Gorilla Trekking Rwanda

Spend time with some of the last mountain gorillas in the world, a true bucket list experience.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is one of the most extraordinary and emotionally powerful wildlife experiences in the world. Deep in the emerald-green rainforest of Volcanoes National Park, in the shadow of the Virunga Mountains, you will hike through thick bamboo and tangles undergrowth with a team of expert guides and trackers to find one of the world's last remaining families of wild mountain gorillas. There are only around 1,000 of these incredible creatures left on Earth, and roughly a third of them live here in Rwanda - protected, closely monitored, and carefully habituated to human presence.

Once your group reaches them - sometimes after a short walk, sometimes after a few hours of more challenging trekking - you will be allowed to spend up to an hour in their company. That house is hard to describe. There's something deeply humbling about standing just a few metres from a silverback and watching him calmly observe you, or seeing a mother cradle her infant while juveniles tumble through the undergrowth nearby. You're close enough to hear them chew, breathe, and rumble softly to each other - and the connection feels immediate, instinctive, and unforgettable. Most people walk away overwhelmed, moved by how familiar these animals seem and how fragile their existence is.

Rwanda offers what is widely considered the best gorilla trekking experience in Africa. While Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo also offer treks, Rwanda's approach is arguably more structured and polished, with excellent guiding, high conservation standards, and far easier logistics. The park is just a scenic 2.5 hours drive from Kigali, meaning you can be trekking with gorillas the morning after you land, and the experience is run with real care and professionalism. Permits are limited to 96 trekkers per day and cost US$1,500 per person - a significant cost, but one that plays a crucial role in conservation and community support. The permit doesn't just give you access to the gorillas; it funds ranger salaries, anti-poaching patrols, veterinary care, and sustainable community initiatives that give local people a reason to protect rather than exploit the rainforest. Treks are capped at eight people per gorilla family, and you're guided by a team of rangers and trackers who know the terrain and the individual families inside out - many of them have been working with these animals for decades. Treks are tailored to suit different fitness levels, and porters are available to assist, so while a basic level of fitness is required, you don't need to be a seasoned hiker to take part. The trails can be steep, muddy, and slippery, btu the pace is steady and the reward is unlike anything else!

There is no true "off-season" for gorilla trekking - they don't migrate, and sightings are consistently excellent throughout the year. However mid-December to February is a great time, with relatively clear skies and easier hiking conditions, as well as the vegetation being slightly thinner, which can improve visibility. June to mid-September is considered the prime trekking season as its the driest time of year, so trails are less muddy and more manageable. It also coincides with peak safari season in places like Kenya and Tanzania.

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Do I need a permit?

Permits are required for gorilla trekking and these should be obtained well in advance of travelling to Rwanda to avoid disappointment. These are usually arranged and booked by a local tour operator through the Rwandan Widlife Authorities, who can take care of all the formalities on your behalf. A permit costs USD $1,500 per person and allows the holder to spend up to one hour with a gorilla family. It is expensive, but the experience is worth every penny, and the funds help to strengthen conservation efforts and the development of local communities. There is an age restriction with gorilla trekking and participants must be older than 15 years of age.

A maximum of eight people can visit one gorilla group each day. For conservation reasons and to limit disturbance, gorilla trekking only takes place during the morning, and time spent with the family is strictly limited to one hour. Other reasons for the time limitations and distance kept from the gorillas is to minimise the chance of humans passing any illness to the gorillas – they share a 98% DNA similarity so are exceptionally susceptible to human diseases.

What happens on the day of gorilla tracking?

A typical day begins with an early morning safety and etiquette briefing at the Park HQ, during which visitors are allocated to different gorilla family groups. Rangers lead visitors through the forest, staying in constant radio communication with the trackers who stay with the gorilla family so that they can be easily located. Sightings are not guaranteed but the communication between the teams make them highly likely.

Gorillas trekking does require a moderate level of fitness as it can be over strenuous terrain. However, don’t be deterred. Generally, people are grouped together in similar levels of fitness, ability and will go at the pace of the slowest person in the group. Appropriate gorilla families will also be selected according to group ability – some treks can be a moderate stroll and others will be clambering through the dense vegetation of the rainforest. All are fantastic and rewarding experiences, so you’ll not be disappointed.

How close will I get to the gorillas?

To protect the health of the gorillas, it is mandatory to keep a distance of seven meters from the gentle giants, however, gorillas don’t always take heed of this notice and it’s not uncommon for one of these black-fuzzed titans to walk right past you. Guests are also asked to keep voices down as low as possible from when within about 200 meters of the Gorillas.