One trek.
A single permit in one park, and the hour with one family.
ONE PERMIT · ONE HOURGORILLA TREKKING
THE EXPERIENCE / GORILLA TREKKING
An hour with
a gorilla family.
Gorilla trekking is a walk into mountain forest to find a wild family, then one hour near it: quiet, on the gorillas' terms.
Begin your journeyYOUR AFRICA, BEAUTIFULLY TOLD.Discover the experience ↓
THE FOREST CHAPTER
A long walk,
a short hour.
The walk can take hours; the time with the gorillas is up to one hour.
The park's guides brief each group, then lead it with trackers through mountain forest to one habituated family, a group used to people. At most eight visitors go to each family.
Gorillas roam, so no trek can promise them. If a full day's tracking finds none, Rwanda refunds 75% of the permit.
SMALL GROUPS
Eight visitors at most
ONE HOUR
Time allowed with a family
REAL TERRAIN
Boots, long sleeves and patience
A MORNING TREK
Walk first,
then be still.
The family sets the route, so no two treks match.
- BEFORE
The briefing.
In Rwanda you report at 07:00 in Kinigi, where guides explain the rules.
- DURING
The hour.
Whatever the family is doing, feeding, resting or moving on, you watch from the distance your guide sets. Voices low, no flash.
- AFTER
The way back.
It can take as long as the walk in. Then rest, and let it settle.
THREE WAYS TO GO
Choose your
kind of trek.
Most choose one trek; others stay longer or go wider.
A longer visit.
Uganda's habituation experience: about four hours with a group still getting used to people, US$1,500 until December 2026, US$1,800 from January 2027.
HABITUATION · UGANDAPart of a safari.
Pair the forest with Uganda's chimpanzees or Kenya's Mara.
WIDER JOURNEY · MORE VARIETYFIND YOUR SETTING
Where gorillas
are found.
June to August and December to February are usually driest.
UGANDA / DEEP MOUNTAIN FORESTBwindi, Buhoma
Between 1,160 and 2,607 metres; Buhoma, the park-headquarters sector, is one of four.
RWANDA / VOLCANO SLOPESVolcanoes National Park
Five Virunga volcanoes rise here; Karisimbi, the highest, reaches 4,507 metres.
UGANDABwindi, Ruhija
Ruhija is a distinct base for exploring Bwindi's steep, ancient rainforest and its mountain gorillas.
UGANDABwindi, Rushaga
Rushaga offers another distinct Bwindi rainforest chapter in Uganda, centred on mountain gorilla trekking.
UGANDABwindi, Nkuringo
Nkuringo is a Bwindi rainforest base for a Uganda journey shaped around mountain gorilla trekking.
UGANDAMgahinga
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park gives Uganda's primate journey a volcanic setting in the far south-west.A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN
Ideas to make
your own.
Three journeys with a gorilla trek.
THE DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
A little thought.
A better journey.
Where, when, how hard, how much.
Last checked: October 2026
Where and when
Bwindi and Mgahinga (Uganda), Volcanoes (Rwanda). Open all year; usually driest June to August and December to February.
How long and how fit
Uganda: two to seven hours in all. Rwanda: 30 minutes to over four hours out; the walk back can take as long. Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) asks for moderate fitness.
Who it suits
Someone 15 or over, happy on steep, muddy ground for hours. With a child under 15, look at Rwanda's golden monkeys, from age 12. A cold or flu means staying behind: gorillas catch human illness.
Rules and cost
Stay 10 metres back in Uganda, 7 in Rwanda. Camouflage is illegal in Uganda. Permits: Uganda US$800 (US$600 in April, May and November, the wetter months); Rwanda US$1,500. Confirm for your dates.
BEFORE YOU GO
Good questions.
Straight answers.
Can I buy a gorilla permit myself?
In Uganda, no: UWA says foreign visitors can book gorilla permits only through licensed tour operators, paid in full at booking. In Rwanda, yes: the Rwanda Development Board says you can also book directly online.
Do I have to wear a mask near the gorillas?
You may be asked to. Conservation body IUCN recommends one within 10 metres, but neither country's published gorilla rules mention masks.
Can I hire a porter in Rwanda?
Yes. The Rwanda Development Board says porters carry your daypack for a small charge.
Do the UK and US warn against gorilla trips?
As of 14 October 2026 the US says Do Not Travel for Uganda (Level 4) and Reconsider Travel for Rwanda (Level 3), with Do Not Travel within 10 km of the DRC border. The UK has no warning for Uganda; its one Rwanda warning covers parts of Rusizi District within 10 km of the DRC border. Read both in full. The UK adds that security staff routinely accompany treks near Bwindi and Mgahinga. If a gorilla charges, stand still, look away and follow your guide.
EXPERIENCES
Your kind
of extraordinary.
The way you like to travel is a good place to begin. Connect the places after that.
ActivitiesChimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is a guided forest walk to watch wild chimpanzees. Kibale, Nyungwe or Mahale: trek or habituation day, ages, rules and permit prices.
ActivitiesWater & canoe safaris
Hippo, crocodile and waterbirds from a launch or a paddled canoe: where boat safaris run in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, and the rules on the water.