Plan My Safari
Gorilla trekking is about as rare and moving as wildlife travel gets.
Fewer than 1,100 mountain gorillas remain, and they live only in the volcanic forests where Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC meet. On a luxury gorilla trekking safari, an expert guide leads you on foot to a habituated family, where you spend one unforgettable hour in their company — infants tumbling, a silverback watching calmly a few meters away.
We take care of everything — permits, private guides and great lodges — and fit your trek into a wider East Africa safari.
Rwanda or Uganda?
Both are exceptional. The right choice depends on your budget, fitness and how you want to combine your trek with the rest of your safari.
Volcanoes National Park
The easiest and most refined option — roughly 2–3 hours by road from Kigali, with the most luxurious lodges. Permits are USD 1,500 per person.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
More gorilla families, lower-cost permits at USD 800 per person, and a natural pairing with a broader wildlife safari and chimpanzee tracking.
Permits, fitness & the essentials
Permit cost
Per person — USD 1,500 in Rwanda, USD 800 in Uganda. One hour with the gorilla family.
Minimum age
Trekkers must be at least 15 years old — strictly enforced in both countries.
Trek length
Hiking time to the gorillas varies daily with their movements and the terrain.
Group size
A maximum of eight trekkers visit each habituated family per day, keeping it intimate.
Permit prices and regulations are set by the national park authorities and can change; we confirm current rates and secure your permits at the time of booking.
Best time to trek
Trekking is possible all year, but the drier months make the forest trails easier and the gorillas easier to reach. Permits for peak months sell out far ahead.
The long dry season — the most popular and easiest time to trek. Book permits 4–9 months ahead.
A second drier window — excellent conditions and slightly easier permit availability.
Wetter "green" season — muddier trails but lush forest, fewer trekkers and lower-season permit discounts in Uganda.
Who you'll meet in the forest
Gorillas are the headline act, but the forests of Rwanda and Uganda hold three extraordinary primate encounters — each with its own trek, permit and season.
Mountain gorilla
Around 1,000 remain, all in the wild. An hour with a habituated family — silverback, mothers, tumbling infants — is widely called the greatest wildlife encounter on earth. Treks run from 1 to 6+ hours; groups are capped at 8 guests per family.
Volcanoes NP (Rwanda), Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda)
Jun–Sep & Dec–Feb (drier trails); possible year-round
Chimpanzee
Fast, loud and thrillingly close to us — chimp trekking is a completely different energy from the gorillas' calm. Kibale holds East Africa's highest density, with sighting success above 90%.
Kibale Forest (Uganda), Nyungwe Forest (Rwanda)
Year-round; dry seasons for easier walking
Golden monkey
Found only in the Virunga volcanoes' bamboo forests — playful, photogenic troops that make a gentle half-day trek, and the perfect add-on the day before or after your gorilla permit.
Volcanoes NP (Rwanda), Mgahinga (Uganda)
Year-round; drier months for clearer trails
Recommended gorilla lodges
A handful of lodges sit moments from the park gates in Rwanda and Uganda — so you reach your gorilla trek rested, with the forest on your doorstep. These are the properties we book most, chosen for location, comfort and conservation.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge
Eight suites on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, with volcano views, a spa and a reforestation project restoring the gorillas’ habitat — Rwanda at its most refined.
Bisate Lodge
Wilderness’s dramatic forest-pod villas set in a reforested amphitheater below the Bisoke and Karisimbi volcanoes — architecture and conservation in equal measure.
One&Only Gorilla's Nest
Set in a eucalyptus forest at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, with a destination spa and easy access to the trekking start points — polished and family-friendly.
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
A warm, lodge-style base owned by the local community — every stay channels funds directly into conservation and surrounding villages.
Bwindi Lodge
Volcanoes Safaris’ banda-style lodge right on the boundary of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest — gorillas sometimes wander through camp, and treks begin from the doorstep.
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
The only camp set deep within Bwindi itself — a handful of tents under the canopy where you fall asleep to the sounds of the forest and the gorillas are never far.
These are a few of our favorites — we work with many more across Volcanoes, Bwindi and Mgahinga. Have a specific lodge in mind? Tell us in your enquiry and we'll secure it.
A day in Kigali
Africa’s cleanest, safest capital — and the start of every gorilla journey. Arrive a day early; Kigali rewards it.
Kigali Genocide Memorial
A profoundly moving memorial and museum honoring the victims of 1994 — essential to understanding modern Rwanda’s remarkable story.
Inema Arts Center
The heart of Kigali’s thriving contemporary art scene — studios, galleries and works by East Africa’s rising painters.
Nyamirambo walking tour
Explore Kigali’s liveliest neighborhood with guides from the Nyamirambo Women’s Center — markets, tailors, street food and daily life.
Rwandan coffee culture
Rwanda grows some of the world’s finest bourbon arabica — taste it at specialty roasters where every cup supports women farmers.
Kimironko Market
Kigali’s biggest market — a sensory feast of fabrics, fruit and flowers, best explored with a local guide.
Pair your trek with a safari
Serengeti & the Migration
Add the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar to your gorilla trek.
Explore Tanzania → KenyaThe Maasai Mara
Combine gorillas with big cats in the legendary Maasai Mara.
Explore Kenya → All destinationsPlan your African safari
Build one journey across East & Southern Africa.
Explore luxury African safaris →Gorilla trekking FAQs
Let's plan your
gorilla trek.
Permits are limited and book out months ahead. Tell us your dates and we'll secure yours and build the journey around it.
Enquire now