family. Not only is this the largest Gorilla family you can visit, it is also a group Dian Fossey took time to study for years.

Another famous gorilla group is that guided by Francois Bigirimana- one of the most famous and knowledgeable guide around.

With a remarkable over 30years experience, including working with Fossey, Francois is out of this league. The Rwanda Tourism website will give you all the description of each Gorilla family.